With the digitization of almost everything around us, it’s no wonder that you can even learn musical instruments online today. Who would’ve ever believed that online ukulele lessons, for example, would be equal to in-person classes one day?
That’s not even it – the competition is so fierce among the platforms offering online ukulele lessons to the extent that making up your mind about the best one is no longer an easy call to make. Among that wide variety of options are Ukulele Buddy and Rocket Ukulele, two of the best on the market right now.
If you’re undecided between the two and want to put an end to the dilemma of Ukulele Buddy vs. Rocket Ukulele, you’re in the right place. Keep reading as we give you the details of each platform and which you should choose.
Ukulele Buddy vs. Rocket Ukulele – Feature for Feature Comparison
Before we get into each of these platforms’ deep waters, a general overview of the basics always comes in handy to help you understand what you’re in for with your narrowed down options. Here’s what you need to know about Ukulele Buddy and Rocket Ukulele.
| Feature | Ukulele Buddy | Rocket Ukulele |
| Ideal For | Beginners | Beginners |
| Price/Month | $67 (lifetime access) | $79.97 (lifetime access) |
| Free Trial Period | None | No |
| Money-back Guarantee | One year | 60-days |
Ukulele Buddy vs. Rocket Ukulele – In-detail Comparison
Okay, so now you have a brief idea of the two platforms’ general features. It’s just about time to explore the heart of the matters of each. Let’s get into it and start by tackling your respective skillset.
Beginners
When I say beginners, I’m not only referring to those who are just about to pick up the ukulele for the first time in their lives but also those who maybe took a couple of lessons before but didn’t continue, those who played for a while but stopped, or merely anyone who thinks they’re a beginner.
When that’s the case, you want your online ukulele lessons to put you on the right track and up your ukulele game in no time. You’re actually in luck because both Rocket Ukulele and Ukulele Buddy target beginners!
Ukulele Buddy adapts what’s known as a “self-paced” learning model, where the videos are all pre-recorded, and you get to watch them at the time that suits you. That idea is actually very relaxing because one of the major stressors of learning any instrument is that you’re bound by a “timeline” that you have to abide by most of the time.
Ukulele Buddy understands that different people have different paces, so if you learn in a year, that’s fine, and if you learn in a month, that’s fine too. Also, the best part about their courses is that they come in the form of easy to digest, 7-15 minute videos that don’t take up much of your time yet familiarize you with all you need to know.
Not to mention, their learning path is very straightforward, organized, and reasonable. You won’t have to worry about which course to start with or what to learn first because everything is set up for you in advance, and the knowledge builds up based on that path.
Rocket Ukulele is also beginner-centered, promising to have you “learn ukulele in 30 days”, and the surprising part is that it isn’t a lie – numerous uke players actually started strumming within a month!
Like Ukulele Buddy, Rocket Ukulele also follows a lifetime access subscription model, where you just pay once to get access to all the courses for the rest of eternity. While Rocket Ukulele aims to be affordable to target players on a budget, it actually comes off as more expensive than Ukulele Buddy (a minor difference, but hey, it’s there!).
On the platform, you discover uke lessons for different genres in case you already have a planned path. With a variety of instructors to choose from, you certainly get a well-rounded learning experience.
Winner: Tie! Both platforms are almost exclusively tailored for beginners, with diverse offerings set to put each uke player on the road to professional uke playing. Not to mention, both are affordable and don’t hurt your wallets.
Intermediate & Advanced Players
To be frank, if you’re an intermediate or advanced player, your chances of finding lessons that perfectly suit you are quite slim. As we’ve discussed, both Rocket Ukulele and Ukulele Buddy aim at supporting new ukulele players on their journeys more than their focus on enhancing a specific skill or technique.
That said, that doesn’t by any means indicate that you won’t find absolutely any courses for you on these platforms – not at all! On Rocket Ukulele, there are quite a number of courses that help you boost your playing skills with a core focus on playing styles and techniques. Also, I love their song library because they’re all accompanied by tutorials to help you become a master!
As for Ukulele Buddy, advanced courses aren’t this platform’s strong suit. Some courses cover chord tricks, fingering techniques, and similar, but if you’re already an intermediate or advanced player, I don’t think you’ll find a lot of value-added there.
Winner: Rocket Ukulele. While the courses aimed at intermediate to advanced players aren’t as much as the beginner-friendly ones, they’re undoubtedly efficient and go way beyond the fundamentals, and are taught with adequate skill and proficiency to help you boost your skills.
The Detailed Breakdown: What Are the Courses Like?
I think we’re now settled on the fact that Ukulele Buddy and Rocket Ukulele are both top-notch for beginners, and we’ve highlighted how they differ and how they overlap. Yet, the differences in the learning experience may not be that clear, which is why we’re about to go deeper into the details.
