GOT A UKULELE - Uke blog for the beginner

Highway To Hell - AC/DC - ukulele chords

2013-06-17T18:38:00.002+01:00

Started jamming this with the band the other night, so couldn't resist getting up here - ukulele chords for Highway To Hell by AC/DC.

Now, the chords I've put with the lyrics below are the general chords, but this song is all about the riff. It loops through the verses but takes a bit of work.

To play the riff I've have bowed to pressure and can give you this strumming pattern (not a fan of strum patterns, but with this song it's kind of essential)

PATTERN (Chord letters are the chords, / indicates a repeat strum, and M a muted strum)

A/ / (M / ), D / G (M / ) , D / G, DGDA / , and repeat it. And here is a soundcloud!

The end line of the verse ends on the E7 rather than the two A chords. So we have

A / / (M /), D / G (M /), D /G, DGDE7

The chorus is just a standard rock turnaround with the same chords, so less of a riff. This isn't a perfect interpretation, I'm not Malcolm Young, but this should get you going!

RIFF
Living easy, living free
Season ticket on a one-way ride
Asking nothing, leave me be
Taking everything in my stride
Don't need reason, don't need rhyme
Ain't nothing I would rather do
Going down, party time
My friends are gonna be there too

I'm on the [A]highway to [D] hell [G] [D]
[A] Highway to [D] hell [G] [D]
[A] I'm on a highway to [D] hell [G] [D]
[A] Highway to hell [D].....

RIFF
No stop signs, speed limit
Nobody's gonna slow me down
Like a wheel, gonna spin it
Nobody's gonna mess me round
Hey Satan, payed my dues
Playing in a rocking band
Hey Momma, look at me
I'm on my way to the promised land

I'm on the [A]highway to [D] hell [G] [D]
[A] Highway to [D] hell [G] [D]
[A] I'm on a highway to [D] hell [G] [D]
[A] Highway to hell [D].....

End with lead licks and fade out

Ukulele News - 16 June 2013

2013-06-16T14:46:00.001+01:00

Round up of ukulele news from the last couple of weeks. Enjoy!

Sydney North Ukulele Gang release a songbook

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Volcano Ukuleles

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Won't be surprising to anyone who reads this blog....

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Sophie Madeleine Tab Book

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Highland Park Ukulele Gathering

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Jake....... (again) - oh, and I hate the reference to it being a 'mobile device...'

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Hello Hannah Banana

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Kangaroo Island appear to be about 5 years late claiming Ukuleles are back!

More news again soon!

Lover's Cliche - Uni and her Ukelele

2013-06-13T15:45:00.001+01:00

Figured I hadn't shared any YT videos from a ukulele player I like to watch - Heather Marie Ellison (also known as Uni and Her Ukulele)

Really quite like this new one - but her whole channel is worth a watch.

Oh, and then there is this too! (Sharing this one as I don't think it's on her channel)

Long Term Test - Koaloha Pikake Soprano ukulele

2013-06-09T12:41:00.000+01:00

Time for another 'long term test' of one of my ukuleles with a look again at the Koaloha Pikake Soprano uke. I think long term tests are helpful as they show whether my views have changed having had a ukulele with me for a considerable period. (You can read my other long term tests on my Reviews Page)

I have had the Koaloha now for about 20 months, and it is regularly played. You can read my original review of it HERE, which as you can see heaped a lot of praise on this little instrument. How have my views changed?

Well, in a word - only for the better. This is an instrument that I just keep going back to again and again. It's fun to play, light as a feather, comfortable, and ohhh..... that sound! Despite its diminutive size, this remains to be one of the loudest and fullest sounding ukuleles in my collection! Even though I have owned it for some time, when I get it out and start playing it always surprises me what a rich loud voice it has.

The build has stood up really well. I occasionally see people questioning how strong they are on account of their unique bracing system, but I can attest that there has been no movement on this uke at all - no sinking in the top, no cracks.

One thing that those who are completely precious about their instruments may want to know - that satin finish (I prefer the satin on the Koalohas to their gloss) has started to buff to a shine where it has been rubbed with my playing arm (see picture below). I actually love that it has done that - it makes the ukulele mine and shows that it has been played.

It's accuracy in the setup has remained spot on, and intonation all over the neck is perfect. And what about those tuners? Well I do know that many of my readers don't like friction tuners, but the pegs on this uke are just brilliant. Not only do they look great, they move like butter and keep the instrument bang in tune. I can put this uke away for a few weeks and I know it will be perfectly in tune when I pick it up again. Strings wise, I know that Koalohas ship with a variety of Worth Clear strings, but I have since re-strung this with Ken Middleton's Living Water strings which work very well on this uke.

In my initial review you will note that I was a little disappointed with the finish on the fret markers when this uke arrived. That issue still niggles me, but less so since I applied new fret marker stickers to the neck which I think look rather good!

