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9 Best Online Ukulele Lessons

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You don’t have to leave your home to enjoy high-quality, informative, and interactive ukulele lessons. If you’re interested in learning more about playing the ukulele, you could explore online ukulele lessons. 

Still, choosing the best possible option can be a challenge. 

That’s why I’ve decided to research the best online ukulele lessons and discover which ones were the most effective, affordable, and attuned to ukulele players.

1) Uke Like The Pros – Best Overall

There’s quite a lot to say about Uke Like The Pros. Firstly, the whole project is founded by songwriter and ukuleleist Terry Carter. Each video lesson stars Mr. Carter, whose joy for playing ukulele is evident. 

With more than a dozen courses to choose from, you can advance from beginner-level playing to intermediate-level or more by working through each one. 

I bought a handful of Uke Like Pros courses and enjoyed their easy-to-follow pacing and fun, relaxed atmosphere. Each lesson I took felt like it was carefully designed by someone who truly loves and cares for ukuleles. In some ways, that’s undoubtedly true. 

You can tell that Terry Carter is a master of what he does, and I enjoyed following along for the various lessons I tried. It was also lovely to choose single courses instead of being forced into a subscription. 

Overall, Uke Like The Pros is a fantastic solution for ukulele players of all skill levels.

There are more than a dozen Uke Like The Pros sub-courses, and they range in difficulty from absolute beginner to ukulele master. Consequently, there’s plenty of variety. Let’s take a quick peek at my favorite Terry Carter courses.

Beginning Ukulele Starter Course

At only $5, this beginners-level ukulele course is a true steal. It gives you access to a dozen videos, each covering a fundamental aspect of playing the ukulele. You’ll be able to go from learning how to tune your ukulele to mastering your first tune!

21 Ukulele Song Challenge

The 21 Ukulele Song Challenge is exactly what it sounds like. It’s 21 ukulele-friendly songs taught step-by-step via in-depth video lessons.

While that might not seem too impressive on the surface, this course could give intermediate and beginner-level players an excellent head start on developing a mental song repertoire. Besides, it was great to learn Chuck Berry, The Beatles, and Weezer songs via one course.

Pricing Options

One of the marvelous things about Uke Like The Pros is the way they price their courses. You can choose to select a single course and purchase it for a one-time fee, or you can opt for a premium membership that gives you instant access to all classes.

One-Time Payments

One-time payments for Uke Like The Pros courses tend to vary between $5 and $67. You can purchase as many classes as you’d like using one-time payments. 

But if you’re interested in gaining access to all of the Uke Like The Pros media, you’ll likely want to opt for a premium membership. Though it’s more of an investment, it’s a worthwhile choice if you’d like to try more than three courses.

Standard Membership

A standard membership costs $12.99 per month and grants access to three foundational courses (more than 70 videos worth of lessons), weekly Q&A calls with Terry Carter and the ULTP forum. It’s a fantastic starting point for beginners.

You can even try out this membership with a free 7-day trial. That way, you can try out all of the material and see if it works for you before spending any money. Of course, you might instantly fall in love with the Uke Like The Pros courses and upgrade yourself to a premium membership.

Premium Membership

A premium membership will grant you access to everything Uke Like The Pros has to offer. We’re talking about every single course, every digital sheet of music, and every ULTP resource. 

Premium members can pay monthly subscription fees of about $20 or purchase an annual plan. Annual plans are less than $200 per year, so hardcore uke enthusiasts may want to opt for a year-long membership to save money.

Features and Benefits

  • Offers a comprehensive mix of foundational, stylistic, and technical courses to educate and inspire ukulele players of all skill levels
  • One of the most flexible options in terms of payment, as users can opt for one-time course payments and enrollment or paid membership plans
  • The included instructional videos are easy to follow, entertaining, and ideal for both spontaneous and planned lessons
  • Membership includes access to helpful forums and live chat sessions that could help bolster your self-esteem and introduce you to new techniques and tricks
  • New users can try the Uke Like The Pro foundational courses for free by signing up for the 7-day standard membership trial

2) Ukulele Buddy – Best for Slow-Paced Learning

Not everyone has hours to spend learning the ukulele each week. If you’re short on time, you’ll want to choose a slow-paced option that fits your schedule. Ukulele Buddy’s beginner-level lessons could be the right choice.

