# U Uke? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 27, 2012, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-uke/636022 "2012-09-27T15:01:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Atomic\_Mama](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b5ac83/32.png) [@Atomic\_Mama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atomic_Mama)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-uke/636022/1 "2012-09-27T15:01:57Z")
Hey, are there any Dopers who play ukulele? I’m just starting to learn (on a uke made of plywood, from a kit) & am already thinking about upgrading my (tenor) axe. Any recommendations? We have a pretty good music store down the road, but I always like to hear from y’all! 🆒 Thanks 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-uke/636022/2 "2012-09-27T20:17:26Z")
I do! I’m not great at it, but I can strum almost all of the less complicated chords (though B-anything gives me fits). I’ve found that although I have large hands, I don’t have long fingers. This makes things difficult for me, but the uke is a super forgiving instrument in that respect. My first uke Web site was Dr. Uke: > **[Doctor Uke's Waiting Room](https://www.doctoruke.com/)** > > Play along with hundreds of audio recordings and chord diagrams. Doctor Uke provides ukulele instruction and theory for players of all levels and ages. Doc Uke’s site is great because the chords are charted out very clearly on each song and most of them include an mp3 file of him singing and playing the song (great for learning). Then I graduated to [chordie.com](http://chordie.com), which has an absolutely massive database of music. Definitely get an account, because you can save your own songbook. The site will transpose songs from one key to another for you, and will show you uke chords for any song in the database. ---
**Author:** ![picker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/picker/32/13969_2.png) [@picker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picker)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-uke/636022/3 "2012-09-27T21:06:40Z")
Yeah, I teach traditional and jazz uke among other instruments. I’m partial to Cordoba, for factory made ukes. I have a tenor by them that I really like, great tone and electronics. ---
**Author:** ![Atomic\_Mama](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b5ac83/32.png) [@Atomic\_Mama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atomic_Mama)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-uke/636022/4 "2012-09-27T23:43:33Z")
Yowdy! Many thanks for the info. I hope more ukerz will post. We’ll all see. ---
**Author:** ![typoink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@typoink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/typoink)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2012, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-uke/636022/5 "2012-09-28T16:55:55Z")
> [@picker](#): > > Yeah, I teach traditional and jazz uke among other instruments. > > I’m partial to Cordoba, for factory made ukes. I have a tenor by them that I really like, great tone and electronics. Do you know any decent beginners’ resources for jazz uke? There’s plenty out there for general folky / bluesy / traditional playing, but I’ve had a hard time finding any basic jazz instruction. ---
**Author:** ![picker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/picker/32/13969_2.png) [@picker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picker)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2012, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-uke/636022/6 "2012-09-28T17:51:40Z")
For websites, check out: [Jazzy Ukulele](http://www.jazzyukulele.com/) [Curt Sheller’s site](http://curtsheller.com/ukulele/jazz/index.php) The single best book for learning the uke fingerboard and the basics of chord theory etc in that context is this: [Understanding Ukulele Chords](http://www.amazon.com/Mel-Bay-Understanding-Ukulele-Chords/dp/0786672153/ref=pd_sim_b_34) I strongly recommend you begin with a twofold approach: learning the uke fingerboard and improving technique, while simultaneously educating yourself on voice leading, harmonic theory and chord motion. First thing to do is learn each maj and min triad in each inversion. Follow that with dominant chords. Be able to play all those both chromatically and around the circle of fifths (moving fourthsward, i.e. C F Bb Eb Ab Db/C#Gb/F# B E A D G) Then begin working on ii-V7 and start learning some standards. Don’t worry about melody yet, just get the changes down. Start with easy tunes like Autumn Leaves, Days of Wine & Roses, Stella By Starlight, Satin Doll, A Train, St Thomas. Pick up a copy of [The Jazz Theory Book](http://www.amazon.com/Jazz-Theory-Book-Mark-Levine/dp/1883217040) if you want to really go down the rabbit hole. It’s fantastic, but will take you a while to get through. To put it mildly. ---
**Author:** ![amijane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f0a364/32.png) [@amijane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amijane)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2012, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-uke/636022/7 "2012-09-28T20:18:32Z")
I can manage _Love Me Tender_, _Ring of Fire_, and half of _Sweet Child O Mine_. I asked for and received a cheap, cheerful kid’s uke from my husband for our 19th wedding anniversary two months ago. It’s my first stringed instrument since a few months of violin when I was five, so it’s going to take awhile to not be completely terrible, but I’m slowly starting to change chords without looking down each time to check my fingering. My four year old daughter keeps yelling at me to quit it every time I practice. Everyone’s a critic! ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2012, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-uke/636022/8 "2012-09-28T21:31:01Z")
Thanks for that post, **picker.** I’ve gotten most of the basic chords down in their standard arrangement, but I’ve been putting off getting into inversions and learning actual chord progressions. I’ll definitely check out your sites. ---
**Author:** ![typoink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@typoink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/typoink)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2012, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-uke/636022/9 "2012-09-30T02:24:28Z")
Thanks, **picker**. Looks like some great resources. I’ve been “learning” uke by just digging up chord charts and strumming songs, but I’ve been acutely aware that I’m not developing much theory. ---
**Author:** ![Molotok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecd19e/32.png) [@Molotok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Molotok)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2012, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-uke/636022/10 "2012-09-30T02:36:31Z")
I play. The trickiest thing I play is Baby Elephant Walk. I have soprano, tenor and a guitalele. Cool instrument/s. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![picker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/picker/32/13969_2.png) [@picker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picker)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2012, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-uke/636022/11 "2012-09-30T02:39:13Z")
Uke makes the basics of voice leading and chord motion very simple. Inversions…rather than thinking of them in the traditional sense, learn the three basic shapes, then identify which has the root, the third and fifth on top. you can do that from the A string on a low g uke, or from the A or G on a traditional high g tuning. ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2012, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-uke/636022/12 "2012-09-30T04:50:13Z")
See if you can find the movie [Mighty Uke](http://mightyukemovie.com/) (here’s a [trailer](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyiwoG4Is_I)). I saw it in the theater and it was informative and fun. The filmmakers were there answering questions after the film. The theater had urged people to bring their ukes to the screening and everyone who did went up onstage after the movie to jam. I’d never even seen a real uke before and I was grinning like a loon. Tons of fun. [Here’s an Amazon list](http://www.amazon.com/Flicks-Ukes-Movies-Ukuleles/lm/R1S4U7SWCSWJN6) of other movies featuring Ukes. ---
**Author:** ![Atomic\_Mama](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b5ac83/32.png) [@Atomic\_Mama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atomic_Mama)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2012, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-uke/636022/13 "2012-10-02T18:13:14Z")
Thanks to all for posting the awesome resources here. I hope to get one tiny bit as good as y’all. (I WISH) :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2012, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-uke/636022/14 "2012-10-02T20:15:41Z")
Anyone seen [Ukelele Ike](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/member.php)?