Category Archives: Picking Patterns

UD#83 More Classical Ukulele Romance

Posted on

UD#83 More Classical Ukulele Romancefrom Ukulele in the Dark with Guido Heistek   In UD#80, we learned the minor section of Spanish Romance, a very famous Spanish piece written for guitar. If you haven’t learned it go here: https://ukuleleinthedark.com/ud80-gorgeous-classical-piece-spanish-romance/ I have gotten a lot of requests for the major part of Spanish Romance, so I thought I would begin this year by sharing that arrangement with you.   SPANISH ROMANCE PART 2: THE MAJOR SECTION To accommodate different skill levels, I’ve made two different versions: a simplified version and a full arrangement of part 2 of Spanish Romance.   1.   …Continue Reading


UD#77 Right Hand Calling Left Hand

Posted on

  UD#77 Right Hand Calling Left Hand Ukulele in the Dark with Guido Heistek   Please fret this chord: Do it again and notice how you are using the fingers of your fretting hand. Do you fret the notes of the chord simultaneously or one at a time? If you fret the notes one at a time, which finger do you fret with first? Usually, I see beginner students fret the Em chord like this:   First, the index finger…   …then, the middle finger…   …and finally, the ring finger.   Is there any problem with fretting the notes   …Continue Reading


UD#62 Sounds Like a Harp: A Finger-style Uke Arrangement

Posted on

Sounds Like a Harp: A Fingerstyle Arrangement (UD#60) from Ukulele in the Dark with Guido Heistek   I’ve been wanting to teach a follow up lesson to Spanish Melody for a very long time. If you have not learned or heard Spanish Melody you should definitely check it out. It is by far the most popular lesson on Ukulele in the Dark!Go here: https://ukuleleinthedark.com/ud-39-chord-melody-spanish-melody/   SPANISH MELODY VARIATION! I’ve taught Spanish Melody to many people and over the years. I’ve developed a variation that I can play along side my students as they learn the song and it creates a   …Continue Reading


UD#53 Latin Rhythms: Picking Patterns for Bossa and Samba!

Posted on

Latin Rhythms: Picking Patterns for Bossa and Samba!  (UD#53) from Ukulele in the Dark w/ Guido Heistek Here’s a video of me playing a tune called Blue Bossa with my Mya Moe baritone, Martin T-1 and a little help from my looper pedal. Please give the video a look. It will give you an idea of the type of the rhythm and groove that I am interested in teaching today. BASIC BOSSA NOVA: Before I start talking about technical details like fingering and counting I’d like you to get a really clear idea of the rhythm that we are going   …Continue Reading