Aiersi SU-044T Concert Ukulele - REVIEW

Review time, and a ukulele brand that is completely new to me in Aiersi. This musical instrument came winging its way to me on loan all the way from China and I have been enjoying it for a month or two. The SU-044T model.

Despite the 'T' in the name, this is actually a concert scale ukulele, made in China and with some rather nice features. It's actually what I would call a 'budget' ukulele on account of the price point (about $150 or so), but there are some nice surprises with this one as you will see.

The ukulele is traditionally double bout shaped and benefits from a solid spruce top that is really quite a nice piece of wood. The grain is uniform and looking at the edge of the sound hole, the wood is not too thick. It's finished in a satin coat and decorated with inlaid abalone edge binding and sound hole
rosette. I'm not a huge fan of spruce tops on ukuleles myself as I think they can look a bit anaemic, but that is just me.

Elsewhere on the top we have a very standard looking tie bar bridge with plastic saddle, not much to say about that. I will say though, there are no flaws on the top that I can see.

The back and sides contrast the pale top very nicely and are made of laminate zebra wood. This too is finished in satin, but the pores of the zebra wood show through the coat giving it a more organic feel to some of the other overly glossy or overly coated instruments that are around at this price. The back is slightly arched and also has cream edge binding where it meets the sides. I think the contrast is great and am a fan of this wood finish on ukuleles.

A look inside the instrument shows a tidy build with notched kerfing and braces that are not over done. There is no mess and the brand logo inside is engraved on a piece of wood. No complaints here really.

The neck is fairly standard in width and profile and is made from an unspecified hardwood. It's made of three pieces with a joint at the heel and one at the headstock. It too is satin coated, but it feels natural and isn't sticky in the hands.

Topping the neck is a rosewood fingerboard with a  very nice even colour and one that appears to be in good condition. The edges are unbound and stained meaning you can see the fret edges. We have 18 nickel silver frets in total with 14 to the body. They are all dressed well, with no sharp edges and they are quite low profile which I like. Position markers are facing outward in mother of pearly, but sadly there are no side markers. A fairly unremarkable neck, but one that I really don't have many complaints about either.

Past the plastic nut we have a fairly generic headstock shape, spruced up by a veneer of the stripy zebra wood on the face. The Aiersi logo is engraved in the wood which I rather like.

Tuners are unbranded silver geared tuners, but they are functional and not overly large. They work well enough.

Completing the deal is a rather gaudy bright gig bag which aside from the looks, is pretty decent quality with good zips and straps. Strings are Aquila SuperNylguts.

All in all then, a rather nice looking and nicely made instrument for a superb price. I really like what is starting to come over from China. Years back the majority of instruments from over there left a lot to be desired with thick woods, thick finishes and generally bad builds. Of course some of those still exist, but there are more and more who seem to be getting it right. I think this one fits that category.

I must admit though, when I saw the price I WAS expecting a couple of things - either a bad build or that it would be over built and heavy (killing the tone).

First of all, it's not over built. It's not heavy to hold and you can see that the woods are not over done. It's nicely balanced and the finish is thin such that it feels nice in the hands without being over bearing. Construction too seems to be decent, with intonation close to spot on and nothing out of place or splitting and failing.

The sound surprised me actually. It's not a high end instrument tone, but it doesn't pretend to be, but the usual problems with instruments of this sort of price are really not there. First of all, it is not lacking volume. Sure, it's not the loudest I have played, but it's certainly no slouch. It projects well to my ears.

It's also got a  chime to the tone, probably helped by the spruce top, but reminiscent to me of what I felt about the Moselele Bambookulele instruments the first time I played them (similarly priced too). If anything I find it a little too bright and think it would benefit from a touch more bottom end, but it's not offensive in any way and very 'ukulele' sounding. It's not going to win awards for delicate clarity of tone and dynamic range, but it does what it does competently enough and I  quite liked it.

The constructions doesn't seem to be affecting the tone or accuracy in any way and I think it stands out as a good choice for an absolute beginner wanting something that beats the usual cheap badly made stuff on the market. I'd certainly take this over an overly finished brightly coloured acrylic coated monstrosity or a ukulele billed as 'solid' but made from thick woods - ANY day.

So, sound wise and construction wise, for the price I am finding this to be quite a safe bet.

