I havent been able to extract knowledge from an empty bucket

Keef

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I have no history with music very little aptitude for music but I have bought a $1000+ ukulele (this way I have to learn or its a big waste)and have been trying to teach my self how to play for the last two years and the lights just arnt coming on for me I have managed to invent two songs out of shear will power because I couldnt play anyone elses music correctly. this weekend I am going to get internet service at home up to this point everything has been done via my iphone .. I am thinking about inrolling in the ukulele university
 
I have no history with music very little aptitude for music but I have bought a $1000+ ukulele (this way I have to learn or its a big waste)and have been trying to teach my self how to play for the last two years and the lights just arnt coming on for me I have managed to invent two songs out of shear will power because I couldnt play anyone elses music correctly. this weekend I am going to get internet service at home up to this point everything has been done via my iphone .. I am thinking about inrolling in the ukulele university

That would be a good place to start. Or maybe try UU+. It's a little cheaper and you get to watch all the past videos.
 
cheaper ?? I thought it was free

if not what was it Aldriene was talking about on a video I saw where he said his main function was to teach people on UU for free?
 
You spent over $1000 on a hunch that you'd like / be able to play an instrument?

Wow. You are way more brave than me.
 
cheaper ?? I thought it was free

if not what was it Aldriene was talking about on a video I saw where he said his main function was to teach people on UU for free?

There are a bunch of free lesson videos from Aldrine on the main page - Uke Lessons, Uke Minutes, etc. There is also the weekly free live lesson which are archived for reveiw. The UU+ lessons are lessons that you pay for that systemically take you through a step by step process of learning to play the uke.
 
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Hey Keef,

Looks like you've been a regular contributor so I hope you already found the Ukulele Boot Camp and FREE songbook links.

If not, they are in my signature below.

Any specific part of playing the ukulele that's giving you the most difficulty?

keep uke'in',
 
You spent over $1000 on a hunch that you'd like / be able to play an instrument?

Wow. You are way more brave than me.

yep bought a KoAloha Sceptre tenor. Since then it has been signed and played by Jake shimabukuro and Taimane Gardner but the magic has not rubbed off on me yet but im going to stick with it ;)
 
I think this is what I need

I have not taken them but there are a couple of UU regulars that come to mind that have taken some classes and speak very highly of them - joeybug and fitncrafty. Good luck.
 
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Hey Keef,

Looks like you've been a regular contributor so I hope you already found the Ukulele Boot Camp and FREE songbook links.

If not, they are in my signature below.

Any specific part of playing the ukulele that's giving you the most difficulty?

keep uke'in',
I think I need the structure that a teacher provides but their are no ukulele teachers around me only guitar instructors that tell me its almost the same thing I can teach you .. I want a ukulele teacher!
 
My local uke teacher has been invaluable to me. With out him, I would have never unlearned several things I learned, trying to teach myself.

Also, +1 for Uncle Rod's Boot Camp.
 
A lot of people do not have the opportunity to have a "real" teacher close to them. There are none in my region.

But I have signed on UU+, frankly if you pay monthly it really isn't expensive and you get a "virtual" teacher that will take you through all the basics, explaining everything step by step and good video showing you how to "master" the technics. I highly recommend it and have progressed a lot since I signed on. Oh and I have no musical background either.

If you are afraid UU+ won't suit you, you can sign on for only 1 month...

Also, as said previously, check out the monthly lessons, Uke Minutes and all the other free stuff you can find here at UU. The best of course if to have a teacher beside you to help you out, but I find that UU is just as good.
 
is UU+ a virtual lesson where you can see and talk to the instructor and he can see and talk to you?
 
I hear ya Keef. While I've learned a bit from the internet, there are questions I think I need to get resolved by sitting one on one with an instructor to go over stuff. I think once I get past that point, I'm golden. It's one thing to watch a video but sometimes if it goes too quickly, I have to keep rewinding it/replaying until it sinks into my noggin and I realize what I've been doing wrong. With an instructor, it would be instant correction. Doesn't help that my fingers aren't the greatest for doing some fret work. Too much callus on my fingers from golfing. :p
 
Nope. You basically play through a pre-recorded video lesson at a time starting from the very begining ie tuning your uke to chrods and strumming etc.

There's the live lessons with Aldrine on Wed 8pm EST.

is UU+ a virtual lesson where you can see and talk to the instructor and he can see and talk to you?
 
Nope. You basically play through a pre-recorded video lesson at a time starting from the very begining ie tuning your uke to chrods and strumming etc.

There's the live lessons with Aldrine on Wed 8pm EST.
oh no contact with a teacher? :( (not to excited about that)
Aldrine is great but his lessons are to fast for me im like wh wh WHAT? and by the time I start to grasps the first thing he said hes covered 5 more things (sigh)
 
With UU+ you will get the replay lessons, but if you take the university courses (when they come out) you have a chat and can communicate that way.

but it isn't a lesson like via skype where the teacher can see you.

I sometimes find the weekly lessons a bit fast for me, but what about the monthly lessons? I find those a better pace for a beginner like me.

Also, I want to point out that on UU+, the replay lessons do not go as fast as the weekly ones. Aldrine really takes his time to show and explain everything he says. The classes were designed to go at a slow pace so that everyone can keep up. For example, on the first lesson he will basically explain you how to hold the ukulele, how to tune it and show you 3 chords, how to strum and a basic up and down stum.

If you want to find a "real" teacher, perhaps you can try contacting some guitar players if there are no ukulele players or clubs where you live at.
 
Too much callus on my fingers from golfing. :p

LOL - you're way off on one of these if "golf calluses" affect your uke playing :)
 
I think I need the structure that a teacher provides but their are no ukulele teachers around me only guitar instructors that tell me its almost the same thing I can teach you .. I want a ukulele teacher!

Yeah - you definitely don't want to go to a guitar instructor to learn uke. It's true there are similarities, and those of us who have played guitar probably have an easier time picking up uke than someone who hasn't, but that's as far as it goes. If someone told me they could teach me to play uke because they teach guitar I wouldn't want them teaching me uke or guitar!

John
 
Honestly, it kind of sounds like you're trying to start at the top of the ladder. Don't try to finger-pick fancy solos until you can strum simple two and three chord songs that you already know very well and can sing or hum the melody (I'm talking really basic stuff like "Row Row Row" and what have you). Trying to learn to play any instrument by "playing" songs you don't know very well is almost impossible. It's a two-step (at least) process:

1) Learn instrument basics by playing songs you know so well you could hum them in your sleep - you "hear" them in your head. This is how you know when you're making a mistake on the instrument and can correct.

2) Learn more complex songs by applying the instrument basics you know to "fake" a simple version of the songs.

After that, you're in a position to start learning specific techniques to improve your arrangements. Until you achieve 1 & 2 trying to learn anything more advanced is just going to bring on greater and greater frustration.

I used to play in a band with another guitarist who played great bluegrass melody runs. He was pretty much useless in a band though because he'd never learned the basics and chords. He'd taught himself specific melodies and runs to specific songs by mechanically following tab and listening to recorded music. He couldn't create anything and if he didn't already know a song then handing him a chart was of no help - likewise, if you needed to change the key of a song to fit a vocalist he was useless unless it was a change he could capo.

John
 
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