Uketropolis: Ukulele Q&A with James Hill
227 episodes - English - Latest episode: 2 months ago -Every week Uketropolis.com founder James Hill answers student questions about playing ukulele and interviews innovative ukulele educators.
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Episodes
Travis Picking to the Rescue
February 23, 2024 10:00 - 15 minutes - 14 MBTravis picking is named after Merle Travis, the Country-Music Hall-of-Famer who popularized the technique. If you're a bit bored with the same old strumming and picking techniques you've been using, well, it's Travis picking to the rescue! The thumb goes back-and-forth, the fingers dance on the melody. Simple, right? Not exactly. Like any physical skill, Travis picking takes time to acquire but it's well worth the effort! -- Learn ukulele with James: www.uketropolis.com
165 Players, 10 Rehearsals, 1 Album: Uke Heads Has Landed!
February 15, 2024 10:00 - 48 minutes - 44.8 MBMy new album Uke Heads comes out tomorrow, February 16th, 2024! But it's not just my album, it's a project that has become a global community. How did an idea go from doodles on scrap paper to a full album with over 165 players from 15 countries? In this special episode, taped live at the Uke Heads Gathering in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Chris Parsons and I reflect on the two-year arc of the 10-song recording. You'll hear from a number of people who played and sang on the album and get a...
Angeline the Baker
February 08, 2024 10:00 - 13 minutes - 12.3 MB"Angeline the Baker" (also known as "Angelina Baker") is one of the most well-known songs in the Old-time repertoire. It's appeal is a bit of a mystery: it only has two chords and its melody is pentatonic, meaning it doesn't even use all the notes of the major scale. And yet it contains multitudes. I continually return to this melody for its simple beauty and flowing rhythms. In this episode we examine a very specific moment in "Angeline the Baker" and I hope it inspires you to lear...
Flatpickers Welcome!
February 01, 2024 10:00 - 15 minutes - 14.1 MBIs it legal to use a pick on the ukulele? Yes! Once and for all, YES! In fact, it's a gateway to some really interesting sounds. Specifically, it brings a level of agility to your melodies that is unlike anything else and it opens the door to tremolo flatpicking which can bring a new kind of lyricism to your playing. So, shine up your flatpicks and let's play! -- Learn ukulele with James: www.uketropolis.com
Live Long and Posture
January 25, 2024 10:00 - 19 minutes - 18.3 MBCan't do the Vulcan salute? No problem! Stretching your fingers apart (think "live long and prosper") isn't the only way to play challenging chords. In this episode, we explore the difference between stretching for the notes in a chord and reaching for the notes in a chord. Although posture is a huge topic that we can't possibly cover in one episode, I'm going to share one simple thing that you can do to improve your chances with challenging chord shapes. -- Learn ukulele with Jam...
The Magic Triple Strum
January 18, 2024 10:00 - 20 minutes - 18.9 MBThe triple strum: it's one of my favourite ukulele topics... ever! I've been fascinated by this technique since I was a kid. Today, we get to dig into the magic of the triple strum and discover how left-hand muting takes this already-great strum to a new level. If you're looking for a bucket-list ukulele experience, check out the Ukulele Hideaway in Sicily, a retreat with Yours Truly (and friends) taking place August 5-9, 2024. For more information, click here. I hope to see you th...
Walking Backwards
January 11, 2024 11:57 - 20 minutes - 18.6 MBWelcome back! I took a bit of time off to do a tour and release a new album but I'm back now and I have several episodes lined up for the coming weeks. This week I'll show you a simple strategy you can use in your practice to figure out which left-hand fingerings will work best. It's a simple thing but it can make a huge difference! Reminder: next ukuLOUDLY rehearsal is January 19th at noon Pacific (3pm Eastern). You're invited! Go to www.ukuloudly.com to sign up for this global u...
A Tree With No Root?
November 02, 2023 13:00 - 16 minutes - 14.8 MBThis week, two topics: 1) How can you have a chord with no root? 2) Ideas for managing stage fright through creative pre-concert prep. Learn ukulele with James: www.uketropolis.com
Turn a one-chord lullabye into a two-chord rocker
October 26, 2023 13:00 - 11 minutes - 10.7 MBA short, bite-sized bonus episode for ukulele teachers. Here's a technique you can use in the classroom RIGHT NOW: turn any one-chord song (e.g. Row Your Boat, Frere Jacques, Every Night, etc.) into a soulful rocker. It's easy and fun. Definitely something you want to have in your bag of tricks as a classroom teacher, private instructor or community leader. JHUI Teacher Certification Program: https://www.uketropolis.com/jhui Free and premium teacher resources: https://www.uketropol...
