Best ways to learn the Ukulele ?

Hi, does any one have any recommendations on a beginner dvd course to learn to play the ukulele ?? Have any of you tried this one:

Ukulele Bartt's Ultimate Ukulele Complete dvd lessons

http://cgi.ebay.com/Ukulele-Bartts-...ultDomain_0&hash=item56407c5e73#ht_833wt_1141

If so, did you think it was helpful ? I want something that goes slowly and is very thorough - as I have no experience with any stringed instruments.....any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Looks like a pretty good place to start. Bartt is a member here at the UU and I have seen some of his videos and he is good. Heck for $20 or so, you really can't go wrong!

Take a look at my Boot Camp link beneath my signature,
and also the FREE Songbook.

I hope they help you.

Keep uke'in',

You can also check out Jody Kamisato's Island Style Ukulele dvd.

Hi coconutmango

there really are heaps and heaps of uke DVD's for beginners, you can't really go wrong whichever way you lean...

go the google option...you'll find more than you can cope with!!!

aside from Bartt and Jody Kamisato, you could try Ralph Shaw, Jumpin' Jim's "Joy of Uke #1", John McCarthy, Jim D'Ville etc, plus a stack of children's DVD's which are great for a new player no matter what age you are!

also, if you want something very thorough you may find you need to invest in 2 or 3 to cover different styles of playing - blues, traditional hawaiian, folk and bluegrass, ragtime and show tunes...

all the best with your purchase and with your learning! Let us know how it's going.

eugene ukulele said:

Hi coconutmango

there really are heaps and heaps of uke DVD's for beginners, you can't really go wrong whichever way you lean...

go the google option...you'll find more than you can cope with!!!

aside from Bartt and Jody Kamisato, you could try Ralph Shaw, Jumpin' Jim's "Joy of Uke #1", John McCarthy, Jim D'Ville etc, plus a stack of children's DVD's which are great for a new player no matter what age you are!

also, if you want something very thorough you may find you need to invest in 2 or 3 to cover different styles of playing - blues, traditional hawaiian, folk and bluegrass, ragtime and show tunes...

all the best with your purchase and with your learning! Let us know how it's going.

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I want to try out a variety, but just wondering which would focus on traditional hawaiian ?

Don't overlook a more traditional, proven approach to really understanding music fundamentals and their full development on the ukulele. You can learn as much about "music" on an ukulele as you can on a grand piano - if you take the right approach. I'm recommending the "Ukulele In The Classroom" books and accompanying Cds. This series, by James Hill and Chalmers Doane, provides a comprehensive foundation for playing the uke that will apply to any style selected as ability increases. Without a good foundation and thorough understanding of the uke, almost any attempt to get beyond the beginner stage of any particular style will eventually lead to frustration and failure. Invest a few bucks, and a few months, to get the right start, and the rest will come much more quickly and painlessly. Check out the web site.

coconutmango said:

I want to try out a variety, but just wondering which would focus on traditional hawaiian ?

Click to expand...

I don't know of a DVD specifically on traditional Hawaiian mele, but the "Hawaiian Style Ukulele" books with cd are excellent. There are 3 in the series and start out with easy 2 chord songs and progress to more complex. They have a great selection of songs and the cd's are so good I keep them in my car and listen to them all the time.

You guys have been once again extremely helpful - thank you so much - I will be checking out the variety of suggestions you all mentioned here, mahalo !