My main gripe though - I don't think they are easy to find and certainly are not yet in the main dealers I recommend. Yes they can be found on eBay or Amazon sellers shops, but that leaves me with a dilemma because I don't like to recommend those places for buying. Saying all that, the price is an absolute steal, so might be worth a shot?

http://www.aiersiguitar.com

Be sure to read all my other ukulele reviews here

UKULELE PROS

Price
General build quality
Nice gig bag

UKULELE CONS

No side fret markers
Not sure where to buy them reliably

UKULELE SCORES

Looks - 8.5 out of 10
Fit and Finish - 8.5 out of 10
Sound - 8 out of 10
Value for money - 9 out of 10

OVERALL UKULELE SCORE - 8.5 out of 10

UKULELE VIDEO REVIEW






© Barry Maz

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What To Take To The Ukulele Gig

I was looking back over some of my oldest posts on Got A Ukulele and found one, very briefly and clumsily written about what to take in your uke gig bag. Thought it was about time to write a more expanded version.

With many readers considering appearing on stages now as solo artists, in clubs or with bands, I am sure one thing crosses all of their minds - what gear do I need to take with me to a show? I know, the ukulele is small, and the concept of taking a lot of gear probably seems a bit odd to many people who play it, but there will be some 'must carry' items, and some which are a bit more luxurious. I suppose what you take also depends on what sort of show you are playing. There is a world of difference between going out busking acoustically to playing your own solo show where you may be expected to take the amplification as well as the instrument. Likewise playing a dedicated stage at a festival or theatre can be a different experience altogether. What you take needs to be tailored to what you are going to be doing. Most of all though - the gear is your responsibility and not that of the venue.

Warning though - you thought Ukulele Acquisition Syndrome was bad? Beware GAS - 'Gear Acquisition Syndrome'... (I know some people as obsessed with FX pedals, microphones or even instrument cables as they are with ukes..)


THE ESSENTIALS

- The ukulele - Naturally - make sure it is in good order. If it needs batteries, make sure they are fresh. Make sure you are happy with the strings. If they are showing signs of wear, consider changing them. Murphy's Law dictates that if a string is due to break, it will break during a show.

- Spare strings - Think about it - do you really want to be one song in to your set and lose one of your strings? It can and DOES happen. Just keep a spare pack in your gig bag... Simple. And if you use one of them, make sure you top up the pack before the next gig! Of course, another alternative can be found in the Luxury section below.

- Instrument Cable - If you are plugging in, there is every chance that the venue engineer may provide you with necessary cables. But to ASSUME that they will do that is a sure fire way to being caught out. If you amplify this way, carry a cable. Oh, and make sure it's not only 4 feet long.. (There is a bit more detail about cables in the footnote). If you are relying on someone else for cables, you are assuming they have enough, and you are assuming they are in good condition. Sadly, cables for loan at venues are usually pretty dreadful.

- Song sheets / crib notes - If you need them, carry them. You won't want to be without them if you rely on them. Just remember it looks far far better to an audience to have them placed somewhere that doesnt encourage you to stare down into them rather than looking and engaging with the punters!

- Set list - Take a few set lists printed out. What? You don't use a set list? That's very brave. Seriously - it's just a list - you are allowed to depart from it - but a bit of pre-planning for any show makes perfect sense, especially if you play with other people.

- Your tuner - If you use one - pack it (and a spare battery!). Seriously though - when you are plugged in on stage,  if you need to tune, please mute the instrument. Nobody wants to hear you tuning up! And your tuner can be a tuning fork - as Phil Doleman once said to me - it's the only tuner that you can use to eat a Chinese takeaway with after the gig.

- Other essentials that you always use.  - Depends what you use - if you use a strap, take it. If you use a capo - take it. If you use picks, take them.

- Copy of your PLI insurance certificate - This is a whole other subject in itself. Seriously though - more and more venues are asking for insurance these days. You can moan all you like about the concept, but in my experience, with some places you either have it or you don't play. It's as simple as that. Bad advisors are out there telling beginners that the responsibility is for the venue, but that is just plain wrong.  Bad advisors are also saying that performers should tell the venue to get stuffed... Sure, you could do that, but remember, you performing is COMPLETELY up to the venue.. Turning up and saying 'yes we have it, but the certificate is at home' is the same as not having it at all.  It's like telling a policeman your car insurance is 'in the post'... Keep a photocopy in your gig bag. There is more on insurance for musicians in this post.

THE VERY HELPFUL

These will very much depend on how you gig and the sort of venues you are playing, so tailor them to fit.

- FX Pedals - Not for everyone I suppose, but if you do use pedals - make sure you have all you need, have batteries or power leads for ALL of them and all interconnect cables. Once again, don't assume an engineer will have all this for you. Your responsibility - make sure it's all ready to go! Ideally - have them set out on a pedal board you can pack into a small suitcase with the interconnect cables already in place. Then it's just a case of plugging in the power, plugging the uke in one side and the other to the amp and you are ready to go. Nobody wants to watch you build your pedal rig every time you start a gig.