Speed vs. Style
October 19, 2023 13:00 - 25 minutes - 23 MBWelcome to Season 4 of the Uketropolis Podcast! To kick things off, a question from Uketropolis student Doug leads us to explore the relationship between speed and style in music. Specifically, we take a page from jazz saxophone technique in an attempt to have it all: speed and style.
The Tuning Paradox
July 28, 2023 13:00 - 30 minutes - 28.3 MBIn this final episode of Season 3, we tackle a thorny musical question: how can your ukulele be in tune and still play out of tune? It's a question that will take us on a fascinating listening journey. Ultimately, you'll discover why tuning to the song may be the only way around this tuning paradox.
What everyone can learn from jazz ukulele
July 20, 2023 15:18 - 32 minutes - 58.7 MBJazz teaches us many things. Even if we're not playing jazz, we can apply the lessons learned to many areas of music-making. In this episode: how jazz teaches us to do more with less (e.g. easier ways to play the B-flat chord), and how jazz encourages us to find our own personal musical style (e.g. artfully re-writing a melody to fit within a smaller range of notes).
Cliffhanger
June 29, 2023 13:00 - 17 minutes - 15.9 MBThere's an open question in the ukulele community: what to do when the tuning of the baritone doesn't mesh with the tuning of the other ukuleles in an ensemble? In this episode we explore this vexed question and as well as some possible solutions. BONUS: this episode includes a preview of my ukulele-orchestra arrangement of George Bizet's "Farandole." It's a banger.
A Bridge Between Tunings
June 22, 2023 13:00 - 11 minutes - 10.7 MBWouldn't it be nice if there was a bridge between standard tuning and baritone tuning? Turns out, there is! In this episode: how to make the transposition between standard and baritone tuning in the most painless way possible.
Show of Hands
June 15, 2023 13:00 - 13 minutes - 11.9 MBAre your hands too small for baritone ukulele? Probably not. That being said, there's one chord that might give you trouble: the diminished 7. In this episode: a workaround for the diminished 7 that works on all sizes of ukulele, not just baritone.
Baritone Bonus!
June 11, 2023 13:00 - 8 minutes - 7.85 MBA bonus lightning round of the most common baritone-ukulele questions.
Baritone: What's the Big Deal?
June 08, 2023 13:00 - 15 minutes - 14.2 MBPeople who love baritone ukulele really love baritone ukulele. Why? We kick off Baritone Month with a simple question: "What makes baritone ukulele so great?"
June is Baritone Month!
June 02, 2023 12:54 - 1 minute - 1.46 MBThis month is all about our favourite BIG ukulele. Welcome to the land of D-G-B-E tuning! Tune in starting next week for episodes about the benefits of baritone, how to make the transition to bari painlessly and how to better understand the place of the baritone in ukulele ensembles. #BariIsBeautiful
My Three Principles for Left-hand Fingering
May 25, 2023 12:00 - 15 minutes - 14 MBNavigating the ukulele fretboard is a bit like playing chess: sometimes it's mathematical, other times it's intuitive. Because there's no perfect solution for left-hand fingering it's a perennial topic among players of all levels. In this episode I offer three principles you can use when coming up with your own fretboard fingerings. The examples in this episode come from Americana Ukulele, the latest Uketropolis online course. Click here to get two free lessons.
How do I know which notes to noodle on?
May 18, 2023 12:00 - 13 minutes - 12.8 MBIt's one of the most common student questions: when I'm improvising or composing, how do I know which notes to use? In this bonus episode, we explore practical and intuitive ways to create melody. Spoiler alert: in the end, there's only one scale you absolutely need to know...
Fringe Twins
May 11, 2023 12:00 - 32 minutes - 29.5 MBBooster Uke is one of the most popular courses at Uketropolis for good reason. Who wouldn't want to learn easy ways to play Blues, Gospel, Pop and Jazz tunes? It's pure musical magic courtesy of a fretboard phenomenon called Chord Twins. But what happens at the fringes of the Chord Twin concept? What happens when we stop analyzing and, instead, use pure intuition to navigate the fretboard?
Alex Beds Interviews... James!
