Getting Started with Ukulele
Welcome to our learning resources! Whether you're picking up a ukulele for the first time or looking to develop your skills, these guides will help you on your musical journey.
Download Songbooks
Junior Songbook
Download Junior Songbook (PDF)
UGN Songbook
The Basics
Holding Your Ukulele
Getting comfortable with your instrument is the first step to making beautiful music.
Two Points of Contact:
- Neck - Resting gently in your fretting hand
- Forearm - Your strumming arm makes contact against the soundboard/lower bout
Pro Tips:
- Roll up your sleeves for extra grip with your strumming arm
- Adjust where your forearm makes contact to find your the "sweet spot" for striking the strings - usually around where the neck meets the body of the uke
- Remove watches, jewelry, or buttons that might get in the way
- Some professional ukulele players grow their nails on their strumming hand, but will keep them short on their fretting hand.
- Breathe and relax, try to laugh off any mistakes, keep playing! :)
Your First Chord: C7
Let's start with one of the easiest chords - C7!
How to play C7:
- Place your 1st finger on the 1st fret of the 1st string (the string closest to the floor)
- That's it! Just one finger needed
Practice Technique:
- Start with a "feather touch" - barely touching the string
- Slowly add pressure until the note rings clear
- Find the minimum pressure needed - too much can cause bad habits and even injury
- Keep everything relaxed!
Strumming Technique
Good strumming is all about staying loose and relaxed.
Basic Strumming Method:
- Let your wrist and hand go nice and loose
- Extend your index finger, let others curl naturally
- Strumming Down: Use your fingernail or fingertip, extending your finger
- Strumming Up: Use the pad of your finger, curling it back toward your palm
- Use combined movement of wrist and finger - minimal elbow movement
Remember: Practice gently! Every sound can be achieved through light playing. It's better to build up volume than be stuck at volume 11 with nowhere to go!
Advanced Techniques
The Ukulele as a Little Drum
Your ukulele can be more than just a melodic instrument - it can be a percussion instrument too!
Three Main Drum Sounds:
1. Hi-Hats
The basic sound of striking the strings - whether open, fretted, or dampened. This creates the "Tss-t-t" sound of hi-hats.
2. Snare Drum - The Chuck!
Chucking is one of the most fun ukulele techniques!
How to Chuck:
- Dampen the strings with your fretting hand
- Strike the strings with your strumming hand
- Or use your palm to simultaneously dampen and attack
- Try adding chucks on beats 2 and 4 for a driving backbeat
- Let your fingernail go beyond the strings to tap the soundboard for extra snap!
3. Bass Drum
- Strike the strings close to the saddle/bridge for a deeper sound
- Tap different areas of the instrument body
- If you have a pickup, add some reverb for extra "oomph"
Practice Tips for Percussive Playing
- Start gentle - you can always build up
- Give chucks center stage - practice them without chords first
- Feel the rhythm and let it drive your playing
- Remember: The ukulele loves to pretend it's a drum!
Your First Song: "Sea Seven"
Here's a fun song you can play using just the C7 chord! Perfect for practicing your strumming while singing along.
Sea Seven (Play with C7 throughout)
They're lined up in a row right here, they're called 1, 2 &
3
And 4's a little neighbour, they're happy as can be
They like to go to outer space, make music and explore
You got the fire and got the time, then strum the strings all 4
I said [insert names of group members]!
Is there something I can do?
I said [another name]!
To sail Sea Seven true?
They plot the stars they follow charts, the strumming hand
commands
There's others too that live with thumb, they're on your strongest
hand
They bring the uke to life chuck strum, a sound you can't ignore
You have your own you know them well, you've played with things
before!
(Continue with more names and verses as you like!)
Keep Learning
These basics are just the beginning! To continue your ukulele journey:
- Join our workshops for hands-on learning
- Download our songbooks for practice materials
- Connect with other players in our community sessions
- Practice a little each day - consistency is key!
Remember: Everyone starts somewhere, and the ukulele community is one of the most welcoming you'll find. Don't be afraid to make mistakes - it's how we learn!
"We welcome you to enjoy the benefits playing music together can bring to individuals, communities, and collectives."
