Can anyone teach me the ukulele?

dazzlingmusicgirl

Active member
Joined
Aug 13, 2017
Messages
25
Reaction score
0
Location
Georgia
Feeling discouraged while trying to learn. 😥 I was wondering if anyone here would be able to teach me? Using Skype or ooVoo or any video chat? I just don't have the money for a real teacher and I cannot teach myself. I won't be able to pay you and please be okay with this. PM me if interested
 
hey there! have you got any books about learning uke? when i bought my first uke, i also bought a clip on tuner, and "ukulele for dummies" - i think it's a great book, it's quite funny, there is no padding, it's all good and handy info. you have to be patient with yourself, and not try and go too fast. get the hang of the c chord. strum that a bit. strum it a lot. get the hang of the f chord. and the g chord. once i got those three i was so pleased with the uke and how it sounded, i shut the book and went off and just strummed and strummed and was delighted with the whole thing! find what songs you love that have easy chords, and try playing them. i kept the book for reference, but once i had those few chords, i started making up silly little songs of my own, then i discovered the seasons here on ukulele underground - weekly uke challenges, doing songs that fit a new theme each week - and i started doing covers, and that way you learn lots of new chords! ultimate guitar is great website for finding chords to songs you love, you can also just google the song title and "chords" and see what there is. or google "easy songs, 2 chords" or "easy songs, 3 chords" and see what comes up. it's very satisfying to be able to get a song going with just 2 or 3 easy chords. the seasons weekly challenges are for players of any standard, we have some really amazing people there, and also beginners, you can get alot of encouragement and advice there when you are just starting out, and it's fun

i can't strum properly, and i never learnt the right way to play the tricky e chord, but i have a lot of fun playing uke my way! and there are other ways to play that tricky e chord! if you take things very slowly, and play a bit every day, you will get there. once you get a few chords going, playing uke will be so addictive, the big challenge will be how to leave it alone!
 
The biggest reason newbies get discouraged is they try to do too much too soon. Even though you hear that the uke is "easy to play," it's still a musical instrument and takes time. Bird's Eye is right, take it slow, start with just those three chords, many, many songs are based on the chords, play one song, get comfortable with it, then go on to another. Give yourself a few weeks, not a few days.
 
Learn how to fret single notes and intervals in quick succession on the higher frets on a soprano accurately and clearly tonewise.
Start slow and really figure it out.
It'll really open up uke to you and increase your ceiling.
 
Definately don't give up, the uke is a fun instrument to mess around with, I can't really strum & sing, & I've been messing around here for almost two years now, but I enjoy myself, & the others let me join in with them. :)

There are some seriously good players & singers on these forums, but there are a lot like me who just enjoy ourselves, come & be one of us, you'll find us in the Seasons threads.
Feel free to take a look at my YT uke channel to see how bad I was when I started, it's one of the reasons I put it there, to show newbies that you will improve, it just takes a little bit of time & some practicing.

Here's my very first one - I'm not ashamed of it because I had to start somewhere, & this is where. :D




Edit: We can give you pointers to get you going, as said above, learn 3 chords, practice changing between them, pick a simple song that uses them, practice it, record yourself, (keep the recording), practice some more, record yourself again after a week or two, see how much you have improved by looking at the first recording. :)
 
Last edited:
I would simply ask what your current strategies are for learning. Are you trying to play out of a book? From YouTube videos? From a DVD?

And better yet, what are you trying to learn? Chords? Chord melody? Fingerstyle?

There are a ton of free resources out there that can help, even before paid lessons. Let us know what you are doing, and then we can all give you additional ideas.
 
Admittedly Ukulele Boot Camp could be hard-going for newbies, but
check it out (in my signature below) and simply work on only the
first line of any Practice Sheet you choose. [my suggested order is
key of C, key of F, key of G, key of A and key of D] :)

anyway, it's FREE and there for you to use any way you want.

