PODCAST · education
Uketropolis: Ukulele Q&A with James Hill
by James Hill
Every week Uketropolis.com founder James Hill answers student questions about playing ukulele and interviews innovative ukulele educators.
Episodes
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Raglele, Six Weeks Later
Ragalele is the newest resource at Uketropolis.com. It was released about six weeks ago and the response has been amazing! New questions and conversations are happening every day as students begin to explore the 6000-year-old tradition of Indian classical music. Today we tackle one of these...
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Ragalele
My guest today is Sayali Tank, my co-author on Ragalele, a new resource that brings the magic of Indian classical music to the ukulele. Go to www.ragalele.com for a free download and follow Sayali on YouTube and Instagram. In this episode we talk about: How Ragalele came to be The healing power…
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Arranging Made Easy
Arranging. It's the all-too-often-overlooked skill that brings music to life... or not. Over the years, there is one simple strategy I've relied on time and time again. It's so simple that it's easy to miss. Plus: why not singing is one of the most important techniques for us singers. Uke Heads…
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BONUS: The Dreaded Squeak
Are you afraid of strings that go squeak in the night? My latest educational project, Ragalele, brings the magic of Indian Ragas to the ukulele: https://www.ragalele.com Uke Heads new single "Hearts On Fire": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hGrTIBBjnY My online ukulele courses (some free, some...
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Play First, Ask Questions Later
Music theory is a form of understanding that comes after you play and experiment. A lot. At least that's my opinion. In this episode I make my case for playing first and asking questions later. Enjoy! I'm on tour in Ontario and Quebec! Join me for an in-person ukulele workshop:...
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Travis Picking to the Rescue
Travis 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...
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165 Players, 10 Rehearsals, 1 Album: Uke Heads Has Landed!
My 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…
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Angeline the Baker
"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…
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Flatpickers Welcome!
Is 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...
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Live Long and Posture
Can'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...
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The Magic Triple Strum
The 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...
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Walking Backwards
Welcome 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…
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A Tree With No Root?
This 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
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Turn a one-chord lullabye into a two-chord rocker
A 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…
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Speed vs Style
Welcome 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.
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The Tuning Paradox
In 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.
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What everyone can learn from jazz ukulele
Jazz 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…
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Cliffhanger
There'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...
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A Bridge Between Tunings
Wouldn'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.
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Show of Hands
Are 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.
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Baritone Bonus!
A bonus lightning round of the most common baritone-ukulele questions.
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Baritone: What's the Big Deal?
People who love baritone ukulele really love baritone ukulele. Why? We kick off Baritone Month with a simple question: "What makes baritone ukulele so great?"
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June is Baritone Month!
This 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....
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My Three Principles for Left-hand Fingering
Navigating 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…
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How do I know which notes to noodle on?
It'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...
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Fringe Twins
Booster 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?...
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Alex Beds Interviews... James!
Alex 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…
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Brad Bordessa's Brave New Approach To Online Teaching
Brad 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.
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Slide Ukulele
Slide 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!
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North, South, East and West
What 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…
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The Jazz Strum
What 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...
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Song and Dance
Why 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…
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Americana Ukulele Has Landed
Join 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:...
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Recognize This Little Ditty?
My 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...
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House of Mirrors
One 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…
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Your Musical Personality
Join 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.
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To Pick or Not to Pick [BONUS]
Join 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.
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The "Bob Dylan" Chord Progression
Join 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.
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Season 3: Coming Soon!
The Uketropolis podcast is now taped LIVE on the first Thursday of every month.
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Introducing... Uke Heads
Join 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
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Melanie Doane and Ukulele U
Links for in this episode: Melanie Doane Uschool Ukulele U on CBC Kids
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Fret Zero, Ukulele Hero
Mentioned in this episode: 1879 Apparel Booster Uke JHUI Teacher Certification Program
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The Magic Note Wheel
Download 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.)
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House of Mirrors
What 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.
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Spring break fun!
Links: Ukulele Funbook by Zsolt Schäfer: www.ukulelefunbook.com Treasure map activity: www.canonclub.ca (near bottom of page)
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Insta-Harmony
Free handout of Plaisir d'amour, the song James demonstrates in this episode: https://www.dropbox.com/s/5ct39zcovmk95ua/Uketropolis-Podcast-Plaisir-dAmour-Handout-C6.pdf?dl=0
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How Much Truth Is Too Much?
When you're teaching (or self-teaching), how much truth is too much? When does information become counter-productive in the learning process? Explore these questions and more as we grapple with an interesting student question about the Harmonized C Scale.
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Give Us Peace
Free sheet music: https://www.dropbox.com/s/a4lx26j04hvlgpp/Dona-Nobis-Pacem-in-F-C6-Tuning.pdf?dl=0 Free mp3 download: https://www.dropbox.com/s/k0hsick6ntggluy/James-Hill-Dona-Nobis-Pacem.mp3?dl=0
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Lightning Round!
Let's tie up some loose ends with a "lightning round" of questions from Uketropolis this week. Felt picks vs. guitar picks, thumb position for chording, figuring out the chords when there are no chord diagrams, and how to manage a melody once you add harmony parts to it.
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Take a Walk With Charlie
For information about the California Ukulele Hideaway, go to: https://www.musicworldretreats.com/ca-ukulele-hideaway-2022-james-hill
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Uketropolis: Ukulele Q&A with James Hill have?
Uketropolis: Ukulele Q&A with James Hill currently has 104 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Uketropolis: Ukulele Q&A with James Hill about?
Every week Uketropolis.com founder James Hill answers student questions about playing ukulele and interviews innovative ukulele educators.
How often does Uketropolis: Ukulele Q&A with James Hill release new episodes?
Uketropolis: Ukulele Q&A with James Hill publishes regularly with 104 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to Uketropolis: Ukulele Q&A with James Hill?
You can listen to Uketropolis: Ukulele Q&A with James Hill on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Uketropolis: Ukulele Q&A with James Hill?
Uketropolis: Ukulele Q&A with James Hill is created and hosted by James Hill.
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