It dawned on me recently that even though I’ve bought pretty much all of, I’ve never actually written a review or talked about them before. So here goes, I’ve picked my favourite of the bunch out – What You Get For Your Money For $17 you get 134 page ebook and a bunch of supporting audio and video files to play along with and learn from. Basically every example in the book has a supporting video and audio file for you. The videos serve as a guide to help you with the concepts and the audio files double this up but there are also some backing tracks for you to play over which are great if you’re looking to work on your scales for example, or maybe to help improve your improvising.
Who Is It For? The book starts out at around beginner level dealing with shuffle strumming and getting straight into a standard 12 bar blues pattern in the key of C. If you know a few chords, can strum a bit then you should be good to go with this book. It doesn’t quite start at zero but it’s pretty close. In total there are 23 main sections which start with blues patterns and strumming before moving onto riffs, techniques, scales and improvising. It’s well thought out and has a natural flow.
Playing Challenges At the end of each chapter/section you get a round up of what has been covered and some playing challenges too. I really like the playing challenges which push you beyond just playing through the progressions in the book. These challenges can be anything from transposing a progression to coming up with and playing your own bend licks. I think one of the main things that I really like about this book is that it’s really comprehensive.
There’s a lot to work on here and it’s not something you’re likely to blast through in a couple of weeks. I myself keep coming back to it and still wouldn’t say that I’ve got to grips with everything here. Design/Presentation The book is well designed and nicely presented and with it being delivered in PDF format you can obviously zoom in and out should you want things a little bit clearer. That’s maybe one criticism I might level at the layout/presentation, I think the text size could maybe do with increasing throughout.
Maybe that’s just me though as I do tend to read on my phone quite a bit (and most people think that is just plain weird). Everything here is (excluding the cover) is set on a white background which is a smart move. Not enough ebooks do this and are difficult to print as a result. That’s not the case here.
If you want to print it out (and I’d recommend you do) it’s not going to consume all your printer ink. Final Thoughts This is a great ebook that I’d definitely recommend even if you have a passing interest in playing the blues on your ukulele. I wouldn’t particularly consider myself a big blues fan but I got (and still get) a lot from the book.
It’s so packed with information and ideas that I think pretty much everyone will find something useful here. A definite buy recommendation from me!.If you do choose to buy How To Play Blues ukulele, the links in this article are affiliate links which help to keep Ukulele Go making new content.
Why do so few sound good? And why do so many people give up when trying to learn the uke? A study in 1993 by Anders Ericsson lifts the lid The study revealed that if you want to get good at learning something then: So what is the secret to getting great as quickly as possible? Simple: Deliberate Practice. My video lessons do this by focusing on the things that will help you the most (in a way that turns weaknesses into strengths simply and systematically). All you've got to do is play along with three 7-minute videos per week, and your progress will skyrocket. Only three 7-minute videos per week?
You will get better faster, because my videos use the PROVEN principles of Deliberate Practice. Deliberate Practice is celebrated in Geoff Colvin's first book, Talent Is Overrated, which earned global acclaim as a NY TIMES & WALL STREET JOURNAL BESTSELLER. The Journal of Research in Music Education concurs, 'It's not how much you practice; it's how!' I am an old girl and I am amazed at how quickly I have picked up the Ukulele if I had realized how much fun it was I would have started to play as a teenager. I can now jam with the kids! I have my 11 year old grand son asking how come you can play and teach me something's, ha ha ha!
The ukulele class I attend here are amazed at how fast I have picked it up so on Thursday night I took my laptop computer along to our class because our teacher was not there and I showed them I took them through the first 12 lessons, they were amazed at how easy it is. Boredom (from mind-numbing practice), combined with bad habits, are a recipe for disaster. My video lessons will work for you. Because I don’t ask you to pause the video and practice alone, like the other ukulele video lessons do. Let’s face it. Practicing alone can be boring.
And when you practice alone it’s too easy to develop bad habits, because there’s no one there to guide you. With my 100% play-along videos, you’ll have fun and you’ll develop good habits, because we’ll play together and practice together every step of the way. If you're willing to kick back and strum along with my quick and simple videos, you'll be 'hand-delivered' to a level your friends go 'Wow!
