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MasterClass

Jake Shimabukuro Teaches Ukulele

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Overview

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Called the “Jimi Hendrix of the ʻukulele,” Jake Shimabukuro won worldwide acclaim for his fresh and fearless musical interpretations. Now he’s sharing his approach so anyone can experience the joys of the ʻukulele, from the simple chords that make up hundreds of songs to more complex fingerings and compositions. Learn how to adapt songs you love for ʻukulele or write your own. Stop worrying and start strumming.

Syllabus

  • Meet Your Instructor: Jake Shimabukuro
    • Jake Shimabukuro is a virtuoso ʻukulele player and composer. He welcomes you to his class and shares what you’ll learn.
  • OO·koo·LEY·ley Basics
    • Learn how to pronounce, select, and tune your ʻukulele.
  • Holding Your ‘Ukulele
    • Jake demonstrates the proper way to hold your ʻukulele.
  • Navigating the Fretboard
    • Jake introduces you to fretboard navigation with his “elevator and floor” analogy, which he’ll reference throughout this class.
  • Strumming Techniques
    • Discover strumming techniques and how to get the best sound out of your ʻukulele.
  • Demystifying Chords
    • Jake introduces you to chord grouping. You’ll learn how to play one-finger chords, two-finger chords, three-finger chords, and stair chords.
  • Playing Advanced Chords
    • Jake teaches you advanced chord groupings, barre chords, the E-major chord, and higher-level techniques.
  • Melodic and Rhythmic Dimension
    • Learn about melody, rhythm, and dynamics in ʻukulele playing.
  • Finding Your Sound
    • Jake shares tools and techniques for developing your personal sound.
  • Mastering Vibrato
    • Find out Jake’s techniques for playing vibrato.
  • The Magic of Tremolo
    • Learn more advanced strumming techniques and how to achieve tremolo picking.
  • Tremolo Performance: “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”
    • Watch as Jake performs “While My Guitar Gently Weeps.”
  • Breaking Down the Classics: “Hallelujah”
    • Jake demonstrates how to learn a song by breaking it down with one of his signature covers, “Hallelujah.”
  • The Classics Performance: “Hallelujah”
    • Watch as Jake performs “Hallelujah.”
  • The Beauty of Harmonics
    • Explore Jake’s techniques for capturing harmonics.
  • Harmonics Performance: “Dragon”
    • Watch as Jake performs “Dragon.”
  • Arranging “Bohemian Rhapsody”
    • To help you learn how to arrange your favorite songs, Jake walks you through his arrangement of “Bohemian Rhapsody.”
  • Arranging Performance: “Bohemian Rhapsody”
    • Watch as Jake performs “Bohemian Rhapsody.”
  • Creating an Original Song
    • Jake creates an original song, in real time, just for this class. He takes you on a song creation journey from start to finish, showing his process, tricks, and inspiration.
  • Okage Sama De
    • Jake explains the meaning of this Japanese saying and encourages you to share what you’ve learned with others.

Taught by

Jake Shimabukuro

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