Self-Assessment can be one of the hardest things to do when it comes to your music development. How can you know what you don't know? If you're not sure of your current level, here are several tips and points to keep in mind for figuring where you are at in your musical development.
11 September 2025
voiceon the ukulele and grow as a musician — who plays the ukulele. Take advantage of the hundreds of ukulele players I've helped over the years.
This is especially true if you have experience playing other instruments, or have focused on one aspect of your playing.
beginnersthink they are
intermediateplayers, and most
intermediateplayers think they are
advanced. Advanced players typically know what they need to work on, and think there are more intermediate than advanced. My take is, every player is ALL three. Everyone should be a beginner — as you're always
beginningthe next phase in your artistic development. I know personally what are of my playing I need work on.
- Beginner: C Am F G7 . Maybe C7, Dm, Em, etc... The essential major, minor, and seventh chords using the Open Position Chords . These are the chords utilizing the first three or four frets of the ukulele and include at least one open string.
- Intermediate: The Open Position Chords chords transposed up the fingerboard, with any open strings replaced with a finger(s) or a barre. There are the A/Bb, C/Db, D/Eb, F/Gb, G/Ab Movable Form Chords . Your diminished, diminished seventh, and augmented chords.
- Advanced: The Big Six - Level I Chords — These are 7, m7, maj7, m7b5, dim7, aug. These are 4-part contemporary chords, commonly called "jazz" chords. You derive these chords from the open position A7, E7, G7, C7 chords.
- Master: Levels II, III, IV, and beyond
Jazz
chords , and you can create any chord you'll need based on a solid foundation of chords and how chords are built and used.
- Beginner: This is typically an intermediate chord player starting to learn the Blues and Pentatonic scales. Two of the Six Essential Scales for a contemporary ukulele players.
- Intermediate: The Major, Natural Minor, Mixolydian, and Dorian scale. The rest of the Six Essential Scales . You're starting to explore arpeggios and intervals.
- Advanced: The Seven Modes , Altered Mixolydian scales, Whole Tone and Diminished scale, Exploring Improvisation Using Tetrachords . Basically, what every else you need to know for your style of music. Your essential scale, arpeggios, intervals, and sequences.
A Beginner ukulele player is just starting out with ukulele and pretty much knows nothing about the ukulele or music — a clean slate. This is a great place to start, no bad habits, a blank musical canvas and only forward progress is possible. You're just beginning your musical journey with this wonderful instrument.
A Beginner might know a chord or two. Probably needs some work switching between chords and playing in time. A beginner might only know the names of the open strings, as you need those so you can tune your ukulele — but not much more.
A little beyond the beginning stages is when you can switch between simple chords, if you are familiar with the song. A beginner needs to have the chords written to play the song or have someone teach you the song. A beginner only knows the basic chords in open position.
A beginner's strumming patterns typically consists of one or two patterns learned by ear or on-line with the verbal instruction to the hand's stroke direction, i.e., down down up type of instructions. A beginner doesn't know any scale patterns or have the ability to improvise or play single note lines or melodies.
Most beginner ukulele players will mainly be strumming and playing songs in group jams, Meetups, etc… So, it's these skills that need developing.
I've created a series of weekly (or longer) lessons that you can go at your own pace. These are great for getting you started towards the goal of play in several common keys and some basic strums with a bit more information and technical skills thrown in to the mix.
An Intermediate player can hold a steady rhythm. Knows the basic open position chords E Em E7, A Am A7, D Dm D7, C C7, G, G7, F and B7. Can figure out the primary I, IV and V of the common keys C, G, D, A and E. Can play major, minor, and seventh movable form chords up and down the fingerboard. Can figure out the name of a note on the fingerboard.
An intermediate player can hear when chords change in a song or progression. Usually learns new songs from friends or tablature (TAB). If making their arrangements, they are usually fairly simple. An intermediate player knows there's life above the fifth fret, but not what to do with it.
An intermediate player can sing and strum at the same time easily; learns chords to simple tunes fairly quickly.
jazzchords. These are based on the open position A7, E7, G7, C7.
An Advanced player should know the fingerboard across the strings and along the strings. Be able to instantaneously identify any note on the fingerboard — this needs to be second nature.
An advanced player should be able to read music and know where the notes are on the fingerboard. They might not be able to sightread on demand — but read to figure out and learn new material.
An advanced player can play any chord that is required. They have an understanding of open position chords, movable form chords and 4-part, aka “Jazz” chords.
An advanced player can hear I, IV, and V chords, has mastered chord inversions, knows there is life above the fifth fret. Plays lead and backup easily with others and keeps steady rhythm.
An advanced player knows the difference between a scale and a mode.
An advanced player knows the names of the notes in the chords they are playing.
Jazzchords. Then, basically, you can create any chord you'll need based on your solid foundation of chords and how chords are constructed and used.
This question always comes up in this type of discussion about music.
Here is Chuck Anderson's take on the question.
An objective assessment of the two alternative approaches leads me (Chuck Anderson) invariably towards the formal route. Why? Because without guidance, there is a tendency to go in circles, What do you practice, when do you move to the next topic? When are you doing something wrong? How do you practice what doesn't exist to you?
— Chuck Anderson.
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