07/01/2011 - 08/01/2011

31 Jul 2011

Bob Marley - Three Little Birds Ukulele chords

I love playing Bob Marley songs on the uke. I think there is something about the laid back chunky strumming style that goes with so much reggae that suits it perfectly. Perfect if you are learning how to play the ukulele.



One of the easiest to play is Three Little Birds, which is only three chords. The trick to it though is getting into a chunky driving rhythm. Have fun!

LYRICS PROVIDED PURELY FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES  (APOLOGIES FOR BLOCKING OUT THE LYRICS - LAWYERS ARE CLAMPING DOWN ON MUSIC TABS AND CLOSING SITES. I DO NOT WANT GOT A UKULELE CLOSED DOWN, SO SADLY THESE PEOPLE WIN. YOU WOULD HAVE THOUGHT PEOPLE PLAYING SONGS WOULD BE GOOD FOR RECORD SALES, BUT SADLY, LAWYERS DONT THINK THAT WAY.....)

INTRO

[A]

CHORUS

[A]Don't xxxxx xxxxxx x xxxx
Cause eve[D]ry xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xx xxxxxx [A]
Singing xxxx xxxxx [A] about x xxxxx,
Cause xxxxx [D] little xxxxx xxxxx xx xxx right [A]

VERSE

Rise xx xxxx xxxxxxx [A]
Smiled xxxx xxx xxxxxx [E7] sun
Txxxx xxxxxx xxxxx [A]
Pitch xx xx xxxxxxxx [D]
Singing xxxxx [A] xxxxx
Of xxxxxxxx xxxx xxx [E7] true
Saying xxxx [D] is xx xxxxxxx xx xxx

REPEAT CHORUS AND FADE TO END



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28 Jul 2011

My ebook is on sale!

I forgot to post this on the blog, but as we are in the beautiful summertime, have put my ebook versions of What Ukulele Players Really Want To Know on sale for a short time. Your opportunity to grab if you were wavering!




It's in all the formats whether you use PC, Kindle, Nook or Sony, as follows..

Amazon US store

Amazon UK

Barnes and Noble

All other formats



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Build Me Up Buttercup ukulele chords

Well, if you liked the Video why not try it for yourself? Chords below!

Intro: [G] [B7] [C] [D7] [G] [B7] [C] [D7]

Chorus:
[D7] Why do you [G] build me up [B7] Buttercup baby
Just to [C] let me down and [D7] mess me around
And then [G] worst of all you [B7] never call baby
When you [C] say you will but [D7] I love you still
I need [G] you more than [G7] anyone darling
You [C] know that I have from the [Cm] start
So [G] build me up (build me up) [D7] Buttercup
Don't break my [C] heart [G] [D7] [D7]

I'll be [G] over at [D7] ten
You told me [F] time and a[C]gain
But you're [G] late
I wait a[C]round and then..

I [G] run to the [D7] door
I can't [F] take any [C] more
It's not [G] you you let me [C] down again

Bridge:
(Hey hey [Am] hey) baby baby [D7]I'm tryin to find
(Hey hey [Bm] hey) a little time and [E7] I'll make you mine
[C] I'll be home I'll be be[A7]side the phone waiting for [D7] you

Chorus

[D7] To [G] you I'm a [D7] toy but I [F] could be the [C] boy
You a[G]dore if you just [C] let me know
Al[G]though you're un[D7] true
I'm a[F]ttracted to [C] you All the [G] more why do I [C] need you so

Repeat Bridge

Repeat Chrous

So [G] build me up (build me up) [D7] Buttercup Don't break my [C] heart [G]


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Build Me Up Buttercup - Julia Nunes

One of my favourite ukulele videos posted by Julia


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27 Jul 2011

So, who should you watch out for on Twitter

Over the past year I have really seen how useful Twitter is as a social get-together medium for ukulele players. In that time I have seen uke builders show off their wares, groups of players make arrangements for their next uke playing session, and countless wonderful videos and photos shared by ukulele lovers.







