This book is the perfect introduction to the Ukulele for kids of all ages. With no sheet music to follow, kids can easily follow the clear and simple diagrams and photos to learn their first chords, play fun tunes and gain confidence playing their first uke! * Easy to follow instructions and illustrations * Simple exercises to follow and practice * Learn at their own pace * Fun and easy songs, chords and tunes to play * Simply follow the lessons in the book and kids will be playing ukulele in no time !
Take your ukulele playing to the next level - fast! - with hundreds of fun exercises, drills and practice tunes You have a ukulele, you know just enough to be dangerous, and now you're ready to do something with it. You're in luck: Ukulele Exercises For Dummies helps you become a better player. This practice-based book focuses on the skills that entry-level players often find challenging and provides tips, tricks and plenty of cool exercises that will have you creating music in no time that include: • Creating rock-steady strumming patterns and rhythms • Becoming a better fingerpicker with patterns, arpeggio exercises, and solo fingerpicking pieces • Expanding your fretboard knowledge and crafting your own rock, blues and jazz riffs and solos • Playing actual songs on the ukulele - everything from the classic ukulele tunes to the 12 bar blues! • Downloadable audio files of the exercises found in the book, providing you with a self-contained practice package No matter if you're a beginning ukulele player or you're wanting to stretch and improve your chops, Ukulele Exercises For Dummies puts you on your way to becoming a ukulele extraordinaire!
Anyone can learn to play the ukulele, and play it well. No previous knowledge of music is necessary. Strum and pick both harmonies and melodies. First Lessons Ukulele provides a simple approach for learning how to play the ukulele without reading music. from the most basic necessities, such as holding the uke properly and forming simple chords, up to more advanced techniques, which include transposing, using second and third position chords, and picking and strumming melody solos. Companion CD included.•
That’s right, the ukulele is a great instrument all by itself! This book contains 101 solos that let you play melody and accompaniment all on one ukulele. If you’d like to sing, go right ahead; lyrics are included for many of the solos. Each section starts with easy solos, complete with tips on ukulele technique and arranging. The music is written in tablature and standard musical notation, with suggested chords above the music for an optional second ukulele or guitar. Essential right and left-hand fingerings are shown in traditional classic guitar symbols and while most of the book is written in standard (aECG) tuning, a few tunes are offered in both drop-B tuning and drop-E-flat tuning. With selections ranging from country to classical, medieval to modern, and a Christmas section with seventeen traditional favorites, this ukulele collection includes music for every taste and season. A useful chord dictionary and access to online audio of the author’s beautiful renditions of each well-crafted solo arrangement are included.
The Ukulele Workbook includes 8 weeks of lessons and more than 20 songs. Over 300 students have already completed the curriculum which I continue to refine and improve based on student feedback. What makes this book unique is the playlist includes recent hits and each song is accompanied by a webpage where you can play-along. I also cover the circles of fifths and inversions to help you progress beyond just playing songs. Within 8 weeks, you will become a great ukulele player! My goal is to give you the confidence to play with others. You might be surprised just how much fun it can be to learn to play the ukulele using this method.
This book presents 25 lyrical North American melodies scored for solo baritone ukulele in standard notation and tablature; occasional left-hand fingering suggestions are provided in these intermediate to advanced melody/chord settings. Selections include historical themes from the turbulent Civil War era, popular 19th century ballads, and modern pieces by William Bay. Along with the songs of several other known and unknown composers, any collection of American ballads would be incomplete without the timeless melodies penned by Stephen Foster; you will find Beautiful Dreamer, I Dream of Jeannie with the Light Brown Hair, Darling Nellie Gray, and Stephen Foster's timeless Civil War classic Hard Times, Come Again No More in this collection. As the baritone uke is tuned the same as the top four strings of the guitar, guitarists can enjoy playing these satisfying arrangements on a second instrument!
In this collection of 23 melodies from the British Isles, award-winning composer and multi-instrumentalist Ondrej Sarek treats the soprano ukulele as the lyrical solo instrument it can truly be. Along with fingerstyle arrangements of traditional airs, love songs, songs of home and longing, and the timeless melodies of Irish harpist Turlough O’Carolan, the book includes settings of a few original tunes by Mel Bay Publications president, William Bay. All arrangements appear in gCEA tuning in standard notation and uke tablature with suggested backup chords and occasional light fingering.
Since its introduction to Hawai‘i in 1879, the ‘ukulele has been many things: a symbol of an island paradise; a tool of political protest; an instrument central to a rich musical culture; a musical joke; a highly sought-after collectible; a cheap airport souvenir; a lucrative industry; and the product of a remarkable synthesis of western and Pacific cultures. The ‘Ukulele: A History explores all of these facets, placing the instrument for the first time in a broad historical, cultural, and musical context. Drawing on a wealth of previously untapped sources, Jim Tranquada and John King tell the surprising story of how an obscure four-string folk guitar from Portugal became the national instrument of Hawai’i, of its subsequent rise and fall from international cultural phenomenon to “the Dangerfield of instruments,” and of the resurgence in popularity (and respect) it is currently enjoying among musicians from Thailand to Finland. The book shows how the technologies of successive generations (recorded music, radio, television, the Internet) have played critical roles in popularizing the ‘ukulele. Famous composers and entertainers (Queen Liliuokalani, Irving Berlin, Arthur Godfrey, Paul McCartney, SpongeBob SquarePants) and writers (Rudyard Kipling, Jack London, P. G. Wodehouse, Agatha Christie) wind their way through its history—as well as a host of outstanding Hawaiian musicians (Ernest Kaai, George Kia Nahaolelua, Samuel K. Kamakaia, Henry A. Peelua Bishaw). In telling the story of the ‘ukulele, Tranquada and King also present a sweeping history of modern Hawaiian music that spans more than two centuries, beginning with the introduction of western melody and harmony by missionaries to the Hawaiian music renaissance of the 1970s and 1980s.
These days the ukulele is experiencing a revolution-both as a valid instrument that can sweetly transform pop music and rock and roll, and as the focus of dozens of clubs springing up across the world. Ukulele! brings the "uke" world to light, exposing its colorful history, quirky characters, and irresistible charm. Dozens of colorful photos and ephemera make Ukulele! as fun to look at as it is to read. Celebrate the history of the ukulele and the unique culture that surrounds it in Ukulele by Daniel Dixon with Dixie Dixon and Jayne McKay. Ukulele explores the spiritual quality that brings people together by discussing the colorful characters that have been drawn to the instrument over the years. Daniel Dixon traces its origins in Hawaii and illustrates how it traveled to the mainland U.S. and became such a popular instrument. Ukulele also showcases the best of the early players such as Cliff Edwards as well as the most popular contemporary uke players like Israel Kamakawiwo'ole and Jake Shimabukuro.
Affordable, versatile, portable, and popular once again, the ukulele is an ideal instrument for lifelong music making that can also be an engaging component of school music programs. At the elementary or secondary level, students can use the ukulele to explore everything from music theory, improvisation, composition, and ear training, to repertoire that includes contemporary popular music. At a lesser expense than any other instrument which can do as much, the ukulele is perfect for breathing fresh air into any music program. Uke Can Do It provides everything music educators need to develop a ukulele program in their school, including: * A guide for first-time ukulele buyers * Beginner instruction in how to play the ukulele * Playlists of ukulele music by top performers * Strategies for proposing and outfitting a ukulele program * Classroom management tips * Support for use with special learners * Learning sequences in ukulele technique * Ideas for classroom use and performance * Scales and chord charts with fingering
