The Live Ukulele Podcast

This week is the launch of my new ebook, Groove Ukulele. It's all about strumming. Get 20% the new ebook until August 26th at midnight HST! https://liveukulele.com/store/groove-ukulele/ In this episode I talk about the foundational concepts that most people miss when learning to strum. Resources: - Strumming Foundations crash course: https://liveukulele.com/store/groove-ukulele/workshop-1/ -...

A student requested I explore coming to the uke from another instrument vs. starting your musical journey on the ukulele. Here are some of my thoughts. Resources: - Uncle George's workshop: https://kahumoku.com/workshops/ - JHUI: https://www.uketropolis.com/jhui Support the show Join my newsletter! It's free and I won't spam you. Get updates on new lessons and access to exclusive re...

In this episode I share some ideas for breaking a cycle of discouragement by re-framing your expectations for your ukulele journey. Inspired by an email from a reader. If you or someone you know struggles with mental illness, please reach out to services that can assist you in getting the help you need: https://www.nami.org/Support-Education . Sign up for my newsletter: https://liveukulele.com/sig...

Kris Fuchigami is on the podcast! A fellow ukulele player from the Big Island, Kris rocks it harder and better than most. In this interview he shares stories about getting his pride rubbed in the mud, encouraging the next generation, and navigating a music industry without CDs. Resources: - Ukulele Scales PDF bundle download (free): https://liveukulele.com/scales/#pdfs - Kris's website: https...

In this episode I recap the George Kahumoku, Jr. Slack Key & Ukulele Workshop and share an interview with a longtime friend, Peter DeAquino. We talk about some ukulele gear, full time gigging, learning from the masters of Hawaiian music, and what the fair market value of live music is. Resources: - Peter on Facebook (live stream every Thursday): https://www.facebook.com/PeterDMaui/ - GKSK Work...

The songs you choose to play can have a large impact on the quality of your learning and performing experience. Here are some tips to help you choose the right songs for the moment. Support the show Join my newsletter! It's free and I won't spam you. Get updates on new lessons and access to exclusive resources: https://liveukulele.com/signup/ Support the podcast: Become a supporting memb...

In this episode I discuss some of the things I've learned over the years that help an ukulele class keep a steady and productive pace while suiting every student's needs. James Hill interviews me for the Uketropolis Podcast: https://share.transistor.fm/s/ab41d676 - George Kahumoku, Jr.'s Slack Key & ʻUkulele Workshop: https://kahumoku.com/workshops/ Support the show Join my news...

Another great talk story with Seattle-based ʻukulele jazz phenom Neal Chin! He shared a cool chord movement he's learned playing more Brazilian music and how he encourages people to think about improvising on their ukes. - Neal's website: http://www.nealchin.com/ - Marco De Carvalho: https://marcodecarvalho.com/ Support the show Join my newsletter! It's free and I won't spam yo...

A huge majority of strums you hear are more simple than you think. There's really only one strum motion and emphasis is built from that. In this episode I share how it works. Support the show Join my newsletter! It's free and I won't spam you. Get updates on new lessons and access to exclusive resources: https://liveukulele.com/signup/ Support the podcast: Become a supporting member...

Everyone talks about playing ukulele with good timing, but why does it actually matter? In this episode I discuss some thoughts on what makes the groove so important. Metronome challenge video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMk-8PorRKM Franz LM-FB-5 metronome: https://reverb.com/item/1227011-vintage-franz-electric-metronome-model-lm-fb-5-in-walnut-case BOSS DB-30 metronome (affiliate link): http...

Some tips for holding your ukulele so that it doesn't fall down as you play and an overview of straps. Episode resources: - James's video on holding the ukulele: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VcwGMcq3jY *All Sweetwater items are affiliate links - Standard style strap (this Ernie Ball is what I use): https://sweetwater.sjv.io/rnAZPR - Strap buttons: https://sweetwater.sjv.io/rnAD2d - C...

An interview with ukulele instructor Brian Liu from Next Level Ukulele. We sat down and talked about some of his scariest uke lessons, teaching philosophy, and incorporating the ukulele into new soundscapes and styles. Next Level Ukulele: https://nextlevelukulele.com/ Support the show Join my newsletter! It's free and I won't spam you. Get updates on new lessons and access to exclusive r...

Get the lessons here for $10 until midnight UST: https://liveukulele.com/store/hawaiian-songs/ Support the show Join my newsletter! It's free and I won't spam you. Get updates on new lessons and access to exclusive resources: https://liveukulele.com/signup/ Support the podcast: Become a supporting member: https://liveukulele.com/register/supporting-member/?coupon=SUPPORT5 Buy video lesso...

