GOT A UKULELE - Uke tips for the beginner

The Whokulele

2012-01-28T12:31:00.001Z

This is just glorious! New Zealand ukulele player Liz Quilty (Velofille) has created something special - a Doctor Whokulele!

Image Credit - Liz Quilty / Velofille - Copyright

Even better, Liz has put a host of pictures up showing the full creation process on her Flickr Page.

Thanks to Liz for allowing me to share this!

Dancing In The Dark - on Ukulele

2012-01-28T11:21:00.001Z

Shonky singing, shonky strumming, but a really easy song for beginners to play - Dancing In The Dark by Springsteen on my Koaloha Soprano.

Chords are easy too - the main verses repeat G and Em, then Am and C. It ends on a D, and chorus is D, C, Am, C, Am, G

Matchstick Ukulele

2012-01-27T19:53:00.000Z

I'm a sucker for an unusual ukulele, so was delighted when a site I do enjoy, Ukulele For Me mentioned a ukulele made of matchsticks.

Now that is a piece of work - more on that and the original article on the Walyou page here.

Famous Ukulele Players - Part 21 - John Sebastian

2012-01-27T19:46:00.002Z

With many many thanks to one of the Got A Ukulele readers "gooney" for alerting me to the famous uke player on the Moku Ukes Facebook page - we have John Sebastian, singer and songwriter with The Lovin' Spoonful and The Mamas and the Papas with a uke!

Summer In The City! (And those Moku ukes look very sweet - more on them here.

Check out previous Famous Ukulele Players entries below...

Shameless plug

2012-01-26T21:05:00.001Z

Can't believe I've not chosen to advertise this site on my blog before now!

The benefits of a plastic backed uke!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Competition reminder!

2012-01-26T08:50:00.002Z

Not that long to go in my competition to win a copy of my ukulele ebook, What Ukulele Players Really Want To Know in a format of your choice!

Not had a huge amount of entries, so your chances will be improved! Easy really - just email me a funny picture that includes a ukulele to be in with a shout. Send to bazmazwave@gmail.com.

More about the competition, rules and how to enter here. And you can take a look at the book up for grabs on Amazon.com.

Good luck!

Famous Ukulele Players - Part 20 - The Rock!!

2012-01-25T22:51:00.000Z

This one made me smile, not least because there is some funny video too - my next instalment of Famous Ukulele Players!

This edition - we have Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson playing what looks like a U900 aNueNue ukulele - ignore the bit of comedy singing at the beginning - the man has a bit of a voice. And considering he is THE ROCK, who am I to argue?

AND- BIG THANKS to Mike at the very wonderful Mainland Ukuleles for bringing this to public attention!

Video below

For the rest of my Famous Ukulele Series - check the links below!

That Warren Buffett Chinese Ukulele vid

2012-01-25T19:24:00.002Z

As reported in Got A Ukulele at the weekend news roundup, billionaire philanthropist Warren Buffet apparently entertained the Chinese public on State Television, playing the song "I've Been Working On The Railroad" on his ukulele.

In order to prove to my readers that this was not a strange dream I had as a result of eating too much cheese, I felt duty bound to include it here. I honestly can't find the words...

I particularly like the model railway set behind, in case there was any doubt he was singing about railroads..

Big Monkey Man - UkeJam

2012-01-23T15:56:00.003Z

The very wonderful ukulele strummers of ukejam played a big gig recently which went down very well.

It would be amiss of me not to feature one of their videos on Got A Ukulele, so here goes

And, whilst you can't see him, Comedian Al Murray is playing the drums behind them!

Ukulele News - 22 January 2012

2012-01-22T12:58:00.001Z

Another ukulele news round up from the past week.

A billionaire and his ukulele - US rich man and philanthropist Warren Buffett, somewhat bizarrely, plays I've Been Working On The Railroad on Chinese State TV for the New Year.

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Possibly the most eagerly awaited ukulele in history - Taylor Guitars launch their ukulele and guitar combo set at NAMM 2012. The downside? Only 30 sets will be made, and its rumoured to cost $14k

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And talking of NAMM, its good to see that the ukulele is standing tall.

