Learning Ukulele with Curt
The "Blog"
The NEW
2025 site layout is live (has been for while) and converting the site is coming along pretty fast. Most of the major and often visited pages and section have been updated the the rest is coming along pretty fast.
18 September 2025
Premium Play-Along Tracks
Published: 9 January 2026
• Updated: 9 January 2026
An underused feature and section of LearningUkulele.com
is the 67 Custom Premium Play-along Tracks.
ALL the premium play-along tracks are available for playing and previewing on the Play-alongs site page. There are premium, custom, an one-of-a-kind tracks I created many moons ago with Chuck Anderson.
Depending on what level site membership you are currently subscribed to lead sheets are available on the song page for the song in the Mai Downloads section of the page.
Play-along tracks are a great way of learning and practicing a song. AND - these songs have the changes that professional players would and do use. None of the very basic changes you see prevalent on ukulele sites.
New 2026 Site Layout and Features
Published: 2025-11-12
• Updated: 2025-12-29
The UPDATED
— Been going through a lot of the lessons and giving the some tender love ♥️ and updates. Layout tweaks through out the site. 🌐 ✨
The NEW
2026 Site Layout is live (has been for a while), and converting the site is coming along pretty fast. Most of the major and often visited pages and sections have been updated; the rest is coming along pretty fast. 🗓️ ✨
NO More Content for this post.
2026 and a Happy New Year
Published: 2026-01-01
• Updated: 2026-01-01
Toonaday • Custom Clipart by Ron Leishman
Wishing everyone a Happy New Year from LearningUkulele.com–Learning Ukulele with Curt
. 🌐 ✨
Hope everyone is enjoying the NEW
2026 Site Layout. We are way ahead of schedule in getting all the pages in the new layout. It went a lot faster then we thought. And by we, we mean
Curt. 🗓️ ✨
NO More Content for this post.
Jim Beloff - Mid-Century Modern
Published: November 12, 2025
• Updated: November 12, 2025
NEW
• mid-century modern by Jim Beloff • What a great collection of songs by Jim. I've always been a fan of JIm's songwriting. The production and arrangements on this NEW
album is just another level and really showcase these wonderful songs.
(from bandcamp) The north star of this collection of mostly recent songs was the sound of records from my youth ... albums from the late 1950s through the 1960s, often with background vocals and lush strings. In preliminary talks with Randy Landas, we referenced early Burt Bacharach recordings, as well as discs by The Seekers, The Righteous Brothers, Glen Campbell, Johnny Rivers, Lambert, Hendricks and Ross, Dave Frishberg and others. Have fun spotting the influences!
(more from bandcamp) Some of the individual tracks warrant a note or two. “’50s Modern,” started life more than 20 years ago as an instrumental. Early on I played it for Lyle Ritz on a brief tour of the Oregon coast and he instantly jumped in with an accompaniment. That gave me the confidence that it might be worth developing. With that in mind, the uke I’m playing is Lyle’s cutaway Gibson tenor that he played on his groundbreaking late ‘50s Verve album, How About Uke. Two of the songs here, “La, La, La (I Can’t Hear You)” and “Have A Little Faith” were written on a hybrid instrument conceived by Noel Paul Stookey (Paul of Peter, Paul and Mary). The “manulenjo” has a banjo head and 8 steel strings in 4 courses tuned GCEA. After his performance at a nearby venue, Noel lent it to me for a couple of months and the big, jangly, reverb-y sound inspired those two songs. You can hear Noel playing the manulenjo on “Boats and Helicopters.” “How You Get Through” and “Summer Blue” were two more recent collaborations with Hawaiian uke legend, Herb “Ohta-san” Ohta. In 2023, Kim Oler gifted me “Since I Found You” with the proviso that that be the title. “Minor Chords Happen” was an off-hand comment made by a member of Darlingside at a 2024 concert. Finally, “A Ukulele and You” was inspired by an interview with Bette Midler after I had been giving her uke lessons. In the interview, she fantasized about some future time when she might tour with just a ukulele rather than the huge productions that normally accompanied her. Enjoy! Jim Beloff—July 2025
Off to the VA Ukapalooza, Mechanicsville, VA USA
Published: 2025-11-1
LearningUkulele.com
& Funky Frets
, (Curt & Kelly) are off to a UKULELEFestival
November 7-8, the VA Ukapalooza, Shady Grove United Methodist Church, 8209 Shady Grove Rd, Mechanicsville, VA 23111 for VENDING
, PERFORMING
and several WORKSHOPS
.
Off to the 2025 Virginia Ukapalooza for a performance, and presenting several workshops. The VA Ukapalooza an action packed, two day event of ukulele related learning, playing, and socializing – conducted by the VA ukulele community, for the VA ukulele community. Playing opportunities will be provided for all registered ukulele groups and all attendees (in a ukulele group or not). Numerous workshops will be offered for all abilities. Nationally known and regional ukulele talent will perform and teach. The ticket price includes access to all festival events on both 11/7 and 11/8. Individual day tickets are not available — attend as much of the festival as you’d like to!. ✨
Tribute to Uncle Zac
Published: 17 October 2025
A dear ukulele friend of Curt's and a favorite of the Funky Frets family (Curt, Bern, and Kelly) — Peter
Uncle ZacZaccagnino (February 10, 1953—October 14, 2025) passed as away October 14, 2025. The ukulele community looses yet another great asset for the ukulele and just a hoot to be around.
