Billie Jean Ukulele Tutorial (Part 1) @jameshillmusiq

James Hill Watch Part 2: youtu.be/cQoptPogkeE
UkuleleX - Learn Extreme Ukulele: http://www.ukuleleX.com
My weekly podcast: uketropolis.com/podcast

You've been asking for years and now it's finally here: the official Billie Jean ukulele tutorial with Yours Truly. Learn the whole riff, step-by-step: bassline, chords and drums!

Video production by Gibbons Creative http://www.gibbonscreative.ca

updated 6 years ago

Billie Jean Ukulele Tutorial (Part 1)

James Hill 2020-02-20 | Watch Part 2: youtu.be/cQoptPogkeE
UkuleleX - Learn Extreme Ukulele: http://www.ukuleleX.com
My weekly podcast: uketropolis.com/podcast

You've been asking for years and now it's finally here: the official Billie Jean ukulele tutorial with Yours Truly. Learn the whole riff, step-by-step: bassline, chords and drums!

Video production by Gibbons Creative http://www.gibbonscreative.ca

Uketropolis LIVE - February 2024

James Hill 2024-01-22 | Everyone is welcome at Uketropolis LIVE! I'll be answering student questions from uketropolis.com and, time permitting, questions from the chat. Bring your ukulele and let's explore the wide world of ukulele together!

Uketropolis LIVE - January 2024

James Hill 2024-01-04 | Everyone is welcome at the first Uketropolis LIVE of 2024! I'll be answering student questions from uketropolis.com and, time permitting, questions from the chat. Bring your ukulele and let's explore the wide world of ukulele together!

James Hill & Anne Janelle - Silent Night

James Hill 2023-12-24 | Mohr / Gruber, arr. J. Hill
From the album "The Midnight Clear"
Hear the full album: youtu.be/zxEflk-AKAA
Camera: Riley Lamarche

James Hill & Anne Janelle - The Midnight Clear

James Hill 2023-12-19 | James & Anne's Christmas album, The Midnight Clear. With artwork by TAKI and animations by Marta Vorontsova.

0:00 Joy to the World
3:15 On A Cold Winter's Night
7:30 It Came Upon the Midnight Clear
12:03 Interlude 1
12:42 I Saw Three Ships / Il est né le divin enfant
16:36 Lo, How A Rose E'er Blooming
21:03 A Day or Two Ago
25:33 Pat-a-pan
28:28 Interlude 2
30:33 Angels We Have Heard On High
34:35 Precious Little Baby Boy
39:19 Interlude 3 (Hey Ho, Nobody Home)
40:25 Golden Boys
45:19 O Christmas Tree
49:56 Silent Night

Live performance videos:
- Lo, How A Rose E'er Blooming: youtu.be/MT-gUoytIjM?si=O5aVS5WxvCR-_RNt
- It Came Upon the Midnight Clear: youtu.be/Or7cHFoV0UQ?si=S41bIAOdZPbKjugz
- Angels We Have Heard on High: youtu.be/IGjgzIMNipg?si=2SHsylsQJdJaLYbm
- O, Christmas Tree: youtu.be/b6M83oy4pKc?si=gCCugDuolxRZSgSi

More Christmas videos:
- James' version of "Hey, Ho, Nobody Home": youtu.be/A_IHA7BD3pA?si=HNG5LRcwu2Kmz8L7
- Anne's rendition of Joni Mitchell's "River": youtu.be/vOWGPLU33os?si=DeUco1ckWxSlmP4d

ukuLOUDLY - Crawdad Song

James Hill 2023-11-30 | ukuLOUDLY is a global ukulele band... and you're invited!
Join the band for free at https://www.ukuloudly.com.
Crawdad Song (Trad., arr. James Hill), performed by 136 members of ukuLOUDLY.

Every few weeks, James Hill chooses a song from the Uketropolis catalog and arranges it in a wild and surprising way. Here's the best part: members of ukuLOUDLY get to play on the recording! It's free, fun and a great way to connect with other ukulele players. Learn more and join the band for free at https://www.ukuloudly.com.

