Learn How to Play Ukulele in 14 Easy Steps

Ukulele, the most melodic sounding and innocently beautiful looking piece of instrument.

When you see a guitar lying around in a cafe or a bar, you have the urge to pick it up and strum it. But when you see or hear someone playing Ukulele, the next thought that comes to your mind is, “I should definitely buy it.” 

The Ukulele is a Hawaiian instrument, and the name simply means (Uku = insect, lele = jump). In recent years, the Ukulele has seen a sudden rise in the ranks of musical instruments, making people pick up this instrument at any age and start learning it. 

However, out of many individuals who pick up the Ukulele for the first time, only a handful of them move past its basics. As a result, with this blog, we aim to provide you with some useful insights in the form of steps that will show you how easy it is to learn and play Ukulele. 

We know that for some of you, this might be the first time you are actually putting effort into learning a new instrument, so we will do our best to keep you away from complicated musical theories and techniques for now.

Importance of learning Ukulele

The Ukulele is known as the easiest string instrument that you can master. Also, it is pretty affordable, so you don’t have to worry about it being damaged or requiring a repair. In addition to this, the techniques and knowledge you gain from playing the ukulele can come in handy when you are playing any other string instrument, such as the guitar. 

That’s why when children are young, their parents often compel them to first learn the Ukulele and then move on to the guitar, which is a bigger and more expensive musical instrument.

What Ukulele to Choose: Acoustic Ukulele vs Electric Ukulele?

If you are a beginner, it would be best to stick with an acoustic Ukulele, as they don’t require additional tools like connecting wires and amplifiers. This acoustic Ukulele is the most common form of Ukulele that you can find on the internet and even in musical stores.

Acoustic Electric Ukulele

The electric ukulele is more like an acoustic ukulele with added musical gears such as an equalizer, electronic pickup, digital tuner, volume, and tone dial. Even without an amplifier, you can hear the sound produced by the electric Ukulele.

Electric Solid Body Ukulele

Apart from acoustic-electric Ukuleles, there’s a second type of electric Ukulele called a silent Ukulele. These ukuleles are made of solid bodies and have nylon strings. But unlike the other two that we have mentioned, this one is pretty quiet until it’s not plugged into an amplifier. 

If you want to perform live in front of an audience with a band, then go with the electric Ukulele. Otherwise, sticking with the acoustic Ukulele is affordable and low-maintenance. 

You can also read about Acoustic vs. Electric Guitar at Torrins.

(Source:- Kala Brand Music Co. ™ )

Understanding The Basics of Ukulele

Now that you know which Ukulele to buy, let’s move to the basics. Here, we have divided the basics into 13 steps. Make sure you stick with us until the end to understand the importance of each step.

Step 1: Holding the Ukulele Correctly

Here’s what you need to do in order to hold the Ukulele correctly: 

• Step – 1: Keep it close to your chest; the neck of the Ukulele needs to be running parallel to the floor. Use your right arm to cradle the weight of the instrument. 
• Step – 2: hold the neck of the Ukulele in your left hand and bend your right arm from the elbow. This will allow your right-hand fingers to rest comfortably on ukulele strings. 

Step 2: Mastering Basic Chords

The 4 basic chords that you need to master are C, A Minor (Am), F, and G. You can find out how to play each of these chords from 10 essential ukulele chords. By mastering these 4 chords, you can play more than 1000 songs. Some of the famous songs that you can play with these 4 chords are:

1. Yellow Submarine by The Beatles 
2. Don’t Stop Believin by Journey
3. With Or Without You by U2
4. No Woman No Cry by Bob Marley
5. Africa by Toto
6. It’s My Life by Bon Jovi
7. Take Me Home, Country Roads by John Denver 
8. Two Become One by Spice Girls 
9. When I Come Around by Green Day 
10. If I Were A Boy by Beyonce 

Step 3: Learning Essential Ukulele Techniques

After you have learned the basic chords, scales, and music theory of the Ukulele, you should learn some essential techniques to improve your sound and enrich your repertoire. 

Here are a few techniques that are a must to become a master of the Ukulele:

i. Hammer-Ons 

This technique helps you move from one note to the other without re-plucking a string. Here, you will be playing the string only one time, and then by hammering on it, you can play multiple notes. Here’s an example of how to do it: 

• Step – 1: Put your index finger (1) on the 1st fret at the 1st string and pluck it. 
• Step – 2: When you pluck the string, immediately press down on the 2nd fret of the same 1st string . 

This way, you will be able to play two notes while plucking the string only once. 

ii. Pull-offs

Pull-offs are the complete opposite of hammer-on; here’s how you can practice it:

• Step 1: Put your fingers on the 3rd fret and 5th fret of the 1st string (A). 
• Step – 2: Now pluck the 1st string and remove your finger from the 5th fret. 

