Learn Ukulele Easily With Brett McQueen's Exercises For Dummies

teri: helpful

United States on Aug 19, 2023

danielef: Consiglio per chi come me non ha la padronza della lingua inglese il formato ebook che da la possibilità delle traduzione in lingua italiana.

Italy on Sep 12, 2022

KaraganaKaragana: This book is going to be great helping me to improve my ukulele playing. However, I was disappointed to see that it arrived with a bent up corner and that it was printed on low quality paper. The paper is no better than newsprint. On further inspection I see that it was “Manufactured in the United States at Bind-Rite”. Note that the book on the right, “Ukulele for Dummies” says simply that it was “Manufactured in the United States of America” and is printed on whiter, thicker paper. I can use a highlighter on any page and it won’t soak through to the other side, which is not the case with my new book. So… Amazon… is my new book a knock off of the actual Dummies product or has the publisher lowered its standards? In the past I ordered a book on how to use Light Room and it was also printed on inferior paper… in India! I registered a complaint and Amazon replaced it with a “real” copy. If this book is a knock off, I would appreciate a replacement “real” copy.

Canada on Jan 30, 2022

B. Eibisch: This product turned up very well packaged and in pristine order. The book itself is a typical Dummies book, paperback, yellow and black of some 240 pages. It is primarily a book of techniques for ukulele and technical musical information. So a book of scales, strumming routines, finger picking systems, movable chords up and down the fret board... things like that. It uses the standard ukulele tuning so for soprano,concert and tenor ukes only. If you want a book about different Ukuleles, buying them, basic chords and tunings etc you need to get “Ukuleles for Dummies”. This book is for mastering techniques to become a better player with more mastery of the instrument. It also guides you to a site where you can download all the examples in this book and there is about 150 of them, so you know what you’re trying to achieve.

Australia on Feb 09, 2019

Libby: I love this book except for the size of the music ledger lines and tabs on these lines which in places are extremely small in size and considering the amount of wasted paper in the book they could have been made much easier to see. Be aware that like myself a lot of older uke players need a little more in the print size, but I think even if I were younger this would still be a challenge to read and keep track of where you actually were on the page. That being said I really do like the book and the audio files that go with it. A CD would have been a little better to have since I like to listen to all the music over and over on my system without having to select the next piece. The listening helps the playing since I get so that I recognize if I get it right or not. The exercises are really great and have helped a lot to improve my strumming. Brett's style of presenting the material is that of an an excellent teacher. Thanks.

Canada on Nov 07, 2013

Tarah Tamayo: Here's where I'm coming from: I am, perhaps, an advanced beginner at the instrument. I received this book as a gift about a week ago. I probably practice too much.

This is at its heart an exercise book. It's absolutely excellent for that - I've only spent about a week on it and see plenty of places I will improve from. It's also a great book for jumping around in. If you're a middling to advanced beginner (for me, I know all the important chords well, with one or two strumming patterns and no fingerpicking) this will help you advance. No, I haven't completed it - but this has already demystified strumming patterns for me (practice slow at first, then bring the speed up to the listed rate on the example song). I also now have a good understanding (if not ability) of how arpeggios work and I will be working on those.

There are a good number of example songs, though I'd have liked to see more (one per strumming pattern, for example). There is still a good deal of footwork involved for the reader to produce more lengthy exercises on trouble spots. Strumming patterns, for example, are typically two measures long. This is far too short to make an interesting exercise...

United States on Jul 19, 2013

rhmanatee: I am reviewing the print copy of this book, not the Kindle edition.
It makes little difference to me whether the author chooses to write in British English or American English, but to flip-flop between the two is not acceptable. The very first page of the table of contents serves as a warning that no decent editor or proofreader has been anywhere near the galleys for this book. One may "practice" or one may "practise," but one may not do both right on the same page, inches from each other! This geographical confusion is repeated throughout the book.
Since this book is called "Ukulele Exercises," I expected more exercises and less text/drivel, but on this count I was sorely disappointed. Most of the book is taken up with space-filling blocks of self-promoting soul-draining delaying tactics. I agree that before playing any tunable instrument, one should tune it, but the idea that I should not pick up my instrument and begin to play until I have completed an extensive regime of stretching exercises is ridiculous and off-putting. I wouldn't mind these exercises being included somewhere in the book, but they should not stand in the way of actually playing the instrument, let...

United States on May 19, 2013

Libby Wheeler: I first learned to strum about a year ago, using Brett McQueen’s lesson series from his [...]. I would recommend Ukulele Exercises for Dummies to anyone who wants to improve his/her ukulele playing! The book, with its online audio tracks, is designed for ukuleles in Standard tuning. It is NOT a “basic chords for ukulele” book. This is a practice book: the more you do the exercises, listening to and playing along with the audio tracks, the better you will get. The clarity of the exercises and descriptions is outstanding. Strumming, Fingerpicking and Fretboard theory and practice are covered comprehensively. You can choose the topic that you want to focus on, head directly to the appropriate chapter, and start there. Or, you can work on a few strumming exercises, a few fingerpicking exercises, and a few scales, moving on when you’re ready. You set the pace. The familiar “for Dummies” format of the book makes it easy to navigate, and it’s easy to match text with the appropriate audio track. I have already learned so much by using this new book for just a few weeks. If you want to be a better ukulele player, and you are willing to put in the practice time, this book is...

Canada on May 09, 2013

Roberto Yunes: The book involves two downloads: the book itself via amazon, and the mp3 files corresponding to the exercises, via Wiley's online place. I have no problems at all with any of them; both downloaded quickly, and it was very easy to find Wiley's place. Also, I did not have any problem at all by dealing with the book, on the one hand, and the mp3 files, on the other one. Just by jumping from one to the other -a one click procedure- I was in business. Since I bought the book a few days ago, I don't have the possibility of judging completely its contents. However, by examining two or three chapters, and by looking at specific items on several more chapters, I think the book is both engaging and a really nice tool to drive deeper your playing skills. It is the kind of book you will be working with for a long time. However, If you are an absolute beginner, there are probably better options for you. The only thing I did not like at all was the fact that the songs that involve lyrics are not sung by the author (he sings really nice: check his online videos). It would be nice to have both versions of the song: the music only version and the sung one. Particularly important since many of the...

United States on Apr 14, 2013