Learning Ukulele with Curt

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Live Events!!!

LearningUkulele.com / Learning Ukulele with Curt and Funky Frets Music Store, in addition to their annual Funky Frets Uke Fest are presenting a series of concerts, workshops, and events throughout the year — Both virtual and in-person.

October 3-4-5-6, 2024 • Boyertown, PA USA

Keep and eye and bookmark on this page for announcements

2024 Workshop Schedule

Theses workshops are virtual via ZOOM .

For LearningUkulele.com Premium Gold and Forever Members , these workshop are offered at a 50% discount or more.

We'll send you a link a ZOOM link and password to get access to the workshop after purchase.

October • TBA

Learning a Few Famous Holiday Songs • TBA

Learn Jingle Bells and Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree.

More Info

Everybody

Learning the ukulele Fingerboard

2022 Workshop Schedule

Workshops are resuming next year!

Theses workshops are virtual via ZOOM .

For LearningUkulele.com Premium Gold and Forever Members , these workshop are offered at a 50% discount or more.

We'll send you a link a ZOOM link and password to get access to the workshop after purchase.

Remember to Sign-in to LearningUkulele.com

If you're current paid LearningUkulele.com Premium Gold or Forever Member , be sure to be sign-in to get your reduced price (50% off).

January • 13

Learning the Ukulele Fingerboard • Thursday, January 13, 2022 @ 8PM EST (2000 -5UTC)

This is a FREE workshop to kick off the year 2022 of LearningUkulele.com & Funky Frets LIVE.

Memorizing The Notes of the Ukulele Fingerboard Is Not As Hard As One Would Think.

Learning the Ukulele Fingerboard — It is astonishing that on any other instrument it would be silly and not accepted to not know the names of the notes and where they are on your own instrument. But - on the ukulele, guitar and most fretted instruments their players do not know the names intuitively - they can figure them out but that takes way too long. Granted it's not as easy as the piano where higher and lower notes move in one direction only, are color coded and even at different heights. Anyone after the first or second lesson can instantly name any key on the piano.

Finally, really knowing the Ukulele Finger is a liberating movement in ones musical development and opens the ukulele up for.

More Info

Thanks to everyone who attended this first live workshop of 2022. The video is now available for viewing.

Visit the Learning the Ukulele Fingerboard workshop page for more info and the video.

Everybody

Learning the ukulele Fingerboard

January • 20 & 27

Bass for Ukulele Players • Thursday, January 20 & 27 @ 8PM EST (2000 -5UTC)

Bass, the bottom, the low end. In music this is one essential musician, always in demand and in short supply. All musicians should be able to play a bit of bass.

This workshop get you started with being a bass player and the minimum requirement musically to start and fulfill the bass player role. It's a lot easier than you think and get you to should like a bass player and not a ukulele play playing the bass.

More Info

Any Level

Bass for Ukulele Players

January 20 & 27, 2022 @ 8PM EST (2000 -5UTC)

Gold Members: $19
Bronze Members: $39

February • 1, 8, 15, 22

Triads — You Already Know More Than You Think • Tuesday, February 1, 8, 15, 22 @ 8PM EST (2000 -5UTC)

At the heart of just about every chord is a triad. This workshop explores these powerful harmonic and melodic music gems.

We'll explore the traditional major, minor, diminished, and augmented triads and contemporary triads, starting with the triads you already know but don't know you already know. Finally learning the contemporary triads, just what a sus2, sus4, add2, add9 chord is. And, how to use them.

Triads can be used for everything from creating melodies and improvisation with single notes and chords all the way to creating contemporary songs.

More Info

Any Level

Triads

February 1, 8, 15, 22, 2022 @ 8PM EST (2000 -5UTC)

Gold Members: $39
Bronze Members: $79

February • 10, 17, 24

Alternating Thumb Style for Ukulele • Thursday, February 10, 17, 24 @ 8PM EST (2000 -5UTC)

Exploring Basic Fingerstyle on Ukulele. Classical and Alternating Thumb style fingerstyle technique applied to ukulele.

Fingerpicking for Ukulele - Alternating Thumb Style focuses on the alternating thumb fingerpicking style through a series of graduated lessons-chapters incorporating your index and middle fingers with the alternating thumb.

This workshop will walk you through and explore the Alternating Thumb Style on Ukulele.

More Info

Any Level

Alternating Thumb Style for Ukulele book cover

February 10, 17, 24, 2022 @ 8PM EST (2000 -5UTC)

Gold Members: $29
Bronze Members: $59

March • 3, 10, 17, 2022

Rhythm, Avoid at Your Own Peril • Thursday, March 3, 10, 17 @ 8PM EST (2000 -5UTC)

The often neglected and taken for granted subject of Rhythm. Music is Melody, Harmony, and Rhythm. We are drawn, initially to music by melody at a very early age, with the instrument of our voice. With ukulele you typically learn chords - the harmony and never really dive into learning rhythm. Unless you're a drummer we take rhythm for granted.