Uketropolis LIVE - November 2023

James Hill 2023-11-03 | Everyone is welcome at this free, live session. I'll be answering student questions from uketropolis.com and, time permitting, questions from the chat. Bring your ukulele and let's explore the wide world of ukulele together!

Uketropolis LIVE! - October 2023

James Hill 2023-10-06 | Everyone is welcome at this free, live session. I'll be answering student questions from uketropolis.com and, time permitting, questions from the chat. Bring your ukulele and let's explore the wide world of ukulele together!

Uketropolis LIVE! - July 2023

James Hill 2023-07-07 | Everyone is welcome at this free, live session. I'll be answering student questions from uketropolis.com and, time permitting, questions from the chat. Bring your ukulele and let's explore the wide world of ukulele together!

Summertime: Behind-the-scenes!

James Hill 2023-06-16 | Join James live for a look behind-the-scenes of the latest Uke Heads single, "Summertime." Listen to the song here: youtu.be/SUSrIPwBgaw

Learn more about Uke Heads here: ukeheads.com

Uke Heads - Summertime [Official Video]

James Hill 2023-06-16 | Listen to our other singles: "Lie Di Die" youtube.com/watch?v=It7rl5Cq36M and "The Night" youtube.com/watch?v=K_o2Q-Sr7ec
Lyrics below...

"Summertime" was written by James Hill and performed by Uke Heads, a worldwide ukulele collective. Learn more about Uke Heads here: ukeheads.com/about

Video by Marta Vorontsova: imagikali.com

SUMMERTIME
By James Hill
Performed by Uke Heads

No, no, no, yeah, yeah
No, no, no, yeah, yeah
No, no, no, yeah, yeah
Summertime

No, no, no, yeah, yeah
No, no, no, yeah, yeah
No, no, no, yeah, yeah
Summertime

Jet black GTO
Got a bit of get-up-and-go
Black light, stereo, summertime
Hey, hey, what do you know?
Everybody's at the show
Easy come, easy go, summertime

No, no, no, yeah, yeah
No, no, no, yeah, yeah
No, no, no, yeah, yeah
Summertime

Come on, baby, let's dance
Pour yourself into your pants
Jump right over the fence, summertime
Give a little, give a lot
Here we go, ready or not
Sundown, soda pop, summertime

Summertime
Summertime
Summertime
Summertime

No, no, no, yeah, yeah
No, no, no, yeah, yeah
No, no, no, yeah, yeah
No, no, no, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah...

Summertime
Summertime
Summertime
Summertime

I'm goin' over the falls
Stick a pin in a doll
Hog tied and having a ball, summertime
You can't take it when you go
As above, so below
What now? Heaven knows, summertime

No, no, no, yeah, yeah
No, no, no, yeah, yeah
No, no, no, yeah, yeah
Summertime

Uketropolis LIVE! - June 2023

James Hill 2023-06-02 | Everyone is welcome at this free, live session. I'll be answering student questions from uketropolis.com and, time permitting, questions from the chat. Bring your ukulele and let's explore the wide world of ukulele together!

Uketropolis LIVE! - May 2023

James Hill 2023-05-05 | Everyone is welcome at this free, live session. I'll be answering student questions from uketropolis.com and, time permitting, questions from the chat. Bring your ukulele and let's explore the wide world of ukulele together!

Uketropolis LIVE - April 2023 [PLEASE NOTE TIME CHANGE]

James Hill 2023-04-06 | This week I will be live at 9am Eastern instead of our usual time. Everyone is welcome at this free, live session. I'll be answering student questions from uketropolis.com and, time permitting, questions from the chat. Bring your ukulele and let's explore the wide world of ukulele together!

Uke Heads - The Night [Official Video]

James Hill 2023-03-18 | Join the band! ukeheads.com
Listen to our first single, "Lie Di Die": youtu.be/It7rl5Cq36M
Lyrics below...