So, if you are new to Twitter, where should you start? Well, checking out the hashtag #ukulele is a good start. For those not in the know, the hashtag suffix to a keyword is a way for people to group tweets about a certain subject together. All of my posts about the uke include the tag #ukulele. In twitter, if you search for that term with the hash in front of it you immediately get a full list of all recent tweets using the same tag.

But what about people to follow (that's the way twitter works, you follow people and their tweets become your 'timeline'). Well, obviously you should follow me and the twitter ID is @bazmaz (shameless I know), but what about others?

Well I will probably regret this and upset people I miss out (please don't be upset, I can't include all 400 people I follow!) but here are some suggestions for people to follow if you like the uke. These represent those who post regularly about the uke and you may enjoy!


@MissUkulady - say hello to Penny, one half of the organising team for the UkeJam group in Godalming. She is also a damn fine singer and all round lovely lady. I interviewed the UkeJam team on this site a while ago which you can read Here


@BalhamUkeSoc - the twitter feed of the Balham Uke club run by Matthew Gunning. Super friendly guy and also a Got A Ukulele Interview


@JoeyBug44 - Joey is a disabled uke player who only started on uke relatively recently. Despite serious health problems she has shown incredible commitment to playing the uke, and runs a blog and tweets often about her Daily Ukulele Challenge (she aims to learn something new on the uke each day). You want inspiration, you will get it here!


@hey_Ukeguys - the twitter feed of Rae Carter, whose vids I have occasionally shared on this site. I first encountered Rae online some point last year at which point I don't think he had been playing that long. He plays a Mainland like me, but what amazes me is how far he has progressed. When I first started following him he was making videos from his bedroom, but he is now in talks for a recording contract, gigging regularly and writing his own songs.


@Cursleyukuleles - had to be a mention for Darryl Cursley, an incredibly popular player in the UK uke world. Darryl is a uke builder using fine beautiful and unusual woods, all solid and simply drop dead gorgeous to look at. He also plays bass uke in the band Motherukers. Follow this twitter account and drool at the build pictures he posts.



@Laughing_Gravy - a funny guy and uke player with the band Northern Monkey. I enjoy this twitter feed as he makes me laugh (a lot) and loves his ukulele playing.




Well, they are my top tips, and to avoid upset I will probably do another more detailed post in due course recommending some more players! (so don't fret... I know who you are!)

If you are not on twitter - give it a go, you will get much from it!


Baz




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26 Jul 2011

Desperado - Ukulele chords.

An absolutely beautiful song that I think works really well on the ukulele. This is in my preferred key of F which suits my voice. I dont think thats actually the key on the record, but there you are. Enjoy - Desperado by The Eagles.


(for beginners, the only chord that may fox you is that Bbm.  Its quite easy to play - the chord fingering is 3111, and is played placing either the third or fourth finger on the third fret of the G string, and then barring the  other strings at the first fret with your fore finger.  If you are struggling, just barre the C, E and A strings and dont strum the G string.)

LYRICS PROVIDED FOR EDUCATION PURPOSES ONLY!




Despe[F]rado [F7] why don't you [Bb] come to your [Bbm] senses

You've been [F] out ridin' [Dm] fences for [G7] so long [C7] now

You're a [F] hard one [F7]

I know that [Bb] you've got your reasons [Bbm]

These [F] things that [A7] are plea[Dm]sin' you

Can [Gm] hurt you [C7] some [F] how



Don't you [Dm] draw the queen of [Am] diamonds boy

She'll [Bb] beat you [C7] if she's [F] able

The [Dm] queen of hearts is [Bb] always your best [F] bet [C]

Now it [Dm] seems to me that [Am] some fine things

Have been [Bb] laid up[C7]on your [F] table

But [Dm] you only want the [G7] ones that you can't [Gm7] get [C7]



Despe[F]rado [F7] you ain’t [Bb] getting no younger [Bbm]