Ukulele Buddy only offers one comprehensive course, Ukulele Lessons 4 Beginners. It consists of several instructional videos starring JP Allen. 

After purchasing this course, you’ll be able to log in to the online portal and stream video lessons. However, you can also download lectures to your desktop or laptop for offline viewing. You’ll also gain access to digital sheet music and instructional materials when you purchase this course.

Each lesson is less than ten minutes long. Additionally, this course is designed for occasional viewing. Students typically only watch about three videos per week, which is a comparatively slow pace. If you’d like to take a relaxed approach to learning the ukulele, you might enjoy these videos.

Pricing Options

The Ukulele Buddy course typically costs about $67, though there are occasional sales and discounts. If you’re not satisfied with the lessons, you have up to a full year to request a refund. In addition to all major credit cards, Ukulele Buddy also accepts PayPal payments.  

Features and Benefits

  • A straightforward online course for beginner-level ukulele players
  • Slow-paced enough to work well for children, amateur players, and seniors
  • It doesn’t impose any pressure-inducing time restrictions on students, ensuring that all players learn at a comfortable pace
  • All lessons, videos, and resources are yours for a one-time payment of less than $100

3) Rocket Ukulele – Best for Fast-Paced Learning

Have you ever wished you could play a new instrument in as little as one month? If you’re new to playing the ukulele and you’re eager to learn quickly, you might be interested in Rocket Ukulele lessons. As their name suggests, they’re all about fast-paced learning.

This course is a 30-day video series that consists of hundreds of in-depth tutorials and lessons. And while most of these classes focus on the basics of ukulele playing, students can also access the Rocket Ukulele song list, which contains many of the top hits from the last few decades.

After enrolling in this course, I was surprised to find that I also had access to a helpful student-driven forum and several online resources, including essential track-mixing software. Though I’m no longer a beginner-level player, I can understand why these video lessons might appeal to an eager amateur-level ukuleleist. 

Pricing Options

The standard cost for this course is about $80, though there are often specials and discounts that can help you enjoy these lessons for far less. Notably, once you sign up for the Rocket Ukulele course, it’s yours for life. 

You’ll always be able to access the lessons and resources, even if it takes you more than 30 days to complete the course.

Features and Benefits

  • A fast-paced course that can help beginners master the basics of ukulele playing in as little as 30 days
  • It comes with lifetime course access for future reference
  • Includes plenty of helpful resources and features, including an updated song library
  1. Artistworks – Best for Interactive Lessons

Some of us do better when there’s an instructor around to judge our improvement. If this sounds like you, you might want to try Artistworks. 

Though they only offer a single ukulele playing course, it’s an excellent opportunity for beginners and intermediate-level players to receive consistent feedback.

4) Artistworks Ukulele Lessons

The Artistworks online ukulele course is an entire series of lessons designed to transform beginners into experts. There are lessons for beginners, intermediate, and expert-level players, making this one of the best comprehensive options.

In addition to learning strumming patterns, finger positions, and basic chord structures, players have the opportunity to master hundreds of songs. Students can also opt for the certificate course that includes lessons on sight-reading and soloing. 

Overall, this option is one of the best for players of all skill levels and interests. Additionally, each pricing option grants students a specific number of instructor feedback opportunities. This way, you can receive honest praise and criticism as you master the ukulele.

Pricing Options

The Online Ukulele Lessons course is available as a three-month, six-month, and annual plan. This is in stark contrast to other platforms that offer students lifetime access to lessons and resources.

As such, students can expect to pay:

  • $105 (Three Month Access)
  • $179 (Six Month Access)
  • $279 (Year-Long Access)

Features and Benefits

  • Students can submit videos to instructors and receive feedback
  • The course comes with hundreds of lessons that are designed to help beginners transition to experts
  • You can submit videos to the Video Exchange Library and view other student-made videos
  • This course includes a helpful music theory workshop to help students learn and master basic music theory concepts

5) Ukulele Underground – Best for Beginners

Choosing the best course to get started with can be challenging. After all, the majority of online ukulele lessons are targeted toward beginners. But I’ve found that Ukulele Underground offers some of the best beginner-level courses.

