Last updated on June 16th, 2022 at 03:11 pm
The ukulele is one of those instruments that you can take to any party and everyone will love you for it.
Luckily, it’s not that hard to learn to play the basics, but if you want to become a great player, then that’s a different story.
I compiled a list of the best websites that teach online Ukulele lessons; both free & premium.
I will include how much each of them charges for the lessons, as well as give you my opinion on which the best ones are, both for beginners and more advanced players.
Uke Like the Pros
Uke like the Pros is the best online resource to learn to play the Ukulele.
Udemy
Udemy offers multiple affordable courses on how to play the Ukulele.
Fender Play
Fender Play allows you to learn the Ukulele as well as other instruments.
Let’s get started!
The Best Websites to Learn the Ukulele are:
| Website | Price | Level | Mobile App | Free Trial |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Uke Like the Pros | Free up to $188 | All Levels | Yes | Yes |
| Udemy | $19.99 up to $49.99 | All Levels | No | No |
| Fender Play | $9.99 up to $89.99 | Beginner / Intermediate | Yes | Yes |
| Truefire | Free up to $249 | All Levels | Yes | Yes |
| Ukulele Underground | Free up to $159.95 | All Levels | Yes | Yes |
| Ukulele Tricks | Free up to $97 | Beginner | No | No |
| Learning Ukulele | Free to $149 | Beginner / Intermediate | No | No |
| Live Ukulele | Free to $27.95/mo. | All levels | No | No |
| ArtistWorks | $105 up to $279 | All Levels | No | No |
| Ukulele Buddy | Free up to $97 | Beginner | No | No |
| Yousician | $7.50 up to $17.50/mo. | Beginner | Yes | Yes |
OK, now lets dig a bit deeper and find out what each of these sites has to offer!
Uke Like the Pros (Free up to $188)
Uke Like the Pros doesn’t offer as much free content as some of the other sites on this list; however, there are tons of premium courses that you can buy individually, as well as monthly- and yearly memberships.
Terry, the founder of this platform, has over 25 years of experience training and teaching people how to play the Ukulele, and having someone with such vast experience be your teacher is definitely a good thing.
As far as the pricing goes, the standard membership costs $12.99/mo., and gives you limited access to the courses, a 7-day free trial, and more.
The premium membership costs $19.99/mo., and gives you full access to everything, as well as a 7-day free trial, discounts on ukuleles, and more.
You can also choose to pay $188 yearly and have the same benefits as the premium plan.
To access the “Free Ukulele Fundamentals Course” you will have to sign up for their email newsletter; however, for more free content you can always check their blog, where they will teach you some basics, like tuning the Ukulele, chords, reading sheet music, and more.
Not only is this a good website for beginners, since they cover all the basic information you need, but they also have a couple more advanced courses, like the “Jazz Swing Mastery” one, which you can buy individually or access by signing up to the premium membership.
Website: Uke Like the Pros.
Udemy ($19.99 up to $49.99)
I mention Udemy on loads of my posts about learning different instruments for the simple fact that there are just a ton of courses available on the site.
You don’t pay for a monthly membership or anything, but rather for each individual course you decide to enroll in.
One of the benefits of Udemy is that it’s not the same instructor in every course; in fact, all courses have a different one, and since you can preview the course and see the teacher in action, you can decide whether or not you like their teaching style or not.
Most courses are geared towards the absolute beginner, but some of them are also good for intermediate- and even advanced players, which is why I like Udemy so much.
Here are three I’d recommend:
- The Ukulele Academy (Beginner)
- Ukulele Beginner Course (Beginner)
- Play Ukulele Now (All Levels)
Luckily, Udemy offers a 30-day money-back guarantee; so, if you don’t find the course useful, you can get your money back and enroll in another one.
Fender Play (Free up to $89.99)
We all know Fender for being the company that makes some of the best Guitars and Guitar-related equipment on the market, but they also have a part of their site completely dedicated to teaching people how to play certain instruments, and while it may mostly be focused on guitar, the Ukulele is also a part of their program.