Your [F] pain and your [Dm] hunger

They're [G7] driving you [C7] home

And [F] freedom [F7] well that's just [Bb] some people [Bbm] talking

Your [F] prison [A7] is walk[Dm]ing through

This [Gm] world all [C7] a[F]lone



Don't your [Dm] feet get cold in the [Am] winter time

The [Bb] sky won't snow and the [F] sun won't shine

It's [Dm] hard to tell the [Bb] night time from the [F] day [C]

You're [Dm] losing all your [Am] highs and lows

[Bb] Ain’t it funny how the [F] feeling goes a[Gm7]way [C7]



Despe[F]rado [F7] why don't you [Bb] come to your [Bbm] senses

Come [F] down from your [Dm] fences [G7] open the gate [C7]

It may be [F] rainin' [F7] but there's a [Bb] rainbow above you [Bbm]

You better [F] let some[A7]body [Dm] love you

[Bb] Let somebody [Bbm] love you

You better [F] let some[A7]body [Dm] love you

Be[Gm]fore it's [C7] too [F] late
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Ukulele A-Z - Q and R are for....

continuing my series of the Ukulele A to Z, this time we look at the letters Q and R


You can read my other uke A to Z entries HERE


QUARTER NOTE

A note that is played for one quarter of the duration of a whole note.  In 4 4 timing, a quarter note will represent one count in the the "one two three four".  Also known as a Crotchet.


RELATIVE HUMIDITY

The amount of moisture in a given volume of air compared to the amount it is capable of holding.  In plain English....  high humidity is sweaty and muggy! In respect of ukuleles, particularly solid wood ukes, both extreme high and low humidity can affect tuning in the best case, but can actually damage the wood of the instrument permanently by either swelling or cracking it.  You can learn more about it HERE


RHYTHM

The repetitive beat in a piece of music.  Playing ukulele for rhythm usually means strumming it.


ROOT

The first note of a scale.  A chord is named after its root note (even if, on occasion, that note isnt played)


ROSETTE

The decorative pattern or inlay placed in a circle around the soundhole of the ukulele.  They can range from the cheap (printed or inked, or plastic inlay) to the very expensive (intricate mother of pearl inlays).  Either way, they are purely decorative.
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23 Jul 2011

The Ukulele today - volume 1

When you start playing the ukulele there is every chance that some smart alec is going to say to you "oh you look just like George Formby" or "Do you know any Tiny Tim?".  Of course, the ukulele has been around for some time, and in the 40's and 50's had a huge surge in popularity with many music hall stars using their ukulele as instrument of choice.  As such, comparisons like these are understandable, but your friends may not be aware just how common the uke has become of late in popular music of today.


You may have run through my Famous Ukulele Players page, but I thought I would expand on some of the bigger acts that are choosing the ukulele today.


NOAH AND THE WHALE


Noah And The Whale, a kind of indie folk outfit from the UK chose the ukulele on their first album to great effect.  Lead singer Charlie Fink plays the uke.  It was on their 2008 launch album "Peaceful, The World Lays Me Down" that introduced their uke love, most notably on the track "Five Years Time", a song that is driven by a chunky ukulele strum rhythm.


AMANDA PALMER


American Amanda Palmer started her musical career in the punk cabaret outfit "The Dresden Dolls" and has since released solo work also.  She took the ukulele to her heart and featured it throughout the album "Evelyn Evelyn" with Jason Webley, in which she tells the fantastical tale of a pair of siamese twins (both called Evelyn) who are abused, but take joy from the ukulele.  Since then she has regularly performed with only the ukuele despite being a piano player by trade, including a series of now famous spontaneous public performances she calls ninja gigs.  Most recently she released a digital EP of her covers of Radiohead songs such as Fake Plastic Trees, Creep and No Surprises all performed on ukulele.


More modern ukulele acts to follow soon!
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21 Jul 2011

Info regarding paperback version of my book.

Cor, had a few questions come in lately about the paperback version of my book, What Ukulele Players Really Want To Know. They ask about how the book is printed, sized etc, so thought I'd explain.

