Adam Traum – Ukulele for Guitar Players: 1. The Basics

Adam Traum – Ukulele for Guitar Players: 1. The Basics

Adam Traum has created a set of ukulele lessons that’s taught from a guitar player’s perspective. In this first of two lessons, he demonstrates the similarities and differences between the ukulele and guitar, and shows how to take first position guitar chord knowledge and immediately apply it to the ukulele. Adam starts with the foundations of how the two instruments are related, and he discusses the choices between reentrant, or high G tuning, and low G. He quickly gets into basic two- and three-chord songs in multiple keys, teaching right hand techniques as well as chord inversions and other tips and tricks to get you playing right away.

Adam Traum has created a set of basic ukulele lessons that’s taught from a guitar player’s perspective. In this first of two lessons, he demonstrates the similarities and differences between the ukulele and guitar, and shows how to take first position guitar chord knowledge and immediately apply it to the ukulele.

Adam starts with the foundations of how the two instruments are related, and he discusses the choices between reentrant, or high G tuning, and low G. He quickly gets into basic two- and three-chord songs in multiple keys, teaching right hand techniques as well as chord inversions and other tips and tricks to get you playing right away. The lesson progresses with closed position chords that contain easy licks and phrases that will make the relatively simple songs more interesting.

In the lesson, Adam covers He’s Got the Whole World in His Handsin C, F and Bb; Down By the Riversidein C, F and G; When the Saints Go Marching In in C, A and D; Roll in My Sweet Baby’s Arms in F and Bb. He closes the lesson with the picking-hand driven CuckooBird, which incorporates a banjo-like clawhammer technique that’s accessible but still challenging.