"The Night" was written by James Hill and performed by Uke Heads, a worldwide ukulele collective. Learn more about how Uke Heads works: ukeheads.com/about

Video by Marta Vorontsova: imagikali.com

THE NIGHT
By James Hill
Performed by Uke Heads

The nighttime is to lovers
What the sea is to the sailor
What a dream is to a dreamer
Like you

And the bridle to the rider
Is what the thorn is to the briar
What the glove is to the fighter
All bruised

Fortune is to the beggar
What today is to forever
What the wing is to the prayer
Oh oh

And the is lie to the liar
What the fan is to the fire
What a good wine is to desire
Oh oh

We've been gone, gone so long
We've been gone, gone so long

Only the night knows who we really are
Two satellites in freefall 'round a star
Only the night knows who we really are
Oo ooo

The world is to the wanderer
What fall is to the summer
what a son is to a father
Oh oh

And dreams are to the tired
What the song is to the choir
What the bird is to the wire
Oh oh

We've been gone, gone so long
We've been gone, gone so long

Only the night knows who we really are
Two satellites in freefall 'round a star
Only the night knows who we really are
Oo ooo

Only the night knows who we really are
Two satellites in freefall 'round a star
Only the night knows who we really are
Oo ooo

Slide Ukulele: Are You My Sunshine?

James Hill 2023-03-09 | Get 2 free slide ukulele lessons with James:
uketropolis.com/slide

Ready for more? Check out the full Americana Ukulele course at uketropolis.com/americana. Learn clawhammer, three-finger bluegrass banjo picking, flatpicking, Travis picking and more. Interactive sheet music, backing tracks, printable TAB, plus support from James and the Uketropolis community. Giddyup!

Uketropolis LIVE! - March 2023

James Hill 2023-03-02 | Everyone is welcome at this free, live session. I'll be answering student questions from uketropolis.com and, time permitting, questions from the chat. Bring your ukulele and let's explore the wide world of ukulele together!

Uketropolis LIVE! - February 2023

James Hill 2023-02-02 | Everyone is welcome at this free, live session. I'll be answering student questions from uketropolis.com and, time permitting, questions from the chat. Bring your ukulele and let's explore the wide world of ukulele together!

James Hill Live Stream

James Hill 2023-01-30 | ...

Ukulele Stank Face

James Hill 2022-12-04 | Wayfaring Stranger (Trad.)
Recorded for Uketropolis Virtual Recital December 3, 2022
uketropolis.com

Uke Heads - Lie Di Die [Official Video]

James Hill 2022-11-08 | Uke Heads is a global ukulele ensemble working together to make beautiful music. Join the band at https://www.ukeheads.com! This gorgeous lyric video was created by animator Marta Vorontsova: imagikali.com

Lie Di Die
by James Hill and Chris Parsons

Ooo ooo...

Glass elevators, tightrope serenaders
Nothing could ever compare
With the height that you took me to with your "I love yous"
And with the smell of your hair

Rumblin' like a rocket
Powerless to stop it
Bright as a night in Times Square
My worries grew smaller the higher we flew
I didn't have time to be scared

But a flight is just a fall you walk away from
You walked away...

And my heart is singing "Lie di die, di die, di die"
Tonight in its cage
Like a little bird with a broken wing
Who might fly again someday

Ooo ooo...

Now my heart is like leather, tough as the desert
Worn as a medicine ball
Would you believe me if I told you he once
Had a the voice of a porcelain doll?

The words are long-gone but if you draw near
You can still hear his song through the wall
Chickadee may you warble on sweetly
Until I'm as grey as Old Montreal

A flight is just a fall you walk away from
You walked away...

My heart is singing
"Lie di die, di die"
Like a little bird...

Oh, a flight is just a fall you walk away from
You walked away...

And my heart is singing "Lie di die, di die, di die"
Tonight in it's cage
Like a little bird with a broken wing
Who might fly again someday
Like a little bird with a broken wing
Who might fly again someday

Ooo ooo...

Uke Heads Q&A #4: Recording and Submitting Audio

James Hill 2022-05-26 | This week on the Uke Heads Q&A: how to record and upload your parts for each song on the Uke Heads album. Plus live Q&A; bring your questions and put them in the chat!