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Another week, another news article telling us how great the ukulele is. This one from New Zealand describes it as the sound that loves the soul.

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The Blue Mountains Ukulele Group in Australia are planning to play a 7 concert marathon in 7 hours for Australia Day.

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More news next week.

Ukulele fun on the NYC Subway

2012-01-22T12:40:00.001Z

This circulated on twitter a week or so ago, so apologies if you have seen it, but if not - how about this for a feel good ukulele performance in public?

The impromptu performance is by Jessica Latshaw, and this is her singing it in private

Ukulele A to Z - U and V are for

2012-01-22T10:58:00.001Z

Continuing my series of the Ukulele A to Z, this time we move to the letters U and V. Earlier editions of Ukulele A-Z can be found on the beginner tips page.

UP STROKE

The term given to a strum that starts at the bottom of the uke and moves upwards, from string 1 (A) to string 4 (G)

UPPER BOUT

On a traditionally shaped ukulele, the upper bout refers to the top "bulge in the body, around the sound hole, and nearest to the end of the neck.

VENEER

A thin slice of wood glued on to another piece, usually to provide a decoration or improved finish. Laminated ukuleles often have a prettier outer veneer to give the instrument an improved look. Veneers are also used to add details such as around sound holes, or on the face of the headstock.

VIBRATO

A shimmering or wobbling of a ringing note or notes, usually created on a ukulele by quickly rocking the fretting finger up and down within the fret spacing whilst the note is ringing.

VOICING

The arrangement of the notes of a chord, or the placement of the notes of a melody within a progression

More A-Z soon!

Jake talks up the ukulele renaissance

2012-01-19T20:24:00.002Z

Jake speaks ukulele! - Nice hat too..

Competition - 5 copies of my ebook up for grabs!

2012-01-18T16:36:00.001Z

Not run a Got A Ukulele competition for a while, so let's make this one an easy one!

I have FIVE copies of my Ukulele Ebook, What Ukulele Players Really Want To Know to give away! All you have to do is email me a photo with a ukulele that makes me laugh. You can be in the photo, but you don't have to be, so long as it's amusing! Use your imagination, but it MUST feature a ukulele!

Email me the picture to bazmazwave@gmail.com including your full name, BEFORE the closing date of 10 February 2012, and the five that make me smile the most will get posted on Got A Ukulele (with credit to you), and the entrants will get a copy of the ebook in a format of their choice (Kindle, Epub, PDF, RTF, LRF (Sony) or PalmDoc). Please put "Ebook competition" in the subject line.

This isn't being judged on photographic ability, only how amusing or absurd, so whilst a photo from an SLR would be nice, you can, of course enter with a picture from a camera phone. Keep them clean (ahem.. this is a family blog!) and PLEASE ENSURE IT IS YOUR OWN WORK AND YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO THE IMAGE!! Oh, and make sure its a jpeg attachment, not a link to a webpage.

Draw date is on the 11 Feb 2012, so give it a go, have fun, be imaginative and good luck!

Baz

RULES (IMPORTANT)!

1. Competition ends at midnight GMT on 10 February 2012

2. To be eligible for the prize draw, you must enter by email, and provide me with a working email address by which I can contact you for address details if you win, attaching your photo in jpeg format. Picture must feature a ukulele.

3. I reserve the right to reject entries that are duplicates, offensive or anything else unsavoury! My decision on this is final.

4. On draw day, I will decide on the five that make me smile the most. My decision on the winner is final and no correspondence will be entered into.

5. The winner will be announced within 7 days of the draw day, and will be announced on this site. By entering you agree that I will publish your photo on Got A Ukulele and that you have the necessary rights for me to use the image.

6. This prize has no alternative cash value.

7. No purchase necessary

8. Emailing your entry is not proof that I have received your entry. No responsibility can be accepted for entries that are lost or delayed, or which are not received for any reason

9. The prize in not transferable to another person

Ken Middleton reviews Ohana BK35 Baritone

2012-01-18T16:16:00.000Z

If you have not checked out the numerous videos on YouTube by Ken Middleton, then you really should. Ken is a well known uke player from the UK, and is involved with Ohana Ukes.

