Online Lessons - Ukulele

Links will take you to the Curt Sheller Publications Ukulele Lessons page.

Chord of the Week Club

I constantly read online and hear. "Is, where, what site, what software is there for this or that chord or all the chord voicings." Well camper! It's not here. Chord dictionaries, software, web sites are not the answer. Even chord theory does not offer any insight into unraveling the complexity of chord voicings.

Learning basic open position chords and the basic movable form chords presented in the Chord of the Week Club will set you up for the more advanced chords, typically called “jazz” chords.

I once asked my mentor and music guru. "How do you remember so many chord shapes?" The answer was quite profound and a light-bulb moment in my learning. I had been struggling with these more advanced chords. Chords such as #11, 9#11, 13b5, 9#5, 6/9, etc... YOU DON'T MEMORIZE SHAPES.

Beyond memorizing the basic open position and basic movable form chords and core 4-part chords such as 7th, m7, maj7, dim7, 6th, you create all other chords on the fly as needed. With a knowledge of how chords are constructed and the note of the fingerboard this is possible. Heck, with this knowledge you can right you own useless dictionary or software.

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Lesson Legend

GuitarLesson, UkuleleLesson or MusicLesson - Indicates lesson is in a downloadable PDF format

A PDF Lesson is a formatted lesson ranging from a few pages to 8 or more pages of great ukulele information. They print out great (US 8.5 x 11 letter size ).

Indicates lesson in HTML format for online viewing

NEW

Indicates new or updated lesson add.

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• Ukulele Study Material click to show or hide section

• Chords and chord Progressions click to show or hide section

A series of UkuleleLessons on chords and chord progressions

  • NEW Using Triads Example 1 - Triads are a great resource for creating simple melodies and solos...
  • Dominant Seventh Chords - Information on why calling a seventh chord a Dominant Seventh chord is not always correct.
  • Upper Partials - This is a short lesson on creating upper partials or extensions to known chords using CMaj7 as an example.
  • Em7/A - This FAQ sheads some light on slash chords and more advanced 0th and 11th chords. - Building a solid foudation of 4-part chords..."
  • Core Chords - Level 1, Part 1 - Building a solid foudation of 4-part chords..."
  • Chord Spelling - Major and Minor Triads - Learning the Chord Tones of Major and Minor Triads"
  • Chord Shapes and Learning Chords - Breaking the "Learning more chord shapes..."
  • Introductions and Turnarounds - A guide to creating introductions and turnarounds for songs...
  • Endings - Classic song endings for the uke...
  • Getting Beyond Ukulele Chords Shapes - Too many chord shapes to memorize. Beyond learning basic chords, most uke players struggle with advanced chords. These more sophisticated voicings, commonly called “jazz” chords, find a wide use in all forms of music and styles. These 4-part chords are the bread and butter of jazz ukulele.
  • Building A Solid Jazz Chord Foundation - Too many chord shapes to memorize.
  • Transposing Chords, chord progressions and scales. Explore additional keys for your favorite chords, chord progressions, scale and songs..
  • Chord Spelling - What are those chords tones? Learn more then the root or letter name of the chord. Be able to spell any chord in any key...
  • Naming Chords - What is the name of this chord?? Learn how to determine the name of an individual chord...
  • Cool Chords - Creating those cool chords not found in dictionaries and chord books...
  • F7
  • D - Exploring alternate fingerings for the pesky chord
  • Example lesson using a few progressions from the book
    A Guide to Blues Chord Progression for Ukulele A to Z.

• Scale & Modes click to show or hide section

A series of UkuleleLessons on Scale & Modes

• Strums & Rhythmic Patterns click to show or hide section

• Left and Right Hand Technique click to show or hide section

• Reading Music click to show or hide section

A series of UkuleleLessons for reading music

    • Reading Basics (coming soon )

      • The basics of reading. Clefs, time signatures, repeats, dynamics and more...

