Ukulele Underground Videos

Ukulele Festival Essentials, Defining Notes, Fancy Bridge Pins What are Essential Items you bring to a Festival? Do you even need to bring an Ukulele to a Festival, and should you bring your most “Expensive Ukulele” or should you bring a “Beater”? The team tries to help a viewer define a group of notes, and explain why they aren’t pentatonic, and why you don’t necessarily need to name them. Aldrine explains the advantages and disadvantages of different Ukulele Bridge Types (sorry for the noise). The podcast is topped of with recounting the Kauai Ukulele Festival and giving a preview of Aldrine’s workshop for the Monopolele Festival. Ask Questions Here or Call in your Questions to our Voicemail: (650)761-0989 Questions asked this Week...

Every level of player can take part, thanks to onscreen chords, with Ukulele Underground founder Aldrine Guerrero offering strumming, playing, and soloing tips for everyone from the newest beginner to the most advanced ukulele masters! With the help of Aaron "The Voice" Nakamura (aka @anaka), Kahai "The Legend" Furugen, and special guests including Funkmaster Mike Odo, @Brittni Paiva, and many more, you'll level up while laughing, playing, and singing along! The songs come from the Ukulele Song Library, which you can find in the "Learn" menu at the top of this page, or via this direct link. Tune in live every other Friday at 1 PM HST, or go here for the complete list of nearly 300 weekly live jams!

TAB Appropriate Settings, Building Music Instincts, Correcting “Wrong” Chords Is Sheet Music necessary for Memorizing a song? In this Week’s Podcast Aldrine will show you how you can build your Music Instincts; Memorize songs using Numbers and Feelings; and play the “Wrong” Chord while playing the “Right” Song. We’re giving all of our opinions on when it’s appropriate to use and perform with TABS/Sheet Music. Ask Questions Here or Call in your Questions to our Voicemail: (650)761-0989 Questions asked this Week: 0:13 New Intro from Laurei 3:25 WrestleMania 8:25 TAB Appropriate Settings 15:05 Aldrine playing with Sheet Music 18:55 TAB vs Music Notation 22:35 Written Music vs Learning by Ear 24:00 Memorizing Music and Building Your...

New Intro Songs, Party Trick Riffs & the Genius of Dragon Learn how to Tap in 2 Minutes! This week, the guys are challenging Aldrine to teach a Tapping Riff as fast as he can. After Aldrine’s Tapping Speedrun, he explains the theory behind Tapping. The Team discuss learning Party Trick Riffs vs learning to apply the same Flashy Techniques. As an Example of Elegant Application of Tapping, the guys geek out about the genius of Jake’s Album and Song, Dragon. This leads to an appreciative analysis of Ernie Cruz Jr. and the rest of the Cruz family. A Songwriting Challenge winner is picked while also drifting into a tangent about Dead Media. Aldrine ask’s the last question of the podcast: what is the Algorithm’s effect on Creativity? Ask...

Pirate Ships, Thumb Picks & Building Confidence What does Pirate Ships, Sister Act and Building Confidence have in common? Answer: This Week’s Ukulele Underground Podcast. The guys start off the Podcast by playing their Song Submissions for the Songwriting Challenge, and making plans to get their own Pirate Ship. A member ask Aldrine if there are specific Thumb Picks for Ukulele, and if he has recommendations? The team discuss how you can Build Your Confidence even if you make little “Oopsies” or play a wrong note? The podcast is topped off with what pickups does Aldrine use, and where can you get the best Acai bowl? Reminder: No Aloha Friday Jam this Week Ask Questions Here or Call in your Questions to our Voicemail: (650)761-0989...

Scrappy Enthusiasm, Jamming Faux Pas, & Musical Conversations What is the difference between a Scrappy, Up and Coming Musician VS a Mature Musician who has been around the block? What are the traits of Inexperienced Players and what are the qualities of Tasteful Players? What Jamming Faux Pas should you avoid, and what can you do to Mature as a Musician? Find the answers to these questions plus our thoughts on High Humidity, Jazz, and Metal on today’s podcast. Ask Questions Here or Call in your Questions to our Voicemail: (650)761-0989 Questions asked this Week: 0:45 Breathing in Spring 3:55 What are traits of a Mature Player? 6:05 What are traits of a Inexperienced Player? 12:20 Battling Someone more Mature 16:45 Being Scrappy isn’t...

