Lessons | Ukulele for jazz singers

Vocal warm ups on the first four frets

Apr 6, 2019 | Ukulele basics, Vocal & ukulele exercises

Today we’ll see how we can get two benefits out of one exercise. We’re going to do some vocal warm...

Playing the roots – part 1

Apr 20, 2019 | Ear training, Jazz chords

The best and easiest way to start learning the harmony for a song is to play just the roots of each chord. In this lesson we’ll learn to play the bass notes on the ukulele while we sing the song.

The Blues

May 4, 2019 | Ear training, Jazz chords, Vocal & ukulele exercises

Born out of African-American work songs and spirituals, the blues hold a huge place in the history...

Playing the roots – part 2

May 18, 2019 | Comping, Jazz chords

Welcome back to this short primer on how to start learning the chord changes to any song by...

What is a major 2-5-1 progression?

Jun 1, 2019 | Jazz chords

Today we’re going to talk about a ubiquitous chord progression in jazz called the “major 2-5-1”...

Major 2-5-1 drills – pattern 1

Jun 15, 2019 | Comping, Jazz chords

Today we’ll aim to practice major 2-5-1s on the ukulele in all 12 keys. While that might...

Getting maximum benefit from drills

Jun 29, 2019 | Comping, Jazz chords

As a follow up to my last post on Major 2-5-1 drills – pattern 1, I thought I’d...

Cheek To Cheek: major 2-5-1 example

Jul 13, 2019 | Jazz chords

The song Cheek To Cheek by Irving Berlin is a great example of the major 2-5-1 progression,...

Turnarounds: 1-6-2-5 progression

Jul 27, 2019 | Jazz chords

Today we’re going to talk about the 1-6-2-5 chord progression. Sometimes you will see it...

Blue moon: 1-6-2-5 example

Aug 10, 2019 | Jazz chords

The song “Blue Moon” is a great example of a 1-6-2-5 progression, which occurs twice...

Vocal octave slides with ukulele

Aug 24, 2019 | Vocal & ukulele exercises

Today we’ll look at one of my favourite exercises – the octave slide. This is another vocal exercise that we can do while getting to know the ukulele fretboard better.

Intro to bossa nova series

Sep 7, 2019 | Comping

Today we’re kicking off a new series on bossa nova, which I’m very excited about because I adore singing bossa novas.

Bossa nova techniques: plucking and muting

Jan 12, 2021 | Comping

Today we’re covering the basic right hand techniques you need for bossa nova comping.