Picking 101
This ebook is a beginner’s perfect guide for learning how to play melody leads. Everything is explained from absolute zero, so even if you’ve never played the uke before, you can jump in and start making music.
- 100 page PDF
- Sequential lessons from noob to intermediate
- 14 TABs
- Money back guarantee
Want to Learn Picking on Your Uke?
This Guide Will Help You Start Playing Melodies!
One of the ukulele’s dirty little secrets is that picking can actually be easier for beginners than strumming.
If you want to learn to play melodies on your ukulele, don’t slog through learning chords and strum patterns until you’re “ready.” Dive right in and get started!
The focus of Step-By-Step: Single String Ukulele Picking is to immediately get anyone comfortable picking on their uke.
I want to show you that it’s easy to play melodies and build foundational skills right from the beginning.
How It’s Different
Even the most basic “beginner” picking can be overwhelming to learn if presented traditionally. Since you usually have to think about which notes to play on which string, your concentration gets stretched way too thin.
This ebook approaches picking in a unique way: by playing only on one string at a time. All you have to think about is which fret to play! You can focus on playing the right notes and making them musical without needing to think about switching strings.
By limiting yourself to one string, you’ll be able to learn foundational concepts and techniques earlier in your study than you otherwise would. This will allow you to play more effortlessly and have a greater understanding of the music.
“..I love the book. So much information that nobody else thinks to offer.”
~Joe Viers
What You Get
In Step-By-Step: Single String Ukulele Picking there are 100 pages of illustrated instruction and music. As you work through the ebook you’ll learn:
- Basic terminology
- How to properly hold the uke
- The main picking technique
- Finger placement tips
- About counting simple rhythms
- How to get a good tone
- The chromatic scale
- Tricks for playing with a metronome
- Finger shifting
- Transposing and how to change keys
- Arpeggios
- Basic music theory
To help you on your way there are many helpful illustrations, charts, and examples like this:
There are also 14 full-page TABs to help you learn a number of traditional and Hawaiian songs.
Songs include:
- Happy Birthday
- Itsy Bitsy Spider
- Wheels on the Bus
- Amazing Grace
- Minuet in G Major
- Noho Paipai
- Hawaiʻi Aloha
- Ahe Lau Makani
- Pua Carnation
What People are Saying
“Very, very helpful! I’m currently teaching a group of high school students and they love reading TAB and picking melodies and riffs. I have to work very hard to keep ahead of them!
This book was perfect in that I know I was giving them the “correct” version of how do to the things they want to do!”
~Cheryl Amy
“I love Brad’s new book. As a new student to the ukulele, […] I’m always looking for ways to add variety quickly to the way I play.
I’ve learned quite a few songs with different strum patterns, but I’ve wanted to add picking to some of them for the additional flavor it adds. Brad’s book is making that easier for me. It is a great tutorial and I imagine it could help any student improve their uke skills. I highly recommend it.”
~Oran Greene
“This is an excellent and thoughtful instructional book for both beginners and intermediate players. Brad has designed an easy to follow, yet extremely thorough guide…
If you’ve ever had the desire to pick out a melody of a song instead of simply strumming along with the harmony, this is the place to start that journey.
This 101 page ebook is designed to build your skills of finger coordination and muscle memory to move smoothly from note to note up and down the entire fretboard. […] Brad has also included many of the basics that all ‘ukulele players use, like good posture, and finger placement to get the cleanest sound with minimum effort, as well as timing and tone.
This course will help you to unlock the mysteries of the fretboard and remove the fear that many players have of venturing into unknown territory.
You will be on your way to learning how to solo or play along with friends with added confidence and skill.”
~Bob Seeley – Venice, CA
“I like it! I consider myself an intermediate beginner. I am learning chord melodies and fingerpicking, so it fits in with my practice plan. You have a great teaching style. Thanks.”
~Susan Kubeska – Whidbey Island, WA
Who Am I?
This is all presented by me, Brad Bordessa. I’ve been teaching ukulele for over 15 years and have helped thousands of people in-person and online become better, more confident players and musicians.
I’m the author of three other critically acclaimed ebooks and a video course, along with being a staff instructor at George Kahumoku, Jr.’s Slack Key and Ukulele Workshop for the past four years.
FAQ
Is this a true beginner’s book?
Yes. I try not to assume anything with the content and explain everything from scratch.
Is there content for advanced players?
The concepts explored are simple. But, like most simple things, their only limitation is your desire to explore them.
They can be taken as far as you want and the later chapters are written to encourage advanced experimentation. Most advanced players haven’t explored arpeggios on one string and many of the simpler ideas will probably also apply.
Do I need high-g or low-G?
Either. It doesn’t matter at all.
The instructions are written for GCEA uke, but you can use the TABs and examples on any fretted instrument to play the melodies. This means that there’s a lot of content for baritone and English/Canadian tunings as well.
Do I need to read standard music notation?
No! Most of the TABs are written for only one string so they’re even easier to follow than normal.
For sheet music readers, the standard notion is also included with the TAB so you can see how the notes relate to the frets of the ukulele.
Can I use the book on my mobile device/tablet?
Yes! The ebook is a PDF file. There are PDF readers available for most modern devices.
How do I contact you?
Send me an email if you have questions or need a hand with your order. I’m happy to help: brad@liveukulele.com
Step-By-Step: Single String Ukulele Picking is fully supported by yours truly. If you have a question about the content, I will do my best to answer it. If you need a hand with the checkout process, I can help with that too.
You’ll have lifetime access to future updates when I improve or add to the content.
It’s in your hands now! Jump in and begin picking melodies and building a foundation of musical understanding today.