A lifelong musician, performer, and teacher, Peter devoted his life to sharing the joy of music through his signature instrument, the ukulele. Known affectionately as “Uncle Zac,” he inspired countless students and fellow musicians through his performances, workshops, and passion for bringing people together through song.
A celebration of
Uncle Zaclife will be held on Saturday, October 18 with information to follow, where friends and family are invited to gather to honor his life, his music, and the joy he brought to others.
In lieu of flowers donations can be made in memory of Peter Zaccagnino’s love of music and the Ukulele to Ukulelefoundation.org — The Ukulele Foundation of Hawai`i is a non profit organization (501(c)3 public charity) whose primary objective is to support music in education, as well as various charities and arts throughout Hawai`i through collective interest and awareness of the ukulele.
Checkout Uncle Zac's LearningUkulele.com listing for a few cool videos.
Curt's and Funky Frets Memories
I (Curt) can't actually remember when I first met
Uncle Zac. It seems as if he was just a lifelong friend. I do believe it probably was at the 1st New York Uke Fest in the early 2000s. When you first meet Uncle Zac, you know he will be a lifelong friend. The ukulele community has a way with that.
We at Funky Frets have fond memories of
Uncle Zacperforming and presenting a couple of well-received workshops at our annualFunky Frets Uke Fest , including his classics
I'm My Own Grandpa, and his Italian food song–a real tongue twister. He will surely be missed by us and our festival attendees. Wherever we needed him for the festival, he was game. A real joy to work with and hang out with.
We at Funky Frets: Curt, Bern, Kelly, TJ, and Ali will miss
Uncle Zacand send our condolences out to his family and friends. ✨
Here is a link to the
Uncle Zacsobituary and more information regarding visitation, services, and life celebrations for Peter
Uncle ZacZaccagnino • And facebook posting.
Jim Beloff & Uncle Zac at The Carousel at Pottstown (PA) and the 2024 Funky Frets Uke Fest Sunday
Jim Beloff, Kelly Thompson (Funky Frets) & Uncle Zac at 2024 Nutmeg Ukulele Festival in Simsbury, CT.
Off to the 10th Funky Frets Uke Fest, Boyertown, PA USA
Aloha! The 10th Funky Frets Uke Fest , which started in 2015, has grown into a beloved annual gathering for ukulele enthusiasts. With a focus on fun and learning, the festival offers a diverse array of workshops, jam sessions, open mics, and opportunities to connect with like-minded players. What sets it apart is its inclusive atmosphere, where both repeat attendees and newcomers feel equally welcomed and valued. Attendees not only come to share their talents but also to forge lasting connections with fellow ukulele lovers. It's this sense of community and camaraderie — that makes the Funky Frets Uke Fest a standout event in the ukulele world. ✨
This three day festival includes workshop sessions, performances, jams, open-mics, vendors, lunch, dinner, a carousel ride/open-mic.
Off to Nutmeg Ukulele Festival, Simsbury, CT USA
Aloha! The Simsbury Meadows Performing Arts Center is excited to present the 4th annual Nutmeg Ukulele Festival hosted by the Kinetic Ukes!
This all day festival includes 3 workshop sessions, an artist showcase, a silent auction, vendors and lunch!
Kelly & myself (Curt) will be there with our family music store; Funky Frets with ukulele goodies. Curt will be performing, presenting a Rhythm workshop, and sittin` with the morning Beginning Singalong and providing some solos.
Ho`olohe Hou Radio
Ho`olohe Hou Radio — 24 hour-a-day Internet radio station featuring the 100-year history of Hawaiian music and the entertainment industry in Hawai`i.
At the heart of the station is innovation. Bill Wynne didn’t invent radio, and he surely didn’t invent Hawaiian music. But he saw Ho`olohe Hou Radio as an opportunity to put the two together in a manner that has never been attempted before. He calls it Hawaiian Music Edutainment
. Instead of spending so much airtime on commercials, a few minutes each hour on Ho`olohe Hou Radio will be dedicated to educational programming which will help the listener understand the historic and cultural importance of the songs and artists they hear on this unique station.
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On the web since 1992 and a Mac since 1987 (Mac II) • Serving up Ukulele content since 2003 ( 23 years ago ) • Lets Kanikapila!!! • And, since Sept 2020, happily on Pop!_OS Linux & COSMIC-DE and a System76 Thelio . Half the cost of the iMac and a real treat to use. I use it for ALL development work. Only wish the Affinity Suite of apps by serif where available on Linux (and I do know you can run them in Wine with a few hacks).
v20251117-0915.v4•L12.47.0 (PHP-8.2.23)
This sit has ben profesionaly red. awl tpyos aree free and no aditonal chrge • I'm blaming it on “jazz” fingers. “Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.”
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