Public Lessons

E Liliʻu E for Liliʻuokalani In this video we’ll look at a traditional Hawaiian folk song, the melody “Liliʻu E” written for Queen Liliʻuokalani. Queen Liliʻuokalani was the last monarch to sit on the throne of Hawaiʻi and so this song of praise is an important cultural artifact. Liliʻu E is sometimes called “the Queenʻs … Read more

How to Strum Smoothly on Ukulele In this video we’ll look at how to strum smoothly on ukulele. The key is all in your forearm rotation. Often when people are first learning to strum, they strum entirely from the elbow. This kind of motion is going to tire your hand out quickly as well as … Read more

Make Melodies Sing on Ukulele Make your melodies sing on ukulele with this quick technique tip. When we play fingerstyle on ukulele we often want the melody to sing out above the accompaniment. We need some notes to be more prominent than others. Melody Technique Exercise: Weight in the Right Hand Here’s a simple technique … Read more

The Secret to Good Sound on Ukulele Learn the secret to good sound on ukulele in this technique tip from Jeff Peterson. We’ll look at how the right hand makes contact with the string along with other elements that will give you a great sound! Let’s get started. Nails First, it’s important to make sure … Read more

Fix Flyaway Fingers on Ukulele In this article we’ll teach you how to fix flyaway fingers on ukulele. Many of us allow our left-hand fingers that are not in use or after lifting to stick straight up and fly away from the fingerboard. This creates inefficient motion in the hand, thus wasting energy, and makes … Read more

Lifting Fingers without Noise on Ukulele This video from Jeff Peterson is all about lifting fingers without noise on ukulele. Playing the ukulele can sometimes involve extra noise we don’t want to hear on the instrument. Some of these can be distracting, and others can actually get in the way of the notes we’re trying … Read more