Once again, we are reaching back to the original Ukulele Yes! print magazine, this time with an article by J. Chalmers Doane who teaches you how you can use the ukulele as a vocal harmony generator.

From Ukulele Yes! Vol. 5. (1976). p. 12.

The fact that singing is the best way to train the ear is pretty well accepted within the music educational community. However, the excitement and musical thr...

Ready for a scale game that's competitive, addictive, and requires no electricity, batteries, apps or devices? We're throwing back to this great post by Suzanne Doane for this month's From the Vault, sharing a tried-and-true game for ukulele students of all ages: The Eliminator Game! 

We all know that the scale is a basic component of every musician's vocabulary. Playing it with ease and familiar...

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 for the novice arranger/composer to test new creative waters.

THE "IZ FACTOR"

Israel Kamakawiwo'ole's Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful Worl...

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 works. We hope you enjoy exploring this two-part arrangement of it on your own or with your students. 

Download free scores (Print-friendly PDF format): 
...

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: 

• C6 tuning
• D6 tuning

Snow Shovel Blues is a fun, open-ended blues tune. With the idea of engaging both left- and right-brain learners in this fun song, James has included a number o...

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 why it'll make you be a better teacher and here's a piece for you to sink your teeth into on your own time." 

(By the way, if you're interested in learn...

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 Vault throwback post from June 2011.  

If you're keen to learn the ukulele, then you're in the right place! Uketropolis is the best online ukulele 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, written by Christian minister Lorenzo Lyons (d. 1886), is the much-adored "unofficial anthem" of Hawai'i. It is sung in the streets, at private gatherings,...