May 05, 2023 14:36 - 37 minutes - 34.8 MBAlex Beds interviews James on his Ukes With Podcast. Get to know Alex better: Ukes With Podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ukeswithalex/episodes Alex's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/ukeswithalex Alex's Website and Original Songs: https://www.alexbeds.co.uk/ Southern Ukulele Store: https://www.southernukulelestore.co.uk
Brad Bordessa's Brave New Approach To Online Teaching
April 20, 2023 13:30 - 39 minutes - 35.7 MBBrad Bordessa's new online course brings important elements of traditional Hawaiian teaching into the digital age. It's a brave new approach to online education... and it might just work.
Slide Ukulele
April 13, 2023 13:30 - 34 minutes - 63.5 MBSlide ukulele slows us down and helps us savour the music we make. Here's how to get started with this beautiful style right away: an easy, gentle and fun introduction to the "slow uke movement." Bonus: get two free slide ukulele lessons with me here: https://www.uketropolis.com/slide. Enjoy!
North, South, East and West
March 30, 2023 12:21 - 19 minutes - 17.7 MBWhat does it mean to explore the fretboard in all directions? It brings discoveries at every turn: move across the strings for speed and efficiency and or along a single string to gain understanding. To join the next live taping of the Uketropolis Podcast, go to uketropolis.com/podcast Get two free lessons from my new course Americana Ukulele. Go to uketropolis.com/americana
The Jazz Strum [BONUS]
March 23, 2023 14:00 - 13 minutes - 12.2 MBWhat is the jazz strum and how can it be so simple given the complexity of jazz? Find out in this episode. To discover the world of ukulele jazz, go to: www.uketropolis.com/jazz or www.uketroplis.com/baritonejazz (get a free lesson!) To join the next live taping of the Uketropolis Podcast, go to uketropolis.com/podcast (it's free to attend).
Song and Dance
March 16, 2023 13:30 - 16 minutes - 15.5 MBWhy is the ukulele better at dancing (i.e. rhythm) than it is at singing (i.e. lyrical melody playing)? What can we do to get the most lyrical sound from the ukulele? Find out in this episode of the podcast. To join the next live taping of the Uketropolis Podcast, go to uketropolis.com/podcast Get two free lessons from my new course Americana Ukulele. Go to uketropolis.com/americana
Americana Ukulele Has Landed
March 09, 2023 14:59 - 25 minutes - 23.7 MBJoin me on a new musical adventure as we explore the wide-open spaces of Americana Ukulele! Watch my performance of "Are You My Sunshine": https://youtu.be/OsAMEyCStxQ Get 2 free lessons on slide ukulele: https://www.uketropolis.com/slide Sign up for the full Americana Ukulele course: https://www.uketropolis.com/americana
Recognize This Little Ditty?
March 06, 2023 19:40 - 3 minutes - 3 MBMy new online course, Americana Ukulele, is coming out on Thursday, March 9th! The course includes lessons on bottleneck slide ukulele, clawhammer, three-finger bluegrass picking, Travis picking, mandolin-style chords and flatpicking. It's gonna be big fun. Join me on March 9th for a special episode of the podcast; I'll walk you through the course and demonstrate the songs and techniques it includes.
House of Mirrors
March 02, 2023 00:44 - 42 minutes - 77.6 MBOne of my favourite episodes from the podcast archives, this is "House of Mirrors." It combines creativity, pedagogy and technology in a novel way that can bring more excitement into your own ukulele practice. Join me on the first Thursday of every month for Uketropolis LIVE! on my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@jameshillmusiq/streams. Bring a question; these conversations become future episodes of the podcast. See you there!
Your Musical Personality
February 22, 2023 14:00 - 26 minutes - 24.1 MBJoin the next Uketropolis LIVE and be part of the podcast! Bring a uke, bring a friend, bring a question on the first Thursday of next month. It's free to attend. Details at www.uketropolis.com/podcast.
To Pick or Not to Pick [BONUS]
February 15, 2023 14:00 - 10 minutes - 9.38 MBJoin the next Uketropolis LIVE and be part of the podcast! Bring a uke, bring a friend, bring a question on the first Thursday of next month. It's free to attend. Details at www.uketropolis.com/podcast.
The "Bob Dylan" Chord Progression
February 08, 2023 13:18 - 23 minutes - 21.8 MBJoin the next Uketropolis LIVE and be part of the podcast! Bring a uke, bring a friend, bring a question on the first Thursday of next month. It's free to attend. Details at www.uketropolis.com/podcast.
Season 3: Coming Soon!
