John Denver & The IV Chord
by Jim D’Ville Sure he had those boyish good looks—the impish smile, wire-rim glasses, and floppy hat. But it was his extensive use of the IV chord in his music which commanded us to turn over our hearts to him.…
Uke Basics
The Metronome In Your Head
By Jim D’Ville In the Fall 2019 issue of Ukulele, Grammy award-winning musician Cathy Fink presents a wonderful lesson extolling the virtues of incorporating a metronome into one’s daily practice regimen. She’s right! The metronome is the one true musical…
Learn A Solo Uke Arrangement of The Beatles Classic ‘Here Comes the Sun’
BY ADAM PERLMUTTER | FROM THE SUMMER 2019 ISSUE OF UKULELE The beginning of 1969 was a difficult time for the Beatles’ George Harrison, who had become disillusioned about the band’s business affairs and even quit temporarily. But things began…
Make Your Melodies Sing with Hammer-Ons and Pull-Offs
These are the most commonly used form of ornamentation on the uke, and valuable techniques to have at your disposal
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How to Find the Best Ukulele and Strings for Your Needs
BY SARAH MAISEL | FROM THE SPRING 2019 ISSUE OF UKULELE Of course, the very first thing you will think of when you hear the word “gear” is all the electronics available out there. Though that part of being a musician is…
Learn to Play ‘Happy Birthday To You’ on Ukulele
Learn to play "Happy Birthday" on ukulele: Here's a simple beginner version with 3 chords to strum (C, G7, F) plus a more advanced chord-melody version.
Ukulele Music to Play: Learn the Ziegfeld Follies Classic ‘Shine on Harvest Moon’
BY ADAM PERLMUTTER | FROM THE WINTER 2016 ISSUE OF UKULELE When Florenz Ziegfeld first produced a New York City theatrical review, in 1907, he just intended to give people some breezy and inexpensive summer entertainment. But the inaugural show…
Get Rhythm: How to Hold Down the Groove on Ukulele
Two things make for a solid strum: You have to hear it and you need to be able to play it.
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Uke Lesson: It’s Easier Than it Looks— the Circle of Fifths
BY JIM D’VILLE | FROM THE SPRING 2018 ISSUE OF UKULELE At this year’s Halloween uke jam I went dressed as the Circle of 5ths. I won the prize for scariest costume. Most of the ukulele players I meet in…
Ukulele Lesson: How Lyrics Can Lead You to What Comes Next
When learning the chord progression to a song, don’t just whiz through it without first getting to know the song’s personality through its lyrics.