GLOSSARY FOR UOK SONGS
Arpeggio:
A musical technique where the notes of a chord are played one after another, rather than simultaneously, creating a broken chord effect. C arp or arpeggio or the symbol ⌇ indicates that the notes in the chord are played independently, with a downward motion.
Beat:
The chord name is usually above the “one” beat.
-
C / / / G7 / / / - 4 beats of C followed by 4 beats of G7
-
C / / C with down arrow - three beats of C and one single C strum (usually for an ending)
-
C / D / - two beats of C followed by two beats of D
-
C with down arrow (2, 3, 4) - C down strum with a count of 2, 3, 4 before the next line
-
… means there is a pause before the words start….. the more dots, the longer the pause. Often is is used when the chord comes before the first word.
-
Sometimes the beats G / / / wrap around to the next line with G / on one line and / / over the words on the next line.
Chord: a group of three or more notes played together to create harmony, and it is a foundational element in music
-
A “C” chord is written 0003. A “G” chord is written 0232.
-
A C5 chord adds a G note to the C chord (sometimes written C/g). Written as 0033 which means G string 0 fret, C string 0 fret, E string third fret = G note and A string third fret = a C note.
Initials and Date:
Initials of the people who have worked on the song. The date is when the song was last updated. This has recently been moved to the top of the song sheet.
N/C: No chord
Strums:
-
Strums are counted 1& 2& 3& 4& for 4/4 time
-
D - emphasized down strum; d - regular down strum; u - regular up strum.
-
D_ du D_ du (cowboy) The "_" indicates no strum.
-
D_ du _u du (calypso)
-
D_ du _u D_ (calypso variation)
-
D_ du du du
-
D_ D_ D_ D_
-
D_ x_ _u _u (x = chunk or chuck which is a percussive sound)
-
Du du du du (shuffle)
-
Some strums are 8 beats—combining two patterns:
-
D_ du D_ du D_ du du du
-
Some are six beats D_ du du D_ du du or D_u D_u
-
Some are three beats D_ du du which is 3/4 time (Waltz)
-
Another system: ii = two down strums, ihi = one down, one up, one down
Rit. or ritard or ritardando: Gradually slow down.
Shaded words: Shaded words with chords above are used in an instrumental – no singing, just playing.
Stop: C with a "down arrow" indicates that the notes in the chord are played together in a single, downward motion.
Tablature or Tabs
-
Tablature is a form of musical notation that simplifies the process of learning and playing music.
-
For ukulele tablature, four horizontal lines represent the four strings: G C E A
-
Numbers written on these lines indicate the fret number where the string should be pressed to play a note.
-
A "3" on the top line means play the third fret on the A string; a "3" on the second line would mean play the third fret of the string, and so on.
-
Tablature can also include symbols to indicate special techniques like slides, bends, hammer-ons, and pull-offs.
-
Tablature is specific to certain instruments and is not a universal system like traditional music notation.
-
Example - C chord: 1st String - A |---3----------------------|
2nd String - E |---0----------------------|
3rd String - C |---0--------------------- |
4th String - G |---0----------------------|
Tacet: Singing only, no playing
Tremolo: Rapid gentle strumming. “Feathering” the chord.