Ukulele Underground offers courses based on skill level. Within each skill category, you’ll find lots of different videos. Some focus on foundational ukulele playing skills, while others have a more technical focus. This ensures that students choose content that they’re interested in.

I explored the foundational courses designed for beginner-level players to discover how Ukulele Underground introduces itself to new students. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the Ukulele 101 and 102 classes were simple, easy to follow, and highly entertaining.

Pricing Options

The Ukulele Underground lessons are available in three payment options. New users can choose a 30-day access option for $30 that grants access to all classes and videos. This provides an excellent taste of how Ukulele Underground lessons work.

In total, the three payment options are:

  • 30-Day Access
  • Monthly Access
  • Annual Access

The monthly and annual access offer the same set of comprehensive features and benefits, though annual membership is slightly less expensive over the long run. 

Students get access to live coaching throughout the week, two private lessons per month, student forums, and a seemingly endless song library. It’s challenging to find something to not love about this system.

Features and Benefits

  • Students can opt into private lessons for a more personalized experience
  • Aldrine Guerrero is one of the friendliest and most entertaining ukulele instructors 
  • There’s a 30-day access option for students who might be on the fence about becoming full members
  • Prices are ridiculously reasonable when you consider the quality of the content and the included resources

6) Ukulele Tricks – Best for Intermediate Players

In addition to offering several free lessons, Ukulele Tricks also has a few paid lessons that could help you improve your technique and style. However, there aren’t a ton of courses from which to choose. Overall, this pick could be best for intermediate-level players and beginners.

Ukulele Tricks doesn’t offer a wealth of courses, which can be disappointing for intermediate or expert-level players. But they do offer three distinct classes that are designed to help students master various playing techniques.

Ukulele Tricks courses include:

  • Strumming Tricks
  • Fingerpicking Tricks
  • Blues Tricks

I enjoyed the structure of these courses, and I appreciated that each one came with reading materials that reflected the curriculum. That said, I did think that the pricing was a bit off.

Pricing Options

Each Ukulele Tricks course costs about $100. No membership option gives students access to all the classes, which is a bit disappointing. However, each course does come with lifetime access, which is a nice touch.

Features and Benefits

  • Each Ukulele Tricks course could be perfect for intermediate-level players or beginners seeking to reach an intermediate level
  • All courses come with lifetime access to course lessons and materials
  • There are several free beginner’s-level lessons available from Ukulele Tricks

7) Yousician – Best for Visual Learners

Everyone has a unique learning style. Some of us learn best when we’re working with our hands. Others tend to remember information more easily when they read. Still, others prefer learning via visual representations and cues.

Yousician appeals to ukulele players that benefit from visual learning techniques. It’s also one of the most device-compatible options available. As such, younger students that are learning music theory might enjoy this platform more than others. 

When you sign up for Yousician, you gain access to all applicable lessons. This service offers interactive lessons for multiple instruments, including the ukulele. To access Yousician, you’ll want to use a smartphone or tablet, as the Yousician app is the primary means of accessing lessons.

Lessons are divided into categories based on their central focus. You can choose basic lessons, chord-learning lessons, and lessons to help you improve your strumming technique. Each class comes with a digital representation of the notes you’ll be playing.

By allowing Yousician access to your device’s microphone, you can play along with each lesson and use the visual cues to learn better finger positioning and tempo. As you progress, you’ll earn rewards and unlock new goals.

Pricing Options

Those that sign up for Yousician can try it for free with the 7-day trial option. After that, it’s a matter of monthly or yearly payments. 

Additionally, users can choose between a Premium and Premium+ membership. The primary difference between these two options is access. Premium+ members gain access to every Yousician song and instrument lesson panel.

Prices for these memberships are as follows:

  • Premium: $19.99 per month / $89.99 per year
  • Premium+: $29.99 per month / $139.99 per year

There’s also a Premium+ Family option that grants multiple users access to the Yousician song library and lesson lineup. This plan could be a fantastic option for families interested in mastering instruments together. But it is the most expensive Yousician option.

