Ukulele for Guitar Players

Chord Transitions

"The Thumb Over"

“The Thumb Over” uses your thumb to fret notes on the Low G string. Bring your chord-hand thumb over the neck to form part of a chord.

This is especially useful when a chord change requires an awkward rearrangement of your fingers. Large shifts increase the risk of missing the chord or losing the beat.

Illustrated here in this clip from Hot Love by T-Rex (Marc Bolan)

Many players don’t realise that using the thumb is perfectly legitimate. Jimi Hendrix used this technique extensively, often reaching over the neck to fret multiple strings.

For ukulele players, neck shape matters. Make sure your instrument suits your hand size. More details are covered in the “Ukulele Buying Guide” on the Get Started page.