In a matter weeks. The second common problem with learning the uke is that people just don't have enough hours in the day. Are you up for playing along with three 7-minute videos per week? If you can, my Ukulele Buddy video lessons will be perfect for you. Kirby's return to dream land. If not, you might as well just save your money.
It took me over 25 years to distill this 100% video-based method down to its maximum potency. Three 7-minute videos per week is the sweet spot.
And YES The more you play along with my videos, the faster you’ll improve! Rippin' the Roof Off the House - With Just One Chord!. How to Play Your Favorite Songs by Ear & with Ultra-Simplified Uke Tabs.
How to Wow Your Friends in a Casual Setting. The Must-Know Chords. Locking It Down With a Solid Sense of Rhythm. The Most Popular and Easiest Strumming Patterns.
Strumming Along with Other Musicians. Funky Reggae Grooves. Awesome Brudda Iz Strumming Pattern. Twelve Bar Blues. How to Write Songs with Your Uke. How To Tune.
Right-Hand Muting. Ukulele Picking. Groovin' Surf Song. Playing for Your Own Enjoyment and a whole bunch more!
I ripped through your uke lessons quickly, as they were easy, but technical enough that I was improving immediately. My kids were shocked at my progress, as was I. The fact that I can practice with you every day really makes a huge difference.
I can't thank you enough. Your teaching style is so refreshing and unique.
I have tried other lessons with no success. I appreciate the time and energy that you have put into this course. You are an awesome teacher with a great product. You change people's lives! Playing music that I love really gives me something to look forward to on a daily basis.
Thanks again, and I will spread the word! JP and Mitch's lessons are very encouraging to experiment and jam along with. Delivery of the lessons are excellent for a beginner, even with years of classical training on piano and other instruments, it was still good to revise the theory too.
They REALLY know their stuff, they clearly love it and want to share it.and they are honest and open, and very sweet guys:) i read the bonus song books and as i did so i became more inspired by the fact that i have been playing my own thing (from what i have learned from the lessons).and how in line i was to the new learning from the books, very uplifting - how magical is that!? Here's a photo of me in action in a restaurant in Chiang Mai, Thailand - (so cannot believe i went public, lol) playing happy birthday!! I started out on your Ukulele Buddy lessons a couple of weeks ago & am thoroughly enjoying the experience. I’m so hooked on this wonderful fun instrument. I particularly like the way you teach strumming techniques as I really haven’t a beat in my body,other than a heart beat!!! What with your expert teaching & fun practicing with the local Uke club I really am convinced that after 65 years I finally have found a musical instrument I can have fun learning to play (tried piano,violin & guitar over the years but never got past scales / initial fumbling). If you were to take private lessons with Mitch or me, it would cost you over $2,000 to receive all the ukulele lessons you'll get in this complete bundle.
(If you're interested in one-on-one lessons from me, please email - lessons given are over the phone or Skype, and cost is $125 an hour.) I understand that many people can't afford to have Mitch or me instruct them privately, so our videos are the most cost-effective way for you to receive our complete system directly. With our videos you will get over 10 hours of play along instruction and that's not counting the bonuses! What's more.you'll be able to go over the lessons as many times as you wish, all from the comfort of your sofa. But that's not all.You'll also get a FULL one year, money-back guarantee. DVD INFO: Free worldwide shipping is included. We ship our lesson dvd's worldwide everyday.
Just choose your country in our shopping cart. Our dvd's are 'region-free' meaning they will play on all dvd's players worldwide. SHIPPING INFO: You should receive an email with tracking info within 2 business days after placing your DVD order. Orders: DVDs will normally arrive to you within 5 business days. Orders: DVD orders will normally take no more than 2 weeks to arrive (sometimes the new U.S.
Customs security measures delay shipping on international orders up to 30 days). Thanks for your patience.
We are going to have so much fun together! In the meantime, while you wait for your DVD's you can access your uke lessons online and all your bonuses here. Go to the login page and follow the instructions: Buying lessons as a gift?
