Free 10 Day Ukulele Starter Course
Welcome to my 10 Day Ukulele Starter Course - A free guide to getting started learning chords and songs on Ukulele for total beginners!
This is a 100% free fast track beginner program where we learn easy chords and songs!
In this course I’ll be showing you all the basics of the UKE, how you can get playing real songs straight away. I'll be covering only the chords, strumming patterns and music theory you need to get you the fastest results and get you playing songs you love asap.
The skills needed to be able to play ukulele and guitar are super transferable, so as a beginner, while you’re learning one, you’re also improving on the other! Of course, the size is different, but it is very similar skill set with regards to finger placement, strumming and learning songs. The Ukulele is also very kid friendly as they are smaller than guitar, easier of the fingertips and generally easier to play - so lets get started!
Ukulele Types
There are four types of Ukulele; Soprano, Concert, Tenor and Baritone, each is a different size in that order from smallest to biggest. Most people have a Concert Ukulele. They all have the same tuning notes, except for Baritone. Larger Ukuleles have more frets and produce a deeper sound, and the baritone has a different tuning because of this bigger size.
- Soprano 21 inch
- Concert 23 inch
- Tenor 26 inch
- Baritone 30 inch
Please note; Andy's 10 day course is appropriate for all these different sizes EXCEPT for baritone, which has a different tuning and therefore has different finger placements for the chords and notes.
Which Ukulele Should You Get?
The Ukulele I'm using in my videos is an Aklot Concert Ukuele. It plays well, sounds fine and costs around £40 - £50 on Amazon, so is within the budget or most people who want to learn to play.
It comes with a bag, tuner, ukulele picks, strap and a booklet with all the common chords and a few songs to get started. Only upgrade if you think your Ukulele is bad, won't stay in tune and is hard to play, or of course if you don't have one yet. As a first Ukulele, or as an upgrade from one that is bad, this Aklot Ukulele is a great choice.
You can purchase the Ukulele I use in my videos from the links below, which are affiliate links and also help to support this website!
Andy's Aklot Ukulele on Amazon.co.uk
Andy's Aklot Ukulele on Amazon.com
Ukulele Tuning
Tuner notes for this course are G C E A (Soprano, Concert, Tenor)
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There are no other accessories you need to play an Ukulele, except for a tuner (regular guitar clip on tuners are fine) or a free ukulele tuning app.
Similarity to guitar?
These notes are the same as the thinnest four strings on a guitar when a capo is at the 5th fret, apart from the thickest one is an octave up. This can help the more confident guitarists spot the chord shapes they know, but also be confusing for beginners. So if that is confusing don’t worry about it and follow this course normally.
Simply know that while you learn to play Ukulele you are also improving your guitar skills at the same time!
Holding your Ukulele – do you need a strap?
You can rest the uke on your lap, or hold with your forearm and wrist, which means you shouldn’t need a strap. This will feel unnatural at first, but is fine within even a few minutes, especially if you're used to strumming a guitar. If you think you would benefit from a strap, most new Ukuleles come with a strap, such as the one I recommend on Amazon.
Next Up: How to tune an UKULELE for total beginners
Well done! Let's jump into the next lesson of the course.