8 Tips For Learning the Ukulele

The first time playing the ukulele, just like any other instrument, can be difficult and frustrating. If you can’t afford one of the programs above then we have some tips to help you get started!

A lot of these tips are the answers to questions beginner Ukulele players have every day and should help you learn to play ukulele. And as always, if you have any other questions just let us know!

1. Get a Decent Ukulele

If you really are serious about playing the ukulele then you definitely Should consider sparing a few dollars to get a respectable ukulele. You can find quality Ukuleles that are available for about $100, Anything below $50 will probably end up having poor sound qualities and you may spend more time tuning it than playing. We have a great guide to Beginner Ukuleles that will help you choose which one is right for you!

2. Learn how to hold your ukulele

As stupid as it may sound, learning how to hold your ukulele is very important. Try holding your ukulele in different positions, switching even between standing or sitting. Don’t hold the ukulele too tight, it needs to vibrate with ease throughout the body. Let the body of the ukulele rest on one of your legs with your strumming arm resting on the top of the ukulele while sitting.

This way, the ukulele neck will freely hang in the air. As taxing as it may seem, learning how to hold your instrument will be fruitful eventually because you will master playing your ukulele anywhere.

3. Put yourself in the mood

Playing ukulele is supposed to be fun, indulge yourself in the spirit it brings. As much as you may enjoy it, though, remember to practice as much as you “play”. Practicing can be things like repetitively switching between two new chords while playing can be something like strumming along to a song you’ve already mastered.

4. Always tune your ukulele

A good driver checks his car before heading to the open road. That should be the case for any ukulele player. Playing ukulele out of tune can be frustrating especially when attempting to learn new songs. Though you may know where to place your fingers on the fretboard you’ll find that the actual notes that you are playing are not what you intended to play. Thus, tuning your Ukulele regularly is a basic thing to do if you really want to be a good player.

5. Start with the easy Ukulele Chords

There are a handful of chords you can learn as a beginner that only require you to hold down one or two strings. Even the “G major” chord, which requires 3 fingers, is easy for beginners. These also happen to be chords that will allow you to play hundreds of songs!

C Chord, F Chord, Am Chord, G Chord

With these four chords, you can play more songs than you can possibly imagine. Check out our list of Easy Ukulele Songs that just use those chords!

6. Play in time using a metronome

When it comes to time, music is precise. Having the right tempo or speed is important in playing the ukulele. Metronomes are electric tools that beep in time and can be set for different patterns or speed. For a beginner, the trick to learning to play the ukulele faster is playing slower. Let’s say you want to play a song of 85BPM with ease.

You’ll begin by first setting mini goals, which in this case will be to play the song at a rate of 65BPM, which is significantly lower than the original, in fact, a full 20 beats per minute slower. Once you can play the song perfectly at 65BPM you may increase the pace to 70BPM. Continue adding a 5BPM increment until you get to 85BPM.

7. Hum song lyrics while playing slowly

Test your skills by humming along with your favorite while playing the uke. If you hum while playing using a metronome you can pace yourself. Be sure to start only strumming on the downstrokes. Later on, you can play a certain section of the song repeatedly while humming the song lyrics. Singing along while playing the ukulele helps you to familiarize yourself with your instrument while getting used to using your voice.

Focus more on strumming the chords with the right timing and just barely singing. When learning, lyrics are a minor concern. By humming along you’ll have an easier time if and when you want to start singing as you play.

8. Take breaks and repeat

Give your mind and arms a break once in a while. Practice changing between two chords for 5 minutes, then take a minute or two off (or to practice strumming). This will help ingrain these repetitive movements without trying to play for hours while frustrated. This will make it easier to play after a while without any conscious effort.

Learn To Play Ukulele Online!

Unfortunately, for many people, the process of learning to play the ukulele is hard, though. Far too often people buy their first ukulele and find a YouTube video or two on how to play a chord or their favorite song only to become frustrated when progress doesn’t come or they get stuck on something the instructor doesn’t talk about!

It is always easier to learn a new skill with the guidance of a teacher. But where do you find a teacher to learn to play the Ukulele online? There are so many poor programs and systems out there it’s hard to tell them apart.

With that in mind we’ve scoured the internet looking for the best Ukulele software, ukulele lessons online, and “how to play ukulele” tutorials so we could recommend!

1. Rocket Ukulele

This is such a great program for learning the ukulele. The lessons start with the “Learn the Ukulele in 30 Days” program and then expand into getting better, becoming a master, and finally playing Ukulele by Ear. To make it even better they have sections for different musical styles.

To go along with your membership you get access to their library of famous song tutorials, the Ukulele Learning forums, patented ukulele software and learning tools, and all sorts of tabs, music sheets, and audio files.

We are confident that anyone can learn to play the ukulele with this program. Just in case you have your doubts, they do have a 60 day money back guarantee!

=> Sign Up For Rocket Ukulele!

2. Ukulele Buddy

For an easy and fun system for “How to play the Ukulele” JP Allen’s course is hard to beat. This course focuses on a play-along lesson style to help keep practice interesting rather than turning into hours alone.

If you’re an intermediate player, or someone who’s played before, you may want to pick Rocket Ukulele instead of this course as it is very basic by design. But for absolute beginners, this is a very fun and effective way to get started! If you’re interested in this program make sure to read our full review of Ukulele Buddy!

=> Sign Up For Ukulele Buddy!