A massive selection of courses, an online store where you can buy ukuleles and other gear, a regularly published blog, and access to an online community of ukulele learners for further discussion. What more could you want when learning to play the ukulele online?
How about a word-class coach?
Uke Like The Pros is created and taught by Terry Carter, a ukulelist, guitarist, and songwriter based in San Diego. He’s worked with some incredible artists, including Weezer, Duff McKagan (Guns n Roses), and The Los Angeles Philharmonic, to name a few.
With 25 years of experience in the industry and his own recording studio, you know Terry is the man to do the job. And, somehow, he still has time to get out to the beach and play his uke!
Uke Like The Pros Online Ukulele Lessons Overview
Contents
What’s Included?
Uke Like The Pros is an incredibly comprehensive online ukulele learning platform.
Premium users have access to a massive 19 courses, spanning everything from the entry-level Beginning Ukulele Bootcamp, to more advanced level courses like Fingerstyle Ukulele Mastery.
Make no mistake, Uke Like The Pros has something for beginners and pros alike.
You also have access to a store, blog, and online community where you can chat with other learners and get further advice on learning and development.
The Courses
You can choose to pay for individual courses or activate a membership which gives you access to some or all of them. More on that later, but I thought this was an excellent way to structure the program. You can buy a course or two to start, and if you find yourself wanting more, sign up for a full membership.
There are three levels of general learning:
- Beginning Ukulele Bootcamp
- Master The Ukulele LEVEL 1
- Master The Ukulele LEVEL 2
After that, you’re ready to explore Uke Like The Pros’ 16 other courses, choosing from a selection including:
- Beginning Music Reading Course
- 23 Ultimate Chord Progressions For Ukulele
- Masterclass, and
- Guitarlele For Ukulele Players and Guitar Players
The courses on guitarlele and baritone ukulele are a nice touch; you’ll learn about these
different types of ukulele in the first course.
Beginning Ukulele Bootcamp
The first course in the program (and one that you can get for just $20), is made up of 25 video lessons spanning four categories:
- Introduction & The Basics
- Let’s Start Playing
- Let’s Take It Up A Step
- Congratulations & What’s Next
Seems pretty straightforward, which is just what you want when you’re just starting out.
The first category gives you a real good run-down on all things ukulele, covering topics like types and parts of the ukulele, how to hold one, and the different string names. Beginners will find all of this incredibly helpful.
Depending on your experience, you might be able to breeze through these videos pretty quickly, or you may like to leave a little space in between lessons to digest. A lot of the concepts will be fairly familiar to guitarists. Either way, you will get a good grounding on the different types and parts of the uke.
In the next section, we jump straight into some key techniques. You’ll learn common guitar chords like Am, G, and F, as well as a helpful introduction to rhythm and different note lengths.
I really liked how this was delivered, many courses separate learning practical elements like chords, from theoretical elements like rhythm and timing. This can make some modules pretty dull when you feel like you aren’t actually learning anything on your instrument. Uke Like The Pros has a neat way of getting around this, by introducing the concept of rhythm, and different note lengths, within the lessons where you master different chords.
Near the end of the second category, you’ll learn a couple of common and useful ukulele chord progressions, and the third category builds on this as well as your rhythmic knowledge. The fourth category is just one video, which is a summary of the course and prepares you for your next steps.
Master The Ukulele LEVEL 1 & 2
There seems to be a little bit of overlap between this course and the “Beginning Ukulele Bootcamp,” as the first few videos cover topics like parts of the ukulele and understanding rhythm. My guess is these are slightly older modules, with the Bootcamp being the freshest offering.
Regardless, they are still worth watching. In Level 1, you’ll learn about strumming techniques, scales, and specific song styles. Level 2 teaches a few more advanced techniques, as well as ukulele songs in different genres, such as blues, classical, and reggae. I found this quite cool, as ukulele is often thought of only in the context of reggae-style music or relaxed, beachy songs. So it gives you a cool intro to playing the uke in different genres.
Other Courses
Having a premium membership meant I had access to all 19 courses, and I have to say once you get through the first three modules, things get really interesting.
Fingerstyle Ukulele Mastery was awesome, and I really liked how I got to learn specific songs. Beginning Baritone Ukulele Bootcamp seemed like an interesting course too even though I didn’t have a baritone ukulele to hand. Regardless, there is some serious value in these courses, and I imagine Terry will be continuing to add to these.
User Interface
The Uke Like The Pros interface is nothing short of brilliant. It’s incredibly well laid out, its fresh, modern, and inspiring. The video quality is fantastic, for the most part. Some of the videos are very obviously a bit older. Not that they are unclear or of poor quality, they are just noticeably less HD.
All of the courses are very well presented too, Terry is a great tutor and has a certain way of explaining concepts that is easy to grasp yet not patronizing for those that have a little more musical experience.
Each of the videos has a YouTube-style comments section too, where you can interact with other users. This is a great place to ask questions and get clarity and support from other learners.
Tools & Support
Learning an instrument online can be a fairly solitary process, often making it hard to stick to. Uke Like The Pros gets around this by giving you access to an online community of ukulele learners. Terry even jumps in every now and then for a chat.
The community appears to be exceptionally active, with video competitions running regularly and daily contributions from community members. They even run Jamming Parties from time to time, which are scheduled events where everyone gets together and plays some tunes. Nice!
I didn’t get a chance to join in on this, but it looked like a sweet idea.
Another cool touch I enjoyed was the Uke Like The Pros app. One of the best things about playing the uke is that they are super mobile, being so small and light. So, in that vein, it makes sense to be able to learn on the go as well! This is made much more accessible by downloading the ULTP app…
Value For Money/Cost
You’ve got a couple of options when it comes to paying for Uke Like The Pros. The first is to buy the individual courses as and when you need them.
Some of them cost as little as $20, though most seem to sit around the $67 mark. There are even a couple of free ones.
Far better value is gained by signing up for a membership, though, which works on a monthly subscription model. There are two options for this.
The first is the Standard Membership at $12.99, which includes:
- Access to some courses
- Free T-shirt!
- Monthly KoAloha ukulele giveaways
- Weekly video Q&A
- Member-only content
- Access to the community
For just an extra $7 a month ($19.99 total), you can upgrade to the Premium Membership, which is what I tested. You get all of the same stuff, except you have access to all of the courses, as well as discounts on ukuleles at the Uke Like The Pros store.
I’d go for the Premium option, it’s only $20 a month, and you get access to so much content you’ll be set for months.
Trial Period
All of the membership options come with a 7-day free trial, so you can test the program out and make sure it fits for you!
The Store
One of the greatest things about Uke Like The Pros is they are pretty much a one-stop-shop. From uke lessons to advice to a community of like-minded learners, to an online store where you can buy quality Hawaiian ukuleles and accessories.
The store has hundreds of KoAloha ukuleles, as well as strings, pickups, cases, books, and straps. Like I said, everything you need.
Conclusion – Who Is Uke Like The Pros For?
To be honest, a better question might be “Who Isn’t Uke Like The Pros for?”
Seriously, this program is fantastic. I’d highly recommend opting for the Premium membership given it only costs $20 a month. When the individual courses cost around $60 each, that’s just insane value.
Make sure you get involved in the community forums and activities as well, music is all about getting out there and jamming with other musicians. That’s the ultimate way to learn and improve, by playing tunes with others. Plus, it can get a little lonely learning online from your bedroom.
