Just wanted to say THANK YOU to those who have bought the book, , and for the many kind comments and reviews I have had from some of you. It is MUCH appreciated.
It's only a little book, and I was in two minds about putting it out there, but I am pleased to read that it has been appreciated. I particularly like the comments from people who say they keep going back to it and are pleased they know its there, ready to go to, on their ereader or phone.
Another interesting email I had was from somebody suggesting I, a) write another one aimed at the next stage (interesting idea!) and b) write a book, perhaps aimed at kids as a story as to why you should try a ukulele (I really like that idea!) - Who knows, I will see if I can come up with something.
For now though, the book will remain available in the Kindle store and on Smashwords (links below) and would be grateful for your feedback or reviews on the sites you bought it from.
Another great beginner song that is easy to play, and fun for a sing song with friends - You Are My Sunshine. Give it a go!
YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE
DD7 You are my sunshine, my only sunshine G D
you make me happy when skies are gray GD
you'll never know, dear, how much I love you A7D
please don't take my sunshine away
DD7 the other night, dear, as I lay sleeping GD
I dreamed I held you in my arms GD
when I awoke, dear, I was mistaken A7D
and I hung my head and cried
DD7 You are my sunshine, my only sunshine GD
you make me happy when skies are gray G D
you'll never know, dear, how much I love you A7D
please don't take my sunshine away
DD7 you once told me you really loved me G D
and no one else could come between GD
but now you've left me to love another A7 D
and you've shattered all of my dreams
DD7 You are my sunshine, my only sunshine GD
you make me happy when skies are gray GD
you'll never know, dear, how much I love you A7D
please don't take my sunshine away A7D
please don't take my sunshine away
A move back now towards the first classic era of ukulele stars, with a short bio of my next ukulele hero - Cliff Edwards
Cliff Edwards, or "ukulele Ike" as he was often known, was a huge ukulele star in the 1920's and 30's and probably one of the biggest "pop stars" of his day. In his later years he became a movie star, TV star, and provided well known voiceovers for Disney films.
Cliff was born in Hannibal, Missouri in 1895 and immediately after leaving school, moved to St Louis where he started work as an entertainer in bars and saloon, accompanied by the ukulele he had taught himself to play. It was during this period that a bar owner named him "ukulele Ike".
He got a break on the Vaudeville ciruit in 1918, eventually working with the Ziegfield Follies. He started making his first records in 1919, and by 1923 had become one of the most popular music stars of his day, appearing on Broadway, and having hits with songs like "I'll See You In My Dreams". By 1929, his rendition of "Singing In The Rain" made it to number one for three weeks.
It is often accepted that Cliffs success led to the first great boom in the ukulele, with lyric and song writers prompted to write songs specifically for the uke, or to include ukulele notation on their song sheets for sale.
By the 1930's and 40's Edwards was often seen in movies as a supporting actor including The Bad Man Of Brimstone and His Girl Friday, but he is perhaps most famous as the voice of Jiminy Crickett in the Walt Disney feature cartoon Pinocchio. Who doesn't love his rendition of "When You Wish Upon A Star"?. Edwards provided more voice work to Disney, including one of the crows in Dumbo.
By 1949, he had his own TV show "The Cliff Edwards Show". He continued to play and record songs with his ukulele until his death in 1971, with Disney stepping forward to pay for his headstone.
You may have seen my recent review of the Snark ukulele tuner. I thought it was probably about time to create a beginners post that discusses in more detail the options you have for tuning your ukulele.
The uke has four strings, in most cases tuned to G, C, E and A, so to tune the uke you need at the very least, a reference pitch for one of those strings, or ideally all of them.
1. Use a reference pitch.
This requires you to tune the ukulele by ear against a single, or set of known notes that match the GCEA tuning. This could be from the notes on a piano or another instrument you know is in tune. Pick out the notes, then tune your uke so the plucked string matches.
A traditional way of doing this is by purchasing a tuning fork or a set of pitch pipes. But hang on, if I only have one tuning fork, how can I tune the other strings? This is a handy tip for a beginner to know that comes in handy if you are tuning during a gig or without a tuner.
To do this, use a G tuning fork, and tune the G string to correct pitch by ear. If you then hold the G string at the 5th fret and pluck you will hear a C note. Use this as the reference pitch for the next string, the C string. Then pluck the C string at the 4th fret and you will hear an E. Use this as a reference pitch for the next string, the E string. Similarly, pluck the E string at the 5th fret, and this will give you an A reference to tune the A string.
Be aware that for an absolute beginner, tuning by ear in this way can be quite difficult to master. I would however urge all beginners to try to do this as much as possible as learning the notes by ear is excellent practice and will help you in playing and understanding how the strings sound, and when they sound bad!
