Learning how to play ukulele

Whether you’re picking up your ukulele for the very first time or are ready to step up your game with new songs and improved techniques, online ukulele lessons can help you get to the next level. It’s interesting:

The better you play, the more you’re going to enjoy playing, and the more fun you’ll have when you get together with other musicians. Ready for the next step?

Check out these top sources for online ukulele lessons. You’ll be strumming better before you know it.

Ukulele Buddy

Ukulele Buddy offers online lessons for beginners, and promises that by playing for a minimum of seven minutes, three time weekly, you’ll quickly learn new songs. You learn by strumming along with step by step videos and progress to new songs.

Ukulelebuddy.com also helps you learn the skills needed to play with other musicians after you’ve picked up the basics. The method is 100% video based, with lessons from JP Allen, who has been teaching and performing professionally for more than 20 years.

He has taught at University of Texas, and has toured the world alongside Grammy nominated player Abra Moore. Private lessons can be arranged as well, allowing you to learn from one of the masters without ever leaving home.

Pros

• Mostly short lessons that are easy to digest
• Well-organized curriculum
• Ideal for raw beginners
• Very inexpensive & you never lose access to the content

Cons

• Limited number of lessons compared to some competing sites
• You’ll have to find a new site / instructor once you’ve reached intermediate phase

Uke Like the Pros

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Whether you just picked up your first ukulele or want to improve your playing technique, Uke Like the Pros is one of the best resources for learning more about how to play the ukulele. They provide handy tips on what you should look out for when selecting online ukulele courses.

Ukulele By The Pros is run by one of the world’s leading instructors, Terry Carter. He has collaborated with the world’s best musicians including Josh Groban, Weezer, and The Los Angeles Philharmonic; and has written and composed songs on CBS, Animal Planet, and MTV’s “Wildboyz,” and “The Real World.”

Pros

• Excellent instructor – provides outstanding content and communicates with students weekly
• Beginner’s Bootcamp designed just for brand new ukulele players
• Affordable lessons; plans are very well-organized & lessons are thorough
• Hundreds of lessons; new content added frequently
• Outstanding community, students have the opportunity to learn from one another’s questions

Cons

• Live Q&A sessions might be at an inconvenient time for some people although they can be viewed afterward

ArtistWorks

Whether you want to learn basic or advanced Ukulele lessons, or get into a country music state of mind, you’ll find plenty of great lessons, tabs, and more at ArtistWorks. Top instructors share their knowledge, helping you learn the fundamentals as you make your way from beginner lessons to intermediate songs.

The ArtistWorks menu isn’t quite as large as you’ll find at some other sites, and there is no free trial membership. All the same, it’s a fantastic source for students who are ready to get serious.

You’ll find here is of excellent quality, plus you can record videos, which your teacher reviews before providing you with direct feedback and helpful tips on improving your style.

In all, the site offers more than 2,000 lessons, over 100 songs, and a great interactive community.

Pros

• World-class instructors
• Students have access to the instructors via video exchange
• Students receive instructor feedback on each video performance
• Good online community with plenty of interaction between students

Cons

• Can be pricey
• May be difficult to decide how to get started

Ukulele Tricks

A site that offers ukulele lessons “for beginners and beyond,” Ukulele Tricks features online video lesson courses with step-by-step lessons. Strumming and fingerpicking tips are among the site’s offerings, as are physical and digital practice books by Brett McQueen, who founded Ukuleletricks.com.

If you’re a complete beginner, you’ll appreciate the free “First Ukulele Lesson and Then Some” course, which covers tuning, basic chords, and some easy songs to help you get started. There are several other free resources on the site, making it well worth a visit.

Pros

• Free starter lessons for brand-new ukulele players
• Lots of free resources
• Lesson packs are fairly affordable

Cons

• Free content is helpful but it only goes so far
• There is a nice discussion area but there’s no real one on one time with an instructor

Learning Ukulele

At Learning Ukulele with Curt Sheller, you will find loads of resources including a new ukulele chord for every day of the year, right on the home page. Additionally, you can take advantage of 234 free lessons, plus hundreds of others with an inexpensive paid membership.

This site is owned and operated by Curt Sheller, a well-known ukulele player, author, publisher, and educator. Learningukulele.com offers a wealth of information to help you become a better player and take your ukulele skills to the next level, including play-along jam tracks, videos, book downloads, songs, and more. You can also sign up for one-on-one private lesson plans.

• Basic lessons are free
• Loads of free & paid resources; new content is added frequently
• Excellent instructor; Private lessons are available

Pros

• Basic lessons are free
• Loads of free & paid resources; new content is added frequently
• Excellent instructor; Private lessons are available

Cons

• Site is a little tough to navigate until you learn your way around

Cons

• Less information than some other sites, but everything is free – we really can’t complain

Uke School

Like many other sites offering online ukulele instruction, Uke School offers free lessons for brand new players, plus a library of audio and visual media for players of every level.

Basics like how to strum, how to tune, and how to hold a ukulele are covered here, plus Ukeschool.com features an entire section for those who are learning how to play the left-handed ukulele.

Pros

• Decent library of free content including free lessons
• Resources specifically for left-handed ukulele players

Cons

• Less information than some other sites, but everything is free – we really can’t complain

Rock Class 101

With more than 150 lessons, email support, and interactive tab players to help you learn songs you recognize, Rock Class 101 features an online community with forums you can log into whenever you need help, support, or just want to chat with other ukulele players.

