Ukulele Jazz is an online course of jazz ukulele lessons aimed at intermediate and advanced ukulele players. That said, it's easy to get started with jazz. If you're a beginner, here's what we recommend to get started: 

1. Check out James' free introduction to ukulele jazz.
2. Watch this step-by-step tutorial for the song Satin Doll.
3. Take a beginner-level course here at Uketropolis. For absolute-beginners there's the $1 course Ready, Steady, UKULELE! For "advanced beginners" there's BOOSTER UKE, our most popular course.

All of the above! In each online lesson, James demonstrates singing and strumming and gives in-depth insights on the song you're working on. For instrumentalists, every song includes customizable backing tracks; mute melody or chords, speed up, slow down and loop for practice. For those especially interested in learning soloing on the ukulele, Ukulele Jazz includes a 6-part mini-course called IMPROV 101 which is entirely devoted to the art of improvisation on ukulele.

Yes. You control how the music is displayed on your device. For every song you can show (or hide) TAB, notation, chord diagrams and lyrics. We've included audio and video recordings of every piece so that you also have the option to learn by ear. It's up to you!

Ukulele Jazz course includes 12 jazz ukulele lessons of 12 classic songs, all of which are considered classics in the Jazz repertoire:

• St. Louis Blues
• Ja-Da
• I'll See You In My Dreams
• I Ain't Got Nobody
• There'll be some changes made
• Somebody Loves Me
• Avalon
• Indiana
• Some of These Days
• It Had To Be You
• Look For the Silver Lining
• After You've Gone

The course is carefully structured and gradually increases in difficulty from lesson to lesson. When you register you'll get full access to all the material so you can navigate the course as you wish. Here is the full outline of the jazz ukulele lessons and course outline:

Introduction

• Welcome to Ukulele Jazz!
• Ukulele Size and Tuning
• Ukulele: A doorway to Jazz
• Why does Jazz sound Jazzy?
• Strumming and Picking in Jazz

Chapter 1: It Begins with the Blues

• Introduction to Chapter 1
• St. Louis Blues
  • Part 1: Starting In Style
  • Part 2: Shish Kebab
• Ja-Da
  • Part 1: So Many 7s, So Little Time
  • Part 2: The Diminished 7 Chord
  • Part 3: The Fancy Version
• I'll See You In My Dreams
  • Part 1: Dreamboat
  • Part 2: Houston, We Have A Problem
  • Part 3: The Flat 9
• I Ain't Got Nobody
  • Part 1: Going Down?
  • Part 2: One, Six, Two, Five
  • Part 3: Form

Chapter 2: The Mighty Two-Five

• Introduction to Chapter 2
• There'll Be Some Changes Made
  • Part 1: Road Trip
  • Part 2: Dressed Up To the Nines
  • Part 3: The Jazz Lift
• Somebody Loves Me
  • Part 1: Surprise!
  • Part 2: Got Rhythm?
  • Part 3: The Bridge
• Avalon
  • Part 1: All Aboard the Two-Five Train
  • Part 2: Stretch vs. Reach
  • Part 3: Count Them All!
• Indiana
  • Part 1: It's All Coming Together
  • Part 2: A-flat Minor 7
  • Part 3: F13
  • Part 4: The Amazing 6/9 Chord

Chapter 3: Improv 101

• Introduction
• What is improvisation?
• Jazz is change
• Diatonic vs. chromatic
• Playing the changes
• Chord slicing
• Demo 1: Ja-Da
• Demo 2: I’ll See You In My Dreams

Chapter 4: Anything Goes

• Introduction to Chapter 4
• Some of These Days
  • Part 1: Death By Chocolate
  • Part 2: Let's Get Minimal
• It Had To Be You
  • Part 1: That Major 7 Sound
  • Part 2: Ketchup in a Bottle
• Look For the Silver Lining
  • Part 1: Bar Exam
  • Part 2: Feel
• After You've Gone
  • Part 1: The Whole-tone Scale
  • Part 2: Re-phrasing the Melody
• Congratulations!

Yes! In fact, the first ukulele jazz album was Lyle Ritz's landmark recording How About Uke?, released in 1957 on the Verve label. 50th State Jazz was released in 1959. Both records became very popular in Hawaii and started a wave of new ukulele players. Since then, ukulele and jazz have been two peas in a pod.

Blues is the foundation of jazz. So it's no surprise that the Ukulele Jazz online course begins with a piece called "St. Louis Blues." "St. Louis Blues" was a hugely influential 1914 song that helped to bridge the gap between the sound of the blues and the new sound of jazz. It was one of the first blues songs to succeed as a pop song and remains a fundamental part of jazz musicians' repertoire. As you learn "St. Louis Blues" you will also be learning some of the signature phrasing, "blue notes" and syncopated rhythms that form the language of both blues and jazz.

Improvisation (making up a melody on-the-fly) is the lifeblood of jazz but it can seem mystifying and intimidating at first. That's why Ukulele Jazz also includes a mini-course called IMPROV 101. In this course, James shows you simple, practical approaches to jazz improvisation that will get you started with improv regardless of your level of experience.

Yes! You can do it. Step 1: sign up for Ukulele Jazz lessons online! Step 2: listen to jazz. Lots of jazz. You need to let jazz get under your skin. Listen, listen, listen. Play, play, play. That's the only way to learn jazz. And remember, jazz is a lifelong journey. Enjoy the ride!

Yes. If you're not satisfied with the course for any reason within 30 days of registering, simply let us know and we'll refund 100% of your fee. No hard feelings!