Yes, great idea:-) TO BUY OUR DVDs AS A GIFT Just enter your loved one/friend's shipping address, and we'll send the DVDs directly to them, anywhere in the world! After you order, we'll send you an email containing a link to access all the special bonuses. You'll want to forward that email to the recipient right away, or if you prefer, wait until the special day. TO BUY OUR ONLINE/INSTANT ACCESS LESSONS as a GIFT: One idea would be to order the lessons with your own email address. Then just forward the recipient the link (which you will receive via email) to access the videos. Optional: You can enter your recipient's email address on the order, and they will get the access link (and receipt) via email immediately.
Yes, you can download any of the lessons and save them to your computer, iPhone, iPad, tablet, or other device, to view when you are not connected to the Internet. After you order, please go to this page: The full download size is approximately 3.5 GB, but again, you can download only the specific lessons you'd like.
You can of course still log in to watch all of the videos online anytime, or download them again, if needed. NOTES iPHONE/iPAD USERS: Once you download the videos, you'll need to sync the video files you want to watch onto your device using the iTunes software. ANDROID USERS: Depending upon your operating system, you should be able to save the videos to a folder of your choice and play them in Gallery or with the built-in video player. If the built-in player can't play them, you'll need an app that can. Google Play has a lot of those.
My personal favorite is MX Player. Other good ones are VPlayer and Mobo Player.
And there are numerous others. These will play just about any video format. The formats it can't play are rare. Region Free DVD's? We recommend these ukes. Even the economical choice is quite nice: Our course is compatible with the following ukulele types: soprano concert (aka alto) tenor baritone.BARITONE: You can definitely use a Baritone uke with our lesson program; you'll just need to put a capo on the 5th fret. This converts the tuning to GCEA, which allows you to follow along with the lessons.
![]()
This capo at the link below seems like the best option, weighing quality and price. It's for banjo but will work for uke: Jim Dunlop 85 Bb Dunlop Banjo Capo Blk ANOTHER SPECIALTY OPTION - the 'banjo uke' or 'banjolele': Yes, the course is suitable for the banjo uke. You may need to use a plectrum or “pic,” as the banjo uke strings are a bit different than the ones on other ukes.
Left-handed playing? Here's my thinking: As a left-handed player, you will need to learn to adapt to a right-handed world. I think our series will be an excellent way for you to learn to quickly translate the right-handed techniques into left-handed ones, because my teaching style is so compassionate to beginners. Also, our series will be like looking in a mirror, which should be very helpful. This mirror effect will be much simpler than trying to learn from a CD or book, which can be confusing.
So I say go for it. I think you will be delighted with the results. (I'm saying that because I really want you to have a great time learning the uke!) Here's a great left-handed uke, if you decide to learn that way: If not, here are the right-handed ukes we recommend.
You've come to the right place! No musical foundation and no basic string foundation are required:-) My Ukulele Buddy lesson series was designed for nonmusicians and beginners.
I confident that we can help you become the uke player you want to be. I think you are going to love the pace and style of the videos. If fact, we guarantee you'll love it or your money back! So you really have nothing to lose. All you need to do is play along with the videos:-) And if you do order the lessons, please do keep me updated on your progress. I have a feeling you'll be amazing your friends in no time at all.
I'd be over the moon if you'd be willing to submit a testimonial for our website someday about the lessons and your proud progress. Once again, I'm confident we can get you there, and have lots of fun along the way!
Fred McDowell: Mississippi Delta Blues Singer When people think of the blues, they typically think of a man with a raspy voice singing and playing along with a guitar. While this is a common expression of the blues, it’s not unlikely that in the early to mid 20th century people would sing and play the blues on their ukulele too. In this lesson, we’re going to take a look at one of the most popular chord progressions in traditional blues music known as the 12-bar blues.
The blues are characterized by simplicity, repetition, rhythm, and pure emotion. 12-Bar Blues Video Lesson In this video lesson, I show you some examples of the 12-bar blues on ukulele. Feel free to watch this video first, but you may want to keep reading first to understand how the 12-bar blues is structured. 12-Bar Blues Form & Structure Before we learn any fingerpicking patterns, we need to understand the structure of the 12-bar blues. As you probably guessed, the 12-bar blues is made up of twelve bars or measures.
