Brahms Lullaby for Ukulele Brahms’ Lullaby is one of the most recognized melodies in the world. Parents have sung it to their babies for generations. In this post you’ll learn the story behind the piece and how to play it on ukulele. This arrangement comes from our Graded Repertoire for Ukulele: Classical, Volume 1 book. … Read more
Ode to Joy for Ukulele Beethoven’s Ode to Joy is one of the most celebrated musical themes in music history. You hear it in concert halls, in churches, and even at official ceremonies across Europe. It is also one of the best first pieces you can learn on the ukulele. In this post we’ll tell … Read more
Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring for Ukulele J.S. Bach’s Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring has become one of the most popular pieces of Western classical music. It shows up at weddings, in holiday programs, and in film scores. In this post we’ll look at its history and how it works on ukulele in Jeff Peterson’s … Read more
Renaissance Music for Ukulele: Nine Pieces to Explore Renaissance music, written between roughly 1400 and 1600, was built on modes (the major and minor keys of later centuries were still developing at this time). Its main texture was polyphony, independent melodic lines woven together through imitation. Regional traditions colored this shared language differently: England leaned … Read more
Fingerstyle Ukulele Styles: Explore Different Ways to Play Fingerstyle ukulele describes a particular technical approach to playing the ukulele. And essentially it’s about playing with the fingers in the right (or picking) hand, but it’s also more than that. Once you can play a melody with the fingers and a bass line with the thumb … Read more
How to Learn Fingerstyle Ukulele: A Complete Guide to Practicing and Progressing If you’ve worked through our Fingerstyle Technique guide, you might be asking, “Now how do I actually learn this stuff?” It’s a different question than “How do I move my hands?” Technique tells you what your fingers should be doing. Learning is everything … Read more
How to Play Fingerstyle Ukulele: A Complete Technique Guide Fingerstyle ukulele is built from a collection of small movements that work together. The way your fingers contact the strings, how your left hand places and releases each note, and how you shape the sound all contribute to the music you create. As these movements become … Read more
From Strumming to Fingerstyle Ukulele: Folk Songs That Help You Make the Shift Introduction Folk songs are a natural bridge from strumming chords to playing fingerstyle ukulele. The melodies are familiar and the chord progressions recognizable. Typically the songs follow a predictable pattern that is easy to follow. If you already know how to strum … Read more
Francisco Tárrega for Classical Ukulele From fundamentals to advanced music Spanish guitarist and composer Francisco Tárrega’s music is timeless and beautiful, and fits nicely on the ukulele. And yet, contrary to a popular opinion, his music is not well-suited for the beginner. In fact, his music serves as an entryway to advanced classical music on … Read more
Ferdinando Carulli in the Early Grades Ferdinando Carulli Ferdinando Carulli (1770–1841) was an Italian guitarist, composer, and teacher. Born in Naples, he first played cello and did not discover the guitar until he was twenty years old. He eventually settled in Paris, where he became known especially as a teacher and wrote many pedagogical works … Read more
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Six pieces to explore, with standard notation and TAB. Arranged by Jeff Peterson.
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