This way, you will be playing two notes again by plucking the string only once. 

Step 4: Tips for building hand strength and flexibility for Ukulele

Even though the Ukulele is said to be easier to master, you still will have to face sore fingers because they are not used to create the chord shapes that you are trying. With certain strength and flexibility exercises like hand-pull, reverse hand-pull, thumb pull, playing chromatic lines, playing major and minor scales separately that you have learned, cycle through chord shapes and play arpeggios where you pluck each note of a chord present in a sequence.

Step 5: Understanding Ukulele Tabs and Notation

You don’t require any previous musical knowledge to understand ukulele tabs, let us show you how you can read them.

A |———————–|
E |———————–|
C |———————–|
G |———————–|

This simple grid line is the ukulele tab. A, E, C, and G are the chords of the Ukulele. G string is at the bottom, and A string is present on the top side of your Ukulele. 

A |–3 ——————-|
E |———————–|
C |———————–|
G |———————–|

The above tab shows that you need to pick the 3rd fret at A string one time. Similarly: 

A |———————–|
E |———————–|
C |———-10———–|
G |———————–|

Here, you will be picking the 10th fret at C string one time. 

A |—————5——-|
E |—3——————-|
C |———————–|
G |———————–|

The above image shows that you will first pick the 3rd fret at the E string and then the 5th fret at the A string. Both of the pickings will be done only once. 

A |———————–|
E |—3–3–3———–|
C |———————–|
G |———————–|
Now you have to pick the E string at the 3rd fret 3 times. That’s all you need to know in order to read ukulele tabs. Check the link ukulele chord charts to know more about ukulele notations.

Step 6: Practicing Ukulele Scales and Melodies

There are half scales and full scales in the Ukulele; the half scales or half step is played by placing your index finger (1) on the 2nd fret at the A string and plucking it. Then, move the index finger (1) up the neck to the 3rd fret and pluck the same string once again. While doing this, you have moved half a step or half a scale from B to C note.

To play full scale, you first place the index finger (1) on the 2nd fret and once again place it on the A string and pluck it. Now, instead of moving one fret away, you move two frets up. As a result, your index finger (1) will now be at the 4th fret of the A string. Pick the string one more time, and now you have moved to a whole step or full scale from B to Db note.

Step 7: Learn Ukulele Progressions

Four-chord progressions are the best when it comes to playing a combination of chords over and over. The majority of the hit songs use triads and four-chord progressions, so here’s a list of common chord progressions for a ukulele that you can start practicing as a beginner. The progressions are in the key of C major.

• C Major, A minor, F major, G Major
• A minor, F Major, C Major, G Major
• C Major, G Major, A minor, F Major
• A minor, G Major, E minor, F major

Step 8: Learn the Rhythm and Timing of the Ukulele

No matter which instrument you play, the easiest way to keep up with a song’s rhythm and timing is to tap your foot with the bass line. When tapping your foot, there are two positions: first, when it is on the ground, and second, when it is up. 

If you tap your foot 4 times, that means you have 4 downbeats and 4 upbeats. Now, to count these beats.

1 & 2 & 3 & 4

• The numbers represent downbeat/ when your foot is down; when this happens, you have to down-strum 4 strings of the Ukulele. 
• The “&” symbol between the numbers represents the beat/ when your foot is not touching the ground. In this part, you have to up-strum 4 strings of the Ukulele. 

When combined, these 4 up and 4 down beats become 8 beats per measure.

Step 9: Playing Along with Songs

You can play songs of different genres on the Ukulele; even songs from heavy rock and metal genres are easy to play on the Ukulele. Because the Ukulele only has 4 strings present, even the most complex chord formations will get pared down, making it easier for beginners to play them. That’s why it is recommended that once you are able to play a few chords on the Ukulele, you should start practicing songs on it by playing Ukulele alongside the song. 

Step 10: Setting Goals and Continuing Your Journey

See, when playing a musical instrument, it is pretty common to reach a plateau where you are only playing certain songs, and there’s nothing more you can do with the instrument. By creating a goal for yourself, you are ensuring that the plateau stage doesn’t hit you. 

Start with a simple goal like “I want to have clear hammer-ons and pull-offs” or “I want to learn 5 songs by the end of 6 months.” By giving yourself a goal, you will create a roadmap of what needs to be done and how you should be practicing. 

If you’re inspired to start your musical journey, consider taking Guitar Lessons, Piano Lessons, or Bass Lessons. For those looking to enhance their skills with specific pieces, Guitar Song Lessons, Piano Song Lessons, and Bass Song Lessons are excellent resources to explore and master your favorite songs. Start today and experience the transformative power of music!