Uke Heads is my new album... and I'm inviting you to play and sing on it. The album is accompanied by a series of 1,879 portraits of the ukulele. The idea is simple: buy a Uke Head, play on the album. Uke Heads go on sale June 1, 2022 at noon PST at https://www.ukeheads.com.

Join me live every Thursday in May at noon Pacific right here on YouTube for casual Q&A about the project.

Links:
Website: ukeheads.com
Facebook: facebook.com/ukeheadsmusic
Twitter: twitter.com/ukeheadsmusic

Uke Heads Q&A #3: Utility Now, Utility Later

James Hill 2022-05-19 | This week on the Uke Heads Q&A: utility! In other words, what you get (and what you don't get) when you become a Uke Head. Plus live Q&A; bring your questions and put them in the chat!

Uke Heads is my new album... and I'm inviting you to play and sing on it. The album is accompanied by a series of 1,879 portraits of the ukulele. The idea is simple: buy a Uke Head, play on the album. Uke Heads go on sale June 1, 2022 at noon PST at https://www.ukeheads.com.

Join me live every Thursday in May at noon PDT right here on YouTube for casual Q&A about the project.

Links:
Website: ukeheads.com
Facebook: facebook.com/ukeheadsmusic
Twitter: twitter.com/ukeheadsmusic

Uke Heads Q&A #2: How to Purchase a Uke Head

James Hill 2022-05-12 | Next live Q&A is on May 19th at noon Pacific: youtu.be/iFTTGqYZj88. This week on the Uke Heads Q&A: the ins-and-outs of purchasing your Uke Head (NFT vs. non-NFT options, creating your wishlist, logging in, checking out, etc). Plus live Q&A; bring your questions and put them in the chat!

Uke Heads is my new album... and I'm inviting you to play and sing on it. The album is accompanied by a series of 1,879 portraits of the ukulele. The idea is simple: buy a Uke Head, play on the album. Uke Heads go on sale June 1, 2022 at noon PST at https://www.ukeheads.com.

Join me live every Thursday in May at noon PDT right here on YouTube for casual Q&A about the project.

Links:
Website: ukeheads.com
Facebook: facebook.com/ukeheadsmusic
Twitter: twitter.com/ukeheadsmusic

Uke Heads Q&A #1: Overview and Roadmap

James Hill 2022-05-05 | Uke Heads is my new album... and I'm inviting you to play and sing on it! The album is accompanied by a series of 1,879 portraits of the ukulele. The idea is simple: buy a Uke Head, play on the album. Uke Heads go on sale June 1, 2022 at noon PST at https://www.ukeheads.com.

Join me live every Thursday in May at noon Pacific Time for Q&A about the project.

Links:
Website: ukeheads.com
Facebook: facebook.com/ukeheadsmusic
Twitter: twitter.com/ukeheadsmusic

Three-song preview of my new album! (Uketropolis Podcast S2 E27)

James Hill 2022-04-29 | I'm inviting everyone to play and sing on my new album, Uke Heads! It's part community, part recording: 10 songs powered by you, me and 1,879 unique portraits of the ukulele. What a world. Learn more at https://www.ukeheads.com.

James Hill Breaks Down His Unusual Christmas Single Hey, Ho, Nobody Home

James Hill 2021-12-11 | A guided tour of the song "Hey, Ho, Nobody Home."
Vocals, uke, synth, drum machine.
Watch and listen: youtu.be/A_IHA7BD3pA

Hey, Ho, Nobody Home (Official Video)

James Hill 2021-12-11 | Go behind the music in James' studio: youtu.be/6_5T7b9dtyI
Listen on Spotify: tinyurl.com/5dz3t3rz
jameshillmusic.com @jameshillmusiq

Hey, Ho, Nobody Home
Traditional, arr. J. Hill

Hey, ho, nobody home
Meat nor drink nor money have I none
Yet will I be merry
Hey, ho, nobody home
Meat nor drink nor money have I none
Yet will I be merry

A soul, a soul, a soul cake
Please, good missus a soul cake
An apple, a pear, a plum, a cherry
Any good thing to make us all merry
One for Peter, two for Paul
Three for Him who made us all