Finally dive into actually understanding and learning rhythm.

We'll learn Rhythm just as we learn to talk — phonetically. This is an Evolutionary Approach to learning rhythm.

More Info

Everybody

Modula Phonetic Rhythm Workbook book cover

March 3, 10, 17, 2022 @ 8PM EST (2000 -5UTC)

Gold Members: $29
Bronze Members: $59

March • 8, 15, 22

Essential Strums for Ukulele - A Guide to Ukulele Strums • Tuesday, March 8, 15, 22 @ 8PM EST (2000 -5UTC)

Don't know what to play or tired of playing the same old down-up-down-up strums?

One of the first skills a ukulele player learns is the art and craft of strumming, playing rhythm. This refers to an accompaniment technique suitable for the singer - songwriter or someone who plays a support role for another instrument.

Strumming requires a specific set of skills. They are: 1) Memorization of chords. 2). The ability to switch chords smoothly and 3) The ability to choose and execute a suitable rhythmic strum. It is this 3rd skill that is our focus in A Guide to Ukulele Strums.

Though strumming looks natural to the casual observer, it is anything but natural to the beginning ukulele player. Even experienced players have difficulty in identifying and executing certain strums. Though this is one of those topics that is typically taken for granted, there is much to learn about rhythmic feels, accents, dynamics, strum direction, feel, percussive accents, idiomatic styles and tempo variation.

Learn These Essential Strums and a lot more:

  • Quarter Note Strum
  • Sustain Strum
  • Rock Strum
  • Light Rock Strum 1
  • 12/8 Strum
  • Shuffle Strum
  • Power Shuffle Strum
  • Double Time Strum
  • Gallop Strum
  • Flowing 3/4 Strum
  • Ska Strum
  • Bass Note Strum Patterns
  • 3/4 Strum
  • Reggae Strum
  • Broken Patterns

More Info

Everybody

A GUide to Ukulele Strums book cover

March 1, 8, 15, 2022 @ 8PM EST (2000 -5UTC)

Gold Members: $29
Bronze Members: $59

April • 7, 14, 21, 28, 2022

Exploring Jazz Chords on Ukulele • Thursday, April 7, 14, 21, 28 @ 8PM EST (2000 -5UTC)

Exploring contemporary 4-part, a.k.a. Jazz chord on ukulele all start with the Big Six, Core Chords. You most likely know the open position chords they're based on.

From the Six core chords that are the Big Six and the principles of chord construction along with learning the notes of the ukulele fingerboard, you WILL be able to create ANY chord you come across just from the name.

These jazz chords are simply 4-part contemporary chords that find their way in a lot of music - not just jazz.

The Big Six Core Chords are: Seventh, Minor Seventh, Major Seventh, Diminished Seventh, Half-Diminished Seventh, Augmented Seventh

From these six chords you'll never be at a loss looking for that individual chord you need.

More Info

Advanced Beginner

Exploring Jazz Chords on Ukulele book cover

April 1, 14, 21, 28, 2022 @ 8PM EST (2000 -5UTC)

Gold Members: $39
Bronze Members: $79

Available Workshops

Here area few more workshops that we have planned in 2022.

Exploring Songs

From simple to complex, it's all about the song — Learning Songs

  • NEWI'm a Believer — Learn the Intro, Organ Fills, and Instrumental Break (Wipe Out).
  • Saint James Infirmary — Learn the Accompaniment, Melody, Improv, and Melody and Chord to this classic blues.
  • Red River Valley — Learn how we can create a simple melody and chord arrangement to the classic folk song.
  • I'll Remember April — With this song we'll really challenge yourself with a very sophisticated melody and chord arrangement. This is one of the songs I recorded on my 2026/17 How About More Uke? jazz ukulele. trio CD.
  • Giant Steps — The John Coltrane classic. With this melody and chord arrangement we explore a bit of Quartal chords in the arrangement.

