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Curt Sheller • All Things `Ukulele and Jazz Guitar
The Basics and Beyond!!! Take your playing to the next level.
The Internet's largest collection of information for ukulele and jazz guitar.
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Getting Started with Ukulele
Ane of the largest collection of information for ukulele on the Internet.
Getting Started with Ukulele?
First thing is to get a ukulele. Get a few, they come in four sizes and all different shapes, wood, finishes, acoustic, electric, solid body, archtop. There is even a banjo and bass ukulele. Plus they are fun, any size
You can take you ukulele playing to any level. From a few simple basic chords to complicated solo ukulele arrangements like I have available right here.
For selecting a ukulele take a look at over 100 ukulele manufactures and builders I've collected. And, a page of dealers to get you started.
Here are a few more ukulele lessons to get you stated. Lessons on the common ukulele tunings of ukulele, various ukulele sizes, basic chords, strums and more...
With over 100 lessons for ukulele there's sure to be a lesson or two to fits what your looking for.
Lesson Info
The ukulele (pronounced oo-koo-lele) comes in four sizes: Soprano (sometimes called Standard), Concert, Tenor and Baritone. The Baritone is tuned just like the four thin strings of a standard tuned guitar and called "G" tuning (D G B E). The Soprano, Concert and Tenor is typically tuning in a "C" Tuning (G C E A) or "D" tuning (A D F# B). The Tenor can also be tuned like the Baritone ukulele.
Lessons Link
click on below link for complete lesson.
- Go to full lesson: Selecting a Ukulele
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Lesson Info
Any tuning is possible on a ukulele as long as the construction supports it and a string is available.
Here are the most common tunings for the Ukulele shown in concert pitch.
Lessons Link
click on below link for complete lesson.
- Go to full lesson: Common Ukulele Tunings
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Lesson Info
TAB or Tablature is a form of musical notation, which tells players where to place their fingers on a particular instrument rather than which pitches to play.
Generally speaking, tablature is commonly used by informally trained musicians in folk, popular and rock music.
Lessons Link
click on below link for complete lesson.
- Go to full lesson: Reading Ukulele TAB - Alternate Notation
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Lesson Info
Rather than do a complete lessons on standard music notation. Why reinvent the wheel. There are lot of great resources online and books in music stores that already exsist. Here is my take on several of the offerings.
However, here is a link to a greate pdf download from:.
Lessons Link
click on below link for complete lesson.
- Go to full lesson: Standard Music Notation
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Lesson Info
There is a load of information in traditional Key Signatures. Unlocking the principles in this circle leads to a better understanding of music and how think work.
A key signature is a series of sharp or flat symbols placed on the staff, designating the notes that are to be consistently played higher or lower than the equivalent natural notes. Key signatures are generally written immediately after the clef at the beginning of a line of musical notation. Each major and minor key has an associated key signature that sharpens or flattens the notes which are used in its scale.
Lessons Link
click on below link for complete lesson.
- Go to full lesson: Key Signatures
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Lesson Info
The art and sceince of chord fingering. Learning your basic open position chords in common keys.
Lessons Link
click on below link for complete lesson.
- Go to full lesson: Basic Ukulele Chords
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Natural, Sharp and Flat Notes of the Ukulele Fingerboard - C Tuning
Lesson Code: UL23
Published: 2005-09-23
Updated: 2005-09-23
Lesson Info
Standard music notation, the natural, sharp and flat notes of the ukulele fingerboard for C tuned ukuleles. Covers both high C and low G tuning variations.
Lessons Link
click on below link for complete lesson.
- Go to full lesson: Natural, Sharp and Flat Notes of the Ukulele Fingerboard - C Tuning
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Which Way Is Up? - Up, Down, Ascending, Descending, etc...
Lesson Code: UL32
Published: 2005-01-02
Updated: 2011-07-05
Lesson Info
What is up, down, higher, lower, top, bottom, ascending, descending on a ukulele? Up, down, higher, lower, top, bottom, ascending, descending should refer to musical pitch and not to direction as we know it. Up and higher refers to the raising of musical pitch. Down and lower refer to the lowering of musical pitch. Top refers to the upper note of a chord voicing or musical phrase and bottom refers to the lowest note.
Lessons Link
click on below link for complete lesson.
- Go to full lesson: Which Way Is Up? - Up, Down, Ascending, Descending, etc...
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Learning the Ukulele Fingerboard (Finally!!!)