So in summary, it's a uke that has the looks, the build and the sound. I honestly can't speak highly enough of how much I like this instrument. It sits firmly in the 'never going to be sold' camp in my collection.

Highly recommended!

N'Ukefest ukulele weekender - just around the corner!

2013-06-03T11:15:00.001+01:00

Well, it is not too long away now, so thought I would give you a reminder. On 20-21 July, The N'Ukes are hosting a ukulele weekender nr Chester for ukulele players far and wide. N'Ukefest 2013!

It's an informal affair, all set at the beautiful surroundings of the Shady Oak Pub, Tiverton, Cheshire CW6 9UE. It's also free to attend (though you will have to pay if you want to camp, more on that below!). So not really a festival, more a gathering, but we just liked the name!

It will be totally acoustic during the daytime, outside in the shadow of Beeston Castle, in this lovely canalside pub. Uke clubs and bands are free to come along and perform either solo or with others. Just arrive, let us know you want to play and you will get a time slot. In the evening, The N'Ukes are performing a full electric set inside, then we expect more strums into the early hours on the campsite.

Camping is not essential, you could come for the days only, but we hope the fun of this is getting a big bunch of uke players together. If you want to camp, call the pub direct on 07765 588748. Of course there are also B&B's about if you really dislike sleeping under canvas!

And if you are coming, would be great if you clicked 'attend' on our Facebook Events page so we have an idea on numbers. Many local players and clubs have already confirmed so it should be a lot of fun!

Take a look below at some photographs from N'Ukefest 2012!

Hope to see you there!

Get Lucky (or is that Clucky) - Will Grove White

2013-06-02T14:43:00.000+01:00

I just had to share this, though suspect many have seen it already - Will Grove-White of the Ukulele Orchestra Of Great Britain giving us his uke version of Daft Punk - Get Lucky. (with added chicken sounds)

( DIRECT LINK )

The pUKEs Fanzine - REVIEW

2013-05-30T18:39:00.002+01:00

This was a pretty cool thing to drop through my letterbox recently - them wonderful pUKEs have followed with punk tradition and launched their own fanzine!

Written and designed by the band members, this 24 page mini mag comes in full retro punk style of the likes of Sniffin' Glue and Sideburns (it even opens with the words 'Here's 3 Chords, now form a band!). It's billed as 'The Official Zine of the Ukulele Anti-Society For Punks'

Inside we have features from band members, other uke and punk players, a chord chart and (brilliantly) the chords and lyrics to The pUKEs Will I Learn and Because You're Young. Elsewhere, pUKE Danielle Greenwood interviews Gus and Fin, and they have re-printed some of their brilliantly written (and darkly funny) mini ukulele reviews.

It's brilliantly put together, and knowing how this band are going places, I'd suggest you grab one - might become a collectors item!

You can grab your copy via the pUKEs Merch page. Recommended!

Ukulele News - 26 May 2013

2013-05-26T12:01:00.000+01:00

Time for another look at ukulele news from around the world!

Wanting to learn ukulele on The Isle Of Wight?

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Say hello to The Cleveland Jumping Flea

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Old Fashioned????

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Underdog????? - nice article with James Hill though

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Oh no.... Declan Donnelly is learning the uke.

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The Camden Town shop which bought the ukuleles on The Apprentice

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Oh - and I nearly forgot - the and I play in ( The N'Ukes ) made the press themselves this week. We were interviewed by Cheshire Life magazine. See below! (Click on images for larger view)

When I'm Dead And Gone - McGuinness Flint - Ukulele Chords

2013-05-19T13:38:00.000+01:00

A great song, and thanks to Corinne from The N'Ukes for pulling the chords together on this one.

Works brilliantly on a ukulele - and I mean, come on - it even has a kazoo solo!!

When I'm Dead And Gone by McGuinness Flint

Intro - [D] [G]

[D] Oh I love you baby, I [G] love you night and day
[D] When I leave you baby, don't [G] cry the night away
[D] When I die don't you write no [G] words upon my tomb
[D] I don't believe I want to leave no [G] epitaph of doom

CHORUS
[D] Oh, oh [A] oh, [Bm] when I'm dead and [G] gone
I want to [D] leave some happy [A] woman living [D] on [G] [A]
[D] Oh, oh [A] oh, [Bm] when I'm dead and [G] gone
Don't [D] want nobody to [A] mourn beside my [G] grave [D]

[D] Oh mama Linda, she's [G] out to get my hide
[D] She's got a shotgun and her [G] daughter by her side
[D] Hey there ladies, [G] Johnson's free
[D] Who's got the love, who's got enough to [G] keep a man like me?

