"The First Noel" is another classic Christmas carol set in 3/4 time. Songs in 3/4 time are also referred to as waltzes, and when we play we have to strum and count in sets of three: 1-2-3, 1-2-3. This song is so sweet and gentle that I almost consider it a Christmas lullaby.
Read MoreDeck the Halls, A Very Merry Ukulele Play Along Video
"Deck the Halls" is a Christmas song that is especially fun to sing with children— they love all the fa-la-las! Strum and sing along with me as I play this classic Christmas carol in the key of C using the C, D, F, G, and Am chords and a very basic down-up strum. Play along with me, won’t you?
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Another Free Printable: Blank Ukulele Tablature Sheets
Today I’m sharing a PDF file of blank ukulele tablature pages for ukulele. I was inspired to create this post when I was watching a YouTube tutorial that featured an intricate fingerpicking pattern.
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Why do I look so proud? 🤷🏻♀️
Your Action Plan for Learning Any New Song (with a Free Download)
Have you ever tried to play along to a ukulele tutorial on YouTube and become overwhelmed? Then this post is for you! I’ve created a printable to help you formulate a plan of action for any new song you’re trying to learn. Most songs can be tackled by going through the same five steps. Let’s walk through each one:
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My kids with Andy Z, circa 2016
My Favorite Halloween Music for Kids is by a Bay Area Legend
Andy Z is a local legend. He’s the man behind several children’s albums and the creator of my favorite kids’ Halloween album/rock opera, The Grand Scream of Things. Andy Z performs all over the Bay Area and when my kids were younger, we’d frequently go to the well-attended (and free) Mommy & Me events at Westgate Shopping Center and Santana Row. My kids are both in school now but they still sing Andy Z’s songs at home!
Are you new to Andy Z? Here are a few of our favorite songs for this time of year:
Read MoreRecap: The 2019 Los Angeles International Ukulele Festival
Last Saturday, September 28, 2019, was the day of the Los Angeles International Ukulele Festival at the Torrance Cultural Arts Center. This was my second time at the festival, and it felt even bigger and better than last year! My involvement in the festival consisted of running a booth in the Marketplace and leading two beginner’s workshops. Here are some more details on both:
Read MoreGetting Ready for the 2019 Los Angeles International Ukulele Festival!
Setting up at the 2018 festival
On Saturday, September 28, you can find me at the Los Angeles International Ukulele Festival at the Torrance Cultural Arts Center. This week I’ve been focused on getting things in order for my vendor booth at the festival. My booth will be in the Marketplace, which is completely free and open to the public. Last year my booth was across the way from a group of talented musicians who were jamming the entire day, and it made the whole area feel like a party!
Wearing the new merch: an adorable ukulele necklace and a Let’s Play t-shirt.
Visit the Marketplace
To find my booth, just look for the purple pop-up tent. :) This year I’ve expanded my offerings to include some fun new products:
Free beginner’s chord charts
Let’s Play! The Ukulele Handbook for Beginners at a special festival rate of $20 (normally $24)
My Christmas songbook — $12
NEW! Laminated chord charts — $5. Stay tuned for a whole separate blog post with a video on these and what makes them unique
NEW! Ukulele necklaces — $12, pictured at right
NEW! Let’s Play! t-shirts in women’s sizes — $24, pictured at right
I’ll also be running two beginner’s workshops, so my awesome friends (and ukulele players) Katie and Jane will be helping out at the booth. Come say hi!
Get Your Tickets
I love that this festival is truly a family-friendly event. Tickets are $45/person, $20 for students with ID, and kids 12 and under get in free. Buy your tickets today by visiting the Los Angeles International Ukulele Festival website.
Beginner's Ukulele Lessons — Now Enrolling for Fall!
Sign up for my four-lesson beginner’s course and start making music now! With only four strings, the ukulele is a very friendly instrument for adults with little to no previous musical experience, and many students report feeling a huge sense of accomplishment after the very first lesson! The four-lesson beginner’s course is $280 and includes all instructional materials.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if I don’t have an ukulele?
No problem! Check out my beautiful ukulele starter kits from Ohana!
What is your teaching style like?
I have a very friendly and approachable teaching style. Check out my YouTube channel to see more.
What’s your availability like?
I teach on weekdays, from 9 am - 3 pm.
Have a question about the ukulele course that wasn’t answered here? Check out more FAQs on my Lessons page (scroll down).
Understanding the Difference Between High-G and Low-G Tuning on the Ukulele (with Video!)
A Song to Commemorate Juneteenth - Free PDF Download with Ukulele Chord Chart and Lyrics
Update 6/15/20 to add a little historical conte†: After the Civil War, many African-Americans were imprisoned and forced to work building railroads or in mines. Take This Hammer is a prison work song men would sing as they worked on the railroad line. This song has common chord progressions and very simple lyrics but don't let that fool you— it’s a powerful song that feels incredibly relevant for our time. Strumming and singing Take This Hammer is a dynamic way to connect to the past while we go marching on, and I hope you find a little time to make music this week. Let's play in honor of all who have marched toward freedom's light.
In honor of Juneteenth (June 19th, a day that commemorates the end of slavery in the United States), I thought I’d share one of my very favorite American folk songs. Take This Hammer is a song to sing when you’re feeling fed up, down and out, or ready to break free from something that’s weighing you down. Lead Belly’s recording is probably the version that’s imitated the most but, like many folk songs, Take This Hammer has been covered by hundreds of artists, so it’s always interesting to listen to multiple versions and hear how differently artists can interpret a song.
In the audio clip above, I’m playing Take This Hammer on a tenor ukulele with a low-G string in the key of A with A, A7, D, and E7 chords, paired with a strum you can learn from a YouTube video by TenThumbs Productions. How will you play it?