How-to Workshops

  • Music Basics — Create a solid foundation for future development on your Ukulele journey.
  • Chord Melody — Introduction to Crafting Solo Ukulele Melody and Chord Arrangements
  • Intro, Endings, and Turnarounds — Turning a song into an arrangement to add to your repertoire.
  • Playing by Ear — The Ultimate goal, Playing by Ear. Learn the Common Chord Progressions and How to Remembering Songs
  • Building Left Hand Technique — If you hands can;t pull it off, what's the point of knowing so much.
  • Building Right Hand Technique — If you hands can't pull it off, what's the point of knowing so much.
  • The Principles of Music — A bit of music knowledge goes a long, long way.
  • Essential Strums for Ukulele — A Guide to Ukulele Strums
  • Introduction to Scales and Soloing on Ukulele — Take It! You won;t have to blow if off anymore after this workshop.
  • Exploring the Blues for Ukulele — The heart of all American music.
  • Reading Music on the Ukulele - Primer — You know you always wanted to be able to do this. This workshop will give a solid foundation for increasing your ability read music.
  • Ukulele for Guitar Players — Learn just what musician and guitar knowledge you can transfer to the ukulele. Another one of the topics where Yo Already Know More Than Your Think.

Ho`olohe Hou Radio

Ho`olohe Hou Radio — 24 hour-a-day Internet radio station featuring the 100-year history of Hawaiian music and the entertainment industry in Hawai`i.

At the heart of the station is innovation. Bill Wynne didn’t invent radio, and he surely didn’t invent Hawaiian music. But he saw Ho`olohe Hou Radio as an opportunity to put the two together in a manner that has never been attempted before. He calls it Hawaiian Music Edutainment. Instead of spending so much airtime on commercials, a few minutes each hour on Ho`olohe Hou Radio will be dedicated to educational programming which will help the listener understand the historic and cultural importance of the songs and artists they hear on this unique station.

Site Access Plans for LearningUkulele.com

Forever Access - With Forever Premium Access, you get ALL the benefits of a Premium Access Subscription such as Unlimited 24/7 access to ALL lessons, downloads, songs, play-along jam tracks, videos, email access to Curt, resources, related assets, and ALL books by Curt as FREE downloads. Pretty much everything on the site, and NEVER worry about a subscription or surprise payment again. And jump the queue for responding to any questions.

If you're anything like me (Curt) and getting Subscription overloaded with everything and everybody on-line wanting money from you once a month — I'm with you. For like-minded individuals, this forever plan is a pay once, and you're done.

The price for Unlimited Forever access is right around the cost of a few months of private lessons. I can guarantee there is more than enough material on-line to keep you busy for a long, long time. And, you get all of my books for FREE. That alone is more than the cost of this plan.

Premium Access - This premium gives you Unlimited 24/7 access to ALL lessons, downloads, songs, play-along jam tracks, videos, email access to Curt, resources and related assets. As well as ALL books by Curt Sheller as FREE downloads.

Basic Access - A limited selection of basic lessons — ( currently over 140 ) and 100+ songs for ukulele as well as basic general music reference material — Completely FREE — Simply Register/Signup. HOWEVER - I've been doing ukulele and LearningUkulele.com since 2003 and probably have given too much away already - as reflected in my income from the site in relationship to the time spent on the site. So help support this site and its continued development by signing up for one of the below Premium Access Plans or buy a few of my books. - Thanks, Curt

NOTE: Each higher access level includes ALL the benefits of the lower levels. Private Lessons include all the benefits of a Premium Access Plans as long as you remain a student on the schedule.

Just browsing over both books, they look fantastic! I'm a guitarist and uke player for over 25 years and was thinking about writing a ukulele book but you've already written what I think are the best, most comprehensive and thorough books I've ever seen for the instrument. I just might end up buying every book you've written and I'll be giving my highest recommendation for your books to my friends and students. Thank you so much for taking the time to write such great books!Peter Rhee

Aloha, Curt, All I can say is WOW! What you have accomplished is simply incredible! All the bestGlen Hirabayashi, The Aloha Boys

Folks, if you haven't stopped by Curt's site, do so right now! ..And get his books, they are fantastic. This guy knows his stuff and is able to pass it along too.Alan Johnson Proprietor, The 4th Peg

I can highly recommend Curt's Uke books — I have four of them and they are excellent.fatveg — Portland

Want to drop LearningUkulele.com & Learning Ukulele with Curt a nice comment . We always like to know how we are and you are doing. We'll post any comment, quotes throughout the site and you can help spread the word .

Thanks for visiting and checking out the site!

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Original Curtie Animation from 1987 for my first web site on a Macintosh II, 37 years ago. Man, does time fly.

“Built for myself (Curt), and sharing with the `Ukulele community!”

LearningUkulele.com has one of the largest collections of lessons, songs, and TABS, Luthiers, ukulele builders, ukulele festival and club information, and, ukulele links on the web. Curt has been on the ®Internet since the early 1990's and This site just never stops growing!!!

Content is added and updated daily — so check back often. I really do need to get out more ;-)

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