CHORUS
[D] Oh, oh [A] oh, [Bm] when I'm dead and [G] gone
I want to [D] leave some happy [A] woman living [D] on [G] [A]
[D] Oh, oh [A] oh, [Bm] when I'm dead and [G] gone
Don't [D] want nobody to [A] mourn beside my [G] grave [D]

Instrumental kazoo verse - strum chords to first verse [D] [G]

CHORUS

[D] Oh, oh [A] oh, [Bm] when I'm dead and [G] gone
Don't [D] want nobody to [A] mourn beside my [D] grave [G] [A]
[D] Oh, oh [A] oh, [Bm] when I'm dead and [G] gone
Don't [D] want nobody to [A] mourn beside my [G] grave [D]

Fade out with [D]/// [G] [A] singing Oooh la la la Oooh la la la's

Suffragette City - David Bowie - Ukulele Chords

2013-05-16T13:55:00.001+01:00

Like this one - very easy to play on ukulele - Suffragette City by David Bowie

[A] Hey man, ah [F] leave me alone you [G] know
[A] Hey man, oh Henry [F] get off the phone [G] I gotta
[A] Hey man, I gotta [B] straighten my face
This [D] mellow thighed chick's just put my [F] spine out of [G] place

[A] Hey man, my [F] school day's insane [G]
[A] Hey man, my [F] work's down the drain [G]
[A] Hey man, well she's a [B] total blam blam
She [D] said she had to squeeze it but she... [F] and then she... [G]

Chorus

Oh don't [A] lean on me man 'cos you [D] can't afford the ticket
[F] I'm back on [C] Suffragette Ci[G]ty
Oh don't [A] lean on me man 'cos you [D] ain't got time to check it
[F] You know my [C] Suffragette Ci[G]ty
Is outta [A] sight…...she's all [A] right

[A] Hey man, ah Henry [F] don't be unkind, go [G] 'way
[A] Hey man, I can't [F] take you this time [G] no way
[A] Hey man, d-droogie [B] don't crash here
There's [D] only room for one and here she [F] comes and she comes [G]

Oh don't [A] lean on me man 'cos you [D] can't afford the ticket
[F] I'm back on [C] Suffragette Ci[G]ty
Oh don't [A] lean on me man 'cos you [D] ain't got time to check it
[F] You know my [C] Suffragette Ci[G]ty
Is outta [A] sight…...she's all [A] right

Oh don't [A] lean on me man 'cos you [D] can't afford the ticket
[F] I'm back on [C] Suffragette Ci[G]ty
Oh don't [A] lean on me man 'cos you [D] ain't got time to check it
[F] You know my [C] Suffragette Ci[G]ty

Oh don't [A] lean on me man 'cos you [D] can't afford the ticket
[F] I'm back on [C] Suffragette Ci[G]ty
Oh don't [A] lean on me man 'cos you [D] ain't got time to check it
[F] You know my [C] Suffragette Ci[G]ty
Is outta [A] sight…...she's all [A] right

[A] [F] Oh, (I'm back on) Suffragette City (ooh-how) 7 times

[E7] [A] Ah, wham bam, thank you ma'am
[A] [F] Oh, Suffragette City (quite alright, too fine) 7 times
[E7] Suffra[A]gette!

Chonkinfeckle - Francis Powell's Foot

2013-05-15T19:08:00.001+01:00

A while back I interviewed Tim and Les, the good guys of Chonkinfeckle and friend of Got A Ukulele and they told me about their forthcoming album - Francis Powell's Foot. (Read that here!).

Anyway, since then I've been eagerly awaiting a track from the new one, and here it is - the title track!

(if you are wondering what Francis Powell's Foot is - read the interview - but also nice to see it tie in with Wigan Athletics win in the FA Cup final)

Love that slide opening - and great video.

( DIRECT LINK )

Ukulele News - 13 May 2013

2013-05-13T14:24:00.001+01:00

I missed the last ukulele news round up (sorry) so here are some more stories from the last fortnight!

In The Name Of Ukulele

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Apparently Jake's Ukulele is on fire!

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Say hello to Bakithi Kumalo (seriously - this guy played on Paul Simon's Graceland, and is now playing a U Bass!)

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Warming up for the Cairns Ukulele Festival. (Gaby does so much hard work for this)

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Oh no... Southern Maine has succumbed...

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I REALLY want to go to a place called Tumbulgum... (well done Stu!)

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Ukulele Fiesta!

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Yes you have all seen this (those in the UK anyway...) - the story that tempted me to quit ukulele..

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Kids and ukes - great news

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And a plug for yet another ukulele friend. Good going Richard!

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Say hello to Trisha Scott and Bill Plant

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And finally..... take care!

More news soon!

N'Ukes at The Cosey Club

2013-05-12T19:51:00.001+01:00

We knew that this venue had a good reputation, but were really blown away by the stage set up at The Cosey Club. Hope you like these show pictures from our last ukulele gig!

You can see more pictures from the set on OUR WEBSITE

My Ukulele Omnibus shortlisted for an award

2013-05-10T19:55:00.000+01:00

I didn't see this one coming, and not mentioned my ukulele books on here for a while - but my title The Complete What Ukulele Players Really Want To Know has been nominated for a book award!