2. Tuning devices
There are a range of tuning devices on the market. If you have an electric uke, you can use pretty much any tuner that is designed for guitar by connecting the uke to the tuner with a guitar cable. Some of those tuners have microphones built in so no cable is required.
In more recent years though, the clip on tuner has really boomed. These were developed some years ago, and as I recall, Intellitouch were one of the first to market. They were however quite expensive, so the good news is that the prices have come right down and there is a whole range of them out there for only a few pounds.
Clip on tuners (usually) work by attaching to the headstock with a sprung clip, and the device senses the vibration in the instrument when a string is plucked. The note played is displayed in either LED lights (usually red for out of tune and green for in tune) or Letters, or even better, an LCD display showing a virtual needle.
They are quick and easy to use, light, and can be left clipped to the headstock whilst you are playing. As I say, there are plenty out there, but I personally use a Cherub, a Kala, and more recently a Snark which is without a doubt my favourite one.
I would recommend all beginners to purchase a clip on tuner in order that you can get tuned quickly when required, but as I say, would urge you to put some practice in to tuning by ear - a valuable skill to learn.
One of my Twitter buddies alerted me to this brilliant charity fundraiser which he is involved with, and I think it is only right that I share it with you. If you feel able to donate, it would be hugely appreciated.
The Twitter Band Project was "born" out of a seedling of an idea. No concept of whether or not it was feasible, realistic or even a good idea. It turned out to be a FANTASTIC idea
The sole aim was to raise money for charity. Macmillan Cancer Support was chosen by the band members.
Various musically talented types collaborated virtually, via Twitter, to create a version of Rod Stewart's 1971 classic, "Maggie May" - the finished song will be launched on Sunday 6th February on BBC Radio 5 Live at 0820hrs GMT and on YouTube at 2000hrs GMT. All band members have given their time for FREE.
Essential info ..... Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.
Cracking irish tune - perfect for a singalong in the pub!
WHISKEY IN THE JAR
D Bm
As I was going over the Kilmagenny mountain
G D A
I met with captain Farrell and his money he was counting.
D Bm
I first produced my pistol, and the produced my rapier.
G D A
Said stand and deliver, for I am a bold deceiver,
G
with me ring dumma do damma da D whack for the daddy 'ol G whack for the daddy 'ol D A D there's whiskey in the jar
I counted out his money, and it made a pretty penny.
I put it in my pocket and I brought it home to Jenny.
She said and she swore, that she never would deceive me,
but the devil take the women, for they never can be easy
Chorus
I went into my chamber, for to take a slumber,
I dreamt of gold and jewels and for sure it was no wonder.
But Jenny took my charges and she filled them up with water,
and send for captain Farrel to be ready for the slaughter.
Chorus
It was early in the morning, before I rose to travel,
the guards were all around me and likewise captain Farrel.
I first produced my pistol, for she stole away my rapier,
but I couldn't shoot the water so a prisoner I was taken.
Chorus
If anyone can aid me, it's my brother in the army,
if I can find his station in Cork or in Killarney.
And if he'll come and save me, we'll go roving near Kilkenny,
and I swear he'll treat me better than me darling sportling Jenny
Chorus
Now some men take delight in the drinking and the roving,
but others take delight in the gambling and the smoking.
But I take delight in the juice of the barley,
and courting pretty Jenny in the morning bright and early
You may have seen me talk about clip on tuners for the ukulele on the blog before. If you are starting out, I really think they are an essential purchase, not least because they are so cheap (£10-£20 each). I have a few, but they do have some issues, so I was keen to look at the Snark.
Clip on tuners generally work in the same way, they sense the vibration of the uke when a string is plucked, and display the note being plucked on the screen, usually with an LED needle that moves between flat and sharp allowing you to adjust the note.
My other clip on tuners are fine, but I do find in a gig situation, they sometimes fail to lock on to the plucked string very well. My usual "go to" clip on, a Kala tuner is fine, but is pretty simple in what it offers - it allows tuning, via vibration, for the notes G, C, E and A.
A friend pointed me in the direction of the Snark, and said despite it looking rather odd, it was worth a look. It cost me less than £13 and arrived the other day.
The Snark differs from my Kala tuner in that it is an all instrument tuner. It can do this for two reasons. Firstly, it also has a microphone option, allowing it to pick up notes without being clipped to the instrument. This is activated with a switch on the side. Secondly, it registers all notes, not just GCEA, and therefore would work brilliantly on a guitar or violin as well.