Of all the websites on this list, Fender Play is the one that has the highest number of instructors, which is actually good since if you don’t like the teaching style of one teacher, it doesn’t mean that you have to move on to another site.
Now, as far as the lessons themselves go, you will learn about the basic chords, how to play popular songs, theory, different exercises on strumming, fingering, and more.
As far as pricing goes, the monthly plan will set you back $9.99 every month, or you can pay $89.99 per year, and if you join the annual offer, you can purchase amps, Fender guitars, and gear at a 10% discount, which a fantastic, especially considering that on most pieces of equipment that 10% is already more than the membership itself.
Additionally, they offer a 14-day free trial, which is a great way of checking out whether or not these lessons are for you.
As you progress you can freely review past lessons, should you need to go over some concepts again, and in each lesson, there are tabs, video tutorials, and other extra resources to help you learn faster and better.
Also, since they offer apps both for iOS and Android devices, you can access all the lessons through these apps and replay them whenever you like.
Additionally, they film the lessons with loads of different camera angles and show you the best angle for each specific part, so you can always have a clear view of what is going on.
There are also chords and tabs for each of the songs and exercises that you are learning, which makes it easy to watch the video and follow the chords at the same time.
All in all, Fender Play is a great resource; it is even better for guitar players, but if you’re just getting started with the Ukulele, then definitely sign up for the free trial and see how you like it.
Website: Fender Play.
Truefire (Free up to $249)
Good number of lessons (lessons for other instruments included)
Truefire is very similar to Fender Play in the sense that it offers loads of lessons (in this case over 50.000) and it also gives you access to lessons in dozens of different genres, plus it’s not only for ukulele players since they also feature Bass lessons, as well as lessons on how to play the guitar, Banjo, Mandolin, Violin, Keyboard, and more.
When signing up, you’re asked about what instrument you play, your current level (Beginner, Late Beginner, Intermediate, Late Intermediate, and Advanced), the styles you like to play, how long you’ve been playing, and your overall goals, and all of this helps Truefire determine what specific courses you should start with.
With Truefire you get a complete 14-day Full-access Free trial that you can use to determine whether or not the platform is for you by checking out all of the available courses and lessons, making it an excellent way of determining whether or not the platform is actually worth it for you.
In terms of pricing, you have two options: Pay monthly or yearly. The monthly subscription costs $29 and the yearly subscription is $249, although they constantly promote it on their site for $179.99, so the yearly subscription is definitely the way to go if you plan on going through multiple courses.
In addition to all of this, you also get access to a couple of chord charts, which makes it easier for complete beginners to start playing.
If you’re looking for in-depth lessons & tutorials on how to play the Ukulele, and if you’re also interested in getting access to all of the lessons on the other instruments they have to offer, then Truefire is definitely the way to go.
Website: Truefire.
Ukulele Underground (Free up to $159.95)
The Ukulele Underground website provides vast Ukulele learning resources, both free and premium, to anyone anywhere who desires to enhance their Ukulele playing skills.
This should be a good start for you, especially if you are a beginner, since the online course starts all the way from the basics, teaching you the fundamental aspects, such as strumming, stringing, holding the Ukulele, and learning different chords.
After learning these basics, there are multiple song-video tutorials you can learn and start practicing with, and all of these song tutorials are free!
However, there are also many lessons available for both intermediate- and advanced players, which means that no matter what level you’re currently at, you’ll probably find something of value on this site to further enhance your skills.
In addition to all the free resources, there are also premium lessons available, and those can be accessed for either $19.99/mo., or $159.95 per year.
If you select the monthly membership, you also get a 14-day free trial with it.
The advantages of signing up for a premium membership aren’t just the courses that the website has to offer, which are already comprised of over 500 hours of content, 100+ tutorials, and more…
But you also get two private 15-minute lessons with one of the teachers, as well as one-on-one live coaching every week.
In addition to this, Ukulele Underground also has a forum that you can use to talk to other students and learn more about the instrument itself, which is always a nice feature.
