Cold winds, driving snow? What better time to head for the tropics. The ukulele is just the instrument to take you there. Not only that, if you're trying to learn how to play guitar and struggling with basic skills like changing chords and strumming with rhythm, then the uke is a great way to break through the wall.
I was having a tough time changing chords fast enough on a six string guitar and all the metronome beats in the world couldn't get me over the problem. Desperate for solutions, I decided to buy a ukulele. The uke only has four strings and they're made of nylon which is much easier to strum and to press strings down on the frets to form chords.
The uke was much easier to play. I'm never too proud to seek help wherever I can find it. Sometimes that leads to unexpected places. After searching for a basic beginners uke course on DVD, I purchased Ralph Shaw's excellent DVD/Book kit: "The Complete Ukulele Course for Kids."
Shaw does a fantastic job of explaining the elements of playing the ukulele with rhythm. He starts at the beginning, explaining how to tune the uke, the notes on each string, and basic chord shapes.
You'll recognize a lot of the songs -- "Row Row Row The Boat", "She'll Be Coming Around The Mountain" and "Clementine", among them. Familiarity actually worked in my favor because I knew by ear when I was playing the songs the way they should sound. Shaw's DVD also provided a valuable benchmark when he played the songs.
As I improved on the uke, I was able to transfer the skills to the guitar. Now, admittedly, chord shapes are different on the uke and guitar and the guitar is quite a bit more complex, but the skills I learned on uke absolutely helped me to increase my speed and accuracy on guitar.
Despite this revelation, I have to confess, I still love picking up the uke, reclining on the couch and strumming away. It's much more relaxing than playing the guitar, but I value both instruments. Go here to see me play an "original" score on uke.
I was having a tough time changing chords fast enough on a six string guitar and all the metronome beats in the world couldn't get me over the problem. Desperate for solutions, I decided to buy a ukulele. The uke only has four strings and they're made of nylon which is much easier to strum and to press strings down on the frets to form chords.
The uke was much easier to play. I'm never too proud to seek help wherever I can find it. Sometimes that leads to unexpected places. After searching for a basic beginners uke course on DVD, I purchased Ralph Shaw's excellent DVD/Book kit: "The Complete Ukulele Course for Kids."
Shaw does a fantastic job of explaining the elements of playing the ukulele with rhythm. He starts at the beginning, explaining how to tune the uke, the notes on each string, and basic chord shapes.
You'll recognize a lot of the songs -- "Row Row Row The Boat", "She'll Be Coming Around The Mountain" and "Clementine", among them. Familiarity actually worked in my favor because I knew by ear when I was playing the songs the way they should sound. Shaw's DVD also provided a valuable benchmark when he played the songs.
As I improved on the uke, I was able to transfer the skills to the guitar. Now, admittedly, chord shapes are different on the uke and guitar and the guitar is quite a bit more complex, but the skills I learned on uke absolutely helped me to increase my speed and accuracy on guitar.
Despite this revelation, I have to confess, I still love picking up the uke, reclining on the couch and strumming away. It's much more relaxing than playing the guitar, but I value both instruments. Go here to see me play an "original" score on uke.