keep uke'in' and find a group/song circle if you can :)
 
hey there! have you got any books about learning uke? when i bought my first uke, i also bought a clip on tuner, and "ukulele for dummies" - i think it's a great book, it's quite funny, there is no padding, it's all good and handy info. you have to be patient with yourself, and not try and go too fast. get the hang of the c chord. strum that a bit. strum it a lot. get the hang of the f chord. and the g chord. once i got those three i was so pleased with the uke and how it sounded, i shut the book and went off and just strummed and strummed and was delighted with the whole thing! find what songs you love that have easy chords, and try playing them. i kept the book for reference, but once i had those few chords, i started making up silly little songs of my own, then i discovered the seasons here on ukulele underground - weekly uke challenges, doing songs that fit a new theme each week - and i started doing covers, and that way you learn lots of new chords! ultimate guitar is great website for finding chords to songs you love, you can also just google the song title and "chords" and see what there is. or google "easy songs, 2 chords" or "easy songs, 3 chords" and see what comes up. it's very satisfying to be able to get a song going with just 2 or 3 easy chords. the seasons weekly challenges are for players of any standard, we have some really amazing people there, and also beginners, you can get alot of encouragement and advice there when you are just starting out, and it's fun

i can't strum properly, and i never learnt the right way to play the tricky e chord, but i have a lot of fun playing uke my way! and there are other ways to play that tricky e chord! if you take things very slowly, and play a bit every day, you will get there. once you get a few chords going, playing uke will be so addictive, the big challenge will be how to leave it alone!

Thank you. This is motivating! ☺
 
The biggest reason newbies get discouraged is they try to do too much too soon. Even though you hear that the uke is "easy to play," it's still a musical instrument and takes time. Bird's Eye is right, take it slow, start with just those three chords, many, many songs are based on the chords, play one song, get comfortable with it, then go on to another. Give yourself a few weeks, not a few days.

Yes I was feeling really sad when I posted this thread. But I have set specific goals for myself now and I am feeling better. I am going to practice over the next several months. ☺
 
I would simply ask what your current strategies are for learning. Are you trying to play out of a book? From YouTube videos? From a DVD?

And better yet, what are you trying to learn? Chords? Chord melody? Fingerstyle?

There are a ton of free resources out there that can help, even before paid lessons. Let us know what you are doing, and then we can all give you additional ideas.

I found a few articles and PDFs online to read. I want to get a book and DVD soon though. I have decided to start with notes , then chords, then strumming, then songs.
 
Only practice for 15-30mins sessions at first, no longer, but you can practice several times a day, with this method you will improve quicker than trying to cram a lot all at once.

We know you will succeed. :)
 
Thanks I will definitely join the Seasons. I will watch your channel too! Thank you very much ☺






Definately don't give up, the uke is a fun instrument to mess around with, I can't really strum & sing, & I've been messing around here for almost two years now, but I enjoy myself, & the others let me join in with them. :)

There are some seriously good players & singers on these forums, but there are a lot like me who just enjoy ourselves, come & be one of us, you'll find us in the Seasons threads.
Feel free to take a look at my YT uke channel to see how bad I was when I started, it's one of the reasons I put it there, to show newbies that you will improve, it just takes a little bit of time & some practicing.

Here's my very first one - I'm not ashamed of it because I had to start somewhere, & this is where. :D




Edit: We can give you pointers to get you going, as said above, learn 3 chords, practice changing between them, pick a simple song that uses them, practice it, record yourself, (keep the recording), practice some more, record yourself again after a week or two, see how much you have improved by looking at the first recording. :)
 
Only practice for 15-30mins sessions at first, no longer, but you can practice several times a day, with this method you will improve quicker than trying to cram a lot all at once.

We know you will succeed. :)

You are so nice! I sent you a friend request. ☺
 
Look for a class somewhere near you. I find beginners learn in a group setting faster.
I run a ukulele group and beginners are always welcomed. We all started somewhere.
My friends all think I am a good player, but very few of them know how hard I work at it.
 
Well, if you can't afford a "real" teacher.....ahem....I guess we'll do? LOL
Sailing Uke is right, try that. Many cities, like ours, now have beginner workshops done by ukulele clubs in public libraries. It's worth checking in to!
Good luck!
 
I was going to say this too.
ukerepublic.com
They're outside of Atlanta but could get you pointed in the right direction. It's really helpful to see others in person (I found this out later in my journey as I just wanted to learn by myself solo). I, like you, started with just the internet and practiced probably 30-ish minutes a day.

Like others have said, check out Uncle Rod's Bootcamp and just hit the first row of each sheet. Get those handful of chords down and bam, you have probably 85% of the chords you'll see.

I'd go to uke Republic ukulele store, Mike and donna are good people and will help you
 
How long have you been playing?

I know playing covers, other people's music seems to be the norm, but I personally just started learning chords, then I just put them together and created my own.

Have you ever though about this, or maybe you have, but I can say it's really inspiring, realizing, if you just spend time on this, before you know it, you've made your own songs!

Be positive, you can do it, I did it with very little experience as a player... :)
 
Top Bottom