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these notes sound the same. If the E-string is too low, tune it up a little (or if it’s too high, tune down), and then try again. Repeat the process until both strings sound the same.
    3. Play the E-string at the third fret and then the open g-string (the first one).
    Adjust that string until it’s in tune.
    4. Play the E-string at the fifth fret and tune the A-string (the fourth one) to that note.
    New ukulele strings slip out of tune very quickly. When they are put on the uke they stretch a little and lose their tuning. A period of two weeks or more is needed before they bed-in (that is, stop stretching and stay in tune longer).
    You can speed this bedding-in process up by stretching the strings. Tune your ukulele, pull one string away from the soundhole and gently tug it a few times. Play the string again and it’ll probably be out of tune. Tune it up and repeat the process. The string should be less out of tune each time you try it. Do this with each string and your ukulele should stay in tune better.

Chapter 3
    Discovering How to Handle Your Ukulele
    In This Chapter
    Getting a grip on your uke
    Preparing to strum
    Fretting without worrying
    A ny idiot knows that you hold the ukulele in front of you and hit the strings. Even Tiny Tim figured that much out. So who needs a whole chapter about that stuff? Well, everybody. The position of your hands, arms and entire body can change how hard the ukulele is to play and the sound you make. Seemingly small things can have a big impact on the way you play, and so this chapter tells you all about positioning yourself and holding your ukulele.
    Picking up good habits is just as easy as picking up bad ones. You’re sure to be glad in the future that you got the fundamentals under your belt now, and you’re going to save yourself a lot of time otherwise spent trying to get rid of bad habits.
    Holding On to Your Ukulele
    No, this section isn’t about not getting your uke stolen, but instead shows that the way you hold a ukulele is a vitally important part of making it sound good. The uke is such a small instrument that choking all the sound out of it is all too easy.
    Here’s a general guide to holding your ukulele: try to touch it as little as possible. By this advice I mean that you want to make as little contact as you can manage without sending your ukulele crashing to the ground and exploding into hundreds of pieces.
    Watch professional ukulele players and how they hold their instruments. Search out DVDs of Jake Shimabukuro and Roy Smeck for a masterclass in holding the ukulele.
    Positioning yourself to play
    When you’re playing, you have three main points of contact with the uke:
    The back of the ukulele against your body (see Figure 3-1).
    Your forearm on the front of the ukulele just behind the bridge (positioned so that your hand falls naturally over the part where the body meets the neck).
    The underside of the ukulele neck against the crook of your hand (between your thumb and index finger; see Figure 3-2).
    Figure 3-1: Holding the ukulele against your body (strumming arm).

    Don’t smother the ukulele by holding it tightly into your chest because that kills the volume and the tone.
    Instead, angle the ukulele away from your body as in Figure 3-2 (so that the headstock is farther away from you than the ukulele’s body; check out Chapter 1 for a list of the names of the various parts of your uke). This positioning creates air around the back of the uke, giving it room to breathe and pump out some volume.
    Figure 3-2: Holding the ukulele in the crook of your fretting hand.

    Standing up
    Holding the ukulele while standing up can be something of a juggling act. Each of the three points of contact mentioned in the preceding section has to be stronger than when you’re sitting down.
    Also, you may have to change the balance of the three points. For example, when you’re playing a tricky section with your fretting hand, it