Lastly, they also run one of the biggest Ukulele-related YouTube channels out there, so make sure to check them out!
Website: Ukulele Underground.
Ukulele Tricks (Free up to $97)
The Ukulele Tricks website is good for both beginners and practicing Ukulele players since it doesn’t just cover the basics.
It provides free online ukulele classes, accompanied by several free video tutorials, fourteen of them actually, to teach their students the basics, such as; Tuning, Correct holding position, strumming, chords, strumming patterns, and more.
The site has hundreds of tricks and tips that are vital for you to get equipped with before you embark on playing Ukulele.
After you learn about the key fundamentals, such as tabs and scales, the site proceeds to teach you how to play using audio and video tutorials to practice playing some popular songs.
If you want access to all these free tutorials, you will have to sign up to the email newsletter and the lessons will then be sent to your inbox.
However, there are loads of extra free lessons and resources on the site, and you don’t need to give up your email address for them.
You can view and complete these free lessons before even considering signing up to the premium course that they offer.
The “Strumming Course”, which is premium and sells for $97, features almost 4 hours’ worth of video content, 100+ lesson worksheets, and more, and you will learn everything that goes into strumming the ukulele proficiently.
Brett McQueen, the founder of this site and teacher, is the author of the “Ukulele Exercises For Dummies” book, where he also teaches you in a very straightforward and simple way, how to play the Ukulele.
This book is one of the best Ukulele-related ones on Amazon, which I think speaks to the overall quality of the content that he puts out.
The only con about Ukulele Tricks is that you don’t get any one-on-one time with your teacher, which is something that some of the other websites on this list actually do offer.
Website: Ukulele Tricks.
Learning Ukulele (Free up to $149)
The Learning Ukulele website is one if those sites that will provide you with lots of free resources on playing the Ukulele.
For instance, they give out new ukulele chord-tips every single day of the year.
Additionally, you can benefit from their multiple and free online ukulele classes (234 total).
Curt Sheller, the founder of the site, is a renowned ukulele player, educator, publisher, and author who has spent years perfecting his craft, and he is the guy you will be learning from.
Now, you can access a wide range of resources that can help you perfect in this art, such as books, free downloads, videos, to name a few.
The website creates a good user experience for students with a smooth and interactive interface, and you will be guided through a series of tutorials on how to improve the tuning, sound, as well as how to read notes, tablature, hold the Ukulele, and read different scales.
Initially, they teach you some fingerpicking techniques before you eventually progress to learn how to strum a whole song.
The membership subscription plans are quite flexible and designed to address different student’s unique needs.
Moreover, this site regularly updates its content to keep its students well-informed and to also give you an incentive to stay a member.
As far as pricing goes, you have a couple alternatives; The Free membership gives you access to a limited number of lessons and songs, as well as basic music reference material.
The Premium access, which costs $81 per year, gives you unlimited access to all lessons, downloads, songs, e-books, and more.
And there’s also the “Forever Access” plan, which costs $149 and is a on-time payment, that gives you the exact same benefits that the premium plan offers, but you don’t have to worry about having to pay for another subscription fee ever again.
Lastly, there are advertisements about Ukulele events and festivals where students can network and go to showcase their skills.
Website: Learning Ukulele.
Live Ukulele (Free up to $27.95)
The Live Ukulele website’s founder, Brad Bordessa, is a musician with over a decade of experience in teaching how to play the Ukulele, and he has created this website to be able to reach a broader audience.
On his site you will find hundreds of free resources to learn to play the Ukulele, and it’s not just geared towards the absolute beginner, but intermediate- and advanced players as well.
On the “Lessons” section of his website you’ll have access to a variety of information, such as; What Uke to get, Strumming lessons, Timing Basics, Picking, Fingering, Soloing, Scales, and more.
In addition to all this free information, Brad Bordessa also runs a YouTube channel where he’ll teach you even more things for free, give you advice, etc.
As far as the premium content goes, you can buy three E-books; The “Ukulele Chord Shapes”, “Right Hand Technique for Ukulele”, and “Left Hand Technique for Ukulele”.
