If You Could Have Anyone Teach You

Joyful Uke

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The thread of If You Could Buy Any Ukulele seems to have morphed into using that pretend blank check to have someone teach you. Not a bad discussion, so I thought I'd start a separate thread for it. And, in this case, we might be able to at least find some YouTubes or other sources where we could actually follow through a bit with the teachers of our dreams.

So, if you were handed a blank check, and told it had to be used to pay someone to teach you ukulele, who would you hire?

I suppose I'd go with Jake Shimabukuro, since he seems very patient, (that would be very necessary!), very clear in the videos I've seen of him explaining things, and whether you like his style or not, he's clearly very talented.

I'm someone who fingerpicks and doesn't sing, so that seems like a good fit, too.

Though I think what I'd really like is someone to help me learn to make my own arrangements of songs. I suppose I could ask Jake to do that, too, as long as I've got that magical pretend blank check to keep paying him.
 
Ohta-san for finger picking

Uncle Rod Higuchi in ukulele boot camp for strumming and singing

DownUpDave for shopping
 
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I've gone to workshops by two awesome teachers ......Kimo Hussey, and Stu Fuchs. They both have a very easy, gentle teaching style, and would be so much fun to learn from. I got a 1-2 day taste of their teaching, and would be happy to have more.
 
Kimo Hussey, I like his style of play, mostly strummig, with a pincer of thumb and pointer. He makes it look so easy, but I'm sure it's not.

Yes, Kimo Hussey.
 
+1 for Kimo. His style of rhythmic chord melody is mesmerizing and elusive. I have tried replicating his sound and I can't figure out how he does it.
 
Del Rey and George Elmes
 
Brook Adams. He did the workshops at the first ukulele festival that I attended. He also came up to me while I was at an open house sponsored by Boat Paddle ukuleles the evening before the festival started and told me that a few of them were going into the shop to "jam" a little. He asked me if I wanted to join in. I told him that I had just started playing the ukulele and that I was afraid that I was not up to jamming with them, but I would like to watch. His words were, "not going to be any watching, just come back, jump in, and if you get lost mute the strings and strum the hell out of them. I'll call out the chord." That was a huge turning point in my ukulele playing. He really took me way out of my comfort zone that evening. He is so talented and I would love to connect up with him and get some lessons.

http://brookadams.com/
 
UU, of course, has a lot of lessons available, and I did use those when first starting out. I may go back there in the future, when I have more time for digging around for fun things to learn.

A good place to learn, (and then catch UAS here on the forum.)
 
The ghost of George Harrison
 
The one, the only Sarah Maisel.

(Oh wait. . . I already take lessons with her.)
 
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Tobias Elof. I love his unique style. He's so good with using open strings and it gives him such a full sound. Plus he studied with James Hill so it would kinda be a two-for-one.
 
I’m starting to consider going for James Hill certification next year—not that it actually will help me earn or retain any teaching job, but that it will refine my own teaching as well as challenge some of my beliefs.

As a educator, the belief that anyone can teach isn’t true (I’ve seen it over and over again), and even some high level conductors aren’t actually good teachers.

I might also try UU+ in the future (and have considered The Ukulele Way). It’s a challenging thing to consider an instructional method to follow as I can already teach a good percentage of the material...but as with all of us, there are plenty of gaps to fill.
 
A great teacher and a great player are sometimes very different things. I know some amazing players who are terrible teachers. And vice versa.

James Hill is the best of both, IMO.
 
Having had short workshops at the NJ Uke Fest on a few different occasions with Lil' Rev, Sarah Maisel, and Danielle Ate the Sandwich, I would love to have longer term lessons from each of them, as well as with James Hill (who also taught Tobias Elof).

Each of them have unique gifts that I feel would be of great benefit to me if I could learn and eventually re-master them as part of my own style.

Also, I'd love to have a few sessions with Jake to discuss his approach to songwriting (having written my own songs on guitar for over 35 yrs, and ukulele for 6 yrs now) and have high esteem for both Jake's music as well as his technique.

Of course, I also would like to try a few lessons from Jake too...

Two others that really stand out for me are both Jim Beloff and Aaron Keim. I also love their styles of playing.

There are also many other wonderful players out there, but I know not of their lessons availability, and unless there is an option for Skype/FaceTime, geography might be a limiting factor...
 
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Hands down and geography notwithstanding, I'd choose face-to-face lessons with either Benny Chong or Byron Yasui.

Being one of the very few face-to-face 'ukulele instructors in my region, I rely on Skype to connect with my own teachers. I currently study under The Uke Room proprietor Matt Stead via Skype (and am very satisfied, I might add), but I've also had particularly good lessons with Bryan Tolentino. Great teachers whose workshops I've attended include Kimo Hussey, Bryan Tolentino, and Daniel Ward.
 
After some thought, I think that's my answer, too.

Tobias Elof. I love his unique style. He's so good with using open strings and it gives him such a full sound. Plus he studied with James Hill so it would kinda be a two-for-one.
 
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