Each measure gets four beats. Once you complete these twelve bars, you repeat the entire form. There are three chords commonly used in this pattern: I7, IV7, V7. The chords above are expressed in roman numerals. The “7” next to the roman numerals represent that the chord is a dominant 7th chord. The first four measures of the 12-bar blues are played over the tonic chord I7.
This means, if we were playing in the key of A, our I7 chord would be A7, if we were playing in key of D, our I7 chord would be D7, and so on. The first four measures of the 12-bar blues is played of a I7 chord. For this lesson, we will play in the key of A, so our I7 chord is going to be (click to view the finger position for this chord). For the next four measures, we are going to switch to a IV7 chord for two bars and then switch back to a I7 for two bars. Again, our I7 chord is. Our IV7 chord in the key of A would be.
![]()
For the last four measures, we are going to switch to a V7 chord for two bars and then resolve back to a I7 for the last two measures. Our V7 chord in the key of A would be. Let’s Put It All Together If we put all this together, our basic 12-bar blues structure looks like this. As you can see, the structure is pretty simple. We can create a little bit more interest in this progression by using some variations. 12-Bar Blues Variations The first variation is in the first four bars. To break up the monotony of the I7, we can use a IV7 chord in the second measure.
![]()
The second variation is in the last four bars. For the ninth measure, we will still use the V7 chord, but in the tenth measure, we will switch back to a IV7 chord. In the eleventh measure, we will go back to a I7 chord, and then on the 3rd beat of the last measure, we will switch to the V7 chord. The V7 chord in the last measure really helps the 12-bar progression to keep on going.
This is because whenever you play a V7 (or any V chord) it wants to resolve back to the I chord. This variation is used for the majority of blues progressions.
How To Play Blues Guitar
Here’s what this looks like: Give it a try yourself and let me know how it’s going for you in the comments. Stay tuned because in the next lesson we’re going to take a look at some blues fingerpicking patterns! Harry, great question. I tend to vary how to play my D7 chord depending on the chords that are coming before and after it. I find that sometimes by barring it with my middle finger it frees up my index finger to get ready for the next chord.
Sometimes when I’m playing a chord before a D7 (like an A7) my index finger is wrapped up in playing that chord, but my middle finger is free, so I can switch to the D7 real smoothly. I like to choose the path of least resistance when it comes to play chords so sometimes I experiment with alternate finger positions. Wee bairn asleepwhat is there not to like about learnin’ some 12 bar blues over lunch hourthanks mate it’s made my day. Just got a KALA archtop Tenor f hole shiny Black and sounds peachy with blues. I also I live in Brighton so thanks also for the link about Sophie MadeleineI think I’ve fallen for her ( well actually Im married but if i was a few years younger you know).
Do you know where to find more blues chord progressions? The blues link is fiddly but its’a comin’. Anyone out therewhen people say if you are interested in learning past a beginner then go spend a bit of money on a better uke. It really makes you want to learn harder and faster.it’s got such a lovely ring to it. Thanks for the comment! П™‚ I love the sound and feeling of the blues on my ukulele. It’s fun to play and easily recognized.
I’ve been looking for some other blues songs I could teach for the future. Got some ideas brewing Your archtop tenor sounds awesome! Are you doing any different alternate tunings? I really like to go to low G tuning with my tenor sometimes. You are very right.
There is something very inspiring about investing money into a quality instrument. I think that investment ends up really motivating us to get all that we can out of our instrument. We have something at stake that’s very motivating! Having brought my first Uke I was trying the finger positions with no luck, I misunderstood them and at one stage I thought one had to be very clever to get G7 (meaning I had to cross over my fingers) I know, pretty stupid eh, anyway after seeing your video I realise I was way off ha ha. Thanks for making it look easy (I was reading the “Makes Me Happy” book).
I will endeavour to practice until I am with it. Many Many thanks and for your downloaded books, are there any fees to pay?
Please let me know if there are.
Comments are closed.
|
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |