The best ukulele method books
Most ukulele players are self-taught, which makes the book the only structure they get. That raises the stakes on choosing well.
By Stephen V. · Writes Reed & Rosin · last verified
The short answer
The Hal Leonard Ukulele Method Book 1 is the standard first book for adults and children over about eight: it assumes standard high-G C tuning, teaches chords and melody together, and reaches playable songs quickly. Book 2 follows once Book 1 is genuinely finished.
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Quick picks
| # | Product | Best for | Score | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Hal Leonard Ukulele Method Book 1 The standard ukulele method for adults and older children, built around standard C tuning and reaching playable songs within the first few pages. | Adults and children over about eight | 9.1/10 | |
| 2 |  Hal Leonard Ukulele Method Book 2 The continuation once Book 1 is finished. Buying it early is a mistake; buying it at the right moment is what stops a player stalling with nothing new to learn. | After Book 1 is genuinely finished | 8.8/10 |
Scores are our own editorial fit rating from published specifications — the rubric is on our methodology page. They are not test results; we have not played these instruments.
Why the book matters more here
The ukulele has the highest proportion of self-taught players of any instrument on this site. That is a feature — it is genuinely approachable enough to learn alone — but it means the method book is doing a job that a teacher does elsewhere: deciding what comes next.
A player working from chord charts alone learns a set of shapes and then plateaus, because chord charts contain no rhythm information, no melody, and no sequence. They can strum along and cannot play anything on their own.
What a good ukulele book does
- Assumes standard high-G C tuning. Almost every ukulele ships this way. A book assuming low G or baritone tuning will not match the instrument in the room.
- Teaches melody as well as chords. A player who can only strum is a player who can only accompany. Picking out a melody is what makes a ukulele feel like an instrument rather than a rhythm device.
- Reaches a real song fast. The ukulele’s advantage is early success. A book that spends thirty pages on single-note exercises squanders the instrument’s best feature.
- Includes audio. A self-taught player has no reference for whether their rhythm is right. Online audio is the substitute for a teacher clapping along.
| Stage | Book | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Complete beginner, adult or child over about 8 | Hal Leonard Ukulele Method Book 1 | Standard tuning, first chords, strumming patterns, melody reading, real songs |
| After Book 1 is genuinely finished | Hal Leonard Ukulele Method Book 2 | Fingerpicking, movable chord shapes, more keys |
| Young child working with a parent | A children's ukulele method with large print | Slower pace, fewer ideas per page, parent-facing guidance |
Buying Book 2 at the same time as Book 1 is a common and harmless mistake, but it usually sits unopened for six months to a year. Buy it at the point momentum starts to stall for lack of new material.
The rhythm problem books solve and videos do not
Strumming patterns are the hardest thing to learn from a video, because the camera shows the hand moving and not the counting behind it. A book writes the rhythm out, which turns an imitation problem into a reading problem — and reading is something a beginner can practice slowly and get right.
Commercial note
We earn a higher commission on books than on instruments. We say so on every method-book page because that is exactly the sort of incentive that quietly bends recommendations, and because the honest advice here is to buy one book rather than three: the disclosure page sets out the full position.
The picks, in full
Every card below is written from the published specification and the manufacturer’s own documentation. We have not played these instruments — see how we work for exactly what that means and what we do instead.
Our top pick · Adults and children over about eight
Hal Leonard Ukulele Method Book 1
The standard ukulele method for adults and older children, built around standard C tuning and reaching playable songs within the first few pages.
What works
- Assumes standard high-G C tuning, which is what almost every ukulele ships in
- Chords and melody together rather than chords alone
What to know
- Not written for a very young child working alone
- Print-and-online format means the audio is not in the book
- Level
- Beginner
- Tuning assumed
- Standard C (high G)
Specs read from the manufacturer or retailer listing on 2026-09-07. Our fit score: 9.1/10.
Pick 2 · After Book 1 is genuinely finished
Hal Leonard Ukulele Method Book 2
The continuation once Book 1 is finished. Buying it early is a mistake; buying it at the right moment is what stops a player stalling with nothing new to learn.
What works
- Picks up exactly where Book 1 stops, with no gap and no repetition
- Introduces fingerpicking and movable chord shapes
What to know
- Useless before Book 1 is complete
- Assumes the reader can already read the rhythms from Book 1
- Level
- Late beginner
- Follows
- Hal Leonard Ukulele Method Book 1
Specs read from the manufacturer or retailer listing on 2026-09-07. Our fit score: 8.8/10.
Questions people actually ask
What is the best ukulele book for beginners?
The Hal Leonard Ukulele Method Book 1 for adults and children over about eight. It assumes the standard high-G C tuning that almost every ukulele ships in, teaches chords and melody together, and reaches playable songs within the first few pages.
Do I need a method book if I am learning from YouTube?
It helps considerably, and mainly for sequencing. Videos are excellent at showing a single technique and poor at deciding what should come next, which is precisely what a self-taught player cannot do for themselves. A book is also the better way to learn strumming patterns, because it writes the rhythm out.
When should I buy Ukulele Method Book 2?
When Book 1 is genuinely finished and momentum is stalling for lack of new material — usually six months to a year in. Buying both at once is harmless but the second book will sit unopened.
Are there ukulele books for young children?
Yes, and they are worth the search for a child under about eight. Look for large print, one new idea per page, and guidance aimed at the parent rather than the child, since at that age an adult is doing much of the teaching.
Sources
We have not played these instruments, so citation is our evidence. Everything above traces back to one of these, on the date shown.