How To Play Rumba Strum On Ukulele
The word Rumba is a generic term for different types of West Indian music or dancing. It comes from the verb, “rumbear” which literally means going to parties, dancing, or just having a good time. And if you feel like getting into the groove of a Latin American music today, why not learn a little bit of a rumba strum on your ukulele? Here’s a quick lesson from Jeff Thomas. Enjoy!
How To Play "When You Wish Upon A Star" on Ukulele
Sometimes, we’d like to play some old songs with the ukulele. So let’s go ahead and practise a throwback song from the 1940s. Think about Walt Disney’s 1940 adaptation of Pinocchio and the first thing that comes to mind is the song, "When You Wish Upon a Star". Learn to play this Disney classic on ukulele. Enjoy!
What Are The Different Ukulele Tunings?
Stringed instruments are unique in the instrument world. If you think about flutes, clarinets, saxophones, and any horn instruments, they have a fixed tuning. You physically can’t change it. With the ukulele, it's different. So why do instruments like ukuleles use so many different tunings? Let's find out.
How To Play Beethoven's Fur Elise On Ukulele
Today, Jeff will teach you how to play Fur Elise by Beethoven. He followed John King’s arrangement on this one. He did some modifications on the ending though. The song needed the right hand picking details since you will not be able to play it with just the thumb of your right hand. Which is why he re-wrote some notes to make it clearer. Enjoy!
The Surprising History Of The Ukulele
Most people currently alive have always lived in a world with ukuleles. The ukulele is synonymous with Hawaiian music, beaches, Summer, and of course “Over The Rainbow”.
It might not surprise you to know that the ukulele was inspired by something else. But it might surprise you to hear about the ukulele’s birth place. Which isn't technically in Hawaii...
How To Play Ed Sheeran's "Photograph" on Ukulele
"Photograph" is a song performed by English singer-songwriter, Ed Sheeran, for his second studio album, x in 2014. Johnny McDaid of Snow Patrol helped Sheeran write the song. McDaid had a piano loop from which the composition developed. Jeff Thomas did his best to match the guitar part of the original recording. Here, you will learn some fingerpicking and strumming required to play the tune.
What Ukulele Should A Beginner Buy?
Ukuleles come in a lot of sizes, use several species of woods, and will be built with a wide range of overall quality. When you’re buying your first or even second ukulele, you probably have more questions than answers. At the end of the day you want the best ukulele for you.
So how do you sort through all of the different options? Let’s start by asking very common questions.
Common Questions About Ukulele Chords
It’s incredibly common to have more questions than answers when you first pick up the ukulele. In fact, you’ll have questions throughout your entire ukulele journey. That’s part of the fun!
Thankfully there are a multitude of resources to answer those questions (thanks for checking this one out!). We’ve gathered some of the most common questions about ukulele chords and put them in one place.
Why Your Ukulele Isn’t Staying In Tune
One of the immediate challenges when you learn to play the ukulele is tuning it. It can be a difficult thing to find the right note at the right pitch. No matter your skill level is, a ukulele that won’t stay in tune can be frustrating to play. This tends to happen more for beginners, and there are a few reasons why. Let’s take a look at the reasons your ukulele isn’t staying in tune.
How To Play "I'm Yours" by Jason Mraz on Ukulele
Today, Jeff will teach you how to play I’m Yours by Jason Mraz. This is a great sing-along style ukulele tab arrangement following the original recording. The song was originally played in the key of B but Jeff transposed it to the Key of C to make the chords easier to play. Enjoy!
How To Play "Close To You" by The Carpenters on Ukulele
Close To You was originally played in the key of C. Jeff made some adjustments as he is following an interesting chord melody arrangements by Kiyosi Kobayashi. Kobayashi plays through the whole song using only the thumb of his right hand. Jeff made his own version by bringing in strumming and small edits to his playing. The song is considered a great beginner to intermediate level tune.
How To Choose The Right Ukulele Case
Why Should You Have A Case For A Ukulele? So the obvious answer here is protection. Whilst ukuleles are made out of quality woods, the wood is very thin. Even if it has a thicker finish on it, it’s still highly susceptible to scratches, dings, and holes. It only takes bumping it just the right way into the corner of something to ruin your day. Kind of like stubbing your toe.