Ukulele Lessons in Hawaii

How ukulele learning works in Hawaii

How does ukulele fit school music in Hawaii?

In Hawaiʻi, what a ukulele player finds at school depends on the school. Hawaiʻi’s guidance calls for equal arts access in grades K–12, while fewer than 5% of public schools offer comprehensive music programs. At Mililani ‘Ike Elementary, for example, the Pueo Preludes orchestra is for violin, viola, or cello, not ukulele.

Who runs what for Hawaii ukulele players?

Hawaiʻi has no single school-based route to top ukulele honors, so it helps to distinguish a contest from a performance opportunity. The All-State ʻUkulele event is a performance, not an audition or contest. The Hawaiʻi Music Teachers Association (HMTA) offers student competitions and recitals, though its 2026 state competition is for piano, violin, and low strings, not ukulele. For young ukulele players, Duke’s Ukes is a contest; community jams offer a less formal way to play with others.

Auditions and events in Hawaii

How does an ukulele player reach Hawaii's top student honors?

Hawaiʻi has a few distinct ukulele opportunities rather than a conventional school all-state contest route. For contestants age 18 or younger, Duke’s Ukes is the competitive path: each player enters one division, and each category’s first-place winner receives a koa ukulele and a chance to perform at Duke’s Waikiki. The All-State ʻUkulele event, also called Ka ‘Aha Ho‘okani ‘Ukulele, is a performance, not an audition; students need a recommendation from an ensemble director or private instructor and register through a school program or private instructor. The ASTA–Hawaiʻi Unit Solo & Ensemble Festival is for string students, so it is not a ukulele route.

What do auditions ask you to prepare?

For a ukulele performance, choose a song that lets you show clear chord changes, steady rhythm, and confident playing. Weekly lessons over three to six months give you time to build a reliable performance piece, strengthen transitions, and settle into a musical pace that feels secure. For the ASTA–Hawaiʻi Unit Solo & Ensemble Festival, students receive a medal indicating beginning, intermediate, or advanced level; music from its Solo & Ensemble Music Manual is needed for a medal or rating, while an unlisted selection receives comments only.

Starting at any age

Starting a child on ukulele

A child can begin ukulele when they can comfortably hold it and press and strum its strings; there is no school ukulele group start age to wait for in Hawaiʻi. Private lessons give a child a steady start in relaxed hand position, rhythm, simple chords, and singing along. That foundation can support the music learning available at school and make it easier to join community playing when the child is ready.

A teen in Hawaii

For a teen, the clearest ukulele-specific honors route is Duke’s Ukes, open to contestants age 18 or younger, alongside noncompetitive performance opportunities. Weekly lessons can build repertoire and confidence around schoolwork, while a teacher helps your teen choose a goal that suits them, whether that means entering a contest or joining a community jam.

Starting or coming back as an adult

It is not too late to begin or return to ukulele as an adult in Hawaiʻi, and playing with others can make practice feel connected. The free ‘Ukulele Club of Hawai‘i jam meets monthly in Kāne‘ohe, and Maui ‘Ukulele ‘Ohana holds a monthly kanikapila on Maui. A teacher can meet you at your current level, whether you are learning your first chords or rebuilding technique, then help you prepare songs you would enjoy sharing in a group.

Finding the right teacher

What should a good ukulele teacher do?

A good ukulele teacher listens for more than correct chords: relaxed fretting, clear strums, steady pulse, and a sound that suits the song all matter. In Hawaiʻi, the right teacher can help a child prepare for a youth contest, guide a teen toward a performance opportunity, or give an adult a comfortable path into group playing. Fit matters as much as training, since students differ in age, goals, pace, and personality. Every Lesson With You teacher holds at least a bachelor’s degree in guitar, and you can choose a teacher yourself or ask us to recommend one.

How do live online ukulele lessons work?

A live Zoom lesson lets your teacher hear rhythm, chord changes, and tone in real time, while seeing both hands and the ukulele clearly. Set the camera so the neck and strumming hand stay in view, and use a quiet room with the instrument tuned before you begin. Online lessons remove the commute and give you access to a teacher who fits rather than only whoever is closest. A student in Honolulu and one in Schofield Barracks get the same choice of teacher and the same weekly one-on-one lesson.

What $35 a week gets you at Lesson With You

A teacher with a degree in guitarEvery Lesson With You ukulele teacher holds at least a bachelor's degree in guitar.

GabrielMaster’s in GuitarWillBachelor’s in GuitarJessBachelor’s in Singing

Meet the teachers below

The same teacher every weekLive, one-on-one lessons with one teacher who knows your goals.

Practice goals every weekEach lesson ends with what to practice before the next one.

Switch or pause anytimeSwitch teachers at no cost, or pause with 24 hours' notice. There's no term to sign up for.

Ukulele in Hawaii

Where to hear ukulele

Across the islands, listening can connect ukulele study with other local traditions. In Hilo, the Merrie Monarch Festival runs March 28 through April 3, 2027, with hula competitions, shows, and a parade; its Wednesday Hōʻike is a free exhibition night. In Kahului, students 18 and under with ID can attend Maui Pops Orchestra concerts at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center for half price, except tickets priced at $37. These offer different ways to listen for phrasing, pulse, and ensemble sound.

Where to play with others

Ukulele players can find informal group playing in several parts of Hawaiʻi. In Kapolei, Ukulele Project Hawai‘i holds a free monthly Learn & Jam open to beginners, families, kūpuna, and experienced players. In Honolulu, the ‘Ukulele Guild of Hawai‘i Jam is a monthly kanikapila at Bishop Museum; parking and museum admission may cost extra. These gatherings welcome players into shared songs without requiring the audition route used by some formal ensembles.

Ukulele around Hawaii, area by area

Honolulu area

Honolulu students can hear ukulele with strings in Chamber Music Hawai‘i’s “Exotic Grooves,” featuring Abe Lagrimas Jr. and the Galliard String Quartet. The Hawaiʻi Symphony Orchestra offers $15 student tickets on select performances, while Chamber Music Hawai‘i provides free tickets to K–12 students through its Student Advantage Program. Together, these concerts let students hear ukulele alongside other instruments and experience larger ensemble music.

Kapaa area

In Kapaʻa, Coconut Marketplace offers free traditional Hawaiian music, hula, and fire knife shows, including a live local music and hula show on Thursdays from noon to 1 p.m. Līhuʻe offers another listening option at Kukui Grove Center, where a free live music concert takes place every Friday evening. Both settings let students hear local music in performance, with song and rhythm at the center.

A little ukulele history in Hawaii

The ʻukulele is Hawaiʻi’s official modern instrument under state law, and its history remains visible in the state’s music life. Kamaka Hawaii has made handcrafted ʻukuleles in Honolulu since Sam Kamaka Sr. founded the company in 1916. The instrument also has a continuing public presence: the International ʻUkulele Festival of Hawaiʻi is scheduled for July 11, 2027, at Kapiʻolani Park Bandstand in Waikīkī. For a student, that connection means learning an instrument with a distinctly local standing, while developing the listening, timing, and chord skills needed to play its music well.