    • Enharmonic Equivalents

      • Alternate Note Names - Any note on the ukulele fingerboard can have up to five different names.

    • TAB and Chord Grids

      • Alternate Music Notation - Reading TAB and Chord Grids on the ukulele

    • Reading in First Position - Part 1

      • Reading Standard Music Notation in first or open position. Very easy songs to get one started on the read to reading music to be played on the ukulele.

• Standard Music Notation - Fingerboard Chart click to show or hide section

C Tuning, High "G"

This tuning is common for Soprano, Concert and Tenor ukuleles.

C Tuning, Low "G"

This tuning is common for Soprano, Concert and Tenor ukuleles.

G Tuning, High "D"

This tuning is common for Tenor and Baritone ukuleles.

  • Natural and Sharp Notes
  • Natural and Flat Notes
G Tuning, Low "D"

This tuning is common for Soprano, Concert and Tenor ukuleles.

  • Natural and Sharp Notes
  • Natural and Flat Notes

• Theory click to show or hide section

Theory is the body of priniciples behind music. It includes scales and chord construction, intervals, sequences, progressions, resolution, harmony, motion, power, color, chord and scale substitution, keys and time signatures, rhythm, melody, etc... Notice I did not say any particular instrument. Theory is NOT "Ukulele Theory, Guitar Theory or insert any other instrument Theory. It is not instrument specific. How you can apply it to your particular instrument is another story.

Take an instrument like a trumpet that can only pay single notes. Would it be beneficial for that musician to study chords, chord progressions, harmony. The resounding answer is YES!!! Knowing how music works and how to apply it to you instrument is what is all about.

Could a drummer benefit from knowing how chord progressions work?

• Ear Training click to show or hide section

• Creating Melody & Chord Ukulele Arrangements click to show or hide section

Here is a page of tips for arranging a Melody & Chord Solos for Ukulele.

All My Loving - Creating a solo Melody and Chord ukulele arrangement on this 60's Beatles hit.

• Repertoire - Ukulele with TAB click to show or hide section

All ukulele repertoire is available with a downloadable PDF version of the arrangement.

Some songs can be played using the Scorch plug-in from Sibelius

For educational purposes only

Working on Melody & Chord Ukulele Arrangements for:
  • Aloha Oe
  • Amazing Grace
  • I'll Remember April
  • My Favorite Things
  • Spanish Flea
  • The Pink Panther
  • Tijuana Taxi

• Play-Along MP3 Tracks click to show or hide section

All Play-Along lessons are available with MP3 backing track, PDF lead sheet and tips and tricks for learning the song.

Over the course of the next several months I'll be releasing (for FREE) a collection of songs that I had recorded as backing tracks. There are great track for learning tunes, how arrangements are created and a source of material to improv over.

These are the same tracks that I've used in the past for live gigs. (songs in italics coming soon)

Here is a partial list of the songs that will be posted. I have close to 60 of these tracks that I created many moons ago ($$$$)

  • A Foggy Day - F, MP3 and Lead Sheet
  • Blue Bossa - Cm, MP3 and Lead Sheet
  • Bluesette - G
  • Call Me - C
  • Crazy - C
  • A Girl From Ipanema - F
  • Misty - Eb
  • My Favorite Things - Am
  • Satin Doll - C
  • Summer Samba -
  • Sunny - Am, Play MP3
  • Take the 'A' Train - C, Play MP3
  • Wave - D

Here are a few of the tracks that I recorded guitar over awhile back.

Recorded on a Gibson Wes Montgomery L5

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QuickStart - Chord Progressions for Lead Guitar - Vol I Book & CD

Each track of this CD is devoted to a scale covered in the QUICKSTART Scale Fingerings for Lead Guitar book. There are four background tracks for each scale featuring the chords of that scale.

$16.95 - Buy Now

MORE INFO and samples...

All Curt Sheller lessons are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 License.

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