A Free Course from Ukulele Corner
The Fundamentals
of Fingerstyle Ukulele
A free, step-by-step foundation for anyone who wants to play the ukulele properly with their fingers, whether you have never picked one up, or you have been strumming for years and want more from the instrument. You go at your own pace, with a clear path to follow.
Free to join. No card required, and no catch.
Why I made this
In Hawaii the ukulele is everywhere, and because it is everywhere it is easy to assume there is not much to it. Four strings, a few chords, off you go.
Then you hear someone play a melody and an accompaniment at the same time, and you realize the instrument has a great deal more to give. That is the moment most players get stuck. It is almost never for lack of effort. It is because nobody ever showed them how to hold the instrument, where the hands go, or how to draw a clean sound out of a string before asking the fingers to do anything difficult.
Those things take an afternoon to learn and they change everything that comes after. So I put them first. This free course is the beginning of the path, and I would be glad to walk it with you.
What’s inside
The foundation everything else is built on
Seven short lessons, in the order they belong. We put the pieces in the right place first, so that everything you play afterward has something solid to stand on.
Parts of the ukulele
A quick tour of the instrument, so you know what everything is called and what it does before we ask anything of it.
Tuning, part one
Getting in tune quickly and reliably, so that the first sound you make is a good one.
Tuning, part two
Going further: checking yourself across the strings, tuning by ear, and what to do when a new string will not settle.
Sitting position
How to hold the ukulele so it stays where you put it without being gripped. Comfort here saves you a great deal of trouble later.
Left hand
Where the thumb sits, how the fingers arrive on the string, and how to press just enough to get a clear note.
Right hand
The fingerstyle hand. Position, angle, and the stroke that gives you a warm, even tone instead of a thin one.
Your first melody
Bring all of it together in real music and play your first melody properly, start to finish.
You do not need to read music to take this course. You can learn everything by following along with me. And for those who like to have the music in front of them, every piece comes with both standard notation and TAB, yours to download as PDFs and keep.
Who it’s for
Wherever you’re starting from
If you have never played an instrument and are wondering whether it is too late to start, it isn’t. The ukulele is a kind place to begin, and this is your obvious first step.
You can strum along to songs you love, but picking out a melody with your fingers has always felt out of reach. It isn’t. It just needs the right starting point.
You can play, but your tone is not what you want it to be and a few habits have crept in. Fundamentals gives you the structure to fix what is shaky and build from there.
Your teacher
I’m Jeff Peterson, head teacher and co-founder of Ukulele Corner.
I have spent my life in Hawaiian music, playing slack key, classical and jazz, and I have been fortunate to be recognized with a Grammy along the way. I mention that only so you know the teaching rests on real experience, not to impress you. What I care about is that you sit down with this instrument, make a sound you like, and want to come back to it tomorrow.
Jeff
Taught by a Grammy Award winning musician, from the heart of the Hawaiian music scene.
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Start the free course
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When you’re ready for more
This is just the beginning of the path
When you finish the Fundamentals and find yourself wanting to keep going, the full curriculum, the live sessions, and our community are all waiting for you inside UC Academy. There is no rush at all. Start here, and see how it feels first.
I do hope you will give it a try. Not everything is for everyone, but if you have read this far, I suspect this might be for you. Come and make a start.
Jeff