Not sure how it was nominated, but it's up there in the DIY / Self Help Category at the eFestival of Words Best of the Independent eBook Awards! But thanks if you did - your support, in fact support of anyone who grabbed it is MUCH appreciated!

You can grab the book on Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk as well as on Nook, Kobo, iTunes and Sony book stores.

You can see all the nominees here and details on how to vote will follow soon.

Apparently it also allows me to use this badge!

Once again - thank you SO much!

George Segal teaches Johnny Carson and Bob Newhart the Uke

2013-05-07T10:43:00.002+01:00

I love this ukulele video. Thanks to Nani Lowery for bringing it to my attention!

( DIRECT LINK )

Frank Sidebottom - on ukulele!

2013-05-05T00:44:00.002+01:00

Oh this is just too perfect not to share - but I fully appreciate that my readers from anywhere other than the UK may be a bit bemused!

This is Frank Sidebottoms first national TV appearance, recently found in the archives - and yes, he is playing a uke! (A Banjolele!)

This has really made me smile.

(For those who don't know Frank - have a look HERE - the man was something of a legend, played by the now, very sadly, late Chris Sievey). And they are running a Kickstarter Campaign to get a film made all about Chris. You can get involved with that HERE )

Like A Rolling Stone - Ukulele Chords - Bob Dylan

2013-04-30T20:21:00.001+01:00

Here is a song I love - but also a song that our band The N'Ukes raise their eyebrows at when I play it (because its a long one!).. But it is pretty straightforward to play and works well on the ukulele (despite it being from his change to electric.) Like A Rolling Stone by Bob Dylan.

That Csus4 is the only chord that may seem new to beginners, but its simply 0013 (ie a C chord with the finger on the C string, first fret). The rest of the song is a kind of rolling pattern, and the real trick is getting some driving beat into those C F G chords at the end of each line of the chorus.

Video at the end (sorry best I could find!)

INTRO [C] [Csus4] x4

[C] Once upon a time you [Dm] dressed so fine
You [Em] threw the bums a dime [F] in your prime [G] Didn't you?
[C] People call to say [Dm] "Beware doll, you're
[Em] bound to fall" you thought [F] they were all [G] kidding you.

[F] You used to [G] laugh about
[F] Everybody that was [G] hanging out
[F] Now you [Em] don't [Dm] talk so loud [C]
[F] Now you [Em] don't [Dm] seem so proud [C]
[F] About having to be scrounging [C] your next [G] meal

How does it feel [C] [F] [G]
How does it feel [C] [F] [G]
To be without a home [C] [F] [G]
Like a complete unknown [C] [F] [G]
Like a rolling stone [C] [F] [G] (hold strumming the G)

Awwww you've [C] gone to the [Dm] finest school all right [Em] Miss Lonely
But you [F] know you only used to get [G] juiced in it
[C] Nobodys ever taught you [Dm] how to live out on the [Em] street
And now you're [F] gonna have to get [G] used to it

[F] you said you'd never [G] compromise
[F] With the mystery tramp but now you [G] realise
[F] He's not [Em] selling any [Dm] Alibi [C] s
[F] As you stare into the [Em] vacuum [Dm] of his [C] eyes
And [F] say do you want to [C] make a [G] deal?

How does it feel [C] [F] [G]
How does it feel [C] [F] [G]
To be on your own [C] [F] [G]
With no direction home [C] [F] [G]
A complete unknown [C] [F] [G]
Like a rolling stone [C] [F] [G] (hold strumming the G)

Awww you [C] never turned [Dm] around to see the [Em] frowns
On the jugglers and the [F] clowns as they all did [G] tricks for you
[C] You never understood that it [Dm] ain't no good
You [Em] shouldn't let other [F] people get your [G] kicks for you

[F] You used to ride on a chrome horse with your [G] diplomat
[F] Who carried on his shoulder a [G] Siamese cat
[F] Aint it [Em] hard when you [Dm] discovered [C] that
[F] He really [Em] wasn't [Dm] where it's [C] at
[F] After he took from you everything [C] he could [G] steal

How does it feel [C] [F] [G]
How does it feel [C] [F] [G]
Ah, to be on your own [C] [F] [G]
With no direction home [C] [F] [G]
A complete unknown [C] [F] [G]
Like a rolling stone [C] [F] [G] (hold strumming the G)

Awwww [C] Princess on the [Dm] steeple and all the [Em] pretty people
They're all [F] drinkin thinkin that they [G] got it made
[C] Exchanging all [Dm] precious gifts
[Em] But you'd better [F] take your diamond ring [G] you better pawn it babe

