Am I Doing This Right?
Real Talk on Ukulele Practice
Have you ever sat down motivated with your ukulele tuned up, and then... just kind of freeze? You strum a chord or two, maybe scroll through a songbook, and suddenly you’re thinking:
“Is this what practice is supposed to feel like?” or “Why is this so hard?”
If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone. So many of us imagine progress on our instrument as this steady climb. The truth is that the long road of learning is filled with plateaus where our learning can feel stuck. That’s why it’s time we talk about what real practice looks like. Not the polished, Instagram-perfect kind but the honest, steady and truly effective kind.
A Myth of Perfect Practice
Let’s get something clear: Those players you admire didn't get great overnight. They worked on repeating their technique over and over. There is no shortcut, only the truth that we learn through consistent practice. But there are some things to consider that can help us to strategize and structure our practice in a smart way.
When we play a song, we’re doing so many things at once. Your left hand is making chord shapes, your right hand is strumming a rhythm, your voice is adding melody. And your brain? It’s juggling all those things at the same time.
No wonder it can feel overwhelming. So why do we expect ourselves to do it all at once?
The Power of Breaking It Down
When I work with students, one of the biggest lightbulb moments is this:
“You don’t have to do it all at the same time. You shouldn’t, actually.”
- Start by isolating your skills. Practice chord shapes on their own. No strumming, no singing. Get curious and particular about the movement and transformation between chords. Does one finger stay in the same place? Does it stay on the same string but move to a new fret? Can you move one finger to the next shape before the rest of the fingers follow?
-One of my favorite tricks for learning new chords is the “on-off” drill. Choose a chord that’s giving you trouble. Play it with your strumming pattern, then lift your fingers and strum open strings on the next rotation. Go back and forth. It’s simple but powerful. After you are finding that shape with confidence, you can start to move between the chords in the order you find them in the progression.
-Next, practice your strumming. Don’t worry about adding the chords yet. Just feel the rhythm. Can you tap it out? Clap it? Say it out loud? Use your voice to replicate the pattern, then transfer that to your ukulele. When the rhythm feels natural and steady, then bring in the left hand.
-Once you’ve got both hands doing their jobs confidently, you can start to combine them slowly. Don’t forget that you can always slow the tempo down to give yourself more time for technique or transitions.
This kind of practice may feel slow, but it’s the kind of slow that leads to smooth and confident.
Singing and Playing: Juggling
Singing while playing can feel like adding a third ball to an already shaky juggling act. How can you expect to juggle three balls if you can’t juggle two smoothly and without effort? You may be able to strum and move between chords but it can all fall apart as soon as you try to add singing. Don’t worry. It’s not a lack of talent, it’s just a matter of breaking things down and sequencing in a smart way.
Here’s some helpful steps to help bring in those vocals:
Start by clapping or tapping a steady beat, accent the first beat of each measure by making it a little louder. Remember most music has either 4 or 3 beats per measure. Sing just the lyrics, no uke. Notice where the melody and words line up with the first beat of each measure. Mark those spots on your songsheet. These can act as signposts to help guide you where and when to sing certain words or syllables.
Once that starts to feel comfortable, transfer those taps with your fingers to basic downstrums on the uke, no strumming patterns yet. Cover the strings lightly with your fretting hand to mute the sound so you can focus strictly on rhythm. You can loop tricky lines and sing them over and over until you are sure of how to sing them.
Then you can add the strum pattern but still keep the chords out of it. If you can consistently sing the melody along with the rhythm then you’ll have a better chance of success when you add the chords. If it ever feels impossible or too overwhelming, always know you can break things down into smaller parts. Play chords as whole notes to hear the melody with the harmony. Hum the melody without lyrics or just say those lyrics without melody. Explore what feels manageable. You’re not behind, you’re learning to make things automatic one element at a time.
How Often Should I Practice?
This is the one of the most commonly asked questions and the answer might surprise you.
“It’s not about how long you practice. It’s about how often.”
Five minutes every day will take you further than one marathon session on the weekend, no matter how long it is. Even a couple minutes a day can make a difference.
Why? Because playing music is all about muscle memory. It’s like brushing your teeth or riding a bike or any other thing you can do without thinking. Think about how many times you may have repeated those skills throughout your life. If you can’t do something you want in music, it’s only because you haven’t tried it enough times. You can’t make something feel automatic without frequent repetition.
The goal is to try to connect the sounds with your movements. Connect chords with the way your hands transform between shapes. Connect rhythm with how your right hand moves in time and creates those patterns. Your brain and body need frequent reminders, not epic workouts.
Here’s a tip: Create a 1–2 minute “daily drill” with the skills you’re working on. Do it at the start and end of your practice. Even on the busiest days, you can just do the drill. You’ll be surprised at how little time it takes and how much it sticks. Maybe you can find another minute slot in the day to give yourself another round of repetition.
Remember: Don’t be satisfied with being able to just execute something, aim to be able to execute it consistently.
When It Feels Hard (Because It Will)
Learning ukulele is joyful but that doesn’t mean it’s always easy. We all hit walls. Sometimes it feels like we’re not improving. But often, the breakthrough is just on the other side of a repetitive practice or working through a tough transition. If you shift how you think about practice not as a test of your talent, but as a tool for improvement then it can feel better. Bit by bit, things click. Fingers move faster. Chords sound clearer. Your music can really begin to flow and your enjoyment of it will increase. And if today’s one of those off days? Just pick up your uke. Strum for two minutes. That can be enough.
And if you ever feel stuck, know this: you don’t have to go it alone. We’d love to help. At UkeLab, we’ve got private lessons, live classes, and a friendly crew of folks who care about helping you grow with ukulele.You’re not lost. You’re learning. And every chord change or technique you lock in is proof that you’re getting there.
Keep strumming and remember: Every little bit counts.
For those of you who are wondering if ukulele is easy or not you can check out this article to learn how this is a really nuanced question. Do you have any ideas for things that you’d like to see included in future content? Is there a topic or subject that you’d like to see in a video course that would help to get you further with ukulele? Please let us know in the comments, and CLICK HERE if you’d like to learn more about UkeLab and start learning with us!
