5 ukulele websites that every uke player should know!

When it comes to playing the ukulele the online resources are seemingly endless! The ukulele has made a HUGE comeback and the ceiling for it's rise in popularity doesn't seem to have a limit. Speaking as a ukulele enthusiast and as someone who operates a shop that sells ukulele related items, I couldn't be more thrilled that more and more people are picking up the uke. But with more ukulele based sites popping up it can be hard to know where to look to find the most helpful resources for you. So....I thought I'd throw my hat in the ring here and pass along some of the online resources that have been a great help to me. My hope is that you'll get as much out of 'em as I have. So here we go in no specific order....



1. Ukulele Underground - The UU is an awesome resource! They tout themselves as "growing the next generation of ukulele players" and they do just that! The forum itself is worth the visit and is frequented by both expert level players and beginners alike. The best part about the forum is the general good will and community of it's members, not to mention that the UU crew does a great job of regulating (just like Warren G) when a thread starts to get a little heated. There's a lot of activity on this forum, so any question that you have to offer up will no doubt be answered. There's also a lot of helpful ukulele lessons that range from learning songs to specific uke techniques. If you're not a member, what are you waiting for!?

2. Ukulele Hunt - A great source for ukulele tabs and playing techniques. There's also a very informative section with lots of advice and tips for first time ukulele buyers, as well as reviews on a number of ukes. But my favorite part is the podcast that they put out roughly once a month. Always fun to listen to and provides a great selection of new ukulele tunes.

3. Online Ukulele Tuner - If you're one of the lucky 1 out of 10,000 of us that have perfect pitch you can disregard this. But...if you fall into the 9,999 category then you likely rely on some sort of tuner to get ready to play. Let me say this first - if you don't have a chromatic tuner then GET ONE! The Korg CA40 is a good basic chromatic tuner and runs around the $20 mark. It gets some good mileage - I have a couple of these. One of them is still going strong after 10+ years of daily use...come to think of it I think I've only changed the battery once in it's lifetime. That all being said, if you don't have a tuner readily available to you, this online tuner should do the trick. If you're relatively new to tuning an instrument by ear it might be a frustrating learning process matching up the tones, but you'll get better with practice and this will help develop your ear.

4. Ukulele Chord Finder - Not sure what that chord you're playing is called? Check out this chord finder and you'll have your answer. Pretty neat tool to have available and fairly simple to use. Just move the position dots up or down the neck. It's also handy for finding different variations of a specific chord as you go up the fretboard. The only qualm I have with this is that the default tuning is set to soprano in D. Most of us uke players are tuning in C (following the classic GCEA tuning). It's not a huge deal...just remember to click on "soprano - C" on the right side of the page before trying to find your chords...otherwise, you're about to get very confused. The Ukulele Chord Finder App is also available for iPhone (under the title "UkeMaster"). I wish I could tell you how this delivers, but unfortunately I have a 16 month old baby and all the money that I would use for an iPhone goes to diapers and toys!

5. Covey Wood on youtube - I have officially named him "the Bob Ross of the ukulele". Seriously, how does this guy NOT have his own show on PBS? I have learned more about playing the ukulele from his videos than from any other online teacher. His "Best Ukulele Strum in the World" videos have introduced me to a number of unique strumming patterns. There's also a number of great ukulele songs (with the chords included) that I've been introduced to through his videos. Other than that, this guy just has the heart of a teacher...not too mention a eerie soothing quality to his voice that I could probably fall asleep to if I was having a bout of insomnia. Go there NOW!


That's all I've got this time around! Hope these links will help ya out!