ukulele - NEXT STEPS
This course is designed to help those wanting to get off that ukulele plateau and get to the next level and follows on from Matt’s Intermediate course. This course features many hour long lessons and are as close as you can get to individual one-to-one lessons with Matt.
All of Matt's YouTube videos are a free resource but if you have found them especially useful and feel you would like to donate towards the running costs and help Matt do more you can follow the links below to help out:
£3 Virtual Coffee – https://theukeroom.com/product/3-virtual-coffee/
£5 High Five – https://theukeroom.com/product/5-virtual-high-five-donation/
Or if you prefer you can drop Matt a virtual tip in his jar by paypal: https://paypal.me/ukeroom
1. WELCOME!
MATT IS BACK! Here’s a short introduction to the new course: Ukulele - Next Steps. This course is designed to help those wanting to get off that ukulele plateau and get to the next level and follows on from Matt’s Intermediate course.
2. YOUR FIRST JAZZ CHORDS - AUTUMN LEAVES
In this first video in a brand new course Matt teaches you your first jazz chords and we apply them to the jazz standard Autumn Leaves. We’ll learn how two simple chord progressions will allow you to be hundreds of songs.
3. CHORD MELODY IN F - DEAR LIZA
In this new video Matt teaches you a really simple but beautiful chord melody and uses it to show you some important techniques including, playing in F major, making sure chord qualities show through, right and technique and some improvisation.
4. TWO PART HARMONY
In this video Matt teaches how to create your own two part harmonies - using intervals to add a harmony to a melody. You’ll learn how harmony works and how understanding this technique will allow you to create your own beautiful arrangements.
5. HOW TO STRUM LIKE JAKE SHIMABUKURO
In this video Matt teaches how strum like Jake Shimabukuro. We look at a really nice strumming rhythm that gives you the flavour of Jake style strumming, see how Jake uses an open G note on many chords to create nice texture and we learn The Beatles classic While My Guitar Gently Weeps. As always Matt goes into a lot of detail and shows you the crucial little details that many tutorials forget to show you.
6. JAZZ STANDARD CHORD MELODY - LOVE LETTERS
In this video Matt teaches you a full jazz standard chord melody - Love Letters. We explore playing techniques, learn how to understand the music directions, and have a glimpse into how the piece was arranged.
7. PLAY CHORDS ALL OVER FRETBOARD WITH 3 SHAPES
In this video Matt teaches you 3 moveable chord shapes that will allow you to play chords all over the fretboard. This is the next step in formalising your moveable chord knowledge from earlier videos and an important step in moving forwards with your playing. As always Matt goes into a lot of detail and shows you the crucial little details that many tutorials forget to show you.
8. SILENT NIGHT CHORD MELODY
In this video we’ll use all the skills we’ve worked on so far to arrange and play a beautiful chord melody of Silent Night. You’ll learn how chord melody works, learn about arranging, play some chords up the fretboard and work on right hand technique.
9. INTRODUCTION TO CLAWHAMMMER UKULELE
In this Video Matt introduces you to clawhammer ukulele. We’ll look at what clawhammer is, master the bum-ditty technique and put it into action in the great old time tune Wildwood Flower.
10. CLAWHAMMER ACCOMPANIMENT
In this video we’ll look at how to play Clawhammer Ukulele as an accompaniment for vocals or soloists. Matt will show you how to add beautiful ornamentation such as hammer ons to create a really lovely alternative to strumming on Old Time and Bluegrass songs. We’ll use the song I’ll Fly Away to explore this technique.
11. SHIMMY LIKE MY SISTER KATE -
SYNCOPATION & EXTENDED CHORDS
In this Video Matt shows you how to play the classic Wish I Could Shimmy Like My Sister Kate (the chord progression used in Barry Maz’s brilliant Got A Ukulele reviews!) Crammed into this hour workshop you’ll learn all about the sunshine chord progression, tension and resolution, V7 - I chords, syncopation and dynamics. You’ll also learn about 9th chords and much more besides.
12. MASTERING THE SPLIT STRUM - 12TH STREET RAG
In this Video Matt shows you how to master the split strum - a really amazing syncopated pattern that allows you to really showboat and have heaps of fun. We’ll learn the basics and then add more detail as we go along. Then we’ll apply it to the brilliant ragtime song 12th Street Rag.
13. ADDING SOME FLARE! CRAZY G!
In this Video Matt shows you how to master the super fun Crazy G. Using many of the methods we have learned such as triplets and chucking, we’ll break the song down into manageable chunks and piece it together in detail. By the end of the lesson you’ll have an amazing new tune to add to your repertoire! As always Matt goes into a lot of detail and shows you the crucial little details that many tutorials forget to show you.
14. EXTENDED CHORDS: HONEYSUCKLE ROSE
In this video Matt teaches you the classic Fats Waller tune Honeysuckle Rose. This is a full workshop of nearly an hour covering all sorts of important topics such as ii V I progressions, the difference between major and dominant chords, chord extensions, right hand dynamics and more.
15. TROUBLE IN MIND PART 1: TURNAROUNDS & CHORD SWAPS
This is the first of two videos looking at the brilliant 8 bar blues song trouble In Mind. In this first part we learn all about 8 bar blues, the relationship between chords and start to add chord extensions, swaps and turnarounds.
16. TROUBLE IN MIND PART 2: FINGERPICKING PATTERNS
This is the second video looking at the brilliant 8 bar blues song trouble In Mind. We’ll explore picking patterns, learning picking technique, dynamics and varying patterns to suit the chord structure.
17. TROUBLE IN MIND PART 3: SOLING WITH BLUES SCALE
This is the third and final video looking at the brilliant 8 bar blues song trouble In Mind. In this video we dip our toes into improvisation losing blues scales. As well as learning the standard blues scale Matt will show you the little used (but brilliant) major blues scale and show you a neat trick to help you remember them and play in any key.
18. CLASSICAL UKULELE - BRAHMS' LULLABY: CHORD MELODY
By popular demand we’ll be looking at a classical piece for ukulele. With this piece we’ll practice our finger style, learn how to make the melody shine through chord changes, and take a look at vibrato. And of course, you’ll be able to play Lullaby by Johannes Brahms.
19. HOW TO WORK OUT SONGS BY EAR - LIKE A ROLLING STONE
Grab yourself a coffee! In this epic hour long lesson Matt teaches you how to work out songs by ear the best way - actually trying it for real. We use special techniques to work out the key of the music and then every single chord. Not only will you learn how to work out chords by ear, you’ll learn about the structure of songs.
20. CHORD MELODY ARRANGEMENT - HONEYSUCKLE ROSE
In this final instalment of the Ukulele Next Steps series Matt takes you through a chord melody arrangement of Honeysuckle Rose step by step. This lesson is separate to, but builds upon, the previous Honeysuckle Rose video where we learned the chords and rhythm. This lesson is designed to showcase everything that you have learned in the course so far.
21. CONCLUSION, THANKS AND WHAT'S NEXT
This wraps up the Ukulele Next Steps course. Don’t worry - Matt will be back late April with more new content! Here Matt says thanks, signposts you to more learning and explains what’s coming up next.