Canada Jim
Well-known member
If no one has suggested it (or even if they have) the Forum: Ukulele Tabs and Chords is a good place to get help.
Calling all Self-Taughts
- Thread starter KiltedUke
- Start date
I am self taught, i strum and play chords rather than play melody. I pick songs i want to play. I deliberately make sure each song teaches me a new chord, or a new strum pattern or a new finger picking technique. However, i played an instrument when i was at school so could already read music and was able to understand theory.
Last edited:
KiltedUke
Member
Wow. Thank you everyone for your replies. There's too many to reply individually so apologies.
Here's where I currently am and what I've been doing which seems to be inline with what some have said. I started by finding 'simple' songs to play - not necessarily ones I would have played but seem to be popular with Uke Youtubers and follow the C, G, Am, F chord progression (Riptide, Little Talks, I'm Yours (*rolleyes*), etc). I haven't mastered those songs but go over them daily. I have recently started looking at some Disney tunes which incorporate different chords (Em, Bb, Dm, E7, D7) and now practising those transitions.
My music background if fairly nonexistent. I tried to teach myself the penny whistle 20 years ago and learned to read sheet music but, like many others, I play the notes but fail to get the correct (any) tempo.
Because of my [lack of] background I feel some music theory would be well placed and I watched some free James Hill lessons. I liked the way he presented the information and I seemed to gain some knowledge.
Since someone said they found James' course to be worth its salt I think I will spend the £7 a month (for a couple of months) to expand my musicality and see where that goes.
I will also continue to learn, practise, learn, practise and repeat from various online sources.
Thanks again for your excellent replies
Here's where I currently am and what I've been doing which seems to be inline with what some have said. I started by finding 'simple' songs to play - not necessarily ones I would have played but seem to be popular with Uke Youtubers and follow the C, G, Am, F chord progression (Riptide, Little Talks, I'm Yours (*rolleyes*), etc). I haven't mastered those songs but go over them daily. I have recently started looking at some Disney tunes which incorporate different chords (Em, Bb, Dm, E7, D7) and now practising those transitions.
My music background if fairly nonexistent. I tried to teach myself the penny whistle 20 years ago and learned to read sheet music but, like many others, I play the notes but fail to get the correct (any) tempo.
Because of my [lack of] background I feel some music theory would be well placed and I watched some free James Hill lessons. I liked the way he presented the information and I seemed to gain some knowledge.
Since someone said they found James' course to be worth its salt I think I will spend the £7 a month (for a couple of months) to expand my musicality and see where that goes.
I will also continue to learn, practise, learn, practise and repeat from various online sources.
Thanks again for your excellent replies
So many peeps have already chimed in that I don't have much to add but I'll very briefly throw in some advice since I'm self-taught (in terms of ukulele) as well.
Seems to me you're on the right path with learning your chords by playing simpler songs at first. Once you can switch between chords at least fairly fluently, my advice would be to start playing songs you really want to play and learn. Even if they seem challenging at first, you just need to keep at it. This way you can challenge yourself and start learning new things instead of hitting that wall/plateau.
Regarding James Hill's courses, I'm going through those myself at the moment and they indeed seem to be very useful. You'll learn at least some music theory as well which I believe is important. I've heard that Uke Like The Pros has similar courses where you learn music theory and are very good as well. I haven't tried them myself but I probably will check them after I'm done with James' courses.
Seems to me you're on the right path with learning your chords by playing simpler songs at first. Once you can switch between chords at least fairly fluently, my advice would be to start playing songs you really want to play and learn. Even if they seem challenging at first, you just need to keep at it. This way you can challenge yourself and start learning new things instead of hitting that wall/plateau.
Regarding James Hill's courses, I'm going through those myself at the moment and they indeed seem to be very useful. You'll learn at least some music theory as well which I believe is important. I've heard that Uke Like The Pros has similar courses where you learn music theory and are very good as well. I haven't tried them myself but I probably will check them after I'm done with James' courses.
Well I doubt anyone sets out to learn slowly and innefficiently. But I am sure thats where I could easily spend time.