As well as him regularly posting high quality ukulele songs, he does a fine line in detailed video reviews of instruments. This is his latest for the Ohana BK-35 Baritone.

Ukulele book price cut again!

2012-01-18T06:55:00.001Z

Oh, why not... My bestselling ukulele handbook for beginners, What Ukulele Players Really Want To Know has been price cut again... We are in a recession after all!

Grab a copy for kindle on Amazon.com , on Amazon.co.uk, and you will also find it on iTunes, Smashwords, Barnes and Noble, Kobo etc

Enjoy!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Ukulele News - 16 January 2012

2012-01-16T14:13:00.000Z

Another week, another round up of ukulele news from around the world. This week seems to have a theme of positive thought and remembrance. Nice!

A ukulele club gave a remarkable tribute, playing at the bedside of a 61 year old Navy veteran in hospital being treated for Pancreatic Cancer.

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Hundreds get together to play and remember the life of Bill Tapia.

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Apparently, Jake Shimabukuro is truly the giant of the ukulele

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If my wife bought me one of these as a Valentines gift, I would be truly over the moon!

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More use of the ukulele for positive action in Christchurch, NZ.

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Live near Helpston? Want to know more about George Formby? Then Get along

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I'm a sucker for a piece about a remote ukulele band - how about the St John's Ukulele Orchestra, from Newfoundland and Labrador in far north eastern Canada?

More news next week!

Happy Birthday to UkeJam!

2012-01-16T09:45:00.001Z

Time flies. Today is the one year anniversary of the UkeJam club from the UK, and in that short space of time they have gone from strength to strength.

They meet tonight at the Royal Oak in Guildford to celebrate, and 2011 saw them regularly get up to 35 strummers at their jam sessions, playing numerous gigs, including the Guilfest and supporting Hayseed Dixie at their gig!

It's brilliant to see what a success they have made of the club, and they are all jolly nice people too (which helps)

I interviewed the founders Penny and Adam and you can read that Here.

You can also visit them on their Facebook Page (and give them a 'Like')

Happy birthday guys!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Uke Stickers

2012-01-15T11:20:00.000Z

So the question is this - do you go for ukulele stickers, either on your cases or on your instruments?

I personally do a bit of both.

Take a look at the case for my Koaloha Soprano. It has a UKE sticker from Tiki King, a Rae Carter sticker that came with his EP, and an Apple sticker (because I am a self confessed Apple nut... sorry)

My concert ukulele case is similar, and has a couple of Bosko and Honey stickers that came with their CD.

When it comes to the instruments themselves, I am not one for putting stickers onto wood for fear of damaging the finish. When it comes to Flukes and Fleas though, with plastic backs, why not?

What I hadn't thought about though, was that I have no Got A Ukulele Stickers on my cases, and I need to rectify that! (If you want a Got A Ukulele sticker, you can grab one HERE )

So what are you - a sticker nut, or do you prefer to keep your cases pristine?

The Worldwide Ukulele

2012-01-14T10:43:00.000Z

I have just been viewing the visitor stats for Got A Ukulele and was taken aback by just how far and wide the interest in the ukulele actually runs.

For a website written in the English Language, I'm staggered how some very remote places also get a kick out of the ukulele.

To start off, here are the top ten countries that visited the site last year, in order of decreasing visitor traffic.

1. United States of America
2. United Kingdom
3. Australia
4. Canada
5. Thailand
6. Germany
7. New Zealand
8. France
9. Italy
10. Singapore

But its further down the list that surprises start to show up. Whilst all of the European countries show up, there are regular hits from Iraq, Peru, Brunei, Pakistan, Fiji, Lebanon, Jamaica, Ethiopia, The Cook Islands and Uganda to name but a few.

If you are a reader in a far away nation, do drop by and say hello on this thread - would be great to hear from you!

Bosko and Honey - Something Better Than Blame

2012-01-13T13:52:00.003Z

Sorry to say I missed this when it went up - B and H recorded this a few minutes before midnight on 31 December 2011, and by the time they had finished it had turned to 2012! Very cool, and I love the jazzy strums on this.

Great stuff

Ukulele Festivals

2012-01-12T09:22:00.001Z

Here we are at the start of 2012, and there are already a host of ukulele festivals planned around the globe in the year ahead.

