avatar-me-color-64x

Curt Sheller • All Things `Ukulele and Jazz Guitar

The Basics and Beyond!!! Take your playing to the next level.
The Internet's largest collection of information for ukulele and jazz guitar.

Online lessons for guitar, ukulele and general music

All lessons are FREE.

Searching for Lessons

With the number of lessons at 146 and growing, it can, at times, be hard to find what you're looking for. I created the lessons and have a hard time finding the right lesson at times.

Here is a page of lesson summaries of all lessons.

I also use the Lessons Search page to find lessons.

toon_BlogWelcome to the online lessons section of the site. We, I, Me is-are a small independent publishing company catering to the musical needs of musicians worldwide. My site includes resources, links, lessons, TABs, play-along tracks, videos and related goodies to help you develop as a musician and enjoy your choosen instrument to the fullest.

I started my publishing “empire” of one in 1995 with the QuickStart Series of Scale Fingering books and have been on the web ever since. I have over 40 years of playing experience and 20 plus years of private teaching experience. I have authored over 40 books for guitar and ukulele. I have peformed and presented concerts, clinics and workshops across the USA at various ukulele festivals and shows.

toon_168058WhoMeTaking advantage of my jazz guitar skills, I began pursuing the potential of the ukulele. Researching the field I saw very little material organized at an intermediate or advanced level that really worked for players wanting to explore the ukulele beyond the basics. I have developed an international reputation as a ukulele educator having written many books on the subject of ukulele.

There are over 146 lessons available, pretty much all are FREE. With more being added all the time.

For new and updated lessons visit the New & Updated Lessons page. latest lessons

toon_MerlinDon't be fooled into thinking, what most ukulele players will tell you that the ukulele is an easy instrument to learn. A few basic open position chords and simple strums are relatively easy to learn. Beyond the basics it gets a little harder. So, don't be fooled into thinking that there is a magic potion for learning the ukulele, or any instrument. ( PS. I just really wanted to use the wizard cartoon. )

The music you play can be as simple or complex as you want. The Ukulele is a powerful musical instrument for communication.

CoolidgeCalvin“Press on: Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.”

Calvin Coolidge, The 30th. President [1923-1929]

Study With Curt Sheller Monthly Plans - Sign UP Today!!!

Get personalized one-on-one guidance, at your own pace, anytime and anywhere in the world.

I have between 40 to 70 private guitar, bass and ukulele students a week and everyone one them is different. They each have different goals and experience they bring to the lessons. Every student receives a lesson customized, based on their goals and what they needed to accomplish their goals.

Just as there wouldn't be one book that I could use for every student. There can't be one single web site organization that would work for all visitors and students. Believe me I tried, it really needs to be customized to the individual player and student's goals.

toon_JungleWhat most players really need is a guide or coach to help them pick and choose their way through the vast amount of material available, more in today's Internet age then ever. Your the Explorer and I'll be your Guide. I've done the organization and work - you can benefit from this.

toon_AhYes!That's just what I'm now offering, my personal guidance and coaching - one-on-one private lessons. It would be the same as if you where a current private student of you could travel to my home studio for lessons - but, a lot cheaper. My private, in-studio lesson fee is $100 to $125 for a month of one half hour each, one-on-one lesson. For as low as $39 a month I'll guide you through the maze of material available on my site. Using email, skype and phone I'll give you that personal one-on-one treatment that all my private students get. The price also includes access to any of my books as free downloads that we use as part of the lessons and my custom premium play-along tracks. It will be like getting a master class whenever you like.

Lessons can be taken using video via skype or even a speaker phone.

Both Personal One-on-one Coaching and Lesson Plans include:
  • Initial analysis and assessment of your current skills and goals
  • Personal Student Assets & Resources for books, lessons, songs and session notes.
  • Personalized plan and learning materials
  • FREE downloads of any of my books used in your sessions using your Student Assets & Resources
  • Unlimited private email correspondence
  • Unlimited 24/7 access to ALL your Student Assets & Resources, including premium play-along tracks and their lead sheets
  • Unlimited 24/7 access to downloads of any of my books used in your sessions
  • Full access to online student forum and discussion. ( coming at a later date )

These are introductory offers good for 2012. After that there will most likely be a price increase. However, all active students will NOT be subject to any price increase as long as they remain active students.

