How iOS and Android Apps Can Help You Learn Ukulele

by | Jul 9, 2016 | Beginners

Do you know that there are a number of ukulele apps that can help you in learning to play ukulele?

What is one piece of technology that most of us have with us all of the time? If you guessed a smartphone, we are accessing the same net.

Android and Apple logos with a ukulele; best ukulele apps

A smartphone is a great tool for learning music because there are many free and useful musical apps, you can record and critique performances, and you can easily share what you have learned with others. In this post, we take you through How iOS and Android ukulele apps can help you in your ukulele journey.

Here are some of the ukulele apps I like to use.

METRONOME

This app provides a steady beat which helps me to keep the tempo consistent throughout the song when I am practicing. A metronome will also make it easier to increase tempo very, very gradually, which is great when you are working on strumming. There are many free metronome apps for both Android and iPhone. For Android, I particularly like Tempo.  My sister/coauthor Rebecca recommends Pro Metronome for iOS. Here’s a great post about the top five metronome apps. 

CHROMATIC TUNER

ukulele tuner-How iOS and Android can Help You Learn UkuleleThis app helps me tune my ukulele by giving me a visual representation of when my strings are in or out of tune. The green light goes on when I am in tune, the light is red and shows me if I am sharp or flat when I am not in tune. Again, there are many free tuning apps for both Android and iPhones. One of my favorites for Android is G Strings. For iOS, try Ukulele Tuner by Alvin Yu.

CHORD LEARNING

Many apps teach chords, and I will review these apps in a future blog post. Many of these apps are free as introductory offers, so you can see whether the app helps you or not before you spend money. Sometimes you need to buy the app, or sometimes you need to make purchases inside the app to get more data or features.

MUSIC LISTENING

I find it helpful to listen to a song I am learning before I try to read the lyrics and chord charts and sing and play the song. I use Spotify to play my chosen song many times so that when I start playing and singing, I already know how it goes.

YouTube also has many lessons and artists performing their songs. These videos can be extremely helpful when learning new material. Check out our YouTube channel here.

SITES FOR UKULELE CHORDS AND SONG LYRICS

Sites for lyrics and chords-The chord changes might often be hard, but you can get lyrics and chords and then simplify the song so that you can play it. I will cover how to simplify songs and choose ukulele-friendly keys in another blog post. Read more about how to convert from guitar chords to ukulele chords here. Sites I frequently use are ultimate-Guitar.com, doctoruke.com, and azlyrics.com

RECORDING

The smartphone is portable, and the sound and visual quality are surprisingly good. I often record myself or students and then upload the results to YouTube. (I post to protected sites, so that only parents, guardians, and teachers have access to these performances.) It’s a great way to hear both what you are doing well and what you need to improve upon. Parents love to see the progress their children have made, and children are motivated to do their best when they are being recorded.

I also like to invite others to see and hear my work by sharing my recordings on YouTube or Facebook. I find the comments I get, either positive or negative, help me or my students to grow as musicians.

USE YOUR PHONE TO CONNECT YOU AND YOUR UKULELE MUSIC TO THE WORLD

While our high technology world can sometimes seem impersonal, using a smartphone to learn and share music can make us feel happier and more connected to others. So, besides using your voice, brain, and hands to make music, download some new apps, and hit ‘record’ and ‘share’. I think you’ll enjoy the results!

Are there any particular apps you’ve discovered that you can’t live without? Have you recorded yourself? Shared your recordings? How was the experience for you? I’d love to hear from you in the comments.

Check our recommended products if you’re looking to purchase ukuleles or ukulele accessories.

Happy strumming!

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  1. Teach a Rest Position

Create a standard position players use whenever they are listening:

  • Place the ukulele flat against the body.
  • Rest the strumming hand gently on the strings.
  • Keep both hands still.
  • Look toward the leader.

Call it “rest position” and demonstrate it at the group’s first meeting. Use the same phrase consistently: “Ukuleles in rest position, please.”

This physically mutes the strings and gives everyone a clear visual signal that playing has stopped.

  1. Use One Attention Signal

Choose a signal that can be seen or heard across the room. Possibilities include:

  • Raising one hand
  • Playing a short, distinctive chord
  • Saying, “Rest position”

Explain the signal before rehearsal begins: “When you see my hand raised, finish the chord you are playing, mute your strings, and look up.”

Avoid competing with the group by repeatedly talking over the instruments. Give the signal, pause, and wait until everyone is ready.

  1. Set a Clear “No Noodling” Expectation

Many players noodle because they are excited, nervous, practicing a difficult chord, or unaware that it is distracting. Address the behavior without embarrassing anyone.

Try saying:

“Between songs, please mute your strings so everyone can hear the instructions. We’ll always give you a moment to check chords before we begin.”

Then build short, intentional practice windows into the session:

  • “Take 20 seconds to find the opening chord.”
  • “Quietly check the change from C to G7.”
  • “Let’s try that strum together once.”

Players are more likely to stop playing at random when they know when practice is welcome.

  1. Amplify the Leader, Not the Entire Room

In larger groups, a small microphone, portable speaker, or amplified ukulele can save the leader’s voice and make directions easier to follow. Amplification should provide clarity—not to overpower the players.

Test the equipment before the session, position the speaker where everyone can hear it, and keep spoken instructions short. A microphone cannot replace an attention routine, but it makes a good routine much more effective.

  1. Create Predictable Transitions

Noodling often fills uncertainty. Tell players exactly what is happening next:

    1. “Finish the final chord.”
    2. “Rest position.”
    3. “Turn to page 14.”
    4. “Find a C chord.”
    5. “Watch for my count-in.”

Use a visible or audible count-in before every song. Once players learn that nothing begins until the leader counts them in, spontaneous starts become less common.

6. Operate iPads for music.

Many ukulele groups read off iPads, and everyone buys the same app. forScore is one of the common ones, but don’t get anything until the group leader tells you which one they use. From there, the leader or the singer/songwriter shares the music by AirDrop, so everyone is reading off the same page. Corrections land with the whole group at once, and nobody is working from an outdated copy.

 

A Simple Group Agreement

At the beginning of a session, say:

“To help everyone hear and learn, we use rest position whenever someone is speaking. When I raise my hand, please mute your strings and look up. You’ll have time to check chords before each song, and we’ll always start together on the count-in.”

The goal is not silence for its own sake. It is to create a group in which instructions are brief, rehearsals move smoothly, and everyone gets more time to make music together.

 

Here’s a list of etiquette expectations from ukulele group members to make the group learning more effective and fruitful for everyone. 

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