Learn to Play the Ukulele The Flying Spaghetti Monster Way

Level 00-01 * Home

Who should use this method? If you bought a good ukulele, and are planning on taking lessons from a qualified music instructor, you do NOT need this method. Go away. On the other hand, if somebody gave you a ukulele, or you found one in a trash can, or you bought the cheapest one you could find, and you've decided to save the money you should spend on a qualified teacher and pour those funds into beer, then you're probably in the right place. How this works: I will make fun of you often and myself occasionally. If you've never had a smack down from a buddy, then you might get your feelings hurt at some point in these lessons. Maybe you should quit now ... ya big sissy. I love the ukulele, and I take it quite seriously, but I do understand the fun and comedy it engenders. I also understand the pain and suffering learning any musical instrument entails, and if you don't have somebody mocking you mercilessly all the way along, you'll feel like this is too fun, and clearly it's not. What you need: A plain old ukulele tuned to high G. In lesson 00-02 you will learn more specifics about the type of ukulele you have in your hand, and how to tune it. God save your soul if you go there. What you will learn: I will be working on developing this method for a long time into the future. Come back often and see what's new. I will focus in on musical skills you can use to play any instrument, but we'll use the ukulele as our primary plague upon humanity. You should know I own almost every ukulele method ever written, so I'll make sure to steal all the good ideas out of those and include them here. I'll also include a few of the bad ideas to see if you take the bait. What are the levels: These are still up for revision, but I think they'll be: Level 00: Information I think is important. (Everybody.) Level 01: Melodic playing. (Every player should do this section.) Level 02: Chord playing basics. (For those new to ukulele. Warning: You will sing.) Level 03: Solo skills. Combining chords and melody. (Most people never get here.) Level 04: Theory: Major and minor scales. (The stuff you think you hate.) Level 05: Fancy voicings. (A bundle of genre specific techniques.) Level 06: Putting it all together. Advanced solos and ensembles. (Advanced players.) Level 07: Composing. (Why aren't you playing your own music?) Level 08: Arranging and Performing. (How to become famous.) Level 09: Advanced stylings. (How to become infamous.) Finally, who the hell am I? My name is Gary Jugert. I live in Denver. I've moved six blocks away from my childhood home so I'm really getting somewhere in life. Everybody who knows me thinks I'm the "ukulele guy." Anybody who plays the ukulele has no idea who I am because I mainly play in my basement. I hope to change that soon. I used to be a high school teacher, but being a teacher these days isn't what it used to be. I have taken years and years of piano instruction, I've been playing the ukulele for a long time too. I've written several full-length musicals for the ukulele. I write a lot, drink coffee too much, and like cats.

We stole the skull from here. Mammoth Gardens home page is here.