Atlanta Ukes

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  • Gum Strummers

    Join the Gumstrummers!!

    Want to play in a fun performance band on the eastside of Atlanta?  We have practices on many Sundays at the Church of Decatur Heights and perform for Senior Centers in DeKalb County, Fulton County and Atlanta about twice per month.  Come check us out at one of our practices.  We welcome uke players, percussion, guitar players (acoustic and electric), keyboard, mandoline and more!  Visit www.gumstrummers.com or https://www.facebook.com/gumstrummers/or email foxenvironmental@gmail.com for more information.  

  • Ukulele Play-Alongs in Atlanta this Week

    The Sensational Marietta Ukulele Groups will not meet this week. Please join us next week.

    UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CONGREGATION OF ATLANTA

    MAY 19TH –    1:30 P.M. – 3:30 P.M.   26 50 North Druid Hills Rd., Atlanta, GA. Meet in the Sanctuary.  Bring Jim Beloff’s
    YELLOW Daily Ukulele Book

    WEST GEORGIA UKULELE ENSEMBLE

    May 23rd. – 10:30  P.M. – 12:-00 P.M.   5000 Austell Powder Springs Rd., in the Sweetwater Valley Library on the 1st Floor.  Check their Facebook page to find out more information.

    12:30 P.M. , post-practice, are  free ukulele lessons

    Sign up now for FREE beginner lessons this summer brought to you by SMUG and their own Michael Cain at the Switzer Library. 

    Join the group for a series of 6 weekly lessons on Saturdays starting June 20th from 2 to 3pm (except for the July 4th weekend). All experience levels and ages welcome. 

    This is definitely geared toward beginners, but there will always be something for everyone to learn. 

    Click on the website below to go directly to the page. If sign up is full, don’t dismay, get on the wait list or contact SMUG at Daggerdog@gmail.com to see what can be worked out. Class size is intentionally small and limited to 10 people this time, but they’re hoping to make this a regular thing. 

    Click below to sign up:

    http://www.cobbcounty.gov/events/2026-06-20beginners-ukulele-series-classes-registration-required

  • Want to play your ukulele?  Here are some locations where you can play this week

    Can’t play this week?  No worries.  Click on the Calendar above for future events!

    SMUG EVENTS THIS WEEK. 

    It’s a Super SMUG heavy week to start the month, with a location and a song or two for everyone. Join in the fun! Bring your ukulele and play your favorite songs. Words and lyrics are on the screen.

    May 4th… SMUG Monday at Sewell Mill Library 5:30 P.M. – 730 P.M. 2051 Lower Roswell Rd., Marietta, Ga. 

    May 7th… SMUG Thursday at Gritter’s Library 3:30 P.M. – 5:30 P.M. 880 Shaw Park Rd., Marietta, GA.  

    May 8th… SMUG Friday at Switzer Library. 3:30 p.m. – 5:30 P.M. 266 Roswell St.N.E. Marietta, GA

    Sign up now for free  beginner lessons 

    Sign up now for FREE beginner lessons this summer brought to you by SMUG and their own Michael Cain at the Switzer Library.

    Join them for a series of 6 weekly lessons on Saturdays starting June 20th from 2 to 3pm (except for the July 4th weekend). All experience levels and ages welcome.

    This is definitely geared toward beginners, but there will always be something for everyone to learn.

    Click on the website below to go directly to the page. If sign up is full, don’t dismay, get on the wait list or contact SMUG at Daggerdog@gmail.com to see what can be worked out. Class size is intentionally small and limited to 10 people this time, but they’re hoping to make this a regular thing. 

    Click below to sign up:

    http://www.cobbcounty.gov/events/2026-06-20beginners-ukulele-series-classes-registration-required

    UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CONGREGATION OF ATLANTA

    MAY 5TH –    1:30 P.M. – 3:30 P.M.   26 50 North Druid Hills Rd., Atlanta, GA. Meet in the Sanctuary.  Bring Jim Beloff’s Blue Daily Ukulele Book

    WEST GEORGIA UKULELE ENSEMBLE

    May 9th. – 10:30  P.M. – 12:-00 P.M.   5000 Austell Powder Springs Rd., in the Sweetwater Valley Library on the 1st Floor.  Check their Facebook page to find out more information.

