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Welcome to the Uketropolis Gazette!
Medley Magic! Making Music Marvelous!
In this month's From the Vault, we throw back to a post from Michael Conway exploring the joy of medleys, a sequence of songs "glued together" by musical transitions and united by a common theme or style. They are fun to play and offer a great way...
Beethoven's Symphony No. 7
Back in 1812, Beethoven completed his seventh symphony. His works are powerful and this theme from the second movement of the piece is no exception; a mix of hope and tragedy, elation and despair. Beethoven himself considered it one of his best...
Rag That Uke!
What Is Ragtime, Really?
When most of us think of ragtime music we think of Scott Joplin’s piano rags and the music of his generation (ten years either side of 1900, say). But the basic style is older than that and there’s...
Snow Shovel Blues
This From the Vault throwback feels just right for this time of year—in the northern hemisphere, at least! Enjoy James' student-friendly blues tune, Snow Shovel Blues.
Download the free score in PDF format:
Why Improving Your Playing is the Most Enjoyable Way to Improve Your Teaching
This year-end From the Vault post harkens back to a holiday season article James crafted for a 2009 Ukulele Yes! issue. "After the rush and bustle and before school is back in session, take some time to play ukulele for your own enjoyment. Here's...
The Chameleon Chord
Break through that beginner's plateau with this all-too-often-overlooked chord shape. Learn how one chord shape can function as three different chords!
A jump back to September 2010 in this month's From the Vault where James shares...
Ukulele Lowdown: Adding a bass to your uke group
It ain't a party 'til the bass shows up! Uke/bass player Steve Boisen walks you through the essentials of adding bass to your group/jam including pointers on instrument selection and finding the right person for the job in this month's From the...
Learn To Play Hawai'i Aloha: Arrangement and Lesson
Learn to play Hawai'i Aloha on the ukulele, that you can learn for yourself and teach others. Continuing on with our recognition of the 'ukulele's birthday this week, celebrating the arrival of the Ravenscrag in Hawai'i in 1879.
Hawai'i Aloha...
Machetes and Rajãos and Taropatches, Oh My!
In this month's From the Vault, we look back at John King's 2008 Ukulele Yes! article, shedding light on some of the early history of the 'ukulele and its predecessors in late-nineteenth century Hawaii.
If you enjoy learning about...
How to Lead a Great Ukulele Jam