Hey, ho, nobody home
Meat nor drink nor money have I none
Yet will I be merry
Hey, ho, nobody home
Meat nor drink nor money have I none
Yet will I be merry

The streets are very dirty
My shoes are very thin
I have a little pocket
To put a penny in
If you haven't got a penny
A half-penny will do
If you haven't got a half-penny
Then God bless you

A soul, a soul, a soul cake
Please, good missus a soul cake
An apple, a pear, a plum, a cherry
Any good thing to make us all merry
One for Peter, two for Paul
Three for Him who made us all

O, bless the master of this house
And the mistress, too
And all the little children
Who 'round your table grow
The cattle in your stable
The dog by your front door
And all who dwell within your gates
We wish you ten times more

Hey, ho, nobody home
Meat nor drink nor money have I none
Yet will I be merry
Hey, ho, nobody home
Meat nor drink nor money have I none
Yet will I be merry

It Had To Be You (from Baritone Ukulele Jazz)

James Hill 2021-12-09 | Online course: Baritone Ukulele Jazz with James Hill
Free lesson: uketropolis.com/baritonejazz
Good news: baritone ukulele has the same chord names as guitar but only uses 4 strings to make those rich, jazzy sounds! In Baritone Ukulele Jazz you'll learn over a dozen jazz standards (including "It Had To Be You") with step-by-step video lessons with Yours Truly. Get started with a free lesson at uketropolis.com/baritonejazz. See you there.

P.S. Hoodie is from 1879 Apparel: 1879.co

Goodnight Moon (free sheet music and play-along mp3)

James Hill 2021-10-29 | Sheet music and play-along mp3: uketropolis.com/goodnightmoon
My weekly podcast: uketropolis.com/podcast
This simple melody is one of the hardest things I've ever played. My fingers were literally throbbing in pain! Why? Find out in this episode of the Uketropolis Podcast: https://share.transistor.fm/s/bb5df8e2

Happy Birthday to Uke (3 min. preview)

James Hill 2021-08-27 | Celebrate every student, every year!
Full 15-minute guided tour of the course: youtu.be/abWtE6nEHYI
Buy now: uketropolis.com/birthday

Full list of musical styles included:
- Hawaiian
- Techno
- Heavy Metal
- Hip-hop
- Elvis
- Reggae
- Ska
- Cowboy Ballad
- Folk
- Classical
- Tango
- Big Band Jazz

What happened on August 23, 1879?

James Hill 2021-08-11 | Celebrate the birth of the 'ukulele with 1879 Apparel!
1879.co
FB / TW / IG: @1879apparel

On August 23, 1879, the clipper ship Ravenscrag arrived in Honolulu after 123 gruelling days at sea. Aboard were 427 men, women and children from Madeira in search of work and opportunity.

Rejoicing in their safe arrival, a passenger named João Fernandes burst into song, strumming a small, guitar-like machete (“mah-shette”). It was the first time such a sound was heard in Hawai‘i and it inspired the birth of the ‘ukulele which, by the late 1880s, was considered the national instrument of Hawai‘i.

1879 Apparel celebrates this historic moment and honours those who contributed to the development of the ‘ukulele. Little did the passengers of the Ravenscrag know that, for generations in their wake, the “jumping flea” would bring joy to countless people around the world.

James Hill - Here Comes the Rain Again (Solo Ukulele) ☂️

James Hill 2021-05-16 | Recorded for the Uketropolis Virtual Recital, May 15, 2021.
Take 3 free lessons with me: http://www.uketropolis.com/theukuleleway
This arrangement from the book "Duets For One": http://tinyurl.com/yahqgtgt

Here's one of my favourites from my book “Duets For One.” Learn more about Uketropolis and take a free lesson: https://www.uketropolis.com. Uke on, friends!

