Ukulele Underground Podcast

Video Podcast and Timestamps: https://ukuleleunderground.com/2024/04/improvising-memes-tuup115/ How do you use “Memes” to Jump in on Songs and Improvise? Aldrine shares his secret tips to playing along to other people even when you’re unsure of the songs, keys, or chord switches. This leads into a discussion on improvising, and how you can use simple songs to “Meme” to your audience. Two viewers a...

Video Podcast & Timestamps: https://ukuleleunderground.com/2024/04/fusing-ukulele-jazz-big-bands-tuup114/ What happens when you rearrange a Western Ukulele Instrumental Concept Album for Jazz Big Band? This Week Aldrine and Mike are sharing their experience playing and planning for the KCC Jazz Festival. We start off with a relatively quick conversation about Double Flats/Sharps, Reading the Y...

Video Podcast and Timestamps: https://ukuleleunderground.com/2024/04/essential-festival-items-tuup113/ What are Essential Items you bring to a Festival? Do you even need to bring an Ukulele to a Festival, and should you bring your most “Expensive Ukulele” or should you bring a “Beater”? The team tries to help a viewer define a group of notes, and explain why they aren’t pentatonic, and why you don...

Video Podcast and Timestamps: https://ukuleleunderground.com/2024/04/memorizing-without-sheet-music-tuup112/ Is Sheet Music necessary for Memorizing a song? In this Week’s Podcast Aldrine will show you how you can build your Music Instincts; Memorize songs using Numbers and Feelings; and play the “Wrong” Chord while playing the “Right” Song. We’re giving all of our opinions on when it’s appropriat...

Video Podcast and Show Notes: https://ukuleleunderground.com/2024/04/tapping-in-two-minutes-tuup111/ Learn how to Tap in 2 Minutes! This week, the guys are challenging Aldrine to teach a Tapping Riff as fast as he can. After Aldrine’s Tapping Speedrun, he explains the theory behind Tapping. The Team discuss learning Party Trick Riffs vs learning to apply the same Flashy Techniques. As an Example o...

Show Notes and Timestamps: https://ukuleleunderground.com/2024/03/building-confidence-through-little-oopsies-tuup110/ What does Pirate Ships, Sister Act and Building Confidence have in common? Answer: This Week’s Ukulele Underground Podcast. The guys start off the Podcast by playing their Song Submissions for the Songwriting Challenge, and making plans to get their own Pirate Ship. A member ask Al...

Show Notes and Timestamps: https://ukuleleunderground.com/2024/03/scrappy-youth-vs-mature-musician-tuup109/ What is the difference between a Scrappy, Up and Coming Musician VS a Mature Musician who has been around the block? What are the traits of Inexperienced Players and what are the qualities of  Tasteful Players? What Jamming Faux Pas should you avoid, and what can you do to Mature as a Musici...

Show Notes and Timestamp: https://ukuleleunderground.com/2024/03/harsh-truth-among-impostors-tuup108/ What was a Harsh Truth Aldrine needed to face in order to improve as an Ukulele Player? Aldrine shares the precise moment when someone gave him a “Harsh Truth” that pushed him to being a better player. We also hear how Aldrine learned to grow from these criticisms and how he changed his goals to b...

Show Notes and Timestamps: https://ukuleleunderground.com/2024/03/warm-ups-that-make-you-swole-tuup107/ Learn these  Secret Warm-Ups  that will maximize your ( Finger ) Muscles, and get you  SWOLE!  Before Aldrine reveals his secrets to the perfect Warm-Ups, he talks about his busy Weekend spent going to an awesome concert, and hanging out with Ukulele Heavy Hitters. The guys answer the questions...

Show Notes and Timestamps: https://ukuleleunderground.com/2024/02/first-gig-fumbles-tuup106/ We’re taking a retrospective look back at Aldrine’s first unpaid Gig vs his first paid Gig. Aldrine also reveals the source of his Stage Anxiety, and if he regrets making mistakes while on stage. The guys give suggestions for playing odd time signatures before Aldrine talks about his impostor syndrome. The...

Show Notes and Timestamps: https://ukuleleunderground.com/2024/02/entering-the-flow-state-tuup105/ Today, the guys are joined by Mike "INSERT NICKNAME HERE" Odo to help explain what the "Flow State" is, and how musicians find themselves in that state. Before the guys dive into this topic, you know that they have to take a couple of detours talking about Disney+ and the Rock.  B...

Show Notes and Timestamps: https://ukuleleunderground.com/2024/02/the-first-roadblock-tuup104/ What was the first Roadblock Aldrine experienced? Aldrine explains the first situational Roadblock he ran in to on his uke journey, then he tells what song and technique he faced as a Roadblock. The guys also discuss the importance of figuring out music by ear, playing with others, and being In the Zone...