Amazon store link






The book is printed by a company called Createspace, who are a subsidiary of Amazon, so as you can imagine, it's of decent quality. It's soft back with a glossy cover and is smallish paperback sized. The paper is really nice quality too, White, but not that awful newsprint thin paper you get in cheap books.





Has a contents page, and in summary, all rather nice I think!

Hope you like it!






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20 Jul 2011

New Got A Ukulele Poll!

I like polls! And we now have another. Take a gander over to the right hand column and get clicking.


This time I'm asking what you want to see more of on the Got A Ukulele site. You can pick more than one answer if you like too!

If you would like more of something else (or would like me to shut up....) then just get in touch via email - address on contact me page (though I can't promise replying if it's the latter!)

Thanks all!
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18 Jul 2011

Dream A Little Dream - ukulele chords

Originally a hit for Mama Cass and the Mamas and the Papas, this sweet song works wonderfully well on ukulele. It was also covered by Eddie Vedder on his recent Ukulele Songs album. Now you can give it a try!



"Dream a Little Dream" by The Mamas And The Papas

C B7 Ab G7
Stars shining bright above you
C B7 A7
Night breezes seem to whisper "I love you"
F Fm
Birds singing in a sycamore tree
C Ab G7
Dream a little dream of me

C B7 Ab G7
Say "Nightie-night" and kiss me
C B7. A7
Just hold me tight and tell me you'll miss me
F. Fm
While I'm alone and blue as can be
C Ab C
Dream a little dream of me

A. A6. E7
Stars fading but I linger on, dear
A A6. E7
Still craving your kiss
A. A6. E7
I 'm longing to linger till dawn, dear
A Ab G7
Just saying this:

C. B7. Ab. G7
Sweet dreams till sunbeams find you
C. B7. A7
Sweet dreams that leave all worries far behind you
F Fm
But in your dreams whatever they be
C Ab. C
Dream a little dream of me



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17 Jul 2011

6 month ukulele book anniversary

How time flies. It seems like only yesterday that I finished pulling my ukulele beginners book together, but today is the 6 month anniversary of it being published



In that time, 'What Ukulele Players Really Want To Know' has gone down rather well!




The success has really taken me by surprise, and it's consistently charting well in the Kindle store (and actually reached number 3 in the music book chart on both sides of the Atlantic!).

My huge thanks to those who offered guidance in pulling it together, and getting the formats right, including the wonderful Kindle Writers group on Facebook.

Thanks, obviously to those who grabbed a copy, and especially to those who left kind reviews. The emails I get from the odd reader are also very kind and appreciated. I hope the book continues to help inspire and support the ever growing army of new ukulele players out there. And who knows, I may have another book coming along later in the year! (shhhhhh!)

Kindle users can get the book here Amazon US and Amazon UK

Other ereaders are catered for at Smashwords

And as ereaders are not for everyone, it's in paperback too! Paperback version

Thanks again!

Baz

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14 Jul 2011

She Belongs To Me - ukulele chords

I love this Dylan song, and I play it in this key mainly as I can't get quite high enough on the record. I think the record is played in A.

Lyrics provided purely for education only!


G
She's got everything she needs,
C G G
She's an artist, she don't look back.
C
She's got everything she needs,
G G
She's an artist, she don't look back.
A
She can take the dark out of the nighttime
C G G
And paint the daytime black.

You will start out standing
Proud to steal her anything she sees.
You will start out standing
Proud to steal her anything she sees.
But you will wind up peeking through her keyhole
Down upon your knees.

She never stumbles,
She's got no place to fall.
She never stumbles,
She's got no place to fall.
She's nobody's child,
The Law can't touch her at all.

She wears an Egyptian ring
That sparkles before she speaks.
She wears an Egyptian ring
That sparkles before she speaks.
She's a hypnotist collector,
You are a walking antique.

Bow down to her on Sunday,
Salute her when her birthday comes.
Bow down to her on Sunday,
Salute her when her birthday comes.
For Halloween give her a trumpet
And for Christmas, buy her a drum.



