Do I need to learn music theory to play the ukulele?

It's certainly great to understand the theory. But not enough to be a cool musician. You won't be able to play without practice, and without theory it is quite feasible. I have a great example, my uncle. I graduated from a professional school to learn how to play the piano. But he was firmly convinced that he would not need so many years of study. And he signed up for the course of piano as an adult. No one believed that anything worthwhile would come out of it. Imagine my surprise when I heard that he knew the instrument as well as I did. Either he has a natural talent, or the teachers of this course are geniuses. You can check them yourself.
 
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You don't have to do anything! But for me having a bit of understanding of music makes the process of learning and playing a lot more easy and enjoyable.
 
If you want to play classical and baroque music on it then yea it would help. But if you just like to strum away or play fingerstyle blues and such then no. Its an instrument suited to improvisation.
 
Not an absolute necessity but it wouldn't hurt. Lot's of fabulous musicians play mostly by ear and have no formal training. Many don't read music or possess a lot of theoretical knowledge.
Glen Campbell could play anything on guitar. Glen could not read a note and had very little theoretical knowledge. Jimmy Webb has often said Glen was the most talented musician he had ever met.
 
"It depends on what you want to do with the ukulele as an instrument."

This is probably the best starting place. I know a little, but not enough to write or compose. As you learn and evolve, your purpose might change. Mine did. I think we limit ourselves if all we do is play by tablature, or copying other players.
I look at it like, I'm not trying to just learn to play ukulele, I'm trying to learn to play music. That's what we teach kids here.

Bill, thanks for that video, very interesting!
 
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Understanding music theory helps one understand WHY chord changes and progressions work.

AHA! That’s why it sounds good.
 
What about the cool-factor?

I was listening to some neo-classical guitar and my wife said "I hate the phygian mode"

I sophistically mentioned that the phrygiran mode has the same notes as the Dorian which she has no problem with.

She said it is all about the half-tones, and I remembered why she's my girl.

You cannot have cool stichomythia such as that without theory.
 
I wonder where to draw the line between music theory and music "tools".
Looking at a chord diagram is not theory.
Figuring out the chord by finding the third, fifth seventh etc. is that applying theory?
Is understanding staff notation applied theory?
Or do you need to go to the level of analyzing why it works well before it is theory?

It is probably a blurry line. Anyway, you can play music on ukulele just by looking at chord diagrams. You can play more and better if you learn sheet music and how to transpose too.
You can write songs just picking common chord progressions for them. You can probably make better arrangements if you know a lot advanced theory.

The way I look at it, everything you learn has a small grain of theory in it.
 
Here's what I made up to help get me started in memorizing the most common progressions.

The same progression is used in each key. The "I" is the key.

First play across each key using the I, iii, iv, IV, I, V, IV - It will naturally repeat.

Then try skipping some chords, or rearranging them within the sequence...

For example, just play: C - Em - F - G

For a bit of a twist, in the key of C, at the end play Am - G instead of F.

A light will pop on! Have fun.

<edit> As LarryS notes in response #33 below, feel free to try the 7th for any of the chords in the table - especially the classic V7.

-WiggyPop Maj Progs.jpg
 
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I'm quite fond of the I IV V blues progression. Works well with some chords, not so great with others. For example blues in E is good (E7 A7 B7) as is blues in A (A7 D7 E7) but if you do the same starting on C (C7 F7 G7) it doesn't sound so bluesy. Its not melancholy enough, especially the G7 which tends to lift the tone. Maybe it would sound different with linear tuning...
 
LarryS, all the keys you mention are on the right side of the circle of fifths. Do you ever venture to the left side? There are some that are rewarding, especially if you get away from first position chords.
 
I'm quite fond of the I IV V blues progression. Works well with some chords, not so great with others. For example blues in E is good (E7 A7 B7) as is blues in A (A7 D7 E7) but if you do the same starting on C (C7 F7 G7) it doesn't sound so bluesy. Its not melancholy enough, especially the G7 which tends to lift the tone. Maybe it would sound different with linear tuning...