[F] You used to be [G] so amused
[F] At Napoleon in rags and the [G] language that he used
[F] Go to him now he [Em] calls you, you [Dm] can't refuse [C]
[F] When you got [Em] nothing you got [Dm] nothing to [C] lose
[F] You're invisible now you got no secrets [C] to con [G] deal

How does it feel [C] [F] [G]
Ahh how does it feel [C] [F] [G]
To be on your own [C] [F] [G]
With no direction home [C] [F] [G]
A complete unknown [C] [F] [G]
Like a rolling stone [C] [F] [G] (hold strumming the G)

Fade to end with C F G repeated

Blue Dean Carcione - You've Got A Friend In Me ukulele cover

2013-04-29T19:52:00.000+01:00

I watch a LOT of ukulele videos. Many many many. I also get sent tons of them too. Often it's hard to see through the noise of endless bedroom recordings of Bruno Mars and Jason Mraz, but occasionally some just shine through.

Say hello to Blue Dean Carcione playing the Randy Newman song, You've Got A Friend In Me. Love his playing style, and that voice.....

( DIRECT LINK )

And thanks to Mike Blake for bringing this one to my attention.

And you should check out his YT channel.. Oh, go on, just one more!

Ukulele News - 28 April 2013

2013-04-28T11:34:00.000+01:00

Not done a ukulele news round up for a couple of weeks, so this is a bumper edition!

Ukes in South Shields (yes, thats a banjolele, sorry.. ;-)

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Ukulele in the Eurovision Song Contest (Go Malta!)

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New ukulele family in Staffordshire

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Mandatory Shimabukuro article of the week....

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Ukulele fans being strung along (and other such puns...)

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UOGB Plug

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Yet another 'flash mob' (is it just me who dislikes the concept?)

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More news soon!

Pono MTD-E Tenor Ukulele REVIEW

2013-04-23T13:36:00.002+01:00

A new one in the stable at Got A Ukulele Towers... The Pono MTD-E Tenor electro acoustic ukulele.

I have been after a new tenor for playing with The N'Ukes for a little while to compliment my Kala ASAC Tenor, but with a passive pickup for a more natural acoustic tone when picking. A scout around the stores suggested to me that this could fit the bill. I have been mightily impressed with the Pono Pro Classic Concert that I thought I would give this brand another go.

I effectively had a choice of the Pono MT - which is a straight up mahogany tenor, or this one, the MTD for which the D stands for 'deluxe'. In reality that means a gloss finish, but I chose that on advice from the good guys at Southern Ukulele Store who felt that the gloss model had a bit more of a chime to the voice. It comes with an under-saddle passive pickup (more on that later) and runs to £500. The 'E' tag refers to the pickup, but it's essentially just a Pono MTD.

The first thing you will notice is that this is a relatively plain instrument. Those who read this site regularly will know that I don't really go in for too much 'bling' on a uke, and prefer them to look a little more understated. In fact, for me, going for gloss was actually a concession!

The MTD-E is an all solid mahogany instrument, built by the Pono line which is the far eastern line of the famous Hawaiian maker Ko'olau. As such it is made in Indonesia, but to Ko'olau's exacting standards, and have become respected as one of the highest quality far eastern ukes around.

Let's take a look at the body. As I said, pretty plain, and understated. The grain is nice and clear - there is no real curl or flame at this price point, but the gloss really sets it off nicely, and there is some 3 dimensional shimmer under lights. I have seen darker mahogany, but it has a nice orangey glow which to me looks closer to a Koa colour than a mahogany. The top is made from two pieces of mahogany and book-matched perfectly. The only concession to bling on this instrument is the thin rope marquetry around the sound-hole which I think looks great. It's also inlaid - no transfers on this instrument.

The sides are made from two pieces of mahogany and are also book-matched perfectly to the joint at the butt. It's also nice to see that the grain runs completely parallel with the sides, something you often see going awry with the grain on one side being at an angle, and not on the other. A nice attention to detail. Where the sides join at the but is the jack socket for the pickup fitted with an integral silver strap button.

The back repeats the pattern on the top, also nicely book-matched and is also slightly arched to assist with sound projection. One other thing that struck me - this is a deep instrument - those sides are pretty fat at the lower bout end of the uke, especially compared to my Kala Tenor. Will that help the tone and volume?

The bridge is nicely shaped from rosewood and is a tie bar affair. The saddle is cut from bone (as you would expect at this price). The whole body is covered in a nice mirror finish gloss which, on the whole is very nicely done with no 'orange peel' ripples whatsoever. There is a tiny bit of pooling of excess gloss around the top where the neck heel joins the body, but I have seen much much worse.

A quick look inside and all is relatively tidy, with a serial number stamped on the neck block, notched kerfling and the Pono label. There is a little bit of glue seepage on the kerfling, but nothing major. All looking good so far.