Features and Benefits

  • Utilizes modern smart devices and visual learning style to help players master beginner’s-level techniques
  • It offers a wide variety of modern hit songs to play along with, unlike other courses that focus on traditional ukulele songs.
  • An excellent option for students that aren’t interested in pursuing the traditional learning route
  • It could be the best choice for families

8) Rock Class 101 – Best for Tablature

Learning how to play the ukulele shouldn’t cost an arm and a leg. With Rock Class 101, you can enjoy foundational ukulele lessons without spending a penny. You can also upgrade to paid lessons if you’d like.

This platform offers quite a few ukulele courses and lessons. But I primarily focused on the free lessons included with the basic membership plan. 

After all, it’s always nice to get a taste of the lesson structure before spending a ton of money on courses. And though I did enjoy the concise sample lessons and the free technique lesson, I did come away from my Rock Class 101 experience feeling a little disappointed. 

The video production level of these videos seems slightly less professional than other music learning sites and platforms, which can be a little off-putting. Additionally, most of the content was behind a paywall.

That said, they did offer a wealth of tablature that I didn’t find on other ukulele sites and learning platforms. If you enjoy playing off of tabs, you might prefer the immense Rock Class 101 tablature library over other resources.

Pricing Options

You’ll need to sign up for a Rock Class 101 membership to utilize their resources. That said, basic membership is entirely free. Still, the included lessons under this free membership are a little lacking.

That’s why many students choose to sign up for the monthly plan. It costs $14 per month but grants access to everything Rock Class 101 has to offer. You could browse song lists, tablature, and every course.

Still, the annual membership option could be a better choice for those dedicated to improving their playing technique. It also includes a free ebook for writing songs on the ukulele. 

Features and Benefits

  • Free ukulele lessons for beginners
  • Some advanced-level lessons for expert-level players
  • Paid memberships grant access to monthly live lessons

9) Udemy – Best for Subject Variety

If the idea of free online education appeals to you, then Udemy could be the ideal option. Not only can you find dozens of ukulele lessons on this platform, but you can also study just about anything else your mind can think of. 

Udemy offers a mix of free and paid virtual courses on subjects ranging from music theory to criminology. You could brush up on any number of topics while you’re browsing for new classes. Of course, I had my eye on their ukulele courses.

There are more than a hundred ukulele courses available on Udemy. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to try them all. However, I did manage to enroll in a few of the most popular courses.

Udemy primarily allows its instructors to generate each course’s curriculum. As such, each class I explored was noticeably different from the one that came before it. 

On the one hand, I enjoyed being able to learn from a variety of ukulele players. But on the other hand, some of their instructions (particularly sections regarding technique and finger positions) seemed to conflict. 

If you do choose the Udemy route, I recommend selecting a single instructor and sticking with them. The best course I tried during my time as a Udemy student was the Complete Ukulele Beginner Course.

Complete Ukulele Beginner Course

This was one of the pricier Udemy ukulele courses, but it was also one of the most popular. And with nearly four hours of included content, it’s not challenging to understand why.

This beginner’s-level course is one of the most comprehensive options I’ve ever found. It includes more than 40 downloadable resources and can get you from basic tuning and chord playing to mastering basic strum patterns. 

Each section of this course is neatly divided into several short videos, which I loved to see. Going through each lesson was a delight, and I felt comfortable with the pacing. If I were a beginner, I’d choose this course and never look back.

Pricing Options

Now, it’s crucial to note that while Udemy does offer quite a few free courses, their top-rated ukulele lessons aren’t free. Each ukulele course varies in cost, depending on the instructor and included content. However, the general range is between $20 and $100.

As such, the precise amount you’ll end up paying for Udemy ukulele lessons depends on the particular course you’ve chosen. When choosing a course, be sure to review the included content. Classes that offer dozens of videos and additional resources (like sheet music) tend to be more helpful than those with fewer videos.

Features and Benefits

  • Students can choose courses from a wide variety of Udemy instructors, ensuring they find a teacher they enjoy
  • Courses cost between $20 and $100, which is a broad enough range to entice players of all budgets and backgrounds
  • Udemy offers ukulele lessons in multiple languages, making this platform an excellent option for individuals who speak English as a secondary language
  • Udemy offers a wealth of high-quality courses on nearly every subject imaginable, and as such, it could be a smart choice for those hoping to improve their ukulele playing and general education

Online Ukulele Lesson Buying Guide

When purchasing online ukulele lessons, there are several things you’ll want to consider and keep in mind. After all, not all ukulele lessons are precisely the same. 

