Great for all ages, from kids to adults, the electronic download of eMedia Music Ukulele Method for Windows computers offers over 160 step-by-step, interactive lessons that teach you how to play ukulele and let you learn at your own pace.
Professional ukulele instructor Tim Carey (Cornish College of the Arts, Seattle, WA) guides you on screen, in over 70 high-definition videos with clear and friendly demonstrations of techniques. Learn how to play ukulele chords (including barre chords), use ukulele-specific strumming patterns, muting techniques, and movable chord shapes, read tablature and standard music notation, pluck strum, and more.
Play over 45 popular songs by applying the techniques you learn. You can jam along with accompaniment tracks, while MIDI tracks and looped playback let you slow down tracks and work on difficult sections. The interactive software gives you instant feedback on your playing, showing you when you play the correct notes on your ukulele as you progress through an exercise. Receive scores on your melodic performance as you progress through the course.
Ukulele Method offers a suite of powerful practice tools including an automatic tuner for soprano ukulele, a chord dictionary with fingering charts and audio playback for over 130 chords, a digital metronome for improving rhythm, an audio recorder to hear your performance and share it with friends, and a Note and Finger tracker to help you play confidently and read music faster.
Step-by-Step Ukulele Lessons
- Over 160 step-by-step ukulele lessons arranged in ten detailed chapters
- Great for all ages, from kids to adults
- Lessons include a variety of exercises and songs
- Lessons cover the basics such as holding, stringing, and tuning the ukulele
- Learn how to play ukulele chords (including barre chords), use ukulele-specific strumming patterns, muting techniques, movable chord shapes, reading tablature and standard music notation, pluck strum, chord melody style, and more
- All lessons are fully scalable
Featured Songs
- Includes multitrack audio playback of hit songs popularized by well-known artists
- John Lennon's Imagine
- Simon and Garfunkle's Scarborough Fair
- The Animals' House of the Rising Sun
- Bob Dylan's Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door
- Los Lobos' La Bamba
- Creedence Clearwater Revival's Midnight Special
- Traditional songs include: Aloha Oe, Old Hawaii, Greensleeves, In the Good Old Summertime, Listen to the Mockingbird, Hawaii Aloha, and more
Song Looping
- Song looping lets you highlight and repeat any section of music you wish to practice
Instant Feedback on Your Playing
- Instant Feedback shows you when you play the correct notes on your ukulele as you progress through an exercise
- With a microphone connected to your computer and a ukulele in your hands, play the notes in the exercise (or song) and the computer will highlight the notes for you in green
Performance Evaluation and Progress Tracking
- Performance Evaluation gives you feedback on melodies to help you improve your playing
- Earn up to a 5-star rating or view your score as a percentage
- Progress Tracking lets you review your best scores and track your progress through the course
Note and Finger Tracker
- The Note Tracker and Finger Tracker tools let you see the note you are playing by displaying the note as music notation and on the software's Animated Fretboard
- Correct your playing quickly and learn to read music fast
Interactive Flash Card Quizzes
- After you’ve been prepped with exercises designed to teach you to read tablature and notation, use the interactive flash card quizzes to reinforce what you have learned
- Flash card quizzes utilize proprietary Pitch Tracking technology to detect notes played on your ukulele
Over 70 High-Definition Videos
- On-screen, professional ukulele instructor Tim Carey (Cornish College of the Arts) guides you in over 70 high-definition videos with clear and friendly demonstrations of techniques
- Videos are viewable at full-screen size
Music Tracking
- Highlighting of the music and lyrics as they’re heard makes it easy to follow along on the ukulele
Jam Tracks and Multitrack Audio
- Jam Tracks with dozen of professionally arranged audio accompaniments give you the fun option to play along with a full band
- Multitrack audio lets you remove the vocals from the song playback and focus on the ukulele part
Variable-Speed MIDI Tracks
- MIDI versions of songs and lessons allow you to slow down or speed up the music
- Use in combination with the looping feature and learn at the pace best suited to you
Animated Fretboard
- Displays fingering positions as the music plays
- Allows you to see exactly how to play the song on a ukulele fretboard as you hear the music
- Music tracking highlights the notes being played on the screen, making it simple to follow along
- Double-click on any note or chord for fingering
- Includes option for both right- and left-handed views
- Four fretboard skins let you personalize the software to match your ukulele
Automatic Tuner
- Tune your soprano, concert, or tenor ukulele quickly and easily
- Play into your computer microphone and tune interactively with an accurate ukulele tuner
- A precision gauge allows you to immediately get feedback to see if you’re too high or too low
- Reference tones for standard G-C-E-A tuning are also included
Chord Dictionary
- Includes fingering charts and audio playback for over 130 ukulele chords in standard soprano G-C-E-A tuning
Digital Metronome
- Set your own tempo and work on your picking speed, rhythm, and timing
- Provides both visual cue and/or audio tick
- Full range of tempi, from largo to presto
Digital Recorder
- Record yourself and play back your performance
- Compare your recordings with the instructor’s version, fine-tune your skills and store musical ideas
Content
Introduction
- Overview of learning method
I. About the Ukulele
- The Soprano Ukulele and its Parts; Stringing; Tuning; Holding; Strumming; Beats and Timing Exercises; Counting Beats; Measures, Bar Lines and Repeat Signs; Reading Chord Charts; The C Chord
II. Simple Chords and Strumming
- The F Chord; Progressive Beats Method; Keeping Time While Changing Chords; The G Chord; Pick Up Notes; Am Chord; The Magic Progression; Practice Songs; Chord Quizzes
III. Chord Progressions and Strumming Techniques
- Dm, Em, and E7 Progressions; The Up Strum / 8th Notes; Downward Thumb; The Double Strum; Barre Chords; Practice Songs; Chord Quizzes
IV. Syncopation and Muting
- Syncopated Strum Patterns; La Bamba; The Miss; 12-Bar Blues; The People's Strum; The Pinky Mute; Combined Miss and Pinky Mute; The Strum Mute; Practice Songs; Chord Quizzes, Imagine
V. Strumming Pattern Variations
- Strumming Pattern Variations 1-4 in 4/4 and 3/4 Time; Practice Songs; G Diminished Chord
VI. Movable Chord Shapes and Progressions
- Accidentals; Movable Chord Shapes 1-6 with Variations; Practice Chord Progressions; Practice Songs; The Augmented Chord
VII. The Squeeze and Sixteenth Note Patterns
- The Squeeze Technique; Sixteenth Notes; The Squeeze Rhythm Variations and Exercises
VIII. Introduction to Reading Tablature
- Tablature; Rhythmic Notation; Melodies—Folk, Classic, and Hawaiian; Flash Card Quizzes
IX. The Pluck Strum and Chord Melody
- The Pluck Strum; Picking and Strumming; Folk Strum Variation; Adding the Squeeze; Carter-Style Chord Melody; Four-Finger Technique; Arpeggios; Practice Songs
X. Reading Standard Music Notation
- How to Read Music String by String; Rhythm; Time Signatures; Accidentals; Key Signatures; Practice Songs; Flash Card Quizzes
Appendix
- Button Symbols; Commands and Shortcuts; Song Looping; Tools (Animated Fretboard, Recorder, etc); Other Types of Ukuleles; Ukulele Set-up; Instant Feedback; Performance Evaluation