Instructors
Ukulele Buddy’s instructors are first-rate ones that genuinely provide you with an immersive experience that lasts for a lifetime. JP Allen and Mitch Chang, the instructors, possess matchless music portfolios and work history that already make you feel privileged to be taking courses with them.
Not to mention, their personalities make the experience all the better! Both of them are so outgoing, lighthearted, humorous, and a breeze to talk to. Therefore, you won’t feel like you’re actually attending a “class” per se; instead, you’ll be looking forward to each class, and you won’t have to exert any effort to stay attentive while they’re taking place.
Moreover, one feature I incredibly appreciate about these two is that you miss out on neither the theory nor the practice. A lot of ukulele lessons tend to miss out on providing you with adequate ukulele history and music theory, which is really important for you as a ukulele player, believe it or not.
Therefore, you’ll find that Allen and Chang always blend both theory and practice, so you won’t feel that the theory part is boring since you’re literally applying it on the spot, putting you ahead of the uke competition and shaping you into a well-rounded musician.
Also, the way they structure their courses is so amazing. The content is extremely to-the-point, easy to comprehend, covers the essentials, and insightful. It certainly can’t get better!
As for Rocket Ukulele, the courses aren’t offered by just one or even two instructors; instead, they’re numerous instructors with different backgrounds and teaching styles. So, if you tend to get bored by attending classes by the same instructors or you’d like to have a choice when it comes to instructors, Rocket Ukulele will deliver on that front.
Regardless of the instructors you choose, you’ll find that they’re all well-established, knowledgeable ones with solid teaching skills accompanied by hands-on experience in the field. So, you’re in for some great learning! Also, you get unlimited online support and training, so if you need any feedback or help at any point in time, they’ve got your back all the time.
Content & Videos
As for content, we’ve already established that the libraries of lessons of both Ukulele Buddy and Rocket Ukulele are chock-full of offerings for beginners and some for intermediate and advanced players. So, if you’re a beginner, you’ll probably find everything you need and then some when it comes to acquainting yourself with ukulele playing.
When it comes to the videos themselves, Ukulele Buddy’s courses are admired for how short you are. As you know, we all have short attention spans nowadays, and we want to chase to the point, and that’s what these videos offer. Lasting between 7-15 minutes, they’re concise and resourceful.
Yet, I’d like to mention that their quality isn’t the best there is. To be honest, the quality isn’t great, and you’ll sort of feel like they were shot a couple of years back. However, that’s not really what matters when you’re learning to play the ukulele from the comfort of your couch. What matters is the close-up shots and seeing the instructor’s moves, and that’s definitely there.
By the same token, Rocket Ukulele’s videos’ quality isn’t the best either. But again, picking up on the same point, that’s fine given both their price tags and that you get a substantial learning experience at that price tag. We have to give up something, no? And you aren’t really giving up anything as long as you get your full learning.
You even get the extra additions of audio files, music sheets, and transposed in tabs, so you truly have all the resources you need right at your fingertips!
Memberships
When it comes to memberships, it’s actually the lack of memberships with both Ukulele Buddy and Rocket Ukulele. As we’ve discussed, both of them only have one subscription option, and that’s the one-time payment for lifetime access.
With Ukulele Buddy, you pay $67, while with Rocket Ukulele, you pay $79.97. Both of them are exceedingly affordable packages considering that the content is always updated and that you get lifetime access to all the courses.
Even with that being the case, if you keep an eye on their websites, you’ll notice that there are regular discounts available, and they do make all the difference. To give you an idea of how awesome the discounts are, let’s just say that at the time this article is being written, the Rocket Ukulele subscription is at $27. Can you even believe it?
With the Rocket Ukulele membership, not only do you gain access to the full library of courses, but you also become a member of their online community of uke players where you get to share your experiences and exchange tips and techniques with other learners to accelerate your learning journey.
If you change your mind anytime or don’t like the courses (which I doubt will be the case), you’re eligible for a money-back guarantee for 60 days.
For Ukulele Buddy, the money-back guarantee is a one-year one, which is pretty awesome, in my opinion! Also, on top of the courses’ access, you’re able to stream/play the lessons on any device you prefer, download and print ukulele resources, and obtain a free online metronome link.
Final Verdict: Which Wins?
When everything is considered, it’s easy to notice that there isn’t really a winner among Ukulele Buddy and Rocket Ukulele. Coming at almost the same price point with more or less similar offerings and targeting the same group of uke players, the decision becomes merely a matter of preference for each player.
If you’re looking for the most structured learning path and renowned musicians to lead your lessons, the way to go would be Ukulele Buddy. On the other hand, if you like to have a comprehensive learning experience from diverse instructors and don’t mind mixing and matching, Rocket Ukulele would be your best friend.
Either way, both platforms have proven to be effective time and time again in getting you up to speed with even the most skilled uke players, so you’ll undoubtedly have a fruitful experience with whichever one!