Lesson Code: UL07
Published: 2005-01-02
Updated: 2011-03-13
Lesson Info
Finally learn the notes of you favorite ukulele tuning.
Most players struggle with learning the names of the notes of the ukulele fingerboard. There doesn't seem to a pattern and notes repeat. There is an easy way and...
...it's easier that you think!
Learning, really learning the notes of the neck is one of those break through moments in a musician's or player's learning that returns more bang for the buck. Well worth the little effort it actually takes.
Lessons Link
click on below link for complete lesson.
- Go to full lesson: Learning the Ukulele Fingerboard (Finally!!!)
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Lesson Info
A Chord can have alternate names based on how it is being used. A chord's function is an important determining factor in naming a chord. So unless you know the harmonic function you might not be able to accurately name it.
Lessons Link
click on below link for complete lesson.
- Go to full lesson: Naming Chords on Ukulele
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Lesson Info
Not all seventh chords are actually "dominant" seventh chords.
This lesson covers when is a Dominant Seventh Chord NOT really a Dominant seventh?
Lessons Link
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- Go to full lesson: Dominant Seventh Chords?
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Fingerstyle Basics for Ukulele - Single String Exploration
Lesson Code: UL112
Published: 2005-01-02
Updated: 2011-10-17
Lesson Info
Exploring fingerstyle on ukulele. This lesson covers the common terms used for identifing the fingers used. And, presents a series of single string exercises for exploring and developing the techniques needed for this style.
Lessons Link
click on below link for complete lesson.
- Go to full lesson: Fingerstyle Basics for Ukulele - Single String Exploration
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Lesson Info
The Major Scale or Ionian scale is a diatonic scale, made up of seven distinct notes, plus an eighth which duplicates the first one octave higher. In solfege these notes correspond to the syllables "Do, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol, La, Ti/Si, (Do)", the "Do" in the parenthesis at the end being the octave of the root.
The simplest major scale to write or play on the piano is C major, the only major scale that does not require sharps or flats. The C major scale uses only the white keys on the piano keyboard.
Lessons Link
click on below link for complete lesson.
- Go to full lesson: The Major Scale
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Lesson Info
TAB, short for tablature is a form of musical notation using numbers and letters on a staff that that corresponds to the number of strings of fretted string instrument. Theses number tell a player which fret to place their fingers on rather than which pitches to play.
TAB has a history with lute music from centuries ago and has found wide use in the music publishing industry catering to the guitarist who can't or doesn't want to learn to read. TAB doesn't exist in mainstream music, primarily by some music magazines and on the internet.
Learning to read TAB can be accomplished in minutes. Learning to read standard music notation takes a little longer.
Lessons Link
click on below link for complete lesson.
- Go to full lesson: The Trouble with TAB
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Hard Copy Book: $14.95
PDF Download: $4.95
A Guide to Advanced Ukulele Chords - Volume I
Volume I of The Advanced Guide to Chord Progressions for Ukulele features the principles of voice leading applied to chord progressions. These principles are explained using chords from volume I of The Advanced Guide to Ukulele Chords. Chapters with common major and minor full diatonic, partial diatonic and chromatic chord progressions are also included to further explore voice leading.
Before individual chords become the background of songs, they must be put into orders called chord progressions. This book organizes progressions according to string family, position, voice leading and chord magnetism. The Advanced Guitar to Chord Progressions for Ukulele is an excellent preparation for the art of melody and chord on ukulele.
If your goal is to expand your chord vocabulary, The Advanced Guide to Guitar Chords Series is your answer.
Commonly referred to as "jazz" chords. The Advanced Guide to Guitar Chords Series provides detailed information on voicing 4-part chords.
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Thanks for visiting and checking the site!
Content is always being added and updated. So check-in often. Thanks, Curt
P.S. You may think from the look of it that Curt Sheller Publications is a slick, profitable business, but it's actually not (maybe a car payment a month, cheap car). I spend a lot and time money creating the content, lessons and books for this site (a labor of love), so if you dig my content and want to see more of it. I could use your help by spreading the word and maybe buying a book or two if you haven't already, to help defray the cost of running the site. Thanks in advance for your help. This is a labor of love and I'd do it even if I didn't make a lot of money, hey I don't!
You can also make a donation to the lesson-site fund. Button in the sidebar of the site.
If I'm not teaching, I'm working on this site and new lessons, books and goodies.
GETTING_STARTED.PHP | Updated: Monday, 26th March, 2012 @ 08:31am