Growth from Criticism, Impostor Syndrome & Songwriting Challenge #36 What was a Harsh Truth Aldrine needed to face in order to improve as an Ukulele Player? Aldrine shares the precise moment when someone gave him a “Harsh Truth” that pushed him to being a better player. We also hear how Aldrine learned to grow from these criticisms and how he changed his goals to better reflect himself. The guys discuss Wound, Unwound and Flatwound Low G Strings and what they prefer. A new Songwriting Challenge is set before Aldrine gets introspective on where his own Impostor Syndrome comes from, and how he deals with it. Ask Questions Here or Call in your Questions to our Voicemail: (650)761-0989 Questions asked this Week: 1:31 Caffeine Talk 8:00...

Ooop, I guess I forgot to post a thread for this one. The theory for Minor scales and chords is pretty much the same as for Major Chords, except that you are using the WHWWHWW pattern instead. If you got any questions, or just want to talk it out, here's the thread to do it in.

Hanging with Legends, Taking Lessons from a “Drummer”, Converting Melody to Fingerstyle Learn these Secret Warm-Ups that will maximize your (Finger) Muscles, and get you SWOLE! Before Aldrine reveals his secrets to the perfect Warm-Ups, he talks about his busy Weekend spent going to an awesome concert, and hanging out with Ukulele Heavy Hitters. The guys answer the questions of will sanding and repainting an ukulele change the sound, and how do you turn a Melody into a Fingerstyle Song? Aldrine explains his recommended Warm-Ups and how focusing on Form is more important than speed. If you want to be the Strongest Ukulele Player you can be, check out this Week’s Podcast! Ask Questions Here or Call in your Questions to our Voicemail...

High School Bands, Impostor Syndrome, and Getting Older We’re taking a retrospective look back at Aldrine’s first unpaid Gig vs his first paid Gig. Aldrine also reveals the source of his Stage Anxiety, and if he regrets making mistakes while on stage. The guys give suggestions for playing odd time signatures before Aldrine talks about his impostor syndrome. The UU team reveal their humble working conditions while also teasing some future plans. Ask Questions Here or Call in your Questions to our Voicemail: (650)761-0989 Questions asked this Week: 0:00 Starting Soon 0:11 A Good Start 3:05 Aldrine’s First Unpaid Gig 11:40 Aldrine’s First Paid Gig 15:20 Who was Larry Rivera? 17:40 Aldrine’s First Drunk Audience Interaction 23:25 Getting...

Arpeggios VS Fingerpicking, The Strumming Rabbit Hole & Inversions Is Strumming “Boring” for you? This Week, UU tackles why people get Bored with Strumming, and the different ways you can take a “Boring” strum and Spice it up! Before the team unveils their Spicy Secrets, Aldrine demonstrates Arpeggios and what you can do to practice your Arpeggios. The guys mention some “Boring” songs from the Kauai Ukulele Club, and what they did to add a new dimension to the Songs. This leads to a discussion about How to Start your own Uke Clubs, and the best practices for new clubs. The podcast is topped off with talks about the upcoming Festivals, Future UU+ Solos, the new Play Along, and Peter Moon’s Legacy. Ask Questions Here or Call in your...

Flow Songs VS Hype Songs, Ukulele Travel Tips & Mike “First Blood” Odo Today, the guys are joined by Mike “INSERT NICKNAME HERE” Odo to help explain what the “Flow State” is, and how musicians find themselves in that state. Before the guys dive into this topic, you know that they have to take a couple of detours talking about Disney+ and the Rock. Back on topic, the UU team discuss what the “Flow State” feels like, experiencing Flow in a band, and what songs can put them into that state. They also list songs that get them Hyped before performances. The guys answer some audience questions about Widening the groove in your nut, and Traveling with your Ukulele. It’s always a blast with Mike Around. Let us know what Mike’s new nickname...