KiltedUke
Member
Well I suppose that all depends on where you want to go and the stage of life you're at. We're not here forever. I am in the same mind as wab223 in that I'd like to ensure I'm learning efficiently and progressing because time is a limit.
@wab223, nice tune. Thanks for sharing
Jerryc41
Well-known member
I'd like to hear your thoughts on the best (easiest and quickest) way you've progressed when self taught. Do you:
- Find songs you like and learn to play them?
- Find an online course and follow that?
- Find a ukulele group (not possible just now and not entirely self taught)?
- Other?
I've only been playing 6 weeks and wondering how I get to a next level beyond playing rhythm ukulele. I'm dabbling with the idea of signing up to James Hill's course but unsure whether I want to spend the money (I'm Scottish after all
I think everyone is basically self-taught. What helped me to learn is playing with a group. One of my groups has several song books - about 48 pages each. We played the songs in book 1 for a period of weeks - or maybe months. Then the leader put together book 2, slightly more challenging. "Practice makes perfect."
@wab223, nice tune. Thanks for sharing
You mentioned Uke Way. I started that about 6 weeks ago. I think it is a great course if you want a formal and structured approach to learning. By that I don't mean its not fun, it just lays out a path for you to follow and improve over time.
You have all videos and books immediately and you can go at anyway you choose or you can go incrementally through the books.
While doing Uke Way you can go off and look through you tube videos for your favourite songs and techniques as you see fit. I don't think there is any disadvantage to doing Uke Way and its not expensive. I pay $13 CAD a month.
There is so much and so many styles to learn with the Uke.
Good luck.
bunnyf
Well-known member
James Hill’s Ukulele Way is excellent for anyone wanting to get into chord melody playing (blending the melody line with chords or partial chords). Aaron Keim’s “Fingerstyle Ukulele” is great for getting some additional techniques down for your picking hand. Both are great values and I found them very helpful.
Learning the closed position scales, especially maj.pentatonic and blues scale were the best for playing in any key, anywhere on the fretboard and you will find the melody line will fall under your fingers.
Learning the closed position scales, especially maj.pentatonic and blues scale were the best for playing in any key, anywhere on the fretboard and you will find the melody line will fall under your fingers.
KiltedUke
Member
This is what has intrigued me with his course and with the short examples I did it seems very doable and pleasurable.
I haven't heard of Aaron's courses but I'll have a look. Thank you
Canada Jim
Well-known member
The term "Self Taught" can mean many different things. Some folks consider themselves "Self Taught" just because they have never taken formal lessons. I don't agree.
I don't consider myself "Self Taught" even though I've never taken formal lessons. I've learned stuff from reading books, jamming with friends, trading licks and songs, listening to records and probably other ways. If you learn songs from other people, either off records, out of books, in person off the internet. . . then you're not really "Self Taught". I have taught myself songs and techniques and altered chord progressions, but it was always built on something that I'd learned from a record, friend, book. . .
I don't consider myself "Self Taught" even though I've never taken formal lessons. I've learned stuff from reading books, jamming with friends, trading licks and songs, listening to records and probably other ways. If you learn songs from other people, either off records, out of books, in person off the internet. . . then you're not really "Self Taught". I have taught myself songs and techniques and altered chord progressions, but it was always built on something that I'd learned from a record, friend, book. . .
Peter Frary
Well-known member
Nobody learns in a vacuum and we all learn from diverse sources. More specifically, many of us came to 'ukulele from related instruments such as guitar, violin, mandolin, etc., and although lacked formal instruction on the 'ukulele, picked it up quickly due to the transfer of knowledge and abilities from prior instruments.