Two Personal One-on-One Sessions a Month for $39

Four Personal One-on-One Sessions a Month for $59

Annual Site Membership - $39

With the Curt Sheller Publications Site Membership plan you'll get full access to my Premium Lessons and Play-along tracks. As well as a future student/site forum and email access to me for questions.

New Premium Lessons Series for Ukulele and General Music

  • Fingerpicking on Ukulele - Alternating Thumb Style - This series will explore fingerpicking styles on ukulele starting with a through look at the Alternating Thumb style. This style was made famous,on guitar by musicians like Merle Travis and Chet Atkins.
  • Harmonic Analysis - Harmonic Analysis (HA) is the process used to determine the harmonic function of chords within a chord progression. A chord progression is defined as a sequence of chords, each chord has a root and has a particular chord type. The relationship of a chord's root to a scale determines its function within that scale's tonality.
  • QuickStart Chord Progressions - The QUICKSTART Rhythm Section Play-along Tracks are 24 unique styles designed for learning to solo in variety of contemporary styles. Each track is devoted to a scale covered in the QUICKSTART Scale Fingerings for Lead Guitar (suitable for ANY instrument). There are four background tracks for each scale featuring the chords of the scale. These tracks give you the opportunity to explore the sound of each scale in a lead setting.
  • Core Chords for Ukulele, The Big Six - From four F7 chord voicings or shapes, your can build your massive 4-part, a.k.a., “jazz” chord vocabulary. Beyond basic open position chords, basic movable form chords and a core set of 4-part chords. There are just too many chords shapes too memorize. Learning the principles of how chords are constructed and the ukulele fingerboard are the way to go. Then you can create more advanced chords like 9#11, 7#5-9, 13b5, 7+9 on the fly as needed.

After selecting your monthly lesson/subscription plan and completing the PayPal transaction you will be redirected to a page to create your username, password and fill in some additional information.

I'm looking forward to helping with your music goals and thanks for signing up.

curt

Instrument Specific Information

For instrument specific lessons and other great lesson related information visit these sections.

Instrument Specific

  • Ukulele lessons

    Many of the ukulele lessons have been updated and expanded in to what I'm calling Premium Lessons. These lessons come as a professionally formated PDF file that looks great when printed out. I'll also be adding video and audio examples to many of the lessons.

  • Guitar
  • Bass Guitar
  • Music Theory and such

Miscellaneous

Getting Started

Taking a survey of your instrument and music knowledge is a start to creating a well rounded plan for development and furthering your ukulele enjoyment.

toon_uke_band
UKESTRUM1-cover-rotated

Hard Copy Book: $7.95
PDF Download: $4.95

“A strum is the execution of a rhythmic pattern — in a specific style”

A Guide to Ukulele Strums

One of the first skills a ukulele player learns is the art and craft of strumming, playing rhythm. This refers to an accompaniment technique suitable for the singer, singer - songwriter or someone who plays a support role for another instrument.

Strumming requires a specific set of skills. They are: 1) Memorization of chords 2) The ability to switch chords smoothly and 3) The ability to choose and execute a suitable rhythmic strum. It is this 3rd skill that is our focus in “A Guide to Ukulele Strums & Rhythmic Patterns”.

Though strumming looks natural to the casual observer, it is anything but natural to the beginning ukulele player. Even experienced players have difficulty in identifying and executing certain strums. Though this is one of those topics that is typically taken for granted, there is much to learn about rhythmic feels, accents, dynamics, strum direction, feel, percussive accents, idiomatic styles and tempo variation.

First and foremost, the subject of strumming is inseparably linked to rhythm. Though an ability to read rhythm is helpful, it’s not necessary to profit from this material.

More info and complete samples of entire book.

avatar-me-color-64x

Thanks for visiting and checking out the site!

Content is always being added and updated. So check-in often. Thanks, Curt

UL20 - INDEX.PHP | Updated: Wednesday, 04th April, 2012 @ 08:54am

Top of Page