Lyzy Lusterman

Livestream Ukulele: Online Events Calendar

Virtual uke jams, meet ups, lessons, and performances are a a great way to stay connected while you’re practicing safe social distancing. RECURRING EVEN... Read More...

How to Choose (and Install) a New Set of Strings for Your Ukulele

After a ukulele is built, the biggest impact on its tone (besides the player) is the choice of strings. There are a variety of different string types from which to choose and the strings you like best on one ukulele might not be your choice on another uke, so don’t be afraid of restringing to find the right string for you and your uke.... Read More...

Shutdown Skills Series: Give an Old Song New Tricks with Chord Substitutions

By adding substitution chords, you can create more movement within a piece, give yourself variety, and add harmonic interest. One of the best things about using substitutions is that they can make any old song sound new again!... Read More...

Shutdown Skills Series: How to Play George Formby’s Legendary Split Stroke

This is a demanding strum to do well but, once you get it, it’s an exciting ukulele technique to know and add to many styles of music.... Read More...

Shutdown Skills Series: Blues Up Your Ukulele

With almost every ukulele club in the world singing songs identified with Lead Belly, like “Goodnight Irene,” “Midnight Special,” and “Rock Island Line,”we’re left with one simple question: What if the 12-string guitar-slinging Lead Belly had been a ukulele player?... Read More...

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Shutdown Skills Series: How to Solo on Ukulele

In this lesson, you’ll learn an approach inspired by the blues guitar lexicon. It can also come in handy for rock and country soloing, as both of those genres are infused with the blues.... Read More...

Shutdown Skills Series: How To Determine What Chord Comes Next

What if I told you that after hearing the first two chords of a song, you could reasonably guesstimate the remainder of the chord progression?... Read More...

Shutdown Skills Series: James Hill Teaches the Pentatonic Scale

Whether you’re a strummer, a hummer, a picker, or a singer, you need to know the pentatonic scale. The good news is it’s easy to play...... Read More...

Shutdown Skills Series: Understanding Chord Progressions

Chords tend to move in certain predictable patterns, and when you’re aware of these patterns you recognize them when you hear them in a song. This makes it easy to learn new tunes.... Read More...

the beatles ukulele john lennon ringo starr george harrison paul mccartney uke lessons learn tips chords uke chords

Shutdown Skills Series: The Beatles Ukulele Lesson

The Beatles’ music began to evolve when the primary songwriters, Lennon and McCartney, started using more complex, extended chords and non-diatonic chords (chords not found in the major scale). When the sentiment of the lyrics perfectly matches the emotional value of the chords is when the musical magic takes place.... Read More...