The design is, I must say, rather funky, but I do like it. The clip is nicely padded to protect the finish on your ukulele headstock. The device is connected to the clip via two ball and socket joints on a curved arm. This works brilliantly as it allows the unit to be angled in an unlimited number of ways to make it just right for your eyeline. Unlike other tuners, it could also clip on backwards and be read under the headstock, and works fine for left handed players as the whole unit rotates.
The screen is also different from others I have used - it is large, very clear and in several colours which is nice. The legend and icons are in blue and yellow, red indicates a flat note, green a note in tune, and yellow a note that is sharp. It has a wide range on the needle scale allowing very precise tuning which I like.
On the back are several buttons. With these you can calibrate the unit to a reference pitch (such as a piano that may be slightly out of tune, but you want to tune it to). You can also take the tuning up a number of frets, so you could set it to tune the notes right if the uke was capo's at say, the second fret. Handy.
On the side of the unit is a tap tempo button that I have never seen on one of these devices before. Tap a regular rhythm on the button and the Snark remembers it, displays the BPM and flashes a heartbeat as a metronome. Thats a clever feature!
So how well does it work? Well, my friend was spot on. This thing amazes me. The tuning is super accurate, helped by that large screen and detailed needle indicator, but what really stuns me is how sensitive it is - I can get a reading on this thing with the lightest of plucks on the instrument, plucks I can hardly hear. Barely touching the string brings the Snark into life, and it has displayed none of the issues I have had with other tuners in failing to pick up a note.
If you can get past the looks, this is the best clip on tuner I have yet tried. Highly recommended.
Hi folks - took some advice (and thanks for the emails following my question on this blog) and have chosen to offer the ebook for a sale price for a limited period.
If you were wavering - now is your chance to grab a bargain!
The book is a guide to ukulele beginners, written specifically FOR beginners. This guide provides concise, no-nonsense answers to the obvious questions that the tuition books miss. With chapters dealing from everything, from ukulele sizes, prices and strings to how to grow your nails. Also includes reference section and glossary.
A little while ago, I came across the UK Cartoonist Tim Harries. I think his work is great, and imagine my delight when I found some ukulele cartoons!
Tim is a well known cartoonist, and has had his work published in the New Statesman, Punch, the Sun and the Star. Added to which, he is also a strummer!
Tim has kindly let me include some of his work on my blog which I hope you enjoy. You can find his website and blog below
My ukulele ebook has been up for close to a month now, and sales have been OK. I am wondering about the price though ($1.99) and wonder if those of you who haven't bought it think the price is too high? Did those of you who did buy it think it was expensive?
Added to that, if I were to offer it for sale at a lower price for a short period, would that offend those of you who did buy the book?
Help! All comments gratefully received - I am in your hands!
Another hero for you and another George - this time though its the Fab George, George Harrison.
It seems pointless for me to provide a biography of the man, George Harrison, as I am sure that most of my readers will know who George is and his time in the Beatles. The fact he was a huge fan of the ukulele is perhaps less well known to ukulele beginners. When I say huge fan, I mean enormous. George has reportedly been quoted claiming he liked the ukulele more than his guitar!
George recalled first encountering the ukulele at home as a child with the music and movies of George Formby, and during his life acquired some wonderful ukuleles. I read a story that suggested that George carried two ukuleles with him when he travelled so he could be sure that he would always be able to strum with a friend.
Whether the ukulele was ever used in the backing of Beatles tracks is unclear, but George certainly used them in his solo work, and on the cover of his seminal "All Things Must Pass" album, he can be seen holding a ukulele. When the surviving Beatles got together to put their Anthology work in place, on the recording of Free As A Bird, George can be heard in the closing bars strumming "When I'm Cleaning Windows" as a nod to his love for both George Formby and the ukulele.
George would encourage anyone around him to pick up the ukulele, and as well as John Lennon and Paul McCartney both being players, friends would get roped in to have a strum. George's son Dhani is a fan of the uke also.
George sadly passed away in 2001. As a fitting tribute, at the George Harrison memorial concert at the Royal Albert Hall, Paul McCartney started his tribute to George (playing the track "Something") by opening the song accompanied only by the ukulele. The highlight of the evening though was the closing track. Georges great pal Joe Brown walked centre stage, ukulele in hand and sang the incredibly moving "I'll See You In My Dreams".
He also was known, despite his star status, to attend George Formby uke society meetings and built up a great friendship with fellow uker Joe Brown with a shared love of the instrument.
UKULELE COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED - KEEP CHECKING THIS SITE FOR MORE COMPETITIONS SOON!
Hi folks, as promised in my review of the Volcapo ukulele capo, I promised that I would run a free to enter competition in which you can win one.
I have the Soprano/Concert version of the Volcapo up for grabs. It's a neat little device that has only just been released and I think it suits the uke very well. These are handmade in California.
