Have you always dreamed of playing your favorite songs on the ukulele? You have come to the right place, my friend.

Learn to Play the Ukulele Today!

Welcome to the Stuniversity!

Hi, I'm Stu Zonder. (Also known as The Stunami of Sound, Stukulele, Stu MaGuru, Gumbo Stu, Beef Stu, Stu D. Baker) You get the picture. It's an easy name to riff on!

I'm the Dean here at Stu's College of Musical Knowledge! Our ukulele students have fun, succeed in their individual goals, play the music they love, and get better with every lesson. Those are our goals for you, and we achieve them everyday!

In 1976, I began teaching guitar at Strings & Things in Birmingham, MI. I have taught privately and in groups ever since. While I enjoy performing, teaching is my calling! It's the thing I do best, and where I gain the most pleasure and gratification musically.

About ten years ago, I fell in love with the ukulele. It's a beautiful instrument that anyone can learn to play. You will be amazed how quickly you improve, and you will discover that the ukulele is an easy, yet versatile, instrument that can be used to play any kind of music -- folk, rock, country, Hawaiian, jazz, classical. They all sound great on a UKE! 

Whether you are a beginner, or an experienced player who wants to improve, we have a program that will help you become the musician you dream of being!

A Revolutionary Method to Learn to Play !
(without reading music!)

An Intuitive Approach 

The STUnami Method™ is a unique way to learn to play music without the confusing overload of traditionally written sheet music and tablature. We teach technique through songs, with each lesson building on the previous one. It's a genuine curriculum, not simply a mishmash of songs. You will be guided throughout the program. 

Easy to Use Materials

Each video lesson comes with a downloadable song sheet that provides lyrics, notes, and chords. In every video lesson, Professor Stu demonstrates the steps to playing individual songs. At the end of each video, he plays the song all the way through so you can play along with him. You can even slow him down until you're able to keep up!

Play Songs you Love 

Blues? Country? Classic Rock? Folk? Playing songs you know and love is key to your motivation and progress! We continually update and refine our library of songs.

 Community Support

Participate in our online forum, share thoughts and ideas, increase connection, and get help with your practice. You might even choose to perform online at our Quarterly Stuza-Palooza! (But only if you want to. This is not a course requirement.)

Sound Familiar?

I've always wanted to play a musical instrument but . . .

Every day, I hear from someone who has always wanted to play a musical instrument. Maybe they gave up too soon, or maybe they think they are too young or too old, but they still have a deep longing to pick up an instrument and play the songs they love.

When we are playing the songs we recognize and like, we naturally spend more time and effort to get better. And, we enjoy the process of learning! Whether you are an absolute beginner who has never picked up a ukulele, or you have skills that you want to improve, the String Along With Stu courses are designed to "meet you where you are," using techniques and songs that "auto-magically" motivate you to make real progress.
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For an example of Stu's teaching method, check out this sample from his lesson for Stairway To Heaven!
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You could be playing the classic Malaguena within one year of starting your class!
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Bluegrass Duet on a ukulele?  You bet!  Here is the "play-along" in the Dueling Banjos lesson!

What my STU-dents are saying...

Ali

Stu makes every lesson exciting. He carefully teaches each song with patience, kindness, and joy. Each lesson, he brings in a more challenging piece, which has both really improved my abilities and made me a more confident player as time goes on. In just a year, I've gone from barely knowing a couple of chords to being able to play complex songs I love, and even write some of my own. 

David

Stu is a GREAT ukulele teacher. He has taught me so much. He’s friendly, easy to work with, and a total wiz on the uke. Best of all, he makes very lovely arrangements of the familiar tunes I know and love. His sweet chording, and his tasteful riffs are such a pleasure to play. It’s hard to imagine a better ukulele teacher.

Ed

Never in my wildest dream did I think I would be doing a recital at age 60. Well, lo and behold, I was one of 14 or 15 participants at the First Annual Stuza-Palooza held at Stu's home, The Zonderosa.

Freya

Stu's patience and belief in my abilities has really helped me get past most of my former thoughts and fears about playing. Thanks to Stu I'm playing in a way I never thought possible! He works with me to find the songs that inspire me and uses that as a way to teach me the harder things that I, on my own, would've been too frustrated to try and learn.

Sherry

Stu Zonder is a gentle and encouraging teacher! He made me feel at ease, and his particular method of teaching makes it easy to learn to play. In fact, he had me playing several songs right away; it was amazing! I look forward to our lessons, and I am excited about my growing proficiency thanks to Stu!.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which level should I start at?

This is an excellent and important question. Generally speaking, we recommend that most students start with the Freshman Class. It is designed for those just starting to play or with limited experience. Over my long career as a teacher, I have worked with many self-taught students or students who have been shown a few things by a friend. While well intentioned, many fundamentals get overlooked, which leads to problems down the road. We start at the beginning and build a solid foundation for future growth. If a student has been playing for a while and feels comfortable with their technique, then the Sophomore Class would be a good fit.

Why should I try online learning?

There are many attractive features to learning online. The convenience factor is huge. No driving to and from a music store, sometimes in bad weather and traffic. No “having to be there at a specific time,” which can create scheduling problems. You can take your lessons at your convenience and your pace. All the material is precise and easy to follow and understand. Each lesson builds on the previous one.

A better question might be “Why have I waited so long to try online learning?”
Our Classes

Learn to Play at Your Pace with weekly lessons designed to build skill and confidence as you learn new techniques and songs.

We offer a convenient payment plan or a discounted "buy it now" option.

Individual Lesson Electives

Now Available!  Select any song from the String Along With Stu catalog as an elective for just $7.00 with the downloadable music and video lesson

Senior Class

Coming Soon.  Senior Class calls for more subtlety and finesse. Ragtime, Brazilian, Jazz, Soul, Classical - You're launched as a player!

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