Where to start... (to learn)

Hey all, greetings from Melbourne (Aus). Im relatively new to the Uke, but for the second time around. I used to play years ago when i was a child, self taught from an old uke book, EZ Method for Ukulele if I recall correctly.

....Fast forward about 18 years:

I dont remember much of it now, except a few bars of the song 'Little Brown Jug', and recently purchased myself a uke from ebay. One of original Uke is in a bad way now and the other at my parents somewhere sans strings.

My question to all of you, is where is a good starting point for learning the Uke over again. Ive checked out some of Aldrines lessons and am not getting anywhere real quick. I think they are a little bit advanced for somebody just starting out. Are there any lessons (on this site or others) that are much simpler that teach the fundamentals but also have you playing tunes rather quickly?

Is anybody in the same boat as me? Please feel free to share your experiences, how you got to where you are etc.

Thank you all in advance. Im looking forward to reading your replies.

I felt the same way... here's some links that got me caught up (somewhat):

http://ukulelehunt.com/2010/02/24/ukulele-lessons/

http://www.ezfolk.com/uke/Tutorials/Fingerpicking/fingerpicking.html

http://www.ezfolk.com/uke/tabs1/index.html

Now I'm pretty confident playing my own style of stuff. I try to focus less on replicating somebody else's cover songs but focus on writing my own music. Any way I slice it, if I'm playing something, I'm doing better than if I was playing nothing... so pick up your uke and "jus' press"

Sorry, but time for a shameless plug!

This site is superb as a resource ( I spend most of my uke time here) as is Ukulele Hunt.

I also set up my own blog which is aimed directly at beginners, or those thinking of dipping a toe in the ukulele water. You can find my blog here http://gotaukulele.blogspot.com/

Have a browse, or go direct to the song sheets, chord sheets and beginner guides links at the top of the page.

Aloha and G'day Vaughan,
Welcome to the UU and our forums...and back to the ukulele...check out and google Musicteacher2010 and Keonepax for beginner awesome video tutorials and Dr uke for songs, chords and instruction...
Have fun and enjoy!! Happy Strummings!!! Let us know how it works out for you!! MM Stan..

Welcome!

There are a couple of links below my signature that you are welcome to try.
(Boot Camp and FREE Songbook)

Keep uke'in',

I tried playing the guitar when I was in high school, and played the trumpet, so I wasn't completely without some musical training. I bought a few books when I first started trying to learn the uke last year (the Hal Leonard Ukulele Method Books by Lil Rev). They are some of the best for a beginner, I think.

To be honest, I didn't really get that much out of them as I should have, perhaps because I get bored easily, and because I did have some background. In the end, I mostly just tried to learn the most common chords and some strums. Then, I just began to download songs off Chordie and play them, learning new chords as I went and trying to improve my strumming (still pretty bad). Lately, I have been doing a lot of chord solos, where I just take the chords in a song and try to play the melody around and with them. I learn a lot that way. A lot of people are perfectly happy to remain at that stage, and there is nothing wrong with that. They can play pretty much any song they can find on Chordie or similar sites and have a great time playing and singing either in groups or alone.

Once you get past the chords, simple chord soloing, and strumming, and you want to go further, its probably time to buy a book like Ukulele Fretboard Roadmaps and begin learning all the notes and chords all the way up the neck. That and playing with other musicians will take you to the next step.

Learn to read tabs and work on some harder songs from places such as Dominators an UkeHunts excellent tab sites and a couple of others.

If you can find a ukulele group in your area, such as the SEUkers in mine, join it and play with them. Better yet, start or get in a band.

Of course, the internet and YT are also a wealth of knowledge, although trying to put it into some organized method can be difficult.

If you have the money and the inclination, a teacher can help a lot.

Here is the site that propelled me in the beginning uke school

Also Melbourne Ukulele Festival is on the last weekend in February, MUF, get yourself along and meet some ukuin' folk there.

Cheers

Thanks for all the links guys. Great stuff.

+1 on Uncle Rods, and the 2 cents added- play some stuff you know how to sing...even if you are a lousy singer- I started with the tunes I straight BELT out in the car on the way to work, and the rest are dropping like flies...same method has proven true for my wife. SHe can't play "Little Brown Jug" because she has never heard it, but she knows every song Cat Stevens ever did on the Uke

Thanks TCK. Thats great advice, and has sort of confirmed im not doing something so silly afterall.

Ive looked at a lot of books etc, but all the songs in them are ones ive never heard, so started with the song Time of Your Life by greenday. I knew the chords in it, and i know the song, and thought thats as good a place to start as any.

Making slow progress with it, struggling a bit finding my rythm lol...

+1 on www.doctoruke.com

pauljmuk said:

Sorry, but time for a shameless plug!

This site is superb as a resource ( I spend most of my uke time here) as is Ukulele Hunt.

I also set up my own blog which is aimed directly at beginners, or those thinking of dipping a toe in the ukulele water. You can find my blog here http://gotaukulele.blogspot.com/

Have a browse, or go direct to the song sheets, chord sheets and beginner guides links at the top of the page.

Click to expand...

Great information you have on your blog. I also picked up your ebook. Certainly well worth more than the buck 75 - and I am half way through. I enjoyed reading about strings and your thoughts on practice. I am enjoying practicing, however, there is a groove in my fingertip that I am not sure how to get rid of.

Uke with a smile!
David

I feel your pain I am a mechanic with no musical background at all and I've been sitting alone in this room for a year now trying to teach my self by just making noises and trying different things the results of this method have produced one simple tune. It really goes against all logic to think that from nothing you can make something. But I am rather bull headed perhaps next year I will have another song
.
Good luck to you I hope you find something on the Internet that helps you