The song Jingle Bells will forever be a must-know Christmas song.
It’s a song you can strum, or as you’ll learn today, you can fingerpick.
In this lesson, you learn to fingerpick the chords and sing Jingle Bells with the chords and ukulele tabs included.
Let’s get to it!
First, watch the video and hear a performance of Jingle Bells.
Before moving forward, you’re going to want to download the ukulele tab and chord chart for this song.
If you don’t know how to read ukulele tab, don’t worry. It’s easy to learn with this lesson here.
Next, be sure to brush up on the chord positions you must know to play this song.
In the next video, I demonstrate the fingerpicking pattern counted out loud. This is the first thing you’ll want to practice.
Practice this pattern over a G major chord.
In the ukulele tab, the letter p indicates to pluck with the thumb, i indicates to pluck with the index finger, m indicates to pluck with the middle finger, and a indicates to pluck with the ring finger.
The letters p-i-m-a are the initials for the Spanish words for each finger: pulgar (thumb), indice (index finger), medio (middle finger), and anular (ring finger).
Once you’ve practiced the chords and the picking pattern for Jingle Bells, the next step is to play through the song’s chord progression while counting out loud.
For now, you’re not worried about the singing. It’s easier to sing out the melody of the song when you’re sure that you’re picking and chord changes are rock solid!
Hear how Jingle Bells sounds played and counted out loud at a slower tempo.
Once you can fingerpick the chord progression of the song, then, it’s just a matter of humming out the melody and eventually singing out the words nice and strong!
Take it slow and you’re sure to see progress.
Learn to Fingerpick with Fingerpicking Tricks
If you’re new to fingerpicking, then, I’m here to help.
In the Fingerpicking Tricks online video lesson course I teach you pattern-based fingerpicking on the ukulele which allows you to pick complex and syncopated patterns like this one. With small, easy steps you have what you need to learn how to fingerpick the ukulele in multiple styles.
Why don’t you join me?