Satin Doll - Ukulele Jazz Tutorial

James Hill 2021-01-21 | Take another free lesson at uketropolis.com/jazz
Part 1 of this lesson: youtu.be/jy-rfUF2AGc

Ukulele Jazz for Beginners (Tutorial)

James Hill 2021-01-21 | Part 2 of this lesson: youtu.be/8665QGL1hkI
Take another free lesson at uketropolis.com/jazz
My weekly podcast: uketropolis.com/podcast

Deck the Halls - Jazz Ukulele Lesson

James Hill 2020-12-23 | Free sheet music for this lesson: uketropolis.com/deckthehalls
Ukulele Jazz online course: uketropolis.com/jazz
Booster Uke online course (free lesson): uketropolis.com/boosteruke

The additional lessons I mention in the lesson will be available very soon. In the meantime, go to uketropolis.com/jazz and sign up to be the first to know when they're ready!

Well get through this with music.

James Hill 2020-08-26 | Teacher Toolkit: uketropolis.com/toolkit
FREE Ukulele in the Classroom E-Books: uketropolis.com/classroom
Socials: @uketropolis

It's a tough time to be a teacher. Nobody knows what the school year will bring. It could be in-person classes. It could be online lessons. It could be both. Only one thing is for certain: you don't have time to prepare for everything.

You need something that will pivot with you, whether you're in-class or online. Something that helps you give awesome lessons no matter what. Here's some good news: all three levels of my classroom ukulele method are now free. They're free e-books available to anyone, anywhere. You never have to worry about books again!

Plus, I've just launched the Teacher Toolkit and think this can really help. It's the "secret sauce" that lets you pivot between online and offline and always give your students a great lesson. The Teacher Toolkit is like a teacher assistant and house band rolled into one. In every lesson you get video tips from me to share with your students, you get backing tracks for your students to play along with (this is especially important when you're teaching online and still want students to feel like they're playing with a group), you get interactive scores that let you speed up, slow down, loop sections for practise plus a virtual fretboard that shows exactly how to play everything. You can even create custom scores showing just the parts your students need to see and you can print or send those custom scores to your students. It's really amazing.

The best thing to do is just go and try it yourself at uketropolis.com/toolkit. You'll get a free backing track to try out with your students and 30 days to decide if the Toolkit is the right fit for you. There's really no risk and it might just be the life-raft you've been looking for.

It's a tough time to be a music teacher. But you're doing important work and you're not alone. I'm here for you, the Uketropolis community is cheering you on, and this Teacher Toolkit is designed specifically to help you meet the challenges of today's classroom.

We'll get through this together. We'll get through this apart if we have to. We'll get through this with music.

What is BEBE ukulele tuning?

James Hill 2020-06-22 | Listen to "The Old Silo": jameshillmusic.com/music/theoldsilo
James' weekly podcast: uketropolis.com/podcast
James' $1 Absolute-beginner ukulele course: http://www.readysteadyukulele.com

James & Anne - Almost Home (Part 4)

James Hill 2020-05-27 | Live from our home studio May, 27, 2020. 4pm - 4:30pm ADT.
http://www.jameshillannejanelle.com
Stronger Together Fund: donate.redcross.ca/page/59671/donate/1

Set list (all requests):
1. If Wishes We Horses (Hill)
2. The Brightest Lights (Hill)
3. Because (d'Hardelot)
4. Hand Over My Heart (Hill)
5. Ode to a Frozen Boot (Hill)
6. Assam / Like A Bird (Hill/Janelle)
7. For So Long (Hill)
8. We Can Make A Change (Janelle) http://www.WeCanMakeAChange.org

Thank you, everyone, for your support and love this month and always. See you again soon! xo

James Hill & Anne Janelle - Almost Home (new single)

James Hill 2020-05-20 | jameshillannejanelle.com
Be well, friends. You're in our hearts.
Special thanks to everyone who contributed footage to this video.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"I've been away so long / I'm navigating by the stars," opens Almost Home, our first single in the era of isolation. For years, easy travel had us chasing dreams. Then COVID-19 stopped the clock. Weeks of suspended animation. Time to reflect, to hear the birds, to dig our hands in the dirt and write new songs. "Let the Rockies be / Let the wild rivers roar." And yet for all the roots we grow, there's always a branch that reaches for the light. Today we're as home as we'll ever be: almost.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Lyrics:
I've been away so long
I'm navigating by the stars
Every highway takes a toll
And every bridge is a bridge too far.