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What is ukulele 'action'?

This is a jump back to some basic stuff, but it struck me that whilst I had described action in some other beginner tip posts, I had not described what the term 'action' means on a ukulele in a dedicated post. So, here we go!



The term 'action' means the way the strings of the ukulele relate to the fingerboard. That is to say, the angle and height of the strings in relation to the straight fingerboard.

You will hear of poor action as being either high or low, and they each create their own problems.

1. A high action affects playability (the way the uke feels and how easy and fast it is to play) as well as intonation ( see Here. And Here for more on that) which basically relates to how accurate the instrument is in tune down the neck.

2. Low action will cause buzzing as the strings are too low and close to the frets and in extreme cases, may actually be incapable of tuning if the string is actually ringing between, say, the first fret and the bridge as opposed to being between nut and bridge.

In respect of the former, playability is bad enough and will lead to aching sore fingers, but if the strings are high at one end, you will create intonation problems.

Like it or not, a stringed instrument is a mathematical thing. That taut string requires itself to be as parallel as possible to the fingerboard in order that when fretted, the corresponding fret creates the right note. If you imagine a very high bridge, the string will get closer and closer along its length to the fingerboard as it approaches the nut. In other words, it is the hypotenuse of a long thin triangle. Raise the bridge too high, and your mathematics knowledge will tell you that the hypotenuse will lengthen. The fret placement relies on the length of the string between nut and bridge measured in a straight line to be fixed. Raise the bridge, you lengthen the hypotenuse and throw out the mathematics! The result is that the notes that ring at certain fret positions will be out.

A high nut can create the same thing on it's own, but more commonly will manifest it's problem in tuning at the first and second frets. A string leaving a high nut when fretted at the first requires the string to be pulled down too far from it's horizontal and this too lengthens that hypotenuse and throws out the tuning.

My intonation links above deal with tracking down the issues on intonation which is often due to action, but bear in mind, you can have a high action with no intonation issues (ie where nut and bridge are too high together at a level that doesn't make that hypotenuse too long)

So what makes the right action? Well that depends on your style, but mine currently measure between 1/8 and 3/16 of an inch between the string and the top of the crown of the 12th fret.

If in doubt, speak to a guitar tech or luthier!


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13 Jul 2011

Do ukulele string curls at the nut make me a nut?

Surprised I haven't blogged about this before. Why on earth do some players leave their strings coiled at the headstock?






I do it myself, many players do it. I'm writing this to dispel any myths when it comes to THIS particular players reasons for doing it. I don't do it because I think it looks cool, I don't do it because I'm lazy (always an odd reason that one - it takes more time to coil them than snip them!), and I don't do it for another myriad of weird reasons I've read relating to tuning, stretching and pressure on the pegs (all nonsense).

I do it because uke strings last a fair while and can often be reused, particularly in the middle of a uke gig. When a string snaps, unless you've been hammering it halfway along it's length with fingernails made of diamonds, it will most likely snap at a point in which it is in contact with something. That means the bridge or the nut.

When you put uke strings on, you will find you mostly get more than you need. So, you break a string mid set, you have two choices. Re-use the string or put a fresh one on. If the string breaks at the nut, then my coiled strings don't help you, but if it breaks at the bridge..... You see a break at the bridge means you only lose a tiny bit of string. You can then release some of the spare string that you had coiled and use the string again! A break at the bridge with a trimmed string leave you nothing to re use.

Ahhh, you are saying, so you do it because you are tight fisted? Don't want to spend money on strings? Well, no, that's not it either. A broken string may well signify you are overdue a string change anyway, and if I employ this trick I always then, post gig, check the other strings for wear and often change the lot anyway. The reasons is because it gets you back to playing quicker.

You see a used string needs no more stretching, and re using a string means once up to tune it tends to stay there. It also means no fumbling in packets to get the right string.

Simple really. Oh, and no, I don't get why guitar players do it - guitar strings have a much shorter life and when I am playing regularly I change them ever few weeks anyway. And why the coils? Well, if not, the loose string flaps about and interferes with my fretting hand!