On to the neck, this too is made from mahogany, and topped with a rosewood fingerboard. The neck is made from five pieces of wood (five, count them...) with a joint at the headstock and the remaining joints stacked at the heel. This is over the top in my opinion, but not something that will affect the sound. You can see the joints though. The heel of the instrument is capped with a rosewood finish which is a nice touch. The whole back of the neck and headstock are finished in the same nice gloss finish.

The rosewood fingerboard has a moderate amount of orange stripe in it, which I would prefer to have been a little more even, but nothing compared to some instruments I have seen. The edges are bound in what looks like ebony, thus hiding the fret ends and give the instrument a more professional finish.

There are twenty nickel silver frets, with 14 to the body. I had read several comments online about these Ponos coming with rough fret edges. Nothing could be further from the truth on this model and the edges of the fingerboard are like butter. The frets themselves are also quite chunky which I prefer. Fret markers are provided by pearloid inlays at the 5th, 7th, 10th, 12th and 15th, and these are repeated as side markers as well. Full marks Pono.

Another word about the neck - its extremely chunky with a really rounded C shaped profile at the nut. For someone with big hands this pleases me. The neck width is not wide like, say a Kanile'a K1, but it is thicker in the profile and that makes it fit my hand profile just perfectly. If you don't get on with wide nut ukuleles (and as I say, this isn't) then that deeper profile 'may' affect you the same way.

Past the bone nut to the headstock, and this is faced in a glossy mirror finish rosewood which looks just fantastic with a nice stripe to it. The Pono logo is inlaid in mother of pearl and looks very classy.

Tuning is provided by Pono branded sealed geared tuners with small and classy ebony buttons and silver hardware. I would, I suppose, preferred to have seen my geared tuners of choice here (open geared USA Grovers) but these work just fine. The have the right amount of resistance and no sloppy action at all. Those small buttons are also a plus.

Then, on to the pickup - it comes with a Shadow under saddle piezo pickup that is completely passive. That is to say, there is no onboard battery or controls on the instrument. In order to get a decent sound from it therefore you will need to ideally run this through a DI or Pre-Amp box to get a nice fuller tone. I chose a passive deliberately for reasons I will go into further below. I suppose the other benefit of a passive is that you will never have that horrible moment where batteries start to fade mid set!

Completing the package were a set of D'Addario Titanium strings fitted by SUS. I've actually changed them since as I experiment with strings as soon as I get any new ukulele, and currently have Living Water Low G strings on it. The D'Addario's sounded great, but I am not really a huge fan of the way they feel on the fingers. With a shop like SUS though they will fit whatever you like.

So looks and build wise I think this is an absolute winner. It oozes 'quality instrument' and I am very taken with it. But on to playing...

First up, acoustically - not what I primarily bought it for, but obviously a very important part of this review! This is a loud instrument! It has bags of volume, no doubt helped by that body size, and really makes its presence known. But it also has a ton of sustain and a harmonic chime in chords that, to date, I have only seen matched by my Kanile'a K1 which I love so much. Tone wise though, they could not be more different. Where the K1 has a woody earthy tone, the Pono has a punchier and brighter tone (different woods of course), but a tone that I absolutely adore. In fact, I wasn't expecting to say this, but tone wise I have this on a par with my K1, and perhaps because it is new, I am actually preferring it at the moment. Strummed it sounds bigger and thicker than the sum of its four strings, and picked the clarity is just beautiful.

The playability is top notch also. I love the feel of the neck, making it a joy to play fast up the neck with no trouble whatsoever. It feels balanced and solid in the hands and is comfortable. I can't speak highly enough about it in this regard.

On to that pickup. I do like playing my Kala Tenor, but I have recently found it sounding somewhat 'electric' in tone. That may sound like a stupid statement considering it is plugged in, but it was sounding more like an electric guitar, and less like an amplifed acoustic instrument. For some of our rockier numbers that was fine in the mix, but I was less impressed with the performance when fingerpicking something softer. The piezo in this is essentially the same thing, but what it lacks is the onboard circuitry which I think lets the active pickups down. This is literally a single wire running from the piezo strip to the output jack.

It needed to work for my live playing so I decided to really put this Pono through and played a whole set with it at our last gig - and, I was mighty impressed! I ran this through an acoustic pre-amp pedal, then into our mixing desk and was extremely pleased with the sound. The sustain was really evident, but as much as I said above it had a brighter sound, it sounds equally warm and smooth when plugged in, and very much like an acoustic instrument and not an electric. In fact it has delivered exactly what I wanted. It never sounded muddy in the mix, and the high notes in particular rang through extremely sweetly.

So in short, it's leagues above the Kala in my opinion, and closer to the quality of the Kanile'a than I ever expected. As such, this is one happy ukulele player and I would highly recommend one of these, acoustic or electric.

SCORES

Looks - 9
Fit and finish - 9
Sound - 9.5
Value for money 9

OVERALL - 9.1

The pUKEs - Because You're Young

2013-04-22T18:02:00.003+01:00

Always good when a new pUKEs song gets an airing - great video too.

