Learn to play ukulele
45 posts
Let's Get in Tune! — How to Tune a Ukulele
Tamás GállThis post is about the practical details of tuning a ukulele. Because many people asked me to explain tuning in greater detail — and because tuning really can be difficult for beginners — I decided to devote the first tutorial video to tuning. UPDATE (10 May 2019): The video above was made more than…
Read more
Music Theory Basics — for the Patient!
Tamás GállI promise this is the longest and most boring tutorial video so far. The video below is about intervals and chords. I spent a long time thinking about the best way to introduce the subject, and it was not an easy task. There is a reason why children study all of this for weeks, months and even years…
Read more
For New Ukulele Owners I - Holding and Strumming the Instrument
Tamás GállSince the blog began I have received many kind and complimentary messages (thankyouthankyouthankyou!), and at least as many questions, mainly from beginners who find the first obstacles in learning the ukulele difficult to overcome. With them in mind I made a two-part summary video that helps you ge…
Read more
For New Ukulele Owners II - Your First Chords
Tamás GállI could just as well have called this post "the first steps", because learning to fret and sound chords is when the little masterpiece we call a ukulele truly becomes a musical instrument in our hands. Learning chords is a long process. Week after week and month after month we will encounter new one…
Read more
Relative Tuning
Tamás GállIt is best to tune a ukulele with an electronic tuner or a tuning app on your phone, but sometimes neither is available and we still want to get reasonably in-tune chords from the instrument. One solution is what I call "relative tuning" - I could not think of a better term - where we compare the pi…
Read more
Latin Tunes in the Forest
Tamás GállI love Latin music. I can listen to - and watch - its magical, emotion-filled songs and dances for hours. There are countless styles within it, and I think everyone can find a branch of Latin music that appeals to them. To whet your appetite, here is a video in which the guitarist plays some "Spanis…
Read more
Strumming Techniques for Beginners
Tamás GállI have received several messages asking, "Okay, I can hold the chord, but what rhythm should I strum?" If I wanted to give the simple but not very helpful answer, I would say: strum in whatever way the particular song or musical style requires. That is actually true. The more music we listen to - es…
Read more
All Ukulele Chords (for Intermediate Players)
Tamás GállYou probably know the joke: "How many push-ups can Chuck Norris do? All of them." Now we are going to try to be Chuck Norris and put all the chords into a single chart. It may be easier for more advanced players, but I certainly do not want to discourage beginners either: anyone who understands and…
Read more
A Question of Fingernails
Tamás GállIf there can be a thorny question, perhaps there can be a nail-related one too :). And no, this is not about nail salons :D. Over the past few years I have received several emails about “fingernail policy”, so I thought the topic deserved a short post. Interestingly, questions have come from both di…
Read more
Transposing — for Beginners Too!
Tamás GállWith another music-theory post that is also highly practical, we would like to help you find your way around keys a little more confidently. You may already have heard the word “transposition” — perhaps in music class or elsewhere, maybe even as a swear word — and found it more frightening than usef…
Read more
The Metronome
Tamás GállI know, the title is not exactly exciting — no “naked woman” or six-pack gentleman anywhere — but despite that we really do need to talk about the metronome because it is extremely important. I remember that during piano lessons as a child this square-based pyramid with a little metal rod would ofte…
Read more
Chord progressions
Tamás GállBeginners and advanced players alike often ask the same question: what should I practise, and where do I go from here? More experienced players may find it easier to come up with ideas, but beginners who are still discovering the mysteries of chords can easily get stuck. I found a very useful little…
Read more