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Perfect for beginning ukulelists as well as players who want to enhance their knowledge, this book and video teaches everything you need to know to get started on the ukulele, including chords, strumming, picking, basic music theory, and reading tablature (TAB) and standard music notation. Guitarists wanting to expand their musical horizons will also find this to be the perfect introduction to playing the ukulele. The book features lots of fun songs in a variety of styles, including rock, blues, Hawaiian, fiddle tunes, and fingerstyle. The companion video, on DVD and online, features friendly, easy-to-understand explanations and demonstrations by GRAMMY® Award-winning ukulelist Daniel Ho. With practice tips and other important advice for the beginning ukulelist, Beginning Ukulele is the most thorough method available for beginning ukulele students.

CONTENTS:

ABOUT THE AUTHORS  
INTRODUCTION  
CHAPTER 1---Getting Started  
Lesson 1: Know Your Uke  
Lesson 2: Reading Tablature  
Mary Had a Border Collie  
Lesson 3: The Notes on the Fretboard  
CHAPTER 2---Strum, Strum, Strum  
Lesson 1: Your First Chords  
Lesson 2: Changing Chords  
Lesson 3: Play Some Real Songs  
Oh! Susanna  
When the Saints Go Marching In  
Lesson 4: Spice Up Your Strumming  
Lesson 5: More Chords More Chords  
My Dear, Dear Mama from Madeira  
Wai O Ke Aniani (Crystal Water)  
Lesson 6: Minor Chords  
It's Only a Minor Inconvenience  
Lesson 7: Waltz Time 3/4  
Amazing Grace  
Lesson 8: Right-Hand Tools and Techniques  
CHAPTER 3---Reading Standard Music Notation  
Lesson 1: The Notes and the Staff  
Lesson 2: The Natural Notes on the 3rd and 2nd Strings  
Lesson 3: Time  
Go Tell Aunt Rhody  
Lesson 4: Rests  
Lesson 5: Dotted Half Notes  
When the Saints Go Marching In  
Lesson 6: Natural Notes on the 1st String  
Lesson 7: The C Major Scale  
Lesson 8: Eighth Notes (Of Course)  
Lesson 9: Dotted Quarter Notes  
Ode to Joy  
Lesson 10: Sharps and Flats  
Raised by Gypsies  
Lesson 11: Accidentals in a Key Signature  
Red River Valley  
Lesson 12: Ties  
King on the Beach  
Lesson 13: Navigating a Musical Map  
CHAPTER 4---Theory Without Fear, or a Little Knowledge Can Get You Jamming  
Lesson 1: The Major Scale Is Your Measuring Stick  
Lesson 2: The Circle of 5ths  
Lesson 3: Intervals Are Your Building Blocks  
Lesson 4: Harmony and Chords  
CHAPTER 5---Old-Time Ukulele and Backing Up Fiddle Tunes  
Lesson 1: Strum Patterns and a Tune in G  
This Hammer's Too Heavy  
Lesson 2: Accenting the Backbeat, the E and E7 Chords, and Sally Ann in A  
Sally Ann  
Lesson 3: Fiddle Tune Form and Soldier's Joy in D  
Soldier's Joy  
CHAPTER 6---Old School: The Swingin' Ukulele  
Lesson 1: How to Swing  
Lesson 2: Sixes and Sevens and Chords  
Lesson 3: The Circle of 5ths Progression  
How Will I Ever Learn to Charleston if I Can't Even Tie My Own Shoes?  
Lesson 4: The Triple Strum  
The Secret Handshake Rag  
Lesson 5: The Triple Burst Strum  
Hitch in My Git-Along Rag  
CHAPTER 7---Rocking Out the Uke  
Lesson 1: The Syncopated Strum  
My Feet Hurt (Oy! Sole Blisters!)  
Autoharp Sale (Replace Old Zithers!)  
Dreams of Summer on a Gloomy Day (Haze, Cold, Misters)  
Lesson 2: Adding Percussion with Mute Strokes  
Lesson 3: Moveable Chord Forms, or How I Learned to Be My Own Chord Dictionary  
In My Spare Time with No Money Down!  
Lesson 4: Using Moveable Chords, Left-Hand Mute Strokes, Reggae, and Soul  
Who Wants a Cool Beverage?  
Uke Got Soul  
CHAPTER 8---Taking It Home: Island Style  
Aloha 'Oe  
Lesson 1: New Strums  
Hula for Ho'opi'i  
CHAPTER 9---Ukulele Blues  
Lesson 1: The 12-Bar Blues  
Lesson 2: Memorizing the 12-Bar Blues  
Lesson 3: The Blues Shuffle Rhythm  
Shufflin' Through the Blues in A  
Lesson 4: The Minor Pentatonic Scale  
Lesson 5: Transposition  
Lesson 6: Transposing the Blues and the Minor Pentatonic Scale  
12-Bar Blues in C (A Bouncy C!)  
Lesson 7: Blues in a Minor Key  
Nunmoor Blues: A 12-Bar Blues in A Minor  
CHAPTER 10---Introduction to Fingerstyle  
Lesson 1: The Right-Hand Position  
Lesson 2: Arpeggio Pattern T-i-m-a  
Hi'ilawe  
Lesson 3: Middle and Ring Fingers Together  
Lesson 4: Fingerpicking in 3/4  
Lesson 5: Alternating-Thumb Pattern T-i-T-m  
Ukaleidoscope  
CHAPTER 11---Getting Ready for the Next Level  
Musical Expression  
APPENDIX A--How to Practice  
Low-G Tuning  
How to Practice  
Organizing a Practice Session  
Buy a Metronome