Rllink
Well-known member
So true. For myself, playing the ukulele is not just about playing the ukulele, the ukulele is just one part of the experience. I never took ukulele lessons, but I learned a lot about playing the ukulele when I took voice lessons. Just for discussion, are you self taught if you never took formal lessons, but you picked up a lot of what you do at weekend festival workshops? Are you self taught if you taught yourself to play music on your ukulele that you can read because you learned to read music in fifth grade music class?
dogstayplay
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I have learned so much from Andrew Hardel who runs RockClass101. For 7? 9?/ month you get access to all song tutorials and classes in music theory,etc. The songs include every genre and playing level. I think he is a very good teacher and puts a ton of energy into his site, the best value I have found online and I don’t expect I’ll ‘grow out’ of it... well, ever.
My $0.02
My $0.02
Dodgypenguin
New member
I found trying to piece it all together from YouTube too disorganized and made little progress. Not really got enough time to organize progression myself. Too many unknown unknowns.
Things improved dramatically when I started a properly organized course online. There are lots. I had a look at a couple and settled on UkeLikeThePros, mainly because I liked the presenter and his clear and professional style. Having a proper curriculum with gentle progression has been much better for me.
Also found the Jamzone app to be good fun for just playing songs I like. The speed and key of tunes can be changed to make things easier for beginner etc. I like the challenge of playing with virtual band and having the chords and lyrics autoscrolling to follow.
YMMV as we all learn in different ways. I'm just not organized enough to do it all myself.
Things improved dramatically when I started a properly organized course online. There are lots. I had a look at a couple and settled on UkeLikeThePros, mainly because I liked the presenter and his clear and professional style. Having a proper curriculum with gentle progression has been much better for me.
Also found the Jamzone app to be good fun for just playing songs I like. The speed and key of tunes can be changed to make things easier for beginner etc. I like the challenge of playing with virtual band and having the chords and lyrics autoscrolling to follow.
YMMV as we all learn in different ways. I'm just not organized enough to do it all myself.
^^^^^ This.
chris667
Well-known member
Everything builds on everything else.
So if you want to go beyond basic stuff, make sure you develop your ear, and your timing.
Play Ukulele by Ear is a great website. And buy a metronome. I would have saved a couple of years of sounding awful if I had.
So if you want to go beyond basic stuff, make sure you develop your ear, and your timing.
Play Ukulele by Ear is a great website. And buy a metronome. I would have saved a couple of years of sounding awful if I had.
Swamp Yankee
Well-known member
Honestly, the only thing that I can think of that I've learned about playing the ukulele that came from somebody else is how to double strum.
Years back, when I first started playing, I didn't even bother learning the chords - with my background in guitar a lot of it seemed to come naturally. I can honestly say that I learned more about guitar from another person (a High School friend that showed me how to finger pick a country blues tune, Stagger Lee) but most of my guitar learning was from learning from chord diagrams and listening to songs.
The first real song I learned on the uke was my own composition, Sally's in the Kitchen, which I noodled out over the course of several months when I first bought my Kolohe concert uke, way back in 2005 or so. It wasn't until a decade later that I sat down with the song and reverse engineered it to figure out what chords I had actually been playing for all those years.
Years back, when I first started playing, I didn't even bother learning the chords - with my background in guitar a lot of it seemed to come naturally. I can honestly say that I learned more about guitar from another person (a High School friend that showed me how to finger pick a country blues tune, Stagger Lee) but most of my guitar learning was from learning from chord diagrams and listening to songs.
The first real song I learned on the uke was my own composition, Sally's in the Kitchen, which I noodled out over the course of several months when I first bought my Kolohe concert uke, way back in 2005 or so. It wasn't until a decade later that I sat down with the song and reverse engineered it to figure out what chords I had actually been playing for all those years.
molokinirum
Well-known member
Self taught here...I learned the basic chords at first and just played them until I got comfortable switching between chords. The I started looking at the internet for chords to songs that were easy. Played them and next step was to start on songs that had a new chord in it. I just kept progressing that way, took a while but it was fun.
Hi from another kiltie! I'm self-taught and though not particularly systematic am making reasonable progress, given that it is A great place to learn chords is Uncle Rod's Boot Camp. I love this one as the harmonic progressions are such fun. You could start by just learning the top two lines only of each sheet, but there is a lot of overlap so there aren't as many chords to learn as it seems.