Being in the Zone, Bending & Learning Music by Ear What was the first Roadblock Aldrine experienced? Aldrine explains the first situational Roadblock he ran in to on his uke journey, then he tells what song and technique he faced as a Roadblock. The guys also discuss the importance of figuring out music by ear, playing with others, and being In the Zone. Aldrine demonstrates Bending, and how to incorporate different techniques into your strumming. At the end of the podcast, the team talks about Practice vs Playing, and how limiting your practice time is actually good for you. Reminder: Live Streams and Live Coaching will now be 1 hour earlier. Ask Questions Here or Call in your Questions to our Voicemail: (650)761-0989 Questions...

Artificial Harmonic Chords, Tennis Elbow, & Percussive Mutes The podcast continues from last Week when Aldrine explains Harmonics and how he used it to play Creep with Cynthia Lin. Before Aldrine demonstrates the many types of Harmonics (Natural, Artificial, Chordal, and Pinch), we expose the “High” budget of the podcast, while Aldrine issues an apology for the lateness of the New Solos and Play Along. A viewer asks for advice on how to avoid aggravating their Tennis Elbow, while another UUer asks for an explanation to the Percussive Mutes. Both Topics lead into a discussion on the importance of Form, and some of the General Rules you want to follow. The guys explain why there is no “Best String Set” and how you would switch from a Low...

In one of the recent podcasts (or maybe it was an old one) I heard Aldrine say that nylon strings go well with friction tuners (and/or vice versa) due to the amount of stretch being > FCs. I just happened to put clear nylons on my friction-tunered Opio a couple of weeks ago and really like it. Does anyone know which podcast the comment was made and about where? I think it was within the last week or so. I'd like to revisit... thanks!

Bodysurfing, Taimane, Waipuna & Sammy What is Aldrine listening to? We start off this week’s podcast with Aldrine talking about revisiting and reinventing Bodysurfing which leads into a discussion on what Ukulele Music he’s been listening to. A member ask how would Aldrine tackle learning a difficult song like Bodysurfing and where would he start? The guys give their perspective on what Performers would like from an Event Organizer. Someone ask for help with the timing to a tricky riff, while another UUer ask what you can do to play ukulele silently? We finish with a cliffhanger question for next week. Ask Questions Here or Call in your Questions to our Voicemail: (650)761-0989 Questions asked this Week: 0:07 Talking about Everything...

Parades, Ideal Action Height, Quality Control, and Learning Guitar For our 100th Episode, we have Funkmaster Mike returning to share what were his Favorite Moments from the Past 100 Episodes. Before the guys share their favorite Podcast Memories, Mike talks about going to the Rose Bowl. The crew also discusses Ideal Action Height, Quality Control in Ukuleles, and Learning Guitar. The Podcast is topped off with some tips for choosing Ukuleles without trying them in person, and the woes of checking an instrument on a plane. Thanks for Listening, here’s to the next 100 Episodes. Ask Questions Here or Call in your Questions to our Voicemail: (650)761-0989 Questions asked this Week: 0:08 Mike is back for the 100th Episode 2:55 Aldrine and...

The Ukies Award, Island Modes, Goldilocks Practice & Spiders CAN YOU SMELL WHAT UKULELE UNDERGROUND IS COOKING? You are now listening to An AWARD WINNING Podcast. The team is flying high after their recent Ukies Award. This podcast is definitely packed with all the quality (Power Rangers, Wrestling, Legends of the Hidden Temple) that you can expect out of an AWARD WINNING Podcast. The guys also answer some questions on Modes/Islands, what is a good amount of practice, the spider exercise, and upcoming Festival dates. Getting back to the cream of the episode, UU discusses being the Heel of Ukulele Podcast, and what will come for Ukulele Podcastmania 2024. Seriously, thank you to everyone who nominated and voted for us. We wouldn’t be...

It's a brand new year and a brand new Ukulele Play-Along & lesson! This time it's John Denver's classic, "Take Me Home Country Roads", ukulele style. This one is a fairly simple song in the Key of A. It's a great excuse to practice your E chord, if you've been working on that. And if you want to skip it, you can always use the E7 chord whenever the E shows up in the song. UU co-founder Aldrine Guerrero also demonstrates a simple picking intro, if you would like to add that to your skill set. Take it as easy or as in-depth as you want! Try playing along with "Take Me Home Country Roads" using the on-screen lyrics, chords, and picking animation. And for the rest of the instruction, including tips on strums, advanced picking, and...