Jolly Roger Ukulele
On this website, you will learn to play ukulele at a high level even if you're a total beginner to music or the instrument. You will play with a far more sophisticated musical toolbox than most people ever learn on ukulele. You will also learn how to teach others (the right way) to play ukulele.
You're probably going to scan down this sheet looking for something "cool" to play. That is the wrong thing to do. You should start at the top and play everything in sequential order so you will build the proper toolbox of skills.
Sound Files: The MP3 files are to your right if you're on a computer or down below if you're on your phone. You can and should download them or listen to them one zillion times. You should always listen to the recording of a song prior to attempting it. You should also use a tempo slowing app and attempt to play along with the songs at a slow pace and then at increasing speeds until you can knock it out like a guru.
I have baritone ukulele versions of almost every topic on this page. For more information, see the Baritone page.
Print out the Progress Tracker to ensure you've worked on everything. (I'm updating it as I add content ... there's lots to come.) Don't skip around. Do them all. If you print out the sheet music, punch the left-handed pages on the right side so you can see two pages at once.
You might want to peek at the Teacher's Resources page. Once you can play in this style, you'll want to teach it to others. Start with Frère Jacques ... it's the key to everything else.
***
Introduction to Instrumental Ukulele: Book 1
Fingerpickin' Fingerstyle Fingerlickin' Fun
(Don't Lick Yer Fingers, It's Gross)
Play "Tuff" Ukulele the 17th Century Way
Before Your First Note
- Buying a ukulele and accessories PDF
- Tuning your ukulele three different ways PDF
- Proper posture when playing ukulele PDF
- Practice Log PDF
First Day in Ukulele
- Frère Jacques PDF ~ Lesson
- Strumming in the Key of A Major PDF ~ Lesson
- Make a Better Bar Worksheet PDF
- Ukulele Fretboard PDF
- Ukulele C Major Scale PDF ~ Lesson
- Key of C Strummers PDF ~ Lesson
Songs in the Key of C
- My Spaghetti Monster PDF ~ Lesson
- Three Blind Mice PDF ~ Lesson
- Brahms' Lullaby PDF ~ Lesson
- Yankee Doodle PDF ~ Lesson
- Key of C Arpeggio PDF
Songs in the Key of G
- Amazing Grace PDF
- Happy Birthday PDF ~ Lesson
- La Cucaracha PDF
- All Through the Night PDF ~ Lesson
- Home on the Range PDF
- Key of G Arpeggio PDF
Songs in the Key of F
Stretch Pieces
Final Exam
- Wouldn't it be helpful to prove you get it?
- Written exam from your teacher?
- Performance exam from the pieces above?
***
Introduction to Instrumental Ukulele: Book 2
Americana & Patriotic
- § After the Ball PDF
- America PDF
- America the Beautiful PDF
- Buffalo Gals PDF
- God Save the Queen PDF Coming Soon
- O Canada PDF
- Star Spangled Banner PDF Coming Soon
En Français
- § Alouette PDF
- Ah Vous Dirai-Je Maman PDF
- Au Claire de la Lune PDF
- Auprès de Ma Blonde PDF
- Frère Jacques Douloureux PDF
Ye Ole Ireland, Scotland and Wales
- Ash Grove PDF
- § Danny Boy PDF
- Last Rose of Summer PDF
- Minstrel Boy PDF
- Molly Malone PDF
- Whiskey in the Jar PDF
Italiano
Traditional Tunes of Mexico
Tin Pan Alley
- Ain't She Sweet (1927) PDF Coming Soon
- Ain't We Got Fun (1921) PDF
- Come Josephine in My Flying Machine (1910) PDF
- § Five Foot Two (1914) PDF
- Happy Days Are Here Again (1929) PDF Coming Soon
- If You Knew Suzie (1925) PDF
- I'll See You in My Dreams (1924) PDF
- It's Only a Paper Moon (1933) PDF Coming Soon
- Tip Toe Through the Tulips (1929) PDF Coming Soon
- Tonight You Belong to Me (1926) PDF
- Twelfth Street Rag PDF Coming Soon
- Ukulele Lady (1925) PDF
- Yes We Have No Bananas (1923) PDF
Celebrations
- Drunken Sailor PDF
- For He's a Jolly Good Fellow PDF
- Happy Birthday Blinky Style PDF
- § Vive La Companie PDF
In the Classical Tradition
Music for Cows
- Clementine PDF
- Colorado Trail PDF
- Down in the Valley PDF
- I've Been Working on the Railroad PDF
- Red River Valley PDF
- Streets of Laredo PDF
- Tom Dooley PDF
- You are My Sunshine PDF
Stephen Foster
- Beautiful Dreamer PDF
- Hard Times Come Again No More PDF
- Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair PDF
- Take Me Out to the Ballgame PDF Coming Soon
Bach, Ah, Bach-ish
- Menuett Suite in G major and minor (Petzold) PDF
Beethoven!
Spiritual
- Down by the Riverside PDF Coming Soon
- Lift Every Voice and Sing PDF Coming Soon
- This Little Light of Mine PDF
***
Book 3 Jumping Flea Arpeggiator
Book 4 Theory and Composition
Book 5 Non-Public Domain Songs
Book 6 Holiday Public Domain
Book 7 Holiday Non Public Domain
Introduction to Instrumental Ukulele: Theory and Composition
Have you written a new song today? Use the songwriting widget to pick a random key and then use these resources to create a new composition. Stop playing other people's music and build your legacy. A full textbook dedicated to music theory and composition using the ukulele is on its way.
***
The Holidays with Instrumental Ukulele: Public Domain
- Coming in fall 2020
***
What Else in the Member's Area?
Ain't We Got Fun, All I Ask of You, All of Me, Always Look on the Bright Side of Life, Annie's Song, Are You Lonesome Tonight, A Whole New World, Beautiful Dreamer, Be Our Guest, Blowin' in the Wind, Blue Hawaii, Both Sides Now, Bridge Over Troubled Water, Camptown Races, Can't Help Falling in Love, Can't Take My Eyes Off of You, Danny Boy, Don't Fence Me In, Don't Worry Be Happy, Do Re Mi, Downtown, Edelweiss, Eine Kleine Nachtmusik Medley, El Condor Pasa, Feeling Groovy, Fly Me to the Moon, Ghost Riders in the Sky, Give My Regards to Broadway, Girl from Ipanema, Happy Trails to You, Hard Times Come Again No More, Imagine, If You Knew Susie, It's a Small World, It's Only a Paper Moon, Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair, Lara's Theme, Last Rose of Summer, Lavender's Blue, Leaving on a Jet Plane, Little Boxes, Love Me Tender, Minstrel Boy, Molly Malone, Moon River, My Favorite Things, Norwegian Wood, Oh Susanna, Peter Cottontail, Puff the Magic Dragon, Rainbow Connection, Smile, Soft Kitty, Strawberry Fields Forever, Sound of Silence, Summertime, Sunshine on My Shoulders, Sweet Leilani, Take Me Home Country Roads, That's Amoré, This Land is Your Land, Three Little Birds, Tonight You Belong to Me, Ukulele Lady, What a Wonderful World, When You Wish Upon a Star, Whiskey in the Jar, Yankee Doodle Boy, Yes We Have No Bananas ... and probably more I forgot to keep track of here.
