The Live Ukulele Podcast

Innovative ukulele player and JHUI-certified instructor, John Nash, sits down with me to talk about teaching, playing with banjos, artistry, and the ukulele's limitations. John's teaching site: https://ukuleleinspired.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/si...

Exploring the differences between two common stringing styles and learn about what the pros and cons are of linear and re-entrant ukulele tuning. In this episode I provide some background and practical examples or how each tuning can be used most effectively. 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:...

Tips and tricks for EQing an ukulele to sound better and how to understand different types of pickups and their implications. 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/?...

My fun and interesting chat with one of Europe's best ukulele players, Tobias Elof. Tobias's website: https://tobiaselof.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/supportin...

Join me for a walk down memory lane as I listen back to some of my past performances and discuss what I would change and what I liked. Self-critiquing your own playing is a valuable tool for improving at the ukulele. Video course:  https://learn.liveukulele.com/6th-sense Episode resources: https://liveukulele.com/podcast/s2e8/ Support the show Join my newsletter! It's free and I won't sp...

Ukulele tabs are common these days, but not many folks give much thought to how they're made. In this episode I sit down with Dominator, a pioneer in the field of high-quality ukulele transcriptions and find out some of his tips and stories about creating his amazing database of work. Dominator's Ukulele Tabs: https://liveukulele.com/tabs/dominator/ Support the show Join my newsletter! I...

How we all learn is as unique as how we all sound when we play the ukulele. In this episode I talk story with my friends Pam Mandel and Higgs about some of their biggest learning moments when studying the uke. Episode resources: https://liveukulele.com/podcast/s2e6/ Support the show Join my newsletter! It's free and I won't spam you. Get updates on new lessons and access to exclusive res...

Mind-blowing luthier revelations with master craftsman, Brad Donaldson. Brad's site: https://donaldsonukuleles.wordpress.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/supporting-mem...

This episode journeys through some of the things you can practice to improve your stage presence. Brad share some personal stories and tips and tricks that will help make your ukulele performance more engaging and interesting. 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/...

The Ukulele Teacher is one of the most well known uke players in the world and has taught thousands, if not millions, of people how to play the ukulele through his popular YouTube tutorials. In our interview John Atkins talks about his goal with the channel, some of the challenges, and other fun tidbits about his YouTube star ukulele career. John's Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Th...

Practical demonstrations on how you can interact responsibly with other musicians. I'm joined by friend and bandmate Ryan "Higgs" Higgins to discuss the dos and don'ts of fitting in. 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: Bec...

Join myself and Konabob Stoffer in a journey through finding a more intuitive way of playing music. We talk about coming to music later in life, becoming content with your skills, how to be a passive observer as you play, and much more. Konaweb: https://www.konaweb.com/cam/index.html Support the show Join my newsletter! It's free and I won't spam you. Get updates on new lessons and acces...

Some random thoughts and stories in a more free-form episode than normal. Tune in for a couple tunes and holiday wishes from Brad. Episode notes and resources: https://liveukulele.com/podcast/s1e10/ 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...

Neal Chin is one of the most smooth-sounding jazz ukulele players I've heard. He joined me on the podcast to share some of his experiences in music and some thoughts and tips on improving and learning to incorporate jazz into your playing. Neal's website: http://www.nealchin.com/ Support the show Join my newsletter! It's free and I won't spam you. Get updates on new lessons and...

Ukulele acquisition syndrome - or UAS: cute acronym or troublesome mindset? Join Brad on a jaunt through some sticky territory in this episode as he shares some personal opinions on what's most important in the process of acquiring ukes. Episode notes and resources: https://liveukulele.com/podcast/s1e8/ Support the show Join my newsletter! It's free and I won't spam you. Get updates...

A guide to staying home and connecting with the world's best ʻukulele players during a time of no touring. Herb shares his experiences with being Hawaiʻi-bound, releasing an album, getting to know Jake better, and many more stories. Herb's website: https://www.herbohtajr.com/index.php Support the show Join my newsletter! It's free and I won't spam you. Get updates on new lesson...

An interview with ʻukulele master musician James Hill. Join us on a tour through some of his latest pursuits and stories: a new style of songwriting, playing baritone, teaching beginners and more. James's website: https://www.jameshillmusic.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://...

Thoughts and tips on giving yourself musical options to increase your participation in music as an ʻukulele player. In this episode, Brad talks about what differentiates a beginner from an intermediate player along with ways to transcend the border between them with some fun, practical exercises. Episode notes and resources: https://liveukulele.com/podcast/s1e5/ Support the show Join my newsletter...

Join Brad and Ryan "Higgs" Higgins as they discuss the process of recording an album and what goes into writing a song. Higgs is a hip-hop artist who plays ʻukulele as his main instrument. Follow along as he shares his expertise and even walks us through writing an example song. Higgs official (http://higgsmusic.com) Support the show Join my newsletter! It's free and I won't sp...

In this show Brad talks about the beauty of simplicity in learning ʻukulele. Introduce some Hawaiian style intuition into your practice and follow these tips to become more comfortable playing by ear. We explore the meaning and application of the saying <em>nānā ka maka, hoʻolohe ka pepeiao, paʻa ka waha</em> - look with your eyes, listen with your ears, shut your mouth. Show notes and...

What's it like to switch from a huge roster of in-person ʻukulele classes to teaching everything online? In this episode Brad is joined by Austin-based Kevin Carroll to break down how he's been adapting his teaching style and what he recommends for new virtual students. Kevin's website (http://www.kevincarroll.net) Support the show Join my newsletter! It's free and I won't...

In this pilot episode, join Brad as he talks through some observations he's made about playing trajectories and what helps an ʻukulele player succeed. This includes things like finding your learning cadence, stigmas, practice, and building consistency. Episode notes and resources: https://liveukulele.com/podcast/s1e1/ Support the show Join my newsletter! It's free and I won't spam y...