Philosophy on how I approach teaching Hawaiian music and my new course, Hawaiian Songs For Ukulele . Learn more and buy the lessons here: https://liveukulele.com/store/hawaiian-songs/ Support the show Join my newsletter! It's free and I won't spam you. Get updates on new lessons and access to exclusive resources: https://liveukulele.com/signup/ Support the podcast: Become a supporting me...

A conversation with the director of the Institute of Hawaiian Music. Keola is a composer, translator, and ʻōlelo tech nerd. Keola's website: https://keoladonaghy.com/ Tennessee Whiskey in Hawaiian: https://open.spotify.com/track/12PMkbwHpQaWFg51g62ldX?si=3b5ea1da82bc433c Institute of Hawaiian Music : https://maui.hawaii.edu/ihm/ Support the show Join my newsletter! It's free and I won&ap...

Resources: -Microtonal guitar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVZShd7GZAY -Tom Briar (as I remember) is the ragtime piano player I was talking about: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhRBGCS8mlc Support the show Join my newsletter! It's free and I won't spam you. Get updates on new lessons and access to exclusive resources: https://liveukulele.com/signup/ Support the podcast: Become a su...

These five musical enjoyment enhancers are underutilized tricks of the trade! In this episode we'll have a look at what making the mistake of under-using them means and how to implement them successfully. Resources: - Left Hand Technique for Ukulele course: https://liveukulele.com/store/left-hand-technique-video-course/ - Street Theory workshop: https://liveukulele.com/store/street-theory-wor...

Sharing an overview and some thoughts on the year and what the future holds and projects I'm excited about. Resources: - Uke Logic Strings: https://theukulelesite.com/accessories/strings/ukelogic-strings.html - Sweetwater $8000 giveaway (affiliate link): https://imp.i114863.net/kjYJ4L - Uke For Ukraine live stream replay: https://liveukulele.com/ukraine/ - Left Hand Technique For Ukulele cour...

Unveiling my new recording ukulele with stories and sound demos. Resources: - Moore Bettah Ukes (old photo galleries): http://www.moorebettahukes.com/ - My spruce top Moore Bettah: https://liveukulele.com/about/moore-bettah-tenor-ukulele/ Support the show Join my newsletter! It's free and I won't spam you. Get updates on new lessons and access to exclusive resources: https://liveukulele....

Fun, laid-back interview with Kohala-based artist, Joey Bradley, about his ukuleles and engineering projects. Contact Joey: jsbsound23@gmail.com Support the show Join my newsletter! It's free and I won't spam you. Get updates on new lessons and access to exclusive resources: https://liveukulele.com/signup/ Support the podcast: Become a supporting member: https://liveukulele.com/register/...

A crash course on the very basics of ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi as it relates to singing Hawaiian songs. Resources: - Basic pronunciation and practice: http://papaolelo.weebly.com/uploads/1/0/2/2/102246944/1._ha%CA%BBawina_puana.pdf - Ka Hakalama practice sheet: http://papaolelo.weebly.com/uploads/1/0/2/2/102246944/pakuhihakalama.pdf - He Mele Aloha book: https://liveukulele.com/reviews/he-mele-aloha-a-hawaii...

Support the show Join my newsletter! It's free and I won't spam you. Get updates on new lessons and access to exclusive resources: https://liveukulele.com/signup/ Support the podcast: Become a supporting member: https://liveukulele.com/register/supporting-member/?coupon=SUPPORT5 Buy video lessons or a book: https://liveukulele.com/store/  Use my Sweetwater affiliate link next time you ne...

Talking story with Aaron from Ukulele Underground about humble origins, accompaniment, and the future of one of the web's most popular uke websites. Mentions: - Ukulele Underground: https://ukuleleunderground.com/ - Island Music Network: https://islandmusicnetwork.com/ - Boywithuke: https://www.instagram.com/boywithuke/ - Kanileʻa Reforestation Project: https://ukulelemagazine.com/stories/new...

Ever think you're not good enough? Comparing yourself to other players? In this episode I explore giving ourselves the permission to enjoy ukulele at whatever our skill level is. Mentions: - Kahumoku Workshop: https://kahumoku.com/workshop/ Support the show Join my newsletter! It's free and I won't spam you. Get updates on new lessons and access to exclusive resources: https://liveu...

Interview with James Hill on his new crowd-sourced ukulele recording project, Uke Heads . Buy a Uke Head art piece, learn an ukulele part, record yourself, get on the album. It's a cool concept that ventures into Blockchain territory so I invited my friend, Dagan Bernstein to join us and lend his expertise in NFTs and ukulele collaboration to the conversation. My guests:  - James's Uke H...