Free ukulele lessons help beginners get started at Rockclass101.com, just like at other sites offering online ukulele instruction. Technique, theory, play-along songs, and complete tabs for every song make this site a standout.

Pros

• Free lessons to help you get started
• Free trial for trying paid content before opting into paid membership
• Cool song-based lessons with tabs & informative concept lessons

Cons

• Smaller site than some others

Ukulele Underground University

Ukulele webcam sessions, music theory, chords courses, and jam tracks are just the beginning. Ukuleleunderground.com also offers live streamed events, master class sessions, and entire series of video ukulele courses for beginners as well as for intermediate and advanced players.

An entire menu of workshops and extras is available here too, from a number of well-known ukulele teachers. Some resources are free while others are available for a fee.

• Unique online learning environment with quite a bit of interaction
• Tons of jam tracks
• Robust song library

Cons

• More expensive than the average competitor
• Subscription plan is a little confusing, i.e. the 30-day access plan doesn’t include access to everything; you have to get the monthly subscription for full access and a free 2-week trial. (There is a money back guarantee if things don’t work out)

The Ukulele Way

Offering a step-by-step method that focuses on the art of solo ukulele, The Ukulele Way teaches its members how to play melodies, harmonies, and rhythms simultaneously, starting with the basics and working up to advanced solo arrangements.

A built-in social media platform gives you access to other students as well as to teachers, and in the event you’re not quite ready for a paid membership, there are free resources available at the ukuleleway.com

Pros

• Unique step-by-step process that builds solid knowledge including “Booster Uke” lessons for absolute beginners
• Free membership level lets you try before you buy
• Different genre-based learning paths
• Great value

Cons

• Fewer lessons than you’ll find on some other sites

Rocket Ukulele

Rocket Ukulele promises that their students can learn to play the ukulele in 30 days or less with step-by-step lessons that you can log into from anywhere.

The site also offers a program geared toward getting players to improve their skills, and then mastering the ukulele. Tutorials featuring famous songs are part of the Rocketukulele.com package, along with tools, software, and resources including flashcards, quizzes, and games.

Pros

• Quick learning path for those in a hurry
• Fun for anyone who ever wanted to learn how to play ukulele by ear
• Unique online tools and fun games

Cons

• You won’t learn solid theory this way

Ukulele Mele on Maui

If you want to take traditional Hawaiian ukulele lessons but have nowhere to do so locally, then Ukulele Mele on Maui is definitely worth a look. Mele has been playing the ukulele and teaching ukulele lessons for decades, and she provides a solid foundation before working on proficiency.

The site offers a variety of online ukulele lessons, and if you’re ever in Maui, then you can actually meet up with Mele or take a workshop in person.

Ukulelemeleonmaui.com takes a far different approach than most other online ukulele lesson sites, and that’s something that many people find appealing! Private webcam lessons are also available.

Pros

• Traditional Hawaiian ukulele lessons for those who want them
• Expert instruction; availability of in-person ukulele lessons in Maui (We can dream, can’t we?)
• Choose between single lessons or a subscription
• Sample lessons help you decide what you’d like to learn

Cons

• Smaller site; fewer resources than some competitors

Center Stage Ukulele Academy

At Center Stage Ukulele Academy, free beginner lessons are just the beginning. There are different subscriptions and packages available for purchase, all designed to offer a one-on-one feel similar to what you’d experience if you took private ukulele lessons.

Like the other sites featured here, Csukuleleacademy.com offers customer support and a variety of resources that help you learn ukulele and have fun doing it.

Pros

• Nice resources for beginners; a few good things for free
• Free trial; inexpensive signup for 4 different subscription plans
• Knowledgeable instructors; new material added monthly
• Solid learning path

Cons

• Smaller selection of lessons than you’ll find on larger sites
• Fewer features than many other competitors offer

What to Look for When Purchasing Online Ukulele Lessons

Before you commit to making a purchase, be sure that you know what you’re in for. Take a look around the site, check out the free resources, and make sure that you like the way the instructor approaches lessons. Additionally, look to see whether the type of music being offered is the same kind that you want to play!

There are many, many musical genres that make use of the ukulele, so check to see which one(s) are offered.
Cost is a consideration too, but keep in mind that most sites offering online ukulele lessons do so at a fraction of a cost of what you’d pay for a local instructor’s time.

If you spring for online webcam lessons, expect to pay handsomely for them, but also expect to learn new things.
Finally, look out for any sites that make crazy promises or tell you that you can learn to play well without ever practicing.

Small practice sessions add up over time and help your muscles develop so that you can play comfortably and sound good, so be sure that you’re ready to invest a little time (ideally every day) to learning how to play the ukulele.

Besides all the free online ukulele lessons and other resources offered by the sites here, there are additional sites worth looking at, where people have taken the time to post how-to videos and even quick lessons.

YouTube and Vimeo are both good resources; spend just a little time looking and you’ll find some helpful videos that will help you get started, help you tune your ukulele, and help you learn how to build your skills.

The more time you spend learning, the faster you’ll be able to play songs, and the more you’ll enjoy spending time with your ukulele!