The pUKEs - Because You're Young

( DIRECT LINK )

These guys are getting really big now, and this is a track from their forthcoming EP - you can pre-order that HERE.

A Grand Northern Ukulele Festival - 12 - 13 October 2013

2013-04-18T08:45:00.002+01:00

We are really looking forward to this one. It seems that the USA takes the crown for the sheer number of ukulele festivals. Over in the UK, we have precious few, but it appears that is changing. Some good people have got themselves together to put on the Grand Northern Ukulele Festival!

It takes place on 12-13 October in Pontefract in the UK. It's also being organised by friends, including some people I have had the chance to play with. So big thanks to Mary Agnes Krell, Tony Casey, Robert Collins, Lou Armer, Paul McCann, Kris Ball and the others behind the scenes who are putting so much work into it.

Mary writes:

We are a group of ukulele players, makers, nerds and friends.

We have always wanted to attend a festival in the north. We live here and love it and are, frankly, a bit sad that we must always head to the south or overseas for a properly big, fun uke fest.

It took us a few years of thinking and talking about our ideas to get to this point but we honestly believe we can do something that is fun and worthwhile. We are committed to working with our communities (local, region-wide and across the world).

You'll see, on the website, that we are spending a lot of time and effort to do exciting things with local charities (like the Pontefract Miners Recreational Charity) and with the wider ukulele community. We are also developing ways for people to participate in the festival (look for our new PARTICIPATE! page in the coming months) and we are travelling around the region to meet and just talk to uke players and clubs.

We want to do something lovely and we want to include you, whoever you are.

The lineup also looks superb, and includes Manitoba Hal, Phil Doleman and Ian Emmerson, The Uke Box, The Anything Goes Orchestra and Chonkinfeckle, together with workshops and a Grand Bazaar of ukulele goodies.

Early bird tickets are currently available (though selling fast) and general tickets go on sale in May.

You can get all the details at http://www.northernuke.com

Give this your support! I will also be leaving a banner on the left hand side of this site which you can click any time to get to the festival website. And some of The N'Ukes including myself will be there too!

Beautiful - Bijwerkingen - ukulele music by Malcanisten

2013-04-16T11:57:00.003+01:00

Came across this on Youtube which is really rather lovely. Unfortunately my Dutch is not too hot!

( DIRECT LINK )

What I do know is the music is an extract from a track called Clive Wearing by Malcanisten, and you can download that HERE. Ukuleles are played by Olivier Wieringa and Robbert Houtman. The video is a short film by Udo Prinsen inspired by the book 'The Shock Of the Fall' by Nathan Filer.

I love it.

Ukulele Exercises For Dummies - REVIEW

2013-04-14T16:13:00.001+01:00

This book has intrigued me since I heard of its launch, so was pleased to get my hands on an early copy. Ukulele Exercises For Dummies, by Brett McQueen.

Now, there are actually not all that many tutor books with any great detail out there, and of those that do exist, they tend to be those churned out by the normal purveyors of music books, written by 'who?'. There is of course Ukulele For Dummies by Ukulele Hunt's Alastair Wood, but they are the exception rather than the rule. This one on the other hand is authored by Brett McQueen - the chap behind the Ukulele Tricks website which has proved so popular. So we now have a book written by someone who we know actually plays ukulele! Add to that the fact that Al Wood has provided his services as a contributing editor and you have a book with some real weight behind it.

Now, having said that, this isn't really a tutor book in the normal sense. In fact in the introduction Brett points out that it's not a book to be read cover to cover, rather a book to be dipped in and out of. It's intended to provide exercise routines for the key areas of ukulele playing.

It's written in the very familar 'Dummies' style, which I always find easy to follow. It's split into three main disciplines - working on your strumming technique, working on fingerpicking and working on the fretboard (scales). I suppose the scales section is the main 'theory' bit in the book, and the other two are for workouts with numerous example exercises.

The book opens with some general advice, stretching exercises and workouts. It's worth pointing out that whilst an absolute beginner should do OK with the book, it clearly seems to be written for those who have grasped the basics and are now looking to work on their technique. As such, whilst it does cover some absolute basics (reading chord boxes, tuning up etc) - they are dealt with quickly and it's straight down to the playing. If you are still struggling with how to even hold or strum a uke, then you may do better to get some basic techniques sorted before reading.

The next couple of sections are extremely detailed. The strumming chapter starts at absolute basics, nicely building up a library of strumming patterns, with varying time changes and advice on syncopation, before moving on to more advanced techniques such as triplets, chunking and finger rolls. Each technique is clearly described and comes with example exercises to play provided in both classic notation, tab notation and with strum pattern indicators. There is plenty to go at here, and I can see why Brett suggests dipping in and out of it.

