Happy July, ukulele strummers! Welcome back to a brand new, shiny update from the Southern Ukulele Store's monthly fixture: Ukulelia. Every month, rain or shine (and in this case, a bit of both), we take this opportunity to share some of our favourite posts, blogs and resources from our favourite ukulele lovers on the world wide web.

This July: Meet ten young ukulele players who will inspire you to up your ukulele game whether you're 16 or 85, pick up some two chord songs instantly, plus learn to perform the calypso strum.

10 Young Uke-ers Who Will Inspire You to Practice

 

Feeling low on motivation lately? That's about to change. Following the rise to fame of America's Got Talent's ukulele playing 12 year old Grace VanderWaal this summer, the excellent Ukes Up blog curated a bumper list of ten of the worlds most inspiring young players.

Aged between 14 and 27, these fresh faces bring plenty of inspiring passion to their music which we guarantee will make you want to pick up your instrument and learn something new. We've included this video of 19 year old Sungha Jung playing Goyte's Somebody That I Used to Know, shared by John of Ukes Up, because it's just plain great!

Two Chord Songs for “Easy as Pie” Strum-AlongsPie_splet_on_pieIf you're still struggling to get playing, even after all of that inspiration, this handy post from Wildflower Ukulele is sure to cure what ails ya. After all, who can resist the simplicity of a two chord song? From Deep in the Heart of Texas, to Jambalaya and Iko Iko there's a whole host of ridiculously easy tunes to strum and sing here, which you can master in seconds. Thanks, Mr Tad Dreis!

How to Master: The Calypso Strum

Ready to inject some ready island vibes into your ukulele playing? It's time to get the hang of the chilled out island strum. Most widely known as a calypso strum, this technique is relatively simple once you've got the hang of the pattern which goes: down down up – up down up. Repeat this pattern and you've got yourself some serious island feels. This excellent blog from ArtistWorks will teach you exactly how it's done in more detail.

What is your favourite strumming pattern? Can you think of a young ukulele player who deserves a mention too? Have your say and share your favourite videos and resources with our team via Twitter @SUS_UKES.