Lessons

‘Ukulele lessons can be hard to find. I feel that this is one of the most complete collections of written ‘ukulele lessons that can be found on the web. Beginner to advanced, hopefully you can find some info that you can learn from here.

If you can’t find what you are looking for here, be sure to check out the ‘ukulele info page. Sometimes it is hard to decide what articles go where.

‘Ukulele Lessons:

Video Lessons – Youtube lessons on techniques, how to play vamps, set up an amp, and more.

For Beginners – Tips on where to start and how to learn the basics of playing ‘ukulele.

For Intermediates – Improving on the basic skills. Adding picking, theory, and more interesting chords.

For Advanced Players – Ideas for where to go next and what I have found helpful.

Finger Picking – Learn how to use your index and middle fingers along with your thumb.

Harmony – Adding a second lead line to fill out a melody.

High Notes Beyond the Fretboard – How to outwit the frets and access some otherwise out of reach notes.

How to Read Music – Off-site guide to reading standard notation.

How to Read Tab – Learn how to make sense of this practical way to write out an ‘ukulele song.

Intervals – How to add 3rds, 6ths and 10th intervals to your playing.

Intros and Outros – Create jazzy lead ins with substitution chords.

Learning the Notes and the Fingerboard – How to memorize the fretboard

Muting Chords and Notes – Keep your playing tight and clean with mutes.

Picking Patterns – Some common picking patterns (arpeggios) for softening up chords.

Playing Clean – Some insight on the incredible skill of Herb Ohta Jr. and how he plays so clean.

Scales – Use these in your solos. Major, minor, pentatonic, and the modes.

The Scale Files – Videos and tabs for learning several positions for each scale.

Sequencing Scales – Rearrange the notes of a scale for interesting practice and melodic ideas.

Slack Key ‘Ukulele – Learn the basics of the alternating bass.

Soloing (pa’ani) – An overview of how to use scales to rip it up.

Song Endings – My favorite ways to stop a song.

In your head:

• Finding Inspiration
• Patience and Improving
• Silence
• Soulful Playing

String Sets to Jump Octaves – How to play one thing here and another thing there using the same shape

Strumming – Strum techniques and strum patterns

Theory:

• Constructing Scales
• Constructing Chords
• Transposing

‘Ukulele Lessons on Technique:

• Arm-wah – The poor-man’s effects pedal
• Bending
• Hammer-ons and pull-offs – Learn the most important and fundamental technique
• Harmonics – Add some chime to your playing!
• Mono strum – James Hill’s signature sound
• Octaves
• Palm Mute – muffling the strings with the side of your hand
• Pull-offs up and down one string
• Slides
• Tapping
• Tremolo Picking
• Unisons
• Vibrato

Tone – The most overlooked aspect of playing

Tuning Your ‘Ukulele – How to tune an ‘ukulele with a tuner, pitch pipe, and piano. Also a list of alternate tunings.

Vamps – All about the Hawaiian II-V-I progression.

Warmups/Exercises – Get you fingers going before you play. Also exercises to “buff up” your hands.

Weird Sounds and Modulations – You can’t make an ‘ukulele sound like that! Yes, you can.

Hopefully you have learned from these ‘ukulele lessons. I update this page regularly, so be sure to check back often!