David Shipway

I started out on the ukulele at the grand old age of 9. Early Rock 'n Roll was starting to take over the world... and like most kids, I just had to be part of this great music scene! I was lucky enough to meet some people who really helped me and I was able to progress to a guitar and then into a band. At 15 I was out gigging with some friends and getting paid much more than my paper round! Unfortunately, after over 20 years playing in a successful covers band, I developed a mobility issue in my hands, and playing the guitar became almost impossible for me. I pretty much gave up playing music until some years later a friend re-introduced me to the ukulele. I was delighted to find I could play again! Before long I was out gigging on the uke with a couple of great musicians as well as helping run and teach in a ukulele group. I've had so much pleasure from the uke that I decided to write an easy to understand, step-by-step, introduction to music theory for fellow ukulele players. There would be no fancy jargon or confusing technical explanations, just a clear, step by step guide to understanding the theory behind chords, keys, and chord progressions as applied to the ukulele. I firmly believe that anyone, with a little application, can come to understand most of the music theory that they will ever need as a ukulele player. I hope that grasping the basics in my book will help you understand song structures, chord changes and more like never before... and help you get much more from the fabulous little instrument that is the ukulele” David Shipway, 2020