There you have it. I'm no nut..... I think.


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11 Jul 2011

Ukulele battle scars

One thing anyone with a new ukulele (orany new instrument for that matter) worries about is damaging your new baby.



You kit them out with polishing cloths, and you purchase creams, sprays and other cans of goo to keep them shiny.

But really though, an instrument is just a tool, and what does a showroom finish say about you. Perhaps it shows that you don't play it too much.

Don't get me wrong, if I owned a $2000 custom uke, I would be mortified when it took a 'ding', but after that first one?

Playing any instrument for a length of time puts wear and tear into it. You may get some strumming wear if you play vigorously like me. If you start to gig with an instrument, and certainly if you play it on a stage, eventually you are going to knock it, ding it, chip it. It WILL happen. You will hate yourself (or the buffoon that caused it), you may even try and fix it up. But I say, stop, think about it. If you love your instrument, and you want to keep it for life, those dings and scratches tell a story. Each scar and chip remind you where you were when it happened, hopefully bringing happy memories.

I have a nice cedar acoustic guitar in my collection that has been played so much the wood around the sound hole is seriously worn down. That wear shows me how much I have loved playing the thing. It also has a chip on the headstock, and I know exactly when it happened (from a very happy memorable playing session with friends, again, good memories). If you want to take it to extremes, do a google search for Willie Nelsons guitar and wonder how the thing is still held together. Would he change it? Not a chance.

I'm not telling you to go out and play rough with your ukes, just don't get too down if you scratch it!

And to show you what I mean, and why I blogged this post, say hello to the soundboard of my Fluke. I've been gigging this so much lately that I am through the paintwork. It's where I rest a finger when picking (poor technique, but there you go) and shows how much use it gets!




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8 Jul 2011

Ukulele Interview - Alastair Wood - Uke Hunt

I was delighted for Alastair Wood, uke writer, tutor and blogger to agree to be interviewed for Got A Ukulele.


If you don't know him by name, you almost certainly will have come across his Ukulele Hunt website which is a mammoth resource for uke players. That site was a staple in my early days of playing the uke, and I still visit regularly due to the breadth of info, links and song tutorials Al provides. He also runs the How To Play Ukulele site, offering a large range of uke tutor ebooks for download, and has recently been given the honour of authoring the Ukulele For Dummies book, which is published this August.

uke hunt logo



Hi Al, let's start with the obvious question, how did begin with a ukulele?

I just bought one in a music shop on a whim. I think I was around 16 at the time. I was playing guitar and they seemed like fun. So I picked one up. But all I had to learn from was a really terrible book. Those were the days before Al Gore invented the internet. So other than occasional noodles, I very rarely played it until the internet came along and I realised what you could do with it.


How did you find the initial learning curve?

I found it easy to get to the stage where I didn't completely suck at it. But difficult to play very well - I still haven't reached that stage.


So it was internet resources that helped you along in the early days – were there any friends you were playing with, or did you pick it up solo?


Ukulelia and Ukulele Cosmos were the main ones. And I picked up a lot of stuff from Dominator. Kiwi Ukulele (http://www.kiwiukulele.co.nz/) was a big influence on me too. He was posting some indie ukulele stuff that I thought was being ignored by most ukulele sites. It gave me confidence that I wasn’t the only person interested in that side of playing.
No, I was always playing solo. I don’t have any real-life friends.




You are probably now best known for the Uke Hunt website – when did you start writing about the instrument, and how did your first site emerge?

Before I started Uke Hunt I had a couple of general music blogs. I wrote a bit about ukuleles on those and realised I had a lot more to say than could be contained on those sites.


Uke Hunt started after I packed in my last job and realised I was completely unemployable. So I set out to start a business on the net and Uke Hunt was the main one.


So the Uke Hunt site, and writing about ukes has become a full time job for you?


