Find out the latest from the world of Learn to Uke – lessons, workshops & more!

Cerys Matthews’ Learn To Uke Strummers…

Well, it happened. A lovely bunch of @learntouke competition winners and Learn To Uke course alumni took to the stage with the wonderfully talented Cerys Matthews last night, for Book Slam at the Clapham Grand. The Welsh Singer, Songwriter, Broadcaster (listen to her gorgeous voice every Sunday morning from 10am-12pm on BBC 6 Music) and Writer was promoting her new book in old London Town.  Didn’t know Cerys has written a sing along book? – Hook, Line and Singer: A Sing-a-long Book which is good for all the family. Apparently, even after all the years she has spent in the music business, she loves nothing more than to sing in good company. We agree.  It has to be said that the lady has great taste.  Sing and play along we did.  We had a fantastic time!  

See the photos here:  (thanks to Sharon G for taking them)

The gang warming up over a few drinks

The gang warming up over a few drinks

Cerys on stage on her own

Cerys on stage on her own

During the Performance

During the Performance

 

Win! 2 Tickets! Strum with Cerys Matthews!

You could strum along with Cerys Matthews!

 

You can go and sing and strum with the gorgeous Cerys Matthews next Thursday, for Book Slam at the Clapham Grand. That’s right! The Welsh Singer, Songwriter, Broadcaster (listen to her gorgeous voice every Sunday morning from 10am-12pm on BBC 6 Music) and Writer. Yes! Cerys is a writer, and she has written a sing along book Hook, Line and Singer: A Sing-a-long Book which is good for all the family. Even after all the years she has spent in the music business, she loves nothing more than to sing in good company. The lady has great taste. So, what better way to spread the word about it than to invite amateur musicians to play and sing-a-long with her? I, for one, will be right there in the front row!

Want to win the chance to sing and play-a-long with Cerys? All you have to do is follow and RT the competition on @learntouke or like our facebook page then share and comment on the competition link to win! Winners will be notified on Wednesday 12 June.

If you don’t win, you can always grab yourself a ticket, and read all about the event here. And, to prepare yourself, you should download a copy of the song sheet O Susanna that we’ll be playing with Cerys. Exciting!

Want to get ahead of the curve? Grab yourself a copy of Cerys’s Book before the event! Go here to buy a copy!

Ukulele Lesson for School children… Trouble by Taylor Swift…

I don’t often post about the work I do in schools, but sometimes, little miracles happen that I just have to share.  This was one such fun ukulele lesson for school children, which was caught on record.  I hastily prepared the song ‘Trouble’ by Taylor Swift, and took it along for my after school club.  I didn’t expect them to love it as much as they did.  Listen towards the end, you’ll hear a cute hiccough and a lot of giggles.  :)

How to play the G chord on ukulele

If you are getting stuck with your ukulele G chord, and when you play it, it sounds wrong, make sure you are using the very tips of your fingers to press down on the strings, and make sure you’re pressing down hard enough so the notes within the chord are ringing out clearly.  Here’s a video to help you with this:

More blogs to help you:

See how to play Bb chord on the ukulele, here.

How to play the E chord, on the ukulele here.

Get a free ukulele chord chart (and help with how to read it) from here.

Do you want 6 basic strum patterns to get you going? See more here.

If you’re in London, UK, you’ll learn this in our courses. Book your course to join us in London.

If you’re not, please support us on Patreon so you can get access to all our upcoming online tutorials and challenges.