21 Songs in 6 Days: Learn Ukulele the Easy Way: Ukulele Songbook

Great starter with many extras that enhance your learning experience. Love the orchestra assistance that makes me feel more confident.

I am fairly new to the ukulele (a little over a year) but have played piano and guitar for over 30 years. My musical background is comprehensive. I am also a private teacher of these instruments. I have looked at many, many "method" books for all 3 of these instruments over the past several years. When I started to read through this book, I was very pleasantly surprised. I was very happy to see how much was covered in a short amount of pages and that it was covered in a very logical order. A lot of the method books I have seen are not logical in my opinion. Not only does this book cover the concepts in a logical sequence, but each concept and techniques from the chapter before are reviewed before moving into the new concepts and technique. Having the videos examples for each of the songs and techniques and concepts was a very smart addition to the book. I have to think hard on how many standard method books actually have videos to watch for what they explain in their books. It is impressive that you are able to learn 21 songs in just 6 days, using just 5 basic chords. The suggested strum rhythms are logically suggested for the song rhythms. The chord changes are illustrated uniquely with font changes in the words for each change, but I thought this was a bit confusing, as I am used to having chords above the words for each line, so that I know what is next. With this method, I have to think a little harder on what chord is next and if I forget what chord goes with what font, I have to stop and check, whereas with a chord chart I can keep going. That's really my only "dissatisfaction" with this book, and didn't warrant affecting the rating. The basic introductory items on getting setup to play with getting an instrument, etc., was comprehensively covered, so you can get ready to start right away. Overall I thought this was very well done, a very fast read, and all explained in very simple ways rather than trying to understand alot of technical and theoretical jargon. I am looking forward to seeing the next one!

Very easy steps to follow. Almost too easy. I've never played an instrument in my life and I was able to get through most of the book in a few days. I love the Chord Glossary! My only complaint is the songs. I know these are just simple 1-3 chord classic songs, but they're super boring to play. Shoo Fly, Row Your Boat, Hush little Baby. Ugh. The videos are very helpful!

Made learning the ukelele so much more fun and practical. Can't wait to get the next book!

Peters and Bogart get you started “playing” right out of the gate without getting bogged down in music theory, counting beats, or the other details that might distract or confuse a novice. It’s great for a quick course designed for adult learners or younger players who want to get a fast start. The online videos are a nice extra. Some of the more traditional music teachers might not care for this method, but I recently sat in a classroom full of new students strumming in near perfect unison on day one, so it’s worth trying for a more casual instructional situation. Cost control was probably the reason that the authors used some rather tired or very obscure public domain songs, but that’s not an uncommon thing to see in beginner books. Don’t expect to be playing the latest hits or Beatles classics while using this book, but you can start here and a big ukulele STAR. Practice every day, even if you only have a minute or two to spare.

Overall, I have mixed feelings about this book. It did manage to teach me a number of chords and 21 songs, as promised. However, I am going to list the pros and cons of this book. Pros: I really liked the fact that you could either view the music sheets online or in the book. I do not currently have a music stand and being able to see the song on my laptop was sort of nice. The chord changes are color coordinated, which makes it easier to know which chord to play. I may start using a sharpie to highlight my chord changes in other books from now on. The videos are helpful for getting an idea of how quickly/slowly to strum a song The songs start off extremely easy, which enabled me to gain some confidence regarding my own abilities. This way I did not get disappointed along the way and quit. Cons: Some of the video/sound clips don't work. The lady who does the singing/playing is a good player, however she is a very technical singer. I think that it might be more helpful to have someone sing who seems like they are actually enjoying playing the songs. A lot of the songs are probably a bit old for my generation. You have songs like "Row Row Row Your Boat," but then you also have songs like "Red River Valley." I think that there could have been pieces of some newer songs included as well so that it would appeal to a wider range of people. Overall, this book did do what it promised, and it has helped me to begin my journey of learning how to play the ukulele. However, I do think that some things could be better.

My only musical background is that I was able to play some very simple songs on guitar that my sister taught me when I was very little. I was never able to sing and strum at the same time. I was able to sing and strum in just a couple days with this book...even if it sounds terrible at least I can do it! I could play all the songs I knew the rhythm to in the first day, not well but I could do it!

Alles o.k.

It's a great book and video course but took me ages to get the videos. I had to contact them to get help to access the videos. Would give 5 stars if videos were more accessible.

I love this book and the videos. Really helpful instructions. A must have for a beginner.

This is a very good clear gentle introduction to playing a Uke, though it must always be remembered that you really do need internet access to access the video and audio. You can work just from the book but won't work as well. It takes things very slowly - the first three days are all one chord songs, then F/C7 C/G7 and finally C/F/G7 in day 6. But you can play a lot of songs with C,F,G7.... Even though both of the authors are musicians (pianists I think ?) and the course is well thought out, there's something about the videos especially that is entertainingly "amateurish", the videos look like one (sometimes two) people playing the Uke in their kitchen and enjoying it without being too serious. Possibly because that's what it is. This approach , rather than a formal precise one, I think encourages you to perform yourself, it just seems less embarrassing singing along with these one (or two). The light hearted approach, and that one of the players is a beginner herself, makes it seem achievable. Formal books may teach you more in technical skills, but not as much to enjoy yourself strumming away. Even though the title is 21 Songs, some of them are repeated, and some of them are American songs, though they are fairly easy to pick up. The course itself is verging on the unfailable, as it is very gently paced and if you struggle with something there are yet further breakdowns, if you struggle with this bit, try ...... If you do complete this there are other books in the series which are a little harder and a promised intermediate book, and you'll also feel comfortable accessing the many youtube videos which provide strumming and chords for songs ; I particularly like "Ukulele Mike" because he has a similar relaxed "enjoy yourself" approach. But start here. If you just want to try the Uke, this is recommended ; if you can play it a bit, but feel uncomfortable strum singing, it's also recommended.