Show Notes and Timestamps: https://ukuleleunderground.com/2024/02/how-to-spice-up-boring-strumming-tuup193/ Is Strumming “Boring” for you? This Week, UU tackles why people get Bored with Strumming, and the different ways you can take a “Boring” strum and Spice it up! Before the team unveils their Spicy Secrets, Aldrine demonstrates Arpeggios and what you can do to practice your Arpeggios. The guys...

Show Notes and Links: https://ukuleleunderground.com/2024/01/apologetic-harmonics-tuup102/ The podcast continues from last Week when Aldrine explains Harmonics and how he used it to play Creep with Cynthia Lin. Before Aldrine demonstrates the many types of Harmonics (Natural, Artificial, Chordal, and Pinch), we expose the “High” budget of the podcast, while Aldrine issues an apology for the latene...

Show Notes and Links: https://ukuleleunderground.com/2024/01/revisiting-bodysurfing-tuup101/ What is Aldrine listening to? We start off this week’s podcast with Aldrine talking about revisiting and reinventing Bodysurfing which leads into a discussion on what Ukulele Music he’s been listening to. A member ask how would Aldrine tackle learning a difficult song like Bodysurfing and where would he st...

Show Notes and Links: https://ukuleleunderground.com/2024/01/favorite-moments-tuup100/ For our 100th Episode, we have Funkmaster Mike returning to share what were his Favorite Moments from the Past 100 Episodes. Before the guys share their favorite Podcast Memories, Mike talks about going to the Rose Bowl. The crew also discusses Ideal Action Height, Quality Control in Ukuleles, and Learning Guita...

Show Notes and Links: https://ukuleleunderground.com/2024/01/award-winning-podcast-tuup99/ CAN YOU SMELL WHAT UKULELE UNDERGROUND IS COOKING?  You are now listening to An  AWARD WINNING  Podcast. The team is flying high after their recent  Ukies Award . This podcast is definitely packed with all the quality (Power Rangers, Wrestling, Legends of the Hidden Temple) that you can expect out of an  AWA...

Show Notes and Link: https://ukuleleunderground.com/2023/12/the-chord-tone-rabbit-hole-tuup98/ For the last podcast of the year, the guys ask Aldrine what Music "Rabbit Hole" he got into this year? Aldrine list several Music Obsessions he's had this year, but the most noteworthy is Chord Tone Soloing. He explains what Chord Tone Soloing is, and how it differs from regular fingerpicki...

Show Notes and Links: https://ukuleleunderground.com/2023/12/the-3-keys-to-ukulele-success/ What 3 Keys should you learn before joining a jam? Aldrine list songs in these 3 keys that will help you learn and familiarize yourself with the chords and notes in the keys. The guys talk about practicing with Backing Tracks and how Playing Along to the original is helpful even with Solo Ukulele Arrangemen...

Show Notes and Links: https://ukuleleunderground.com/2023/12/the-best-holiday-uke-songs-tuup96/ The UU Boys are sharing what Holiday Uke Songs they blast during the season. Along the way, the guys get sidetracked with stories of musician's enjoying their own music, and get into their favorite non-uke Christmas Songs. Aldrine also offers advice for holding Am, switching between Guitar and Uke,...

Show Notes and Video Podcast: https://ukuleleunderground.com/2023/11/sheet-music-vs-music-theory-tuup95/ What is more important: learning to read Sheet Music or learning Music Theory? The UU team discuss the value of both, and how much you actually need to be a proficient uke player. Alongside this topic, Aldrine demonstrates how he's still discovering new pieces of Music Theory, and how he&#3...

Video Podcast & Show Notes: https://ukuleleunderground.com/2023/11/our-biggest-buyers-remorse-tuup94/ Being the last podcast before Thanksgiving (and Black Friday), Aldrine shares what accessories are great buys, and which ones have caused him buyer's remorse. The guys also cover why you should learn different chord positions, their opinions on wound C, how to strum faster, and good books...

Show Notes and Links: https://ukuleleunderground.com/2023/11/string-wars-return-of-g-tuup93/ Aldrine Guerrero has returned to his home podcast of K-Town in an attempt to rescue his friend, Aaron "The Voice" from the clutches of the vile gangster, Colonel K. Little does Aldrine know that the GALACTIC UNDERGROUND has secretly begun construction on a new armored space instrument even more p...

Video Podcast & Show Notes: https://ukuleleunderground.com/2023/11/making-fancy-chords-easy-tuup92/ This Week Aldrine is demystifying and demonstrating "Fancy Chords" aka "Neal Chords". Aldrine shows his favorite "Easy" Fancy Chords and how you could substitute them in chord patterns. As the podcast progresses, Aldrine dives deeper into the chordal rabbit hole; sh...

Video Podcast and Show Notes: https://ukuleleunderground.com/2023/10/fingerpicking-fingerstyle-chord-melody-oh-my-tuup91/ What is the difference between Fingerpicking, Fingerstyle and Chord Melody? With Fingerpicking being thrown around as a catch-all term, we ask Aldrine what his definition of Fingerpicking is and how is it different from Fingerstyle? The guys go deep with the definitions of thes...