Moving on to fingerpicking, I found this particularly helpful (as it's a weakness of mine!). It is laid out in the same way, starting with the absolute basics before moving on to pinched patterns, arpeggios, slides and melodies. Again, it is laid out clearly, and comes with example exercises in both classical and tab notation.

The scales section is weighty, and as I say above, the 'theory' bit, Brett explains and provides exercises for the major scales, minor scales, 7th chords, building triads, together with pentatonics and the 'bebop' scale amongst others. There is also a really handy section that deals with recognising 'landmarks' on the fretboard to help you in learning the notes. In a way I expect many people who already know their chords when coming to this book would do well to read this chapter first.

The book ends with a couple of top ten listings, one on ways to improve and get the most out of your practice, and one on performing. The chapter feels a little tacked on to be honest, and I'd perhaps have preferred some more complex songs to practice, or a chord chart, but the advice is sound. In fact in one 'tip' Brett points out then when you start to write your own music you should ignore all the advice in the book - as he says 'The writing process is should be one of creativity' - and that shows why this book should be better regarded than one written by a faceless corporation - it's written by someone who knows the ukulele and the community who are going to be reading it. Exercises are great for improving your technique, but should never be followed rigidly.

I don't have many gripes. One thing that did stand out was the choice of musical pieces for the exercises. Sure, for beginners, they need to be simple, so we have the usual choices like 'Clementine' or 'Greensleeves', - and that is because people will naturally know the melodies already (and thus will know if they are playing it right or wrong immediately). But for a book that is going out on both sides of the pond, there are some songs in here that I hadn't a clue what they were - 'Billy Boy', and 'Hello Ma Baby' to name a couple. Perhaps that's just me, but it should also be borne in mind that young players may not even know Greensleeves and Clementine - as such it would have been nice for something more modern and popular to be in there. Minor gripe though, because the book also comes with an hour of downloadable audio tracks to play along with ( a whopping 256 of them!), so there is my argument blown out of the water!

I suppose I also think that some of the pre-amble and final chapter space would have been better used for more exercises, but that is a minor quibble also - there is plenty in here as it is. That said, there is no chord chart or fretboard map in the book at all, but I am sure you have those already.

If you are looking for a book that provides tons of exercise routines for the key facets of ukulele playing, you really should look no further as I don't think there is much missing from this. Written by a player for players themselves, it's got a style that works well and is clear to follow. For those bored by their practice routines, this should be an essential book to dip into and find inspiration.

Recommended.

Ukulele Exercises For Dummies is available for pre-order on Amazon (at a discounted price) and is available from 22 April 2013.

Also available from other good booksellers

Amazon.com Widgets

Town Called Malice - The Jam - Ukulele Chords

2013-04-13T09:34:00.000+01:00

Love this song, and if you get a good driving rhythm going it works well on the ukulele. Town Called Malice by the Jam.

This is actually a step down from the original key which is in D. We play it like that for a couple of reasons - the natural key is a little high for me to sing, but also the Riff on the C is easier to do that way rather than doing it with a D. If you want to play the original key, the chord changes are as follows

C = D
Em = F#m
F = G
G = A
Bm = Db
Am = Bm

In this key though - that C Riff - its a case of strumming a normal C, but then in time with the change in the organ on the original track, slide your finger up the A string to the 7th fret while still strumming.

[C] x 2 (with riff)

Better [Em] stop dreaming of the quiet life
Cos it's the [Dm] one we'll never know
And [Em] quit running for that runaway bus
Cos those [Dm] rosy days are few

And [F] stop apologising
For [Em] things you've never done
Cause [G] time is short and life is cruel
But it's up to us to change
This town called [C] malice (riff)

[Em] Rows and rows of disused milk floats
[Dm] stand dying in the dairy yard
And a [Em] hundred lonely housewives
Clutch empty [Dm] milk bottles to their hearts

[F] Hanging out their old love letters
[Em] on the lines to dry
It's [G] enough to make you stop believing
When tears come fast and furious
In this town called [C] malice (riff}

[Em] Ba ba ba ba ba ba ba
[Dm] Ba ba ba ba ba
[Em] Ba ba ba ba ba ba ba
[Dm] Ba ba ba ba ba

[F] Struggle after struggle, year after year
The [G] atmosphere's a fine blend of ice
I'm almost stone cold dead
In this town called [C] malice (riff)

A [Bm] whole street's belief
In [Am] Sunday's roast beef
Gets [Bm] dashed against the [Am] Co-Op
To either [G] cut down on beer, or the kids new gear
It's a big decision in a town called malice [C] (riff)
Ooooh yeah!

[Em] The ghost of a steam train
[Dm] Echoes down my track
It's at the [Em] moment bound for nowhere
[Dm] Just going round and round

[F] Playground kids and creaking swings
Lost [Em] laughter in the breeze
I could go [G] on for hours and I probably will
But I'd sooner put some joy back in this town called [C] malice (riff)

This town called malice
This town called malice
This town called malice