Uke Camp
@Beach Nana’s
What is Uke Camp?
Uke Camp is a place to begin your ukulele journey. Even if you have no prior experience with playing an instrument, you can learn to play the ukulele and we are here to help. We’ve mapped out the basic skills and knowledge you’ll need and provided simple practice ideas to help you learn and remember them. In these six “stops” on the Uke Camp Learning Map you’ll move from absolute zero playing skills to strumming along with us. Let’s do this together!
Here’s what you will find at Uke Camp…
This is the basic info you’ll need to learn your first chords. We’ll look at the parts of the uke, how to hold it, and even how to tune it.
We’ll look at chord diagrams and how to use lead sheets. Equipped with this info, we can work through our first song.
Learn the relationship between keys, notes, and chords, and then jump into learning a few more chords and another song in the ukulele-friendly key of C.
We’ll look at the chords in the Key of C and learn what chord families are all about. Then we’ll try a new song.
The key of G gives us the opportunity to learn the F# chord. We’ll tackle chord progressions and how they are a “shortcut” to learning songs!
We’ll look at the chords in the Key of F and learn a little about sharps and flats (the key of F has one flat). Then we’ll try a new song that uses your first barre chord.
Take your time wandering through these 6 stops on the learning map. Revisit stops for extra practice. Practice the sample songs and, most of all, have fun!
Frequently Asked Questions About Uke Camp
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Each lesson includes a written section and then goes on to apply that information using a video tutorial. The lesson wraps up with what and how to practice the skills taught in the lesson and encourages you to follow your progress by using the “Practice Journal Pages” provided.
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That truly depends on you. How often you practice, your level of finger strength and dexterity, and what related music skill you bring with you.
For an absolute beginner, with no previous music training, and regular practice 4-5 days each week, you can make very good progress through Uke Camp’s lessons and finish in about four months.
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Like learning any new skill, practice is essential. We recommend practicing at least 10-30 minutes each day (or on most days of the week). But, in the beginning, it is fine to keep practice to 5-10 minutes each day while your fingers build calluses.
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Uke Camp has three core differences:
First, we focus on learning about Chord Families instead of random chords. That gives you a head start on learning chords that work well together in many songs.
Second, as a perpetual student myself, I know practice is both essential and often challenging. Knowing what to practice and how to practice can make a huge difference in your skills. So, we map out what and how to practice and encourage you to use the Practice Journal pages in each lesson to track your progress.
And, finally, our play-along videos are chords only- no singing! We love to sing but when you’re learning chords it can be distracting. So we focus on just chord play-along videos so you can see and hear what we are teaching more clearly. Of course, YOU are welcome to sing along!
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No! Just your time and energy.
Sign up with your email address and get started. The lessons in this series are free.
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We provide lead sheets with chords and lyrics for each song used in a Chord Family unit - that would amount to 8 lead sheets in total. Each is a downloadable PDF you can save to your device or print out.
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Since practice is a focus of Beach Nana Ukulele and Uke Camp, we encourage players to document their progress in a journal.
The Practice Journal Pages provided in each lesson, will not only help you track your progress but also offer reminders on what to practice.
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That’s a good question! Any soprano, concert, or tenor-sized ukulele will work fine for these lessons.
The Baritone size will not be suitable since the tuning is different.
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Beach Nana offers email support if you have questions about a lesson. Just go to the Contact page, and let us know your Uke Camp or ukulele questions.
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Just sign up with your name and email address and then get started!
We won’t share your information with any third party and you will receive emails from us only regarding Uke Camp.
Meet Beach Nana
Yes, you can learn to play the ukulele!
As a perpetual student myself, I understand how a little challenge can make learning a lot of fun. I’ll share the best tips and lessons I’ve learned from teachers, online courses, books, and YouTube to help you launch a marvelous ukulele adventure.
Ready to get started?
Register for Uke Camp with just your name and email address.
We won’t share your information with third parties and promise to send only Uke Camp-related emails including email support for your lessons.
No worries- signing up for Uke Camp does NOT subscribe you to our newsletter.
Get anytime access to our collection of beginner's classes. Including song tutorials and practice tips.