# Movable shapes

Ukulele has no CAGED system. Open chords (C, Am, F, G) use open strings, and an open string cannot
move — that is why those shapes are stuck where they are. Movable chords use only fretted notes, so
the same grip works anywhere and the fret decides the chord's name.

## Three families

| Family | Shape (G C E A) | Index at | Name there |
|---|---|---|---|
| Major | 3 2 1 1 | fret 1 | Bb |
| Minor | 4 2 2 2 | fret 2 | Bm |
| Dominant 7th | 1 2 1 1 | fret 1 | Bb7 |

Move any of them up one fret and the name moves up one semitone. The dominant-7th grip above is a
closed voicing (Ab D F Bb) — the open B7 in the chord dictionary cannot slide.

## Bb family map

| Index at fret | Major | Minor |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bb | Bbm |
| 2 | B | Bm |
| 3 | C | Cm |
| 5 | D | Dm |
| 7 | E | Em |
| 8 | F | Fm |
| 10 | G | Gm |

## Practice

Clean Bb → slide to C (same shape, fret 3) · alternate open C with movable C and hear the voicing
change · play I–V–vi–IV in C with open shapes, then again with movables only.

The higher you go the closer the frets get, so the same chord gets easier to hold and harder to hold
cleanly.

See also: [Barre & movable](barre.md) · [Open chords](chords.md)