February 03, 2023 05:58 - 56 seconds - 905 KBThe Uketropolis podcast is now taped LIVE on the first Thursday of every month.
Introducing... Uke Heads
April 28, 2022 13:12 - 22 minutes - 20.7 MBJoin James live every Thursday in May for Uke Heads Q&A: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_FUXbUQfwo Follow Uke Heads on social media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ukeheadsmusic Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/ukeheadsmusic
S2 E27 - Introducing... Uke Heads
April 28, 2022 13:12 - 22 minutes - 20.7 MBJoin James live every Thursday in May for Uke Heads Q&A: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_FUXbUQfwo Follow Uke Heads on social media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ukeheadsmusic Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/ukeheadsmusic
S2 E26 - Melanie Doane and Ukulele U
April 21, 2022 15:32 - 58 minutes - 107 MBLinks for in this episode: Melanie Doane Uschool Ukulele U on CBC Kids
#26 - Melanie Doane and Ukulele U
April 21, 2022 15:32 - 58 minutes - 107 MBLinks for in this episode: Melanie Doane Uschool Ukulele U on CBC Kids
Melanie Doane and Ukulele U
April 21, 2022 15:32 - 58 minutes - 107 MBLinks for in this episode: Melanie Doane Uschool Ukulele U on CBC Kids
S2 E25 - Fret Zero, Ukulele Hero
April 14, 2022 12:55 - 29 minutes - 27.1 MBMentioned in this episode: 1879 Apparel Booster Uke JHUI Teacher Certification Program
Fret Zero, Ukulele Hero
April 14, 2022 12:55 - 29 minutes - 27.1 MBMentioned in this episode: 1879 Apparel Booster Uke JHUI Teacher Certification Program
#25 - Fret Zero, Ukulele Hero
April 14, 2022 12:55 - 29 minutes - 27.1 MBMentioned in this episode: 1879 Apparel Booster Uke JHUI Teacher Certification Program
S2 E24 - The Magic Note Wheel
April 07, 2022 23:56 - 31 minutes - 57.1 MBDownload the free handout for this episode: https://www.dropbox.com/s/h5sqyp11pvdq47f/Uketropolis-Podcast-Note-Wheel.pdf?dl=0 (Note: you do not need to register for Dropbox to download the file. If prompted to register, simply close the pop-up and proceed to the download.)
The Magic Note Wheel
April 07, 2022 23:56 - 31 minutes - 57.1 MBDownload the free handout for this episode: https://www.dropbox.com/s/h5sqyp11pvdq47f/Uketropolis-Podcast-Note-Wheel.pdf?dl=0 (Note: you do not need to register for Dropbox to download the file. If prompted to register, simply close the pop-up and proceed to the download.)
#24 - The Magic Note Wheel
April 07, 2022 23:56 - 31 minutes - 57.1 MBDownload the free handout for this episode: https://www.dropbox.com/s/h5sqyp11pvdq47f/Uketropolis-Podcast-Note-Wheel.pdf?dl=0 (Note: you do not need to register for Dropbox to download the file. If prompted to register, simply close the pop-up and proceed to the download.)
#23 - House of Mirrors
March 24, 2022 15:57 - 41 minutes - 94.6 MBWhat is a delay pedal? How is it like a house of mirrors? And how can it help you in your teaching and practice? Listen in as James creates soundscapes on-the-fly with the help of a BOSS DD-5 digital delay.
S2 E23 - House of Mirrors
March 24, 2022 15:57 - 41 minutes - 94.6 MBWhat is a delay pedal? How is it like a house of mirrors? And how can it help you in your teaching and practice? Listen in as James creates soundscapes on-the-fly with the help of a BOSS DD-5 digital delay.
House of Mirrors
March 24, 2022 15:57 - 41 minutes - 94.6 MBWhat is a delay pedal? How is it like a house of mirrors? And how can it help you in your teaching and practice? Listen in as James creates soundscapes on-the-fly with the help of a BOSS DD-5 digital delay.
#22 - Spring break fun!
March 17, 2022 13:56 - 2 minutes - 5.36 MBLinks: Ukulele Funbook by Zsolt Schäfer: www.ukulelefunbook.com Treasure map activity: www.canonclub.ca (near bottom of page)
Spring break fun!
March 17, 2022 13:56 - 2 minutes - 5.36 MBLinks: Ukulele Funbook by Zsolt Schäfer: www.ukulelefunbook.com Treasure map activity: www.canonclub.ca (near bottom of page)