If I can't go 'round
Then I'm gonna go through
'Cause there ain't nothin' in this crazy world
Will keep me from getting back to you.

A mile on the rails
Is a mile on the road
And the hands of time hold you down
When you're carrying a heavy load.

I'm almost home.
Ain't got far to go.
Just 10,000 telephone poles and two more dreams.
Let the Rockies be.
Let the wild rivers roar.
The only thing I ever know for sure
Is that I never miss you more than when I'm almost home.

Goodbye Lake Louise,
I hardly even knew you.
The only trouble with blue-green eyes
Is how they look right through you.

So hello, Lake Ontario
Shotgun on your Greyhound bus
Last call for Orillia
Fall colours all around us.

A mile on the rails
Is a mile on the road
And the hands of time hold you down
When you're carrying a heavy load.

I'm almost home.
Ain't got far to go.
Just 10,000 telephone poles and two more dreams.
Let the Rockies be.
Let the wild rivers roar.
The only thing I ever know for sure
Is that I never miss you more than when I'm almost home.

James & Anne - Almost Home (Part 3)

James Hill 2020-05-20 | Live from our home studio May, 20, 2020. 4pm - 4:30pm ADT.
http://www.jameshillannejanelle.com

James & Anne - Almost Home (Part 2)

James Hill 2020-05-13 | Live from our home studio May, 13, 2020. 4pm - 4:30pm ADT.
http://www.jameshillannejanelle.com

Set List:
1. You Should See Me Now (Hill)
2. Keep the Customer Satisfied (Simon)
3. What Would You Have Me Do? (Hill)
4. After You've Gone (Layton / Creamer)
5. Promenade (Hill)
6. We Can Make A Change (Janelle)

Verses for We Can Make a Change contributed by:

Sarah Frank (thebombadils.com)
Victoria Vox (victoriavox.com)
Nicole and Aaron Keim (http://quietamericanmusic.com)

James & Anne - Almost Home (Part 1)

James Hill 2020-05-06 | Live from our home studio May, 5, 2020. 4pm - 4:30pm ADT.
http://www.jameshillannejanelle.com
Next concert: May 13, 2020 at 4pm Atlantic Time. See you then!

Set List:
1. I'll Never Know
2. In the Morning
3. Smash the Window (by request!)
4. Time To Go
5. Beauty Remains
6. We Can Make A Change

Peace like an ukulele

James Hill 2020-05-02 | "Peace like an 'ukulele" is a free online course with James Hill.
7 video lessons + TAB & sheet music.
uketropolis.com/peace

Ukulele is like a blanket. A shelter from the noise and uncertainty of life. A safe place to lose yourself in music. "Peace like an 'ukulele" is a free course to help you relax. Written and presented by James Hill. Play. Breathe. Repeat. http://www.ukulelepeace.com

Tonight You Belong To Me (In Memoriam)

James Hill 2020-04-22 | We are still in shock from the recent events here in Nova Scotia. Our hearts go out to the many family, friends, and loved ones of the victims; we are grieving with you. This is a lullaby of peace, meant to gently hold those who need it, especially the children whose lives have been forever changed.

"Tonight You Belong to Me" was the last song Lisa McCully performed on her Facebook page. The March 23rd video of Lisa singing the song with her children inspired us to record this version. May we grow closer through grief and find solace in music. “Although we're apart you're a part of my heart.”

Song by Billy Rose and Lee David (1926), arranged by James and Anne.

The $1 Beginner Course with James Hill: Ready, Steady, UKULELE!

James Hill 2020-03-31 | Yep, just $1.
60+ minutes of video instruction for absolute beginners.
http://www.readysteadyukulele.com

• 5 Lessons
• 12 Step-by-Step Videos
• 60+ Minutes of Instruction
• No advertising
• PDF Sheet Music
• Chord Chart
• Note-Finder Chart
• and more!

