Can You REALLY Learn Ukulele in 20 Hours?

by | Oct 15, 2013 | Beginners, Musical instruments

In his book, The First 20 Hours: How to Learn ANYTHING Fast, Josh Kaufman describes how he mastered and performed a four-chord song on the ukulele in a very short time. I forget whether it was one week or two weeks, but his performance definitely fell under the heading ‘rapid skill acquisition’, which is his phrase for learning new things quickly.

But although Josh can learn a four chord song really fast, can you?

Well my answer is unfortunately rather vague: it depends. It depends on your previous musical background and your practicing skills. But I think the more important question is, why not go ahead and TRY to learn some ukulele in 20 hours?  What have you got to lose other than some free time?

One thing Josh is definitely right about is that it matters a lot exactly how you spend your 20 hours of practicing.

Josh certainly has learned more skills rapidly than I have. But I have spent thousands more hours watching beginners tackle new musical skills than he has. So, I thought I’d offer my personal take on how his principles of rapid skill acquisition how apply to learning ukulele.learn ukulele fast with the right information

I’ve organized my thoughts by using some of the principles Josh presents in his book. You might enjoy reading the book as you start working on ukulele. But DON’T compare your progress to his. Josh was anything but a musical beginner when he started learning ukulele. He already had experience singing in a choir. He also has some practice with the ukulele’s two handed strum/chord coordination. Because he had previously played some guitar.

So here goes: key concepts numbers one and two.

1. Make time to practice

The time you spend practicing ukulele must come from somewhere else in your schedule. You will not “find” time in a big pile under a bush somewhere. We all are allotted 24 hours per day. Some you must dedicate to work, and some to caring for yourself or loved ones. The hours that remain are what you have left to learn the ukulele. You must take a hard look at your schedule. And see if you can eliminate other activities that are less important to you than learning ukulele.

Another important fact about learning something new is the more time you spend working on it each day, the fewer days it will take to learn. And the faster you get good at ukulele, the more you will enjoy it. The enjoyment will make it easier to choose ukulele practice over, say, watching TV or cruising Facebook.

2. Make starting easy

If possible, create a space where you can keep your gear set up so that you can get started quickly when practice time rolls around. Failing that, try to store your gear to minimize setup time. Concert pianist Robert Henry likes to stress the importance of what can be accomplished in short bursts of practice (2-3 minutes). But if you have to spend 20 minutes finding your ukulele and folding the laundry on top of it before you can begin, you might burn up all your available practice time before you play a note.

My sister and I think how you practice is so crucial to learning that we have included many practice tips in our book 21 Songs in 6 Days. When you’re just getting started with music, learning HOW to practice is probably the most important thing to learn. So we guide you step by step on how to master all the crucial basic skills in ukulele playing such as changing chords while you maintain a steady strum.

What do you think? Have you been able to make quick progress on the ukulele or other musical instruments? What seemed to be the key factors for you?

Are you struggling with strumming?

With our book and course, you’ll become a fluent 3-chord strummer.

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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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