Want your ukulele stories!

During the middle of last year I opened the blog up to the public to give them a chance to tell me their ukulele story, and just wanted to let you know that those are always welcomed.

All I ask is that you send me a few paragraphs about you and the ukulele - why do you like it, how did you start playing, what do you get from it? Do you have a funny story to tell, or is the uke just special to you in a different way?

I'm happy to hear them and feature them on Got A Ukulele. Including a picture of your uke is a bonus, and a YouTube video is even better!

To send something, just hit the Contact Me tab at the top, and you will see my email at the top of the page.

To give you some inspiration - a selection of those that were included last year can be found HERE

Have fun, and I look forward to hearing from you!

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Me And My Ukulele - Krapo

Hot on the heels of Rae Carter yesterday, today we cross the English Channel in the Me and My Ukulele series, to say hello to Krapo!

Hi Bazmaz!


I read your article and I would like to share my story with your readers. My artist name is "Krapo" and I am in France.


I discovered the ukulele when I heard a singer / musician / songwriter whose band is called Milk & Fruit Juice - http://www.milkandfruitjuice.com/ecoute/. He made the opening song for a french TV show called NerdZ. I was amazed that what I had mistaken for a toy guitar could produce such beautiful sounds. So I ordered a cheap ukulele online and thought I would figure out how to play it.


I first used it for a contest where the TV show's host asked the audience to write him a love letter in order to win a limited edition Zelda Nintendo DS Lite. As he is a huge Zelda fan, I decided I would send a video of me singing a stupid song about him on the music of Zelda instead. And I won!


This made me realize how fun it is to rearrange songs and share them on the Internet. So I opened a YouTube Channel and created many original music arrangements, most of which feature an ukulele. I love playing unexpected songs with unexpected arrangements, so on the ukulele I played metal songs like Chop Suey by System Of A Down, or Love You to Death by Type O Negative. I also used it for videogames music like The Legend of Zelda and Super Mario Sunshine.


Now I am preparing live solo concerts in which I would alternately play the guitar, the ukulele, and my Nintendo DS's music software, covering all kinds of styles (pop, rock, metal, TV shows and cartoon themes, videogames musics, etc).


If this sounds interesting to you, please visit my website: http://krapo.wordpress.com

Thanks Krapo - an interesting take on what to play on the uke - I too love playing the unexpected!


If you too have a ukulele and want to share your story, how you got involved, or just what you like about it, click the contact me page at the top and email me about it.  The perfect way to inspire new players!

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Me And My Ukulele - Rae Carter

Continuing my series, Me And My Ukulele, where ukulele players worldwide share their stories with you. I hope they inspire you. This time, say hello to Rae Carter, from Portsmouth, UK.

Photo - Credit - Copyright Marcus Maschwitz Photography

In the tail end of November 2009 I was asked by my friend Jackie if I could tune a ukulele which she had bought for her son Joe for Christmas. I had never knowingly heard a ukulele before this and had no idea how to tune one but thought it can't be much different from a guitar. I had previously played guitar so I agreed. Initially, I had no idea how to tune the thing. so I hit the internet looking for an online tuner, which was actually quite easy to find. I picked up my laptop and went to her house to tune what could only be described as a toy instrument (Joe was only 4 at the time.) It wasn't until I had it in tune and tried the few chords provided on the same site that I that this could be quite a fun instrument to learn. I went home to my partner to discuss and we agreed I would get one.


Trawling the net I found Ukulele Underground and joined the site immediately. I quickly realised that people who played ukes were extremely friendly and helpful and gave me lots of advice on a first purchase. I decided on a Kala ASMC ukulele. I was a bit wary - over one hundred pounds for something I have never played was a lot of money, but coming from 15 years playing guitar I am well aware cheap instruments are cheap for a reason. I decided to buy from a man called Musicguymike (MGM) in the USA as everyone had raved at how helpful he was and that he set up all his ukes before despatch. I went for it and then sat waiting for two weeks for it to arrive from America. With hindsight I wish I had discovered the Southern Ukulele Store before I did this, as I was stung by customs charges!


I learnt the hard way, definitely. That said, the advantage of having one that would take two weeks to deliver was I was effectively able to play the instrument in my head before I'd even touched it due to me being able to play guitar which was a huge bonus.


I found the tutor Ukulele Mike online and learned hey to play Hey There Delilah. When the uke eventually arrived I fell in love with the beauty of it instantly. I tuned it up and played the tune I had learned. It found it was easy for me to play which was a huge bonus!


