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Strum a tune on your ukulele-no Hawaiian shirt required!Picture it now: the sun sets over the shimmering sea, and, as the beach bar falls quiet, you begin strumming Queen Liliuokalani's "Aloha 'Oe" to a mesmerized crowd. ... Okay, while this doesn't happen every day for ukulele-players, you'll still have a lot of fun learning your favorite tunes on your ukulele. Widely associated with Hawaiian music, the ukulele has exploded in popularity in recent years as kids and adults alike have started their music education with a uke or added it to their collection of instruments.Learning to play this versatile instrument is made easier for the experience and inexperienced alike with this new edition of Ukulele For Dummies. Following its straightforward instructions, you'll pick your way from the basics of purchasing your ukulele and accessories to confidently strumming through simple chord progressions and jamming through various styles and standards, including pop, folk, and those much-loved holiday favorites. Aloha, Santa Claus! Buy the right ukulele for you Perfect your pick and fret Practice with downloadable audio Get the best ukulele apps Whatever you want from your ukulele adventure-strumming on the beach or adding its island style to your distinctive new pop sound-Ukulele For Dummies will have you making a big splash with this tiny instrument in aloha no time at all!
List of contents
Introduction 1
Part 1: Getting Started with the Ukulele 5
Chapter 1: Exploring the Ukulele 7
Chapter 2: Tuning Up to Sound Great 19
Chapter 3: Discovering How to Handle Your Ukulele 29
Part 2: Starting Out with Chords and Strumming 39
Chapter 4: Playing Your First Ukulele Chords and Songs 41
Chapter 5: Drumming Up More Strumming Patterns 59
Chapter 6: Meeting the Chords and Their Families 79
Part 3: Picking and Single-Note Playing 99
Chapter 7: Coming to Grips with Tabs and Notation 101
Chapter 8: Discovering Fingerpicking Patterns 117
Chapter 9: Combining Melodies and Chords When Playing Solo 131
Chapter 10: Picking Up Some Soloing Techniques 141
Part 4: Discovering Genres and Styles 157
Chapter 11: Rocking Out with Your Uke 159
Chapter 12: Playing the Blues to Lift Your Spirits 167
Chapter 13: Saying "Aloha" to the Hawaiian Style 185
Chapter 14: Jazzing Up Your Uke Playing 193
Chapter 15: Strumming Up the Jawaiian Style 201
Chapter 16: Getting Classy: Classical Masterpieces for Ukulele 207
Chapter 17: Ukuleleing the Holidays 217
Part 5: Buying and Looking After Your Ukulele 223
Chapter 18: Weighing Up Your Options When Buying a Ukulele 225
Chapter 19: Splashing Out on Essentials and Accessories 233
Chapter 20: Restringing, Maintaining, and Adjusting Your Uke 241
Part 6: The Part of Tens 251
Chapter 21: Ten Ukulele Players to Know 253
Chapter 22: Ten Ways to Get Involved in the Ukulele Scene 259
Chapter 23: Ten (or So) Tips for Improving Your Playing 265
Chapter 24: Ten Greatest Ukulele Chords 271
Part 7: Appendixes 279
Appendix A: Chord Charts 281
Appendix B: Reading Standard Musical Notation 285
Appendix C: Audio Tracks 291
Index 297
