Five Foot Two – chords and picking technique

This song may not be as widely known in 2018 as it was in the 1920s. I would like to introduce it to you now, but above all I want to encourage you to learn its chord progression, which I think is extremely effective and very well constructed. There have been countless versions of the song, and it is deservedly very popular in ukulele circles, since it was originally played by bands that included ukuleles as well. Search for it on YouTube and you will find many performers playing and singing this charming song. Here is a very early recording:

One reason I like this song is that it contains a lot of chords, so it is excellent for “trying out” a ukulele. Whenever I pick up an unfamiliar instrument, playing Five Foot Two immediately tells me a great deal about it: what strumming feels like, how responsive the instrument is – in other words, how quickly and comfortably chord changes can be made – and what its tone and volume are like.

Five Foot Two is also useful to learn because ukulele players are occasionally asked, “Go on, play something.” This is exactly the kind of chord progression you can confidently pull out on such occasions, and it sounds great – especially if you learn a suitable picking technique as well. In the next video I show not only the chord progression but also one example of a picking pattern. What I demonstrate is obviously not sacred scripture; everyone can pick the song however they like. I show one version of triplet picking, a technique that every ukulele player should learn sooner or later.

Most of the song consists of chords, with just a small amount of melody added using the little finger, plus the picking technique mentioned above. For beginners I mainly recommend learning the chord progression itself. The aim should be to know it from memory and play it confidently and evenly, with whatever strumming pattern you prefer. Players who have been playing longer can add the melody and spice up the picking however they like.

In the video I try to demonstrate and explain everything slowly several times. If anything is still unclear, please ask. And if you can, visit my YouTube channeland subscribe using the red button below the video . Thank you in advance.

The chord progression in C major:

1. C | E7 | A7 | A7 | D7 | G7 | C - F | C

2. E7 | E7 | A7 | A7 | D7 | D7 | G7 | G7