Take Part / Learn how to play the Ukulele

The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain make their Proms debut at 10pm on Tuesday 18 August, in a programme of music including Parry's Jerusalem and Beethoven's Ode to Joy and Ukulele playing members of the audience will take part in this Prom.

For those whose playing is a little rusty and for beginners, members of the orchestra have come together to film a master class in how to play the ukulele, focusing on playing the Ode to Joy. Watch the films below and learn from the experts. There are also pdfs available showing the chord sequences for each part.

Lesson 1: How to tune the Ukulele

Lesson 2: Alternative Tuning for the Ukulele

Lesson 3: Five Chords for Beethoven's 'Ode to Joy'

Lesson 4: One Chord per Bar
View the music in chords (as a pdf)

Lesson 5: Two Chords per Bar

Lesson 6: In Quavers

Lesson 7: The Tune
View the tune (pdf)  |  View the tune in A,D,F#,B (pdf)
View the tune in G,C,E,A (pdf)  |  View the notes for the counter melody (pdf)

Lesson 8: Members of the Ukulele Orchesra of Great Britain play Ode to Joy
View the chords for Ode to Joy in five parts