From the Summer 2016 Issue of Ukulele Magazine | By Karen Peterson Up for some spontaneous, crazy uke fun this summer? Consider spreading your joy via what can be one of the most startling—and smile-inducing—street performances of them all: a…
By Greg Olwell Showing the speed of the contemporary culture, online ukulele video instructor John Atkins has already posted a lesson of last week’s viral video by 12-year-old Grace VanderWaal on America’s Got Talent. Under his YouTube channel, The Ukulele Teacher,…
By Greg Olwell Accompanying herself on a ukulele, 12-year-old Grace VanderWaal wowed the judges and the audience on last night’s America’s Got Talent. Seconds into her song, “I Don’t Know My Name,” the Suffern, New York student was getting cheers…
By Greg Olwell When a large power outage in downtown Seattle left a woman stranded in an elevator, a ukulele player knew just what might help ease a frightening situation. Play a song on his ukulele. When the woman was…
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By Greg Olwell During a recent West Coast tour supporting the group’s latest release, Jus Cuz: Ukulele Duets, Da Ukulele Boyz stopped by our studio for a “Ukulele Session.” Da Ukulele Boyz are two cousins from Maui, Garrett Probst and Peter deAquino, who…
By Greg Olwell You may have heard Pachelbel’s Canon in D before, but you’ve probably never heard it the way that 14-year-old phenom Aidan James plays it. In this beautiful and fun clip, James uses his custom Kamaka and a…
This lesson will introduce you to the sound of slack key as well as one of the open tunings, some new chord shapes, and picking patterns on ukulele.
By Greg Olwell Last week, pop star Meghan Trainor visited the Howard Stern Show for an interview and performance of her yuge hit, “All About That Bass.” In this stripped-down performance of her star-making hit, Trainor strummed her rhinestone-encrusted uke…
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By Greg Olwell In this video clip, Jake Shimabukuro demonstrates how to play a triple strum. It’s a fast, flashy strum, which he thoroughly and patiently breaks down into an easy-to-follow three-step motion. Jake originally filmed this lesson for…
By Greg Olwell We just can’t resist this outtake from the PBS series Craft in America, which shows ukulele hero Jake Shimaburkuro playing one of the most beautiful songs ever to come from Hawaii, “Hi’ilawe,” with Chris Kamaka and Chris Kamaka Jr.…