To enter, follow this blog (on the right, so I can contact you if you are the winner) and post a comment below telling me a silly short joke! Jokes must be clean and inoffensive, and the one that makes me laugh the most will win the competition! A joke that incorporates the ukulele will certainly be welcomed!!
To follow the blog, scroll down the right hand side and click the follow button in the box called "my ukulele followers". You just need to register with google.
If you struggle to follow the blog (some folks did in the last comp) you need to ensure I can contact you for your prize. If I can't contact the winner, a second place will be drawn (see the rules below)
CLOSING DATE - 5.00PM GMT on 5th March 2011.
Good luck everyone!
Thanks to the guys at Sutherland Trading for providing the prize.
RULES (IMPORTANT)!
1. Competition starts on 2 February 2011 10.00am GMT and ends at 5.00pm GMT on 5 March 2011
2. To be eligible for the prize draw, you must be a follower of this blog and have posted a your favourite joke in the comments section of this blog post
3. I reserve the right to reject jokes that I deem in any way offensive ( I have some younger readers!) My decision on this is final.
4. On draw day, I will choose my favourite response from those posted. Only those comments that I have published will be eligible for the competition. 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 contacted via the Google follow system on this blog (check your emails)
6. Winner will need to provide valid postal address for the item to be posted
7. In the event the winner does not respond to the request for address within 14 days, I will pick my second favourite and award the prize to that person.
8. No responsibility is held for failure with the postal service, and no replacement will be offered. This prize has no alternative cash value.
9. Item will be posted standard post within 14 days of confirmation of winners address, depending on where you are you may need to sign for it.
10. No purchase necessary
11. posting a comment 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
12. The prize in not transferable to another person
This is a fabulously bleak old traditional tune, originally made famous by The Carter Family, and more recently interpreted by a host of stars, including Eric Clapton and Rosanne Cash
MOTHERLESS CHILDREN
[A] Motherless children have a [D] hard time when [A] mother is dead, lord. [D]
[A] Motherless children have a [D] hard time when [A] mother is dead, lord. [D]
[A] They don't have any[E]where to go;
[D] Wandering around from [F] door to door.
[A] Nobody treats you like a [D] mother will when your [A] mother is dead,
lord. [D]
[A] Father will do the [D] best he can when your [A] mother is dead, lord. [D]
[A] Father will do the [D] best he can when your [A] mother is dead, lord. [D]
[A] Father will do the [E] best he can;
[D] So many things a father [F] can't understand.
[A] Nobody treats you like a [D] mother will when your [A] mother is dead,
lord. [D]
Solo on Verse
[A] Sister will do the [D] best she can when your [A] mother is dead, lord. [D]
[A] Sister will do the [D] best she can when your [A] mother is dead, lord. [D]
[A] Sister will do the [E] best she can;
[D] So many things a sister [F] can't understand.
[A] Nobody treats you like a [D] mother will when your [A] mother is dead,
lord. [D]
When your [A] mother is dead, [D] when your [A] mother is dead. [D]
When your [A] mother is dead, Lord, [D] when your [A] mother is dead. [D]
When your [A] mother is dead, [D] when your [A] mother is dead. [D]
When your [A] mother is dead, [D] when your [A] mother is dead. [D]
When your [A] mother is dead, Lord, [D] when your [A] mother is dead. [D]
One for my UK readers this, but I was delighted to hear that my ukulele buddy Rae Carter has secured another ukulele gig!
Rae hasn't been playing that long and I am staggered by his progress, particularly in securing live gigs so quickly. His videos on YouTube are really popular on the ukulele forums, particularly his interesting choices of songs to cover. Heck, he is even writing his own songs now too!
His next gig is on February 11th at the Rifle Club, Gosport, Hampshire from 1900. He is supporting Alice in Chinatown, and I am sure it will be a good night. Free entry too!
A clip from his last gig is below, and if you want to see more of his videos, go to Rae's YouTube page
One of those great classic traditional songs that everybody must know! Home On The Range. Get strumming cowboy!
HOME ON THE RANGE
D G Gm
Oh give me a home where the buffalo roam,
D E7 A7
Where the deer and the antelope play.
D G Gm
Where seldom is heard a discouraging word,
D A7 D
And the skies are not cloudy all day.
(CHORUS)
D A7 D
Home, home on the range,
Bm E7 A7
Where the deer and the antelope play.
D G Gm
Where seldom is heard a discouraging word,
D A7 D
And the skies are not cloudy all day.
suggestions, complaints, things to be gotten off chests, wrongs righted and souls needing saving - all welcomed if uke related - get in touch
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