I bought a uke about a year ago and have learned a lot on line via YouTube and with my local meetup group, The Cleveland Jumping Flea. Looking for thoughts on the ukuleleunderground online lessons... As it seems most local teachers are looking to "graduate " students to the guitar which does not interest me.
Lesson question.
- Thread starter sheredwa
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I am a UU+ member which gives unlimited access to all the lessons and categories. There is a LOT of content which is great because it really covers all abilities levels and you can grow with it. Totally uke specific.........Aldrine will not try and turn you on to the guitar 
UU+ is great. I really like the videos which allow you to pause and repeat...something that's tricky with a live teacher. They hate that "pause" thing. Of course a good ukulele specific live teacher can quickly catch my errors and bad habits- well worth it. I also enjoy the banter and laughter. One thing I've learned to steer way from is the guitar teacher who says he can also teach ukulele. Usually they cannot teach with much enthusiasm or heart.
peanuts56
Well-known member
Check out Guitar Center if they are in your area. I've been studying with a teacher from their lessons program. He is a guitarist but also plays uke, banjo, mandolin and some bass. He knows I have no interest in guitar and we work on many things that interest me as well as techniques he thinks are beneficial.
Ukulele Eddie
Well-known member
+1 on UU+. Another online resource I use a lot is Brett McQueen's course (www.ukuleletricks.com). His long-standing course is focused on strumming but he just launched a fingerstyle course this past weekend. There are some free lessons you can check out to see if you like it. I have also found him very responsive when I've had some clarifying questions.
I signed up for UU+ about a year ago but didn't actually start using it until recently. I wish I had started sooner. It is very organized and comprehensive. You get theory, practice, and songs taught to you in many videos. I highly recommend it.
Reminds me of an experience years ago. I rented a bass guitar and signed up for lessons. A the start of the first class, the teacher says "So this is how you properly hold a bass guitar... but I'm a guitar player so we'll be holding it this way instead."
There are people out there who teach music and respect the ukulele. Given the personal aspect of music education, I don't think there's anything wrong with having a fifteen minute chat with the prospective teacher to get a feel for there their mind is, both in terms of approach and the roadmap they have for their students.
There are people out there who teach music and respect the ukulele. Given the personal aspect of music education, I don't think there's anything wrong with having a fifteen minute chat with the prospective teacher to get a feel for there their mind is, both in terms of approach and the roadmap they have for their students.
Ukulele Eddie
Well-known member
That's a good point. I actually took some lessons from a very good Uke player but just didn't really click with this person. I periodically take lessons from somebody else who is not particularly good at the Uke. He is a Berklee College of Music grad in bass and music education and he is an amazing teacher with a great ear. Maybe if I was a lot better I'd want somebody who is technically more proficient who is also a good teacher, but for now it works very well for me.
For me it was finding good finger picking techniques. I took classical guitar lessons, learned a lot, then realized that the ukulele makes me happiest. I still take out the guitar, but not nearly as often as the uke. The guitar lessons also helped me gain more dexterity and flexibility in me left hand.
I have taken uke lessons from both guitarists and (what do we call ourselves) Ukulele-ists ???
It was not an easy process to find someone who teaches ukulele as the primary instrument in Texas. I think unless you have a very well versed ukulele teacher you might be better off with a guitarist. (They seem to have more of a foundation in many cases.) I was fortunate to eventually find someone who primarily focused on ukulele, and also had a solid understanding of music.
It seems many ukulele players do not use all of the techniques available to them. If Sungha Jung who plays both starts offering beginner - intermediate ukulele lessons I would definitely sign up !
It was not an easy process to find someone who teaches ukulele as the primary instrument in Texas. I think unless you have a very well versed ukulele teacher you might be better off with a guitarist. (They seem to have more of a foundation in many cases.) I was fortunate to eventually find someone who primarily focused on ukulele, and also had a solid understanding of music.
It seems many ukulele players do not use all of the techniques available to them. If Sungha Jung who plays both starts offering beginner - intermediate ukulele lessons I would definitely sign up !
wildfire070
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Thanks for the heads up on his new course! I just signed up. I've gone through his first course, the strumming one, and really found it helpful when I was starting out. Can't wait to go through the fingersyle one as that is what I'd like to focus my playing style on.
Ukulele Eddie
Well-known member
Great! I also tend toward fingerstyle. I'm already doing some, but I like his teaching approach. Any other UU'ers doing the course?
bonesigh
Well-known member
Don't forget there are some wonderful teachers who do skype lessons Marcy Marxer and Stu Fuchs are two that come to mind. I can't afford any lessons at this time but I do go to workshops with them and others when I get the chance.
Marcy Marxer and Stu Fuchs are two that come to mind. I can't afford any lessons at this time but I do go to workshops with them and others when I get the chance.