I agree, key of C just doesn
 
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Here is a similar table of common' bluesy' minor progressions.

The terms 'lift, curl and turn' are my descriptions of what it sounds like to me :)

-W
 

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My opinion is that you do not need to know music theory to play the ukulele or any other instrument. A knowledge of music theory is helpful if you want to write your own music, but it is certainly possible to write music without knowing theory, because you'll just end up working within the rules of theory without realizing it. Theory helps you get there faster because you have a better idea of where to start, but you can get where you need to go without it. If you're somebody who wants to play other people's music, which I feel like is what musicians are doing the majority of the time, you don't really need to know theory. You just need to know how to operate the instrument.
 
My opinion is that you do not need to know music theory to play the ukulele or any other instrument. A knowledge of music theory is helpful if you want to write your own music, but it is certainly possible to write music without knowing theory, because you'll just end up working within the rules of theory without realizing it. Theory helps you get there faster because you have a better idea of where to start, but you can get where you need to go without it. If you're somebody who wants to play other people's music, which I feel like is what musicians are doing the majority of the time, you don't really need to know theory. You just need to know how to operate the instrument.

I agree. Theory isn't about compulsion; it is about enthusiasm. If you're playing other people's music, they've already done the thinking for you. All you need to do is put your finger where they tell you. Even if you are making your own music you can do without theory. You can just hunt and peck until you find the note that sounds good to you. However, at a certain point you may want to know more about music. You start learning more and reading more, and theory starts to come into play. It is just like driving a car. You can just drive. Or you can get curious about what's under the hood, how the components interact, and how you can tweak those things.
 
Part of my reply was cut off.

BC before Covid, I jammed with harmonicas and guitars in a 12 bar blues jam. Guitars like the key of E
E, A, B7

I like the key of A
A, D, E7

And yes, the key of C just doesn’t quite sound Bluesy enough.
And, The Thrill Is Gone, does well in Am.

And, .... my favorite is Saint Louis Woman in the Key of A
 
If you're somebody who wants to play other people's music, which I feel like is what musicians are doing the majority of the time, you don't really need to know theory. You just need to know how to operate the instrument.

At the same time, even if you are playing other people's music knowing some theory can help in many ways. Sometimes you may wish to make changes or corrections to the written chart, sometimes you may wish to embellish or use chord substitutions. You can do that by ear, but having some knowledge can get you there a little faster. You can do fine with or without, depends on your interests and goals.
 
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I was a music major, went to conservatory out of high school, played in symphony orchestras, the Air Force Band, etc. Now, having said all that, I strongly suspect that I would be a better Ukulele player if I had learned Uke first, without all that intellectual baggage. The Uke is a simple instrument, and you will naturally pick up a little music theory as you go along. No more is necessary. Better to play with your heart than with your head. :)
 
One thing for sure, any beginner reading this thread will be scared away.

I had some music theory in high school, and went through the different kind of scales and how the same chord progressions sounds good on different keys and are used over and over. I wasnt profissient on any instrument, so didnt quite put the scales to use though.
Anyway, I have forgotten almost everything about scales. Besides how the basic ones are colour coded for C/Am on a piano and perhaps finding the "blues scale" in one key on piano. And I dont refer to chord progressions on the abstract way with numbers, dont think about it usually.
It is good to know that they exist, but there is no need to know it all by heart.

I would recommend any beginner to go trough some very basic music theory, there must be a video on youtube that is better than nothing, and see what they can use. Perhaps not as the first thing they do, but after strumming the first couple of songs.
And if you want to sing with your uke I would recommend learning how to dechifer staff notation. I say dechifer, not play from. Just to understand it, so if there is a note in the melody you are in doubt of, you can look it up. And very important, if you determine your vocal range you can see if the song is in the right key for you. Yes, I know that some people are musical enough to just hear that, but I am not.

You all write about phrygian scales and how you might need to correct the music sheets because you should know better than the person who wrote it. I think this is not the first thing for a beginner to worry about.
 
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