Track Your Progress with My Weekly Play Log (Free PDF Download!)
Even when I’m having a good run of playing my ukulele daily, I can feel a little disorganized. I was pondering this last night, then realized I would feel so much better if I was simply tracking my playing and making notes of what I was working on. It sounds incredibly obvious to me now, but it was a big a-ha moment at the time!
I used to maintain practice logs when I took piano lessons as a kid, but haven’t used one since. And since so many uke players are learning how to play on their own, I thought creating a weekly play log might be a helpful tool for me to share here on the blog. So here it is!
I hope this Weekly Play Log helps you:
Read MoreMy Favorite One-Chord Song for the Ukulele
In this video, I share one of my very favorite folk songs, Li’l Liza Jane. It can be played as a one-chord song, and its beautiful melody and playful lyrics make it a really fun one to play and sing. One-chord songs are great for beginning ukulele players who are still getting comfortable making chord shapes, strumming, and singing at the same time, but they're also great if you're working on a new skill such as a more complex strumming pattern, fingerpicking pattern, or riff.
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Bring Your Uke On Vacation
One of the ukulele's best features is its portability. It's perfect for hotel rooms, the beach, the campground, and almost anywhere else you might be heading to this summer. Road tripping? Perfect. You'll almost certainly have room for it in the car. Traveling by air? Bring it on the plane. Your ukulele qualifies as a carry-on item.
If you're worried about keeping your uke safe on your adventure, you may wish buy a durable one (affiliate link) to keep as your designated travel uke. You'll enjoy your vacation more if you're not too concerned about keeping the elements (or your children) away from your instrument. Just don't forget to pack your tuner (affiliate link) and copy of Let’s Play! 😃
Jam in the Car
If my husband's driving, sometimes I'll even play as we head down the freeway. We also hold in-car family jam sessions where we take turns picking songs and playlists. Egg shakers and jingle bell bracelets (affiliate links) are easy to pack and a simple way to liven up a long day of driving.
Jam at Your Destination
When you're out of town and away from the usual to-dos and responsibilities, you may find yourself with a bit more free time. Won't it be nice to have your ukulele on hand? Just having that vacation mindset may positively impact your playing.
Even if You're Staying Local...
Bring your uke outside! Play on the front porch, in the backyard, or down at the park. Where will you play your uke this summer?
Habit Hacks is going on summer vacation! While I brave the insanity of MAYcember, I’m brainstorming lots of new content ideas for the blog. Let me know what you’d like to see here!
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Play Often
To quote Gretchen Rubin, who has so many wonderful tips for habit formation, “What you do every day matters more than what you do once in a while.”
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Operation Sea Turtle
Have you listened to the Satellite Sisters podcast? It’s hosted by a trio of real-life sisters who cover a variety of topics, including pop culture, current events, and travel. Their website refers to the show as “a pep talk for modern women,” and it’s a fun blend of news, conversation, and humor. While listening to a recent episode, I laughed out loud when I heard co-host Liz Dolan refer to her physical fitness mantra as being “Operation Sea Turtle,” and I immediately wanted to steal it for myself and my ukulele students! I think it’s such a good mindset for beginning musicians (or anyone learning a new skill). In my book I mention that there is no real mastery of an instrument— no matter how proficient you become at playing the ukulele, there will always be more to learn. Isn’t that liberating?
While I hope you’re finding time to play regularly, there’s no need to rush things or feel frustrated by the rate at which you’re progressing (and there’s certainly no need to compare yourself to others). Play when you can, appreciate all that you’ve learned so far, and—please, oh please—play for the joy of it. This is not a race. This is Operation Sea Turtle!
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Know Your Why
Why do you play ukulele? Is it to fulfill your creative side? Are you role modeling for your children? Is being a musician an important part of your identity? When we fall out of the habit of playing regularly, sometimes we can get motivated to begin again by reminding ourselves of why we started playing in the first place.
I first started playing the uke because it was a creative outlet I could enjoy while hanging out with my young children. Now I play for a whole host of reasons, but I’m curious— What’s your reason for playing?
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Habit Hack: Add Nuance
Once you’ve mastered the mechanics of a song, it’s time to add nuance. Think about the story behind the song, the lyrics, the emotion, and the mood you want to convey. Then ask yourself, How can I make that come through in my playing?
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Do Something Scary
There’s a lot of tedious work involved in running a small business, and it can be easy for me to let the mundane administrative and bookkeeping tasks take up all the real estate in my brain. I sometimes need to remind myself to tend to my creative side. I think musicians can fall into similar ruts, so today’s Habit Hack is your reminder to not get stuck playing the stuff you’re always playing. Sometimes we need to up the ante. What sounds totally scary to you? I dare you to do it!
Here are some ideas to inspire you to be bolder with your uke practice:
Read MoreThe Bollywood Song I Can't Get Out of My Head
Have you been to a BollyX class? BollyX is a high energy, Bollywood-inspired cardio dance workout (similar to Zumba) and, at my age, these classes are the closest I get to a night out at the club. I found the music video for my favorite BollyX song on YouTube, which has over 122 million views. “Gallan Goodiyaan,” from the movie Dil Dhadakne Do, was shot in one take (!) and features an all-star cast, including an adorable and captivating Priyanka Chopra. Please watch it:
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Habit Hack: Comparison is the Thief of Joy
I had quite the a-ha moment when I heard the saying comparison is the thief of joy for the first time. I was a new mom feeling envious of all my mom friends who seemed to have their acts together better than I did, and it became a maxim I repeated to myself often. I still sometimes need to remind myself of the perils of comparing myself to others, and occasionally I find myself sharing this piece of wisdom with my students (usually in group lesson settings!).
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