It was a full time job from the start – I just wasn’t making any money from it. I didn’t have any other job or a Plan B.
When I say I’m unemployable, that’s not hyperbole. That’s fact. I can’t follow orders, I have issues with authority and I’m not a team player.




What's been the highlight of your life with ukulele so far then?

Being called 'ace' in the NME http://ukulelehunt.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/nme.jpg 


I'm a frustrated indie-boy. I would have been happy playing bass in Menswe@r.


So how did this new book deal come about?

They emailed me asking if I was interested. And, of course, I said yes. I was expecting it to fall through - that's happened before - and it wasn't until a few months later the whole thing was confirmed and I started working on it.


They found me by searching the net. Wiley - who publish the Dummies books - often find bloggers to write their books. Which, in my completely biased view, is a smart move.


Many of those books contain music CD's – have you contributed audio lessons as well?


Yeah, there’s a CD that comes with the book. It’s got 97 tracks on so there’s plenty to go at. I made videos of some of the trickier tunes in the book here: LINK


Tell me what you would say to promote the ukulele to a new player?

It seems strange to say, but I don't really promote the ukulele. I'm more into promoting music. I think it's a real shame that people who would love to play an instrument don't because they've been led to believe they have no musical ability.


Having said that, I do think the ukulele is a good way into music for people who aren't confident with music. The suck threshold is low and it's not an intimidating instrument.


Throughout the ukes history, its popularity has risen and fallen. We certainly seem to be on an “up” at the moment – what are your thoughts on that? Do you think this bubble may burst?


That’s a good question. I wish I knew.


If you look at the history of the ukulele, you’ve got to say there’s a pretty good chance the ukulele is going to be as popular as an out-of-tune banjolele in a uke group.


What I’d like to see is it calm down a bit and the ukulele become just another instrument that gets used. So bands can have a ukulele in their set up, or include a ukulele song without it being notable.


So, as a seasoned player, what is your best tip for a beginner?

I think practice is underrated. The best tip is to practice very, very slowly. Painfully slowly. So slowly you don't make a mistake. Once you can play something slowly, speed it up very gently.


Thanks ever so much Al - and I wish you continued good luck with the site and book.  To end, hope you enjoy this video showing off Al's playing - its one of my favourites.







Read my other Got A Ukulele Interviews HERE
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7 Jul 2011

A good ukulele cause

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6 Jul 2011

Apologies for the ukulele go slow

Work, life, kids, all gone a bit crazy at present ( hang on, my kids have ALWAYS been crazy) so the blog has not been attended to as regularly as I would like.

Bear with me readers, normal service hopefully resumed soon. Got some nice vids, beginner tips and a great ukulele interview lined up soon. In fact, all that is needed to keep you strummers happy!

Don't forget, if you want to be featured on Got A Ukulele, or want to share your 'Me & My Ukulele story', then get in touch on the Contact Me page at the top!

Baz


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3 Jul 2011

Ukulele A-Z - O and P are for....

Next in my series of the ukulele A to Z - this time, we look at the letters O and P.  The rest of the alphabet so far can be read at the foot of my Beginners Tips Page



OPEN

The term which refers to playing a string without holding it at any fret, thereby letting it ring along the full length - this plays the note to which the string is tuned. Sometimes shown on ukulele tabs as an X or an O.


OVANGKOL

A wood very similar to rosewood, though slightly lighter in colour. Provides a slightly livlier mid-range sound than rosewood.  Most commonly used in instrument backs and sides.


PEG

A term that refers to the tuning peg that is turned to tighten or loosen the string.


PEGHEAD

The piece of wood at the top end of the ukulele neck that is wider and flatter, through which the four tuning pegs are secured.


PICKUP

A device that picks up the vibration in either the body of the instrument or the strings, and converts to a signal that can be fed to an amplifier.  For more information on pickups, see HERE


PICKING

A style of ukulele playing where individual strings are plucked with the fingernails as opposed to strumming them.


PURFLING

Also known as Marquetry, purfling comprises several binding strips, laminated together to create a design often inlaid around the edge or soundhole of a uke.
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