I have created a new page on Got A Ukulele that you can access from the top menu, or here, which lists, by month, the weblinks to a variety of festivals running during 2012.

If you are organising a festival, and I have not listed you, do get in touch with me via the Contact page above and let me know the details.

Hope you all get to visit one, wherever you may be!

Famous Ukulele Players - Part 19 - Justin Hawkins

2012-01-10T19:55:00.003Z

Hot on the heels of my last instalment, the wonderful Adam Wolters of UkeJam got in touch to let me know that Justin Hawkins of the rock band The Darkness, has been known to have a crafty strum.

Adam writes,

"I was playing session bass for a single (yet to emerge ) for Al Murray in Rack studio in London - I was very excited, and took the uke as usual - though they are frowned upon in "proper music" circles quite often - this Oscar Schmidt ou2 sounds so sweet that it got all over the record.....

I kinda shoved it into JH's hands and was a bit - go on go on .... but he left me dumbstruck when he played it :) so so good."

And here he is in the studio!

Photo courtesy of Adam Wolters and UkeJam

Thanks Adam!

Check out the previous editions of Famous Ukulele Players below

Amanda Palmer plays uke on Occupy Wall Street demo

2012-01-08T12:46:00.001Z

Amanda Palmer performing her Ukulele Anthem to support the protesters on Wall Street. - Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Ukulele News - 7 January 2012

2012-01-07T14:15:00.002Z

Well, we are in to the new year, so time for a round up of ukulele news from the last week or so.

The North Eugene High School Ukulele Orchestra (try saying that after a few beers), give their take on the ukulele craze.

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And the Haliburton County Echo does the same

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Brian Soergel introduces his readers to the very talented Brittni Paiva. She's only 14!

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Independent feature on uke playing actress Zooey Deschanel

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And finally, in Guam a man has been charged with assault after allegedly hitting his cousin in the face with a ukulele.

More ukulele news soon!

GOT A UKULELE - Uke tips for the beginner

The Whokulele

This is just glorious! New Zealand ukulele player Liz Quilty (Velofille) has created something special - a Doctor Whokulele!

Dancing In The Dark - on Ukulele

Matchstick Ukulele

Famous Ukulele Players - Part 21 - John Sebastian

With many many thanks to one of the Got A Ukulele readers "gooney" for alerting me to the famous uke player on the Moku Ukes Facebook page - we have John Sebastian, singer and songwriter with The Lovin' Spoonful and The Mamas and the Papas with a uke!

Shameless plug

Competition reminder!

Famous Ukulele Players - Part 20 - The Rock!!

That Warren Buffett Chinese Ukulele vid

Big Monkey Man - UkeJam

The very wonderful ukulele strummers of ukejam played a big gig recently which went down very well.

Ukulele News - 22 January 2012

Another ukulele news round up from the past week.

Ukulele fun on the NYC Subway

Ukulele A to Z - U and V are for

Jake talks up the ukulele renaissance

Competition - 5 copies of my ebook up for grabs!

Not run a Got A Ukulele competition for a while, so let's make this one an easy one!

Ken Middleton reviews Ohana BK35 Baritone

Ukulele book price cut again!

Ukulele News - 16 January 2012

Another week, another round up of ukulele news from around the world. This week seems to have a theme of positive thought and remembrance. Nice!

Happy Birthday to UkeJam!

Uke Stickers

So the question is this - do you go for ukulele stickers, either on your cases or on your instruments? I personally do a bit of both.

The Worldwide Ukulele

I have just been viewing the visitor stats for Got A Ukulele and was taken aback by just how far and wide the interest in the ukulele actually runs.

Bosko and Honey - Something Better Than Blame

Ukulele Festivals

Famous Ukulele Players - Part 19 - Justin Hawkins

Hot on the heels of my last instalment, the wonderful Adam Wolters of UkeJam got in touch to let me know that Justin Hawkins of the rock band The Darkness, has been known to have a crafty strum.

Amanda Palmer plays uke on Occupy Wall Street demo

Ukulele News - 7 January 2012

So the question is this - do you go for ukulele stickers, either on your cases or on your instruments?

I personally do a bit of both.