Some courses are designed to teach you the basics of ukulele playing, while others focus on specific aspects of playing the ukulele. To select the best possible online ukulele lessons for you, you’ll want to consider skill levels, lesson quantity, interactivity, and price.

By applying these categories to your preferred courses, you can ensure that you’re making the right choice. 

Naturally, there are a couple of additional factors that may sway your final decision. Some course instructors can be easier to follow than others, so personality might also influence your course selection process. 

Skill Levels

Do you know what your ukulele playing skill level is? If you don’t, there’s no need to panic. After you’ve browsed a few ukulele courses, you’ll probably be able to make an educated guess.

To determine your skill level, you might want to read through a few course curriculums. Beginner’s level courses tend to focus on learning basic chords and finger positions. If you’re unfamiliar with your basic ukulele chords and tuning, you’ll want to opt for a beginner’s course.

But if those topics are old news, you might want to try a style-focused course such as blues, jazz, or folk music. These courses teach intermediate-level players how to master specific song genres on the ukulele. Technique-focused courses are also an excellent option for intermediate players.

And if those topics are still a bit boring, you might be ready for expert-level courses. These cover the most complex and in-depth fingering and strumming techniques while also reviewing stylistic differences across multiple genres. 

Some mastery courses also focus on learning full-length songs on the ukulele. Intermediate and expert-level players may choose a song-focused course to expand their repertoire and impress friends and family. Just be sure to choose a course that offers songs you genuinely like!

Number of Lessons

Before you purchase online ukulele lessons, you’ll want to ensure that you’re getting a great deal. Some courses cost upwards of $100 but only consist of a few long, pre-recorded videos. Others are less than half the price but contain more than double the content.

Often, the best courses are those that offer the most lessons. Additionally, it’s crucial to consider lesson length. Even the most focused and attentive ukulele players can struggle to follow an hour-long instructional video.

Courses that feature dozens of short videos (two to ten minutes each) tend to be much easier to follow. However, it’s also a great idea to consider course resources. Some ukulele courses include access to digital songbooks, chord libraries, and sheet music. 

Instructor and student interaction are also considerable resources that could improve your learning experience. After all, it’s always easier to learn new material when you have passionate teachers and friendly students to help guide you. 

Interactivity

How interactive is your chosen ukulele course? Is it a series of pre-recorded videos, or does it offer instructor feedback and student interaction opportunities? Generally, the more interactive a course is, the more successful you’ll be at completing it.

While this rule doesn’t apply to everyone (some folks enjoy playing alone), it’s crucial to remember that everyone has questions from time to time. And if you’re taking a course that consists of pre-recorded videos and not much else, you might struggle to find the answers to your questions.

Interactive lessons and courses are an excellent opportunity to take that extra step and embrace a community of music-loving students and teachers. You might even find that you make new friends via online lesson forums and chat rooms. 

Of course, more interactive lessons also tend to be a little pricier. But if you’re someone who benefits from social support and interaction, it could be worth the extra investment.

Price

Finally, there’s the question of price. Ukulele lessons come in nearly every price range imaginable. You find simple lessons online for free, but most video-based lessons are paid. 

Still, depending on which course platform you choose, you could spend anywhere between $10 and $200 to gain access to ukulele lessons. Your current skill level and personal preferences can help you pick an option within your price range.

Final Thoughts

Though there are several online ukulele lessons from which to choose, I found that the best option for beginners and experts alike is Uke Like The Pros. Terry Carter does a phenomenal job of introducing amateur players to the ukulele. 

He also does fantastic work exploring some of the more complex lessons and techniques of playing the ukulele. I appreciated the fact that Uke Like The Pros offers tons of different payment and membership options, and the included resources were always easy to access and use.
If you’re ready to enjoy the best online ukulele lessons, you’ll want to consider signing up for a Uke Like The Pros premium membership. When you’re a member, you won’t need to pay to access individual lessons. You access them all for one lump sum!

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