Lastly, the information on this site is constantly being updated, and you can keep up with those updates by signing up to his email newsletter.
Website: Live Ukulele.
ArtistWorks ($105 up to $279)
ArtistWorks is a website that doesn’t just teach you to play the Ukulele, but other instruments as well, such as the Piano, Guitar, Saxophone, and more.
The Ukulele course, which is taught by Craig Chee and Sarah Maisel, isn’t just aimed at beginners, but intermediate- and advanced players as well, and teaches you all the basics as well as more advanced concepts in 100+ lessons.
You will learn about fingerpicking, strumming, chords, entire songs, how to warm up, and more.
Additionally, you can play the lessons in slow motion or even set them to loop a specific section, allowing you to really practice what you need to learn the right way.
What sets ArtistWorks apart from the other sites on this list is that you can submit videos to be reviewed by the teachers, who will give you specific feedback on where you need to improve.
This is a fantastic way to actually create a teacher-to-student relationship, which is something that other programs don’t have.
Not only that, but you can see the reviews that teachers give other students and also learn from those!
As far as pricing goes, you can get a subscription for $105 every three months, $179 every six months, or a yearly plan for $279.
However, this just gives you access to the specific course you purchased and not to all the courses/instructors on the site.
Website: ArtistWorks.
Ukulele Buddy (Free up to $97)
What sets Ukulele Buddy apart from the other sites on this list is that it features a free “Chord Namer” that lets you click on any notes you want and it will tell you what chord it is, and you can even play the chord directly on the website to hear how it sounds.
Another awesome feature is the “Scales Selector”, which lets you choose a key and the type of scale (Blues, Pentatonic Harmonic Minor, etc.) and it will show you all those notes on the fretboard that make up those scales.
They also have the same feature for arpeggios as well!
And all of this can be accessed completely for free.
Additionally, there are some free lessons about chords, scales and arpeggios as well, which are simple and straight to the point.
However, that’s it for the free content; if you want to learn more you will have to purchase the course, which sells for $67, for the Online Version, and $97, for the physical version.
The premium course offers over 10-hours’ worth of content where you will learn all the basics, how to strum the ukulele, fingering tips, chords, and more.
In addition to this you will also have access to some e-books and genre-specific lessons.
You can also book one-on-one lessons with the instructor over Skype, which will set you back $125.
Now, I wouldn’t recommend this course to anyone that already knows how to play, since it’s strictly aimed at beginners; so, if you’re an Intermediate- or Advanced player, go with some of the other sites I listed.
Lastly, they offer a 1-year money back guarantee, which is way more than any other site!
Website: Ukulele Buddy.
Yousician ($7.50 up to $17.50/mo.)
Yousician is a website that doesn’t just offer online ukulele lessons, but also lessons on how to play the guitar, bass, piano, and singing.
It’s clearly aimed toward beginner musicians who are just getting their feet wet, meaning that if you’re an intermediate or advanced player, then you should consider Uke like the Pros or Ukulele underground.
To teach you, they use an app that is similar to Guitar Hero where you can see the notes on the fretboard that need to be played at any given moment.
As far as pricing goes, Yousician offers three distinct plans: The Premium, Premium+Personal, and Premium+Family plans, and you can pay for them annually ($90, $139, and $210 per year respectively), or monthly ($20, $30, and $45 per month respectively).
In addition to this, they offer a very limited free pass as well as a 7-day free trial to any of the premium plans that you can cancel at any time.
Here’s a screenshot of what their different plans have to offer:
Website: Yousician.
Conclusion
I know that the people searching for online Ukulele courses are beginners and that’s mostly who this post is aimed at, and while ALL of these sites have beginner-level lessons, some of them also cater to the more advanced players.
Here are the ones I’d recommend to Beginners;
If you’re an intermediate or advanced player, then definitely check out Uke like the Pros, as well as ArtistWorks and Ukulele Underground.
I hope this information was useful!
Have a wonderful day!