I then decided to record me playing it after only an hour or so of holding one and posted it on Youtube, as that seemed to be what a lot of players were doing on Ukulele Underground. After I posted I found I was getting a lot of really kind comments from people who were shocked I could play it so quickly. This spurred me on to carry on posting on Youtube under the name raecarter82.


18 months later I now have 75 videos posted and so many more views than I ever thought possible. I'm even playing in pubs now and have started professionally recording a song I wrote in studio of Quay West Records in Gosport, Hampshire. It seems only yesterday that I first picked up that toy uke, as I still feel that same excitement when I player the infectious little thing! It has definitely brought the love of music back to me. I hope this inspires some to discover or rediscover they love of music through the ukulele also. Thanks for reading.


Rae

Thanks Rae - you certainly have risen quickly in the uke world - good luck for the future!  See below for a vid of Rae playing live supporting What Is Life For and for the opening of Quay West Studios in Gosport. To go from never playing a uke, to performing on a professional stage in under two years is staggering!  And to keep an eye on Rae and his gigs - look at his FACEBOOK PAGE

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Me And My Ukulele - Joey Paul

Continuing the series where you, the reader, shares your ukulele stories with the world. This time, say hello, Joey Paul!

Hi, I'm Joey, I'm 29 and a disabled student and writer living in Swindon, UK. I've been playing Ukulele for about 10 months now - and coming up to my year mark on August 31st!


So, why did I start?


I had a friend online who was posting photos of her ukulele "collection". She was buying Soprano Ukuleles in all different colours, the reasoning behind it is not something I remember. Anyway, after seeing her Ukuleles, I thought that I would like to have one, but that's as far as the thought went. I went to have a haircut last August and on the way back to the car saw some musical instruments in the window of the local Sue Ryder Charity Shop - one was a Ukulele, so I went in and saw they had a purple one! (Favourite colour ever!) I asked about prices and seeing that I had some cash left over from the haircut I decided to take the plunge and buy her. I wasn't like my friend though, I wanted to learn to PLAY her! Not just have her as a pretty, kooky decoration!


I went online when I got home and tuned her (I named her Astrid, that's a whole nother story!) and then started looking for websites to help me learn. I found your blog actually and then from there Ukulele Underground, and after about a month (if that) I bought my second Uke, an Ohana SK10S (called "Lilo") and learnt all about upgrading strings and everything.


How the times have changed since then! I now have 5 Ukuleles in total (my third came about a week after Lilo!) and although I still have Astrid, she's not my "go-to" Uke. I play her still, but not as often. I love the music, I love the atmosphere, I love the way other Ukulele players just like you because you're a Uker!


I also started my own blog - http://4ukulele.blogspot.com/  if you want to see recent videos of my playing. I'll never be a prodigy at it, but I'm having fun and that's what counts right?


Thanks Joey! And remember, if you want to help inspire new players by sharing YOUR story, then CONTACT ME

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Me And My Ukulele - Peter Smith

You may have seen on my post last week that I am starting a series on Got A Ukulele called "Me And My Ukulele" - it's a forum for readers to share their stories as to how and why they started playing the uke, and their stories along the way. I figured that it would be an excellent way to give those undecided about playing some real life stories to give them inspiration!

So, without further ado, say hello to the first contributer - Peter Smith!


Hello everyone! I am a 61 year old Pommy living in Sydney, Australia. I started out playing Guitar (fairly badly)and did so for for 45 years. I had to take it up, as every other Liverpool teenager did.    (KNOW WHAT YOU MEAN! - ED)


I was first drawn to the Ukulele when I saw George Harrison playing Ain’t She Sweet in a video – no surprise there I suppose - he is a common reason for people choosing the uke!


Before moving to the ukulele though, I first got hold of a Mandolin for my 60th birthday. Following that though this earlier this year, in February, I visited Hawaii and I thought it would  the perfect timing and place to buy a Ukulele!  I bit the bullet!


My choice was a a Kala uke for $100 and have had SO much fun in the last 3 months playing it. I try to read your site most days and also check out Ukulele Mike, Richard G and The Ukulele Doctor. (GREAT SITES - HIGHLY RECOMMENDED - ED)


I actually found it very easy to pick up the chords and I tend to think in shapes (coming from the guitar as I do) for example – a G7 is the shape of D7 on the Guitar, E7 is the shape of B7, C is the shape of G and so on. After that, I found very, very quickly that the sequence C, E7,A7, D7, G7 is a great combo for lots of old songs which I love.


To give you and the readers and example of where I got to - see my video ‘accompanying’ Israel Kamakawiwo’Ole below!





Peter - thanks so much for contributing - some nice strumming there too!


If you would like to share your uke story - get in touch!

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