Next Level Ukulele: Easy play-along guide to understanding music, building confidence and learning to jam like a pro, with over 100 audio practice tracks

Easy play-along intermediate ukulele method book for adults, for understanding music, building confidence and learning to jam like a pro, with over 100 downloadable audio play-along practice tracks.

If you play ukulele to a basic level but want to reach the next level by being able to hear, follow and understand the music and songs you play then this book is for you. Follow the methods in this Next Level Ukulele book to:

• Dramatically boost your confidence when performing
• Develop your music theory knowledge, rhythm and listening skills
• Improve your ability to play and remember songs
• Transform your all-round skills as a musician

Does the world really need another uke book? We think it does - you see, many experienced beginner/intermediate ukulele players grow frustrated by their inability to understand and follow the music they play. Instead of blindly following the chords on the page, they want to be able to 'hear and feel' the music they play in the same way an experienced musician does!

This is where Next Level Ukulele comes in - simply follow the step-by-step method in this book (with over 100 downloadable play-along tracks included) and see your musical skills improve dramatically. By focusing on really listening and learning to recognise the sounds in the music you play, you can go beyond basic ukulele playing and begin to think, hear and feel like a real musician.

Next Level Ukulele comes with over 100 downloadable play-along backing tracks demonstrating most of the examples in the book. These are used to teach you to hear and recognise what you hear in the songs you play - chords, chord progressions, keys and key changes, common rhythmic patterns and more.

Next Level Ukulele shows you how to:

• Learn to play 'by ear'. This is how many musicians can work out and play songs they've never even played before! Develop the skills you need to be able to do this
• Understand and recognise the common elements we see in the popular ukulele repertoire - major and minor chords and keys, different rhythms and time signatures, 'seventh' chords, common chord sequences, key changes, 'borrowed' chords and much more
• Recognise common song forms and structures like the 12 bar blues, 'IV' chord chorus songs, and songs based on simple repeating chord patterns
• Learn to 'feel the rhythm' - nail common rhythmic feels and strumming patterns such as swing rhythms, shuffles, 'train' rhythms, waltz time and more

This book is perfect for you if:

• You want to improve your ukulele playing skills, feel more confident when playing with other musicians, and simply enjoy your playing more
• You'd like to become one of those players who can hear songs and work them out simply by using their ears!
• You want to improve your ability to listen to and follow the music you play
• You want to learn some of the skills you need to jam with others (and feel comfortable and confident doing so!)
• You'd like to play music and songs on the spot 'by ear' instead of always following a chord sheet
• You want a deeper understanding of the music you play
• You'd like to be able to recognise the common chords, chord progressions, song forms and key changes used in the popular ukulele repertoire

I started out on the ukulele at the grand old age of 9. Early Rock 'n Roll was starting to take over the world... and like most kids, I just had to be part of this great music scene! I was lucky enough to meet some people who really helped me and I was able to progress to a guitar and then into a band. At 15 I was out gigging with some friends and getting paid much more than my paper round!Unfortunately, after over 20 years playing in a successful covers band, I developed a mobility issue in my hands, and playing the guitar became almost impossible for me. I pretty much gave up playing music until some years later a friend re-introduced me to the ukulele. I was delighted to find I could play again!Before long I was out gigging on the uke with a couple of great musicians as well as helping run and teach in a ukulele group.I've had so much pleasure from the uke that I decided to write an easy to understand, step-by-step, introduction to music theory for fellow ukulele players. There would be no fancy jargon or confusing technical explanations, just a clear, step by step guide to understanding the theory behind chords, keys, and chord progressions as applied to the ukulele.I firmly believe that anyone, with a little application, can come to understand most of the music theory that they will ever need as a ukulele player. I hope that grasping the basics in my book will help you understand song structures, chord changes and more like never before... and help you get much more from the fabulous little instrument that is the ukulele.

James Shipway is a guitarist, author and course creator with over 25,000 hours of experience helping students of all ages and abilities reach their guitar-playing goals.He's shared his knowledge with millions of guitarists worldwide via his YouTube channel and his online guitar academy, Total Guitar Lab, as well as in his acclaimed series of guitar books. James first began playing guitar at 16. Self-taught and with no prior musical education or experience, he still remembers very well how confusing guitar playing is without any guidance. He brings this personal experience of struggling with adversity and confusion on guitar to everything he does, and his practical, easy-to-use, 'BS free' approach to learning, playing and practicing guitar has gained him a legion of followers around the globe. His book releases including; Music Theory for Guitarists, Volumes 1, 2 & 3, The CAGED System for Guitar, Blues Soloing for Guitar, Volumes 1 & 2, Barre Chords for Guitar and Circle of Fifths for Guitar, aim to boost a guitar player's ability and confidence by breaking down and simplifying seemingly complex theory, techniques and styles - so that guitar players of all levels can see drastic changes in their standard of playing.