    12:30 P.M. , post-practice, are  free ukulele lessons

  • SMUG sets dates through August

    Cobb County’s Sensational Marietta Ukulele Group has groups at three Cobb County libraries, and they’ve just published their calendars through the end of August.

    Their locations are:

    Download their calendars (suitable for printing, posting, or framing) here:

    Switzer Library Summer 2026

    Gritters Library Summer 2026

    Sewell Mill Summer 2026

  • Busy ukulele week in Atlanta!

    There are a lot of ukulele events this week in Atlanta!

    The West Georgia Ukulele Ensemble is participating in Douglas County’s first Festival of the Arts on April 18, so they won’t be meeting at Sweetwater Valley Library this week.

    After a break for Easter, the Sunday Strum at Waikikie Hawaiian Barbecue on Briarcliff Rd. in Atlanta, resumes this Sunday, April 19th, from 2 – 4 p.m.

    SMUG is on the road on Monday, performing at Kennesaw State University as part of an “Adopt-a-Stream Jam” on the Green at 5 p.m. Check the group’s Facebook page for specifics.

    UUkers will practice as usual on Tuesday at 1:30 p.m.

    Finally, SMUG will be at their Switzer Library location on Friday from 3:30-5:30 p.m.

  • 6-week beginner uke course starting soon in Douglas County

    6-week beginner uke course starting soon in Douglas County

    West-siders! Jackson Green will be doing a six-week beginner course through the Douglas County/Douglasville Cultural Arts Coalition starting March 24th, and running through April 28th.

    It’s a group course, and the only requirement is to bring a ukulele. Some used ukuleles may be available.

    Link:
    Cultural Arts Council | Beginner Ukulele Course

  • New updated Tiki Nation songbook for March

    Diane Weiglein shares an updated songbook from the Facebook Tiki Nation group, including two versions of “Crazy”, one following the Patsy Cline version in B, and one following the Willie Nelson version in C.

    These song sheets look great — they include chord diagrams (for standard GCEA tuning), and often include insets outlining riffs or solos.

    Link:
    Sneaky Tiki Tunebook Update

  • Kirk Jones workshop coming March 7

    Facebook | Atlanta Ukulele Workshop, Performance, and Group Strum with Kirk Jones

    Kirk Jones is a Huntsville-based ukulele performer and teacher, who will be headlining the first Uke Republic event in a new space at the Austell Threadmill Complex (where Uke Republic is located).

    It’s Saturday, March 7th. Here’s the preliminary schedule from the event’s Facebook page:

    2:00 pre workshop group strum
    2:30pm Workshop $20
    3:30 short Break
    3:45pm Short Performance
    4:15pm Short Break
    4:30pm Group Strum
    5:30pm Dinner????

    Facebook | Uke Republic

    Facebook | Kirk Jones – Orangutan or Lion

  • Festival planning for 2026

    With the changing of the calendar, a ukulele player’s mind naturally turns to one thing — the new year’s ukulele festival schedule!

    If you’re looking for a little ukulele tourism this year, I’ve collected a few resources that can help you find the fest for you.

    Cynthia Landon keeps a pretty complete Uke Festivals Google Sheet with a tab for US and international festivals that tracks events from Orlando to Hawaii, and covering the calendar from next weekend through almost the end of October. Cynthia’s also tracking a few events that happened in 2025 that haven’t yet announced 2026 dates.

    Some other calendars to review:

    See you on the road!

  • Share some SMUG!

    There are fresh flyers from the Sensational Marietta Ukulele Group, covering sessions through the winter.

    These are great to share on social media, or to print out and post on public bulletin boards in the real world, to find new members who might be interested in joining the group. Give somebody a reason to bring out their new Christmas uke!

    There’s one each for:

    Our main calendar should include all these sessions.

    If you’re on Facebook, you can find the Sensational Marietta Ukulele Group here.