Here at the Idler we are huge fans of the ukulele.

This unassuming little guitar puts the power of music-making into the hands of the people.

Hundreds have benefited from Danny Wootton’s real-life ukulele course at the Idler Academy and our various pop-up uke lessons at festivals and parties. Now it is your chance.

This course is suitable for people with no musical experience whatsoever. As Danny says: “we are all musical.” Let him show you how to release your inner musician.

Our Ukulele for Beginners course is divided into six lessons and features handy printable notes and songsheets, plus access to a community forum. Each lesson features instruction from Danny and animations to help you learn chord shapes, rhythm, theory and plucking.

You can of course learn at your own pace by hitting “pause” and rewinding any time. And you can watch the lessons again and again.

Course Outline

Lesson One: The first three chords. In this first lesson, you will amaze yourself by learning how to play three chords and two songs.

Lesson Two: Improve your playing. Learn the basics of rhythm. Plus more songs.

Lesson Three: Move on to a fourth chord. Plus a music theory lesson.

Lesson Four: Playing melodies by playing individual strings. Learn about tabs. Play a baroque tune.

Lesson Five: Finger picking and how to read rhythm notation.

Lesson Six: How to play all the notes. Plus bar chords.

About the Tutor

Danny Wootton is a musician and artist who plays in the Sometimes and Forever Band. In the past he has played with Razorlight and Jesus Licks among others. He has been running the Idler Academy’s ukulele programme since March 2011.