Ukulele Links and Resources
There is a lot of support online for ukulele learners. From videos to songbooks to chord charts, if you have the time to learn, you will find them helpful. Here is a list of a few of the vast resources provided by generous ukulele players and teachers from around the world. Let’s start with a mnemonic for the string order as illustrated in a cartoon by Rich Tennant of The 5th Wave. Here are some statistics on ukulele trends.
Ukulele Techniques and Stories
How to Play Ukulele by Jake Shimabukuro
(plus lessons on Triple Strum, and Three-finger Tremolo)
Somewhere Over the Rainbow (IZ)–Ukulele Tutorial
Ukulele in the Dark with Guido Heistek and the Alexander Technique
James Hill’s Ukulele in the Classroom
Ralph Shaw’s Blog: The Ukulele Entertainer
Curt Sheller’s “All Things ‘Ukulele'”
Ukulele Go!’s Great Ukulele Chord Progressions
UkeBuddy’s Chord Namer
Ukulele Technique at a Peek on Ukulele Central
How to Hold Your Ukulele (Beginner Video)
David Chen’s 24 Beginners’ Ukulele Lessons (in Mandarin Chinese) (Link to lessons’ index page)
So You Got Your First Ukulele (a beginner’s guide to ukulele by Al Wood from the Ukulele Hunt website) and some Beginner Ukulele Lessons
Cool “Must-Watch” Clips and Documentary Trailers
“Bill Sevesi’s Dream” (Documentary)
History of the Ukulele – ‘Apanhei-te Cavaquinho” (Documentary)
Heart Strings: The Story of the Kamaka ‘Ukulele (Documentary)
100 Years of the Ukulele in 6 Minutes (Documentary)
Frank Skinner on George Formby (Documentary)
Sione Aleki (The Jimi Hendrix of the Ukulele and recognized as the world’s number one ukulele entertainer), How to Play Ukulele Like a Legend
Ukulele Sessions Presents Azo Bell
“Somewhere Over the Rainbow” by Israel “IZ” Kamakawiwo’ole
The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain Performs “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly”
“Ukulele… I Love You” by Singto Numchok
Tom Saunder’s “You Are My Sunshine” Leonard Cohen Style
The Mighty Uke trailer
Four Strings and the Truth trailer
Song Books
The Long Island Ukulele Strummers Club Song Book Galore
The Incredibly Big Little Book of Scouting and Campfire Songs
Colin Tribe’s Music Arrangements (including tabs) of Popular Songs for the Ukulele
Spencer Gay’s Ukulele Chord Melody Songbook
Capotasto Music – Easy Ukulele Tabs
Huapala – Hawaiian Music and Hula Archives
He Mele Aloha – A Hawaiian Songbook (and the Taropatch’s Compilation of YouTube Links to the songs in the book). See review — “And if this isn’t enough to recommend the book, He Mele Aloha is also an entirely charitable production: profits from its sale go to Lunalilo Home”.
Mele Kalikimaka (a collection of Christmas songs by 808 Uke Jams)
Ukester Brown’s Song Sheets
The Ukulele Club of Santa Cruz Two-Volume Song Books (email Stu Herreid <stu@thestrumshop.com> for the official digital copy)
The Vancouver Ukulele Circle Song Books (email Wendy Cutler <wlcutler@gmail.com> for the official digital copy)
Ukulele Groups
Cutie Circle’s First Sister Group (July 2016)
The Cuties have found their first sister group, Silver Ukulele Strummers, and it is led by our dear friends, Chris and Val, all the way in Australia. Cuties can feel even more at home when they visit Australia with their ukuleles! We will work on ways to grow this cultural exchange and hope you will share your ideas and thoughts on how to make more ukulele friends! Please be sure to pay our sister group a visit and partake in all the ukulele festivities when you visit Australia.
Local Ukulele Groups
Delta Ukulele Circle (formerly White Rock Ukulele Circle) (North Delta Centre for the Arts, 11425 84th Avenue in Delta on the first Saturday of the month from 2:00 to 4:30. YOU MUST REGISTER FOR THIS EVENT please phone 604-952-3620 to speak to registrar or leave a message with your name and number.)
Heritage Uke Club in New Westminster
Out-of-town Ukulele Groups
Beachcombers Ukulele Group Singers (BUGS) on the Sunshine Coast
Bellingham Ukulele Group (BUG)
Bytown Ukulele Group (BUG) in Ottawa, Ontario
Queen City Ukes in Regina, Saskatchewan
Other Noteworthy Links
Aloha Monday Collective, Vancouver’s very own Hawaiian music broadcast on Co-op Radio
Instructions on how to open a music stand (pdf)
Make your own papercraft ukulele (pdf)