Gentle Music Theory for 'Ukulele Players

NoCo Ukulele Group

Welcome to the North Country Ukulele Group page!

If you are in northern New Hampshire (Franconia area), I host jam sessions for all skill levels. Even if you don't know how to play or own a 'ukulele, join us! I have loaner instruments and will teach you what you need to know to be playing with us by the end of your first jam. You can drop in anytime--no commitment to be at all of them. Other instruments are welcome to join us to round out our sound.

We meet almost every other Thursday at 5:30 for beginner lessons and 6:00 for an hour-long jam session. Winter/mud season sessions start 1/15/26. Join our mailing list to stay up-to-date.

I post information and links here to help our North Country players learn and improve their skills. Copies of handouts and other materials can be found in our Google drive.

NoCoUG Google Drive

NoCoUG Archives

Winter 2026 Recaps

The winter and mud season sessions are as follows (subject to change):

1/15
1/29
2/12
2/26
3/5
3/19
4/2
4/16
4/30
5/14

Learn-to-play (or brush up on your skills) starts at 5:30 then from 6:00-7:00 we will play songs together, both new and familiar ones.

Winter sessions are held at the Franconia Community Church, 44 Church Street, Franconia.

Week 1

Beginner/Refresh Session:

We reviewed the parts of the ukulele, string numbers and names, finger numbers and names, and the chords C, Am, F, and G7. We played and sang some one chord songs:

Row, Row, Row Your Boat (C, F)
Three Blind Mice (C, F)
Are You Sleeping (C, F)
Have You Seen the Ghost of John (Am)
If a Fish (Am)

Jam Session

We played and sang:

Eleanor Rigby
Jambalaya
Jamaica Farewell
Sweet Caroline

And began learning Log Driver's Waltz.

We started learning the basics of strumming by clapping and counting to recorded music then connecting the counting to the down and up movement of the arm as it strums. Refer to the slides I used to remind yourself of the grid and how to understand strum patterns (e.g., D DU D DU) you see on song sheets or videos. We practiced the strum motion using the X chord (left hand lightly placed on strings to mute the sound).

We tried three strum patterns:

folk rhythm D D DUDU
boom diddy – D DU D DU
island strum – D DU UDU

Here are some ways to practice strumming skills:

Find a metronome app or use the internet, start at quarter note=30, count out loud, down strums only, up strums only, down and up strums, increase metronome by 10 each time.
Using the metronome at 60 BPM, count the beats out loud (1-2-3-4) and strum the X chord only on beat 1 for at least 4 groups of 4 (the group of 4 is called a measure). Next strum only on the "and" of beat 1. Repeat for each beat and "and" of a beat.
Listen to a recording of a song. Clap. Count 1-2-3-4, count 1-and-2-and-3-and-4-and. Strum X chord D D D D then DUDUDUDU then try one of the patterns.

Click on Resources in the menu above for more ideas and tools to help your learning journey.

Week 2

Beginner/Refresh Session

Review C, F, Am. Learned G7.

Played Stand by Me.

Jam Session

Strumming: Practiced keeping the right arm moving up and down in a steady fashion. Practiced a few strumming patterns.

Worked on Log Driver's Waltz.

New songs