What's the catch? There's no catch. The entire course is yours for a dollar. I hope you'll have an amazing learning experience and, once you've mastered the basics, I hope you'll visit Uketropolis.com to take other great courses like BOOSTER UKE, The Ukulele Way and UkuleleX. Enjoy!

Two ideas. A million possibilities.

James Hill 2020-03-04 | Free sheet music (Theme from New World Symphony): uketropolis.com/new-world
Free lessons with James: uketropolis.com
Subscribe to the Uketropolis Gazette: uketropolis.com/blog

Special thanks to my son for lending me his prized DaSilva soprano for this video. http://www.ukemaker.com.

Billie Jean Ukulele Tutorial (Part 2)

James Hill 2020-02-21 | Watch Part 1: youtu.be/xAIE70FhZLE
UkuleleX: James Hill Teaches Extreme Ukulele
Take a free lesson at http://www.ukuleleX.com

You've been asking for years and now it's finally here: the official Billie Jean ukulele tutorial with Yours Truly. Learn the whole riff, step-by-step: bassline, chords and drums!

Video production by Gibbons Creative
http://www.gibbonscreative.ca

What is UkuleleX?

James Hill 2020-02-13 | Go where no uke has gone before.
Take a free lesson: http://www.ukuleleX.com
Billie Jean ukulele tutorial: youtu.be/xAIE70FhZLE

Since my video of Billie Jean went viral in 2010, I've been pushing the limits of the ukulele further every day. Now, for the first time ever, I'm revealing my extreme ukulele secrets in UkuleleX, an online ukulele course like no other in hopes of inspiring a new generation of players to be brave and to chart new territory.

Forget everything you thought you knew about the uke. What I'm going to show you in these lessons will unleash the little beast inside your ukulele and show you the dark side of this amazing instrument. http://www.ukuleleX.com

Video production by Gibbons Creative
http://www.gibbonscreative.ca

Ukulele is a cheap vacation

James Hill 2020-02-06 | Free lessons with James: uketropolis.com
Subscribe to the Uketropolis Gazette: uketropolis.com/blog

QUOTES FROM THIS VIDEO
"Ukulele is like a cheap vacation."
"Strum a chord and MAGIC! You're transported to someplace warmer. When it's cold outside that's exactly what you need."
"Not every chord has the same warmth to it; some are just warmer than others."

ABOUT JAMES
James Hill's early recordings established him as “one of the world’s top composers for the ukulele” (Rafe Mair, 600AM Vancouver) and a “rare peer” of Hawaii's’ premier ukulelists (John Berger, Honolulu Star-Bulletin) His later albums have “stamped him as a singer-songwriter and all-round musician of the highest calibre” (Rhythms Magazine).

A 'third-generation' Canadian ukulele player, James grew up in the town of Langley, British Columbia where he was a student of Jamie Thomas and Peter Luongo, themselves former protégés of ukulele visionary J. Chalmers Doane. After a decade spent honing his skills as a member of the Langley Ukulele Ensemble, James continued his study of music at the University of British Columbia where he earned a Bachelor of Music Degree in 2003.

In the mid-2000s, James collaborated with J. Chalmers Doane, the trail-blazing teacher who first pioneered the use of ukuleles in Canadian schools, to create the acclaimed Ukulele in the Classroom method book series. In 2010, James and his father Barry, a retired school teacher, launched the JHUI Teacher Certification Program, the only course of its kind in the world. With Ukulele in the Classroom established as the gold standard for classroom ukulele pedagogy, James set his sights on creating a new resource that would focus on teaching the art and science of solo ukulele (i.e. playing melody, harmony and rhythm simultaneously on one instrument). The Ukulele Way, with its rich blend of print, audio, video and social media technology, was launched in 2014.

A singer, songwriter, educator and virtuoso instrumentalist, James Hill is a man on a musical mission. It's a mission that reaches beyond the concert stage and into communities, homes and classrooms around the world. After all, when the applause fades and the stage goes dark you can still hear the sound of ukuleles strumming happily into the night...

Hear James' music at jameshillmusic.com
Learn ukulele with James at uketropolis.com