You’ve just got your hands on a ukulele (or are just thinking of buying one). Here are a few things to read and songs to play that’ll get you up to speed quickly.
Step One: Learn the basics
– So You’ve Just Got Your First Ukulele – a free PDF I put together for beginners including essential links, first chords, tips and links to suggestions for the first songs to learn.
– 10 Things I Wish I’d Known About Ukuleles (Before I Bought One) – Don’t make the same mistakes I did.
– 10 Tips for Ukulele Beginners
– 10 things I wish I’d known about ukuleles before I bought one.
– How to read chord charts.Extra Credit: Ukulele 101 – My ebook covering all the info a beginner needs that is left out of most beginner books.
Step 2: Get Your Strum On
– Ukulele Strumming for Dummies
– Strumming notationExtra Credit: – How to Play Ukulele Strums – An ebook I wrote covering all the strumming and rhythm essentials for beginners.
Step 3: Play Some Songs
Check out the Songs with Chords You Know Post
Some popular ones:
– Somewhere Over the Rainbow
– I Wanna Be Like You
– Hallelujah
– 5 Years Time
Sentimental Heart
Extra Credit: Joan Jett – Bad Reputation – Easy chords but you’ll need to have your chord changes down and a strong strumming-hand to play it up to speed.
Step 4: Spend Some Money
– A ukulele tuner
– Some good strings like Aquila.Extra Credit: Keep your ukulele upright with a stand. Get a capo to make playing in other keys easier.
Congratulations! You’re no longer a noob. You can now advance to the improver section.
If you think there’s a post that deserves a link here or have a topic you’d like me to cover in this section, leave a comment.
Essential reading for all new ukers!
This is one of the best (THE best?) uke sites and blogs you could hope to find.
Cheeky name too, careful how you say it, or stick to “Ukulele Hunt”.
Ukes4Fun 