- Your own microphone - Sure, a lot of venues will provide microphones, but some don't. Even if they do, you may prefer not to use one that has been drooled into by a hundred other stage performers. Nothing wrong with swapping your own in place - just tell the engineer before meddling so they know. Oh, and perhaps carry a spare mic clip - always useful.

- Microphone stand - If you are using your own mic - well.. naturally - a stand makes sense..

- Extra cables - that is - extra cables for EVERYTHING - If you plug your uke in - take a spare instrument lead. If you use your own microphone, take a spare cable for that. If you use power cables, take spares. Cables DO eventually just give up the ghost and you can spend forever trying to track down a bad connection. You don't want to be doing that with five minutes to show time.  Often just easier to say, 'fine, I'll work on that bad cable tomorrow - for now though I'll just swap this spare in place and get on with the show'...

- Spare batteries - See above - spares for your spares...

- Clothes Pegs / string or twine - Just because they are useful for holding a multitude of things, but not as useful as...

- Duck Tape - Is it Duck or Duct? Is it Gaffer tape? Whatever - there is no item on the planet that cannot be jerry fixed into working at short notice with this stuff. Good for taping down cables to the floor so you don't kill your audience by tripping them. I even saw somebody once attach a strap to a broken pin by taping their guitar to the strap. Where would we be without this stuff?

- Peg winder - If you do need to change strings - these things cost pennies and will make the whole thing less painful for the audience (and you).

- Spare picks / spare strap / more spare strings - If you use them, then why not? They are small - fit them in the front pocket of your bag and in any spare spaces in your gear. Picks also have an uncanny knack of not being where you left them. Carry a load in your pockets if you use them. As for more strings - well, if you have stack of string packs at home, leaving them in your gig bag is probably the best place for them.

- Screwdriver -  Again - they are small. You never have a screwdriver when you need one..  Seriously, I have changed fuses on 13 Amp plugs on stage before now, but at the very least they can be used for tightening friction pegs.

- Music stand - Hey - if you use one! Have you thought about a clip on light for it - you can't guarantee a lot of light on stage to allow you to read.. Oh, and that's where clothes pegs also come in handy for outdoor gigs.

- Sharpie - Nothing worse than making alterations to a set list or song sheet with a biro that is running out so you then can't read it. Make it clear. But hey - Sharpies are just handy for all sorts of things..

- Toolkit - I've covered some tools above, but you might want to consider a fuller toolkit to take with you. Speaking as someone who has taken a lighting rig apart pre-gig and rewired several microphone cables, trust me - they do get used.

- Pocket torch - A small Maglite can be invaluable for finding things on a dark stage.

- Power reel - Sure, most performance venues will provide you with some power sockets on stage, but it is your responsibility to have the extension reels to get power to where you want it. It may be helpful to carry a range - a longer reel and some shorter extension bars. Again, remember Murphy's Law. If your gear requires X number of plug sockets, you can guarantee that the venue has one less than you need.



THE LUXURIES

So, where do we stop with these? I suppose some are more luxurious than others, but worth thinking about.

- DI Box - Basically a box that turns your unbalanced ukulele signal (with a jack socket) into a balanced signal suitable for entering a mixing desk on the other side of the room with no issues, degradation of sound (or vice versa). Engineers will love you and may even high five you if you have your own. They are relatively cheap and if you are playing plugged in just one of those things that many people carry. In fact, some wouldn't suggest these should be in the Luxury box at all.

- Spare ukulele - Why worry about the on stage string change when you can just plug in another instrument. Seriously - many people do this - and why not - ukuleles are not that big. Bear in mind, it might not be a string snap that foxes you. I have seen pickup connections fail on stage on more than one occasion. It's happened to me once where I suddenly had zero sound out of the jack socket - swapped to another uke and carried on.

- PA system - The ultimate I suppose is the system that you can pack into your car or van that allows you to perform anywhere there is power - speakers for the audience, perhaps foldback monitors for your vocals - this really is though a whole other discussion point!

- Mixer - If your act involves a number of people and you are currently amplifying individually through small battery amps you may be considering a PA. If you are considering a PA, then a mixer should also be looked at - basically a device to allow you to 'mix' numerous vocals and instruments into one output for the amplification.

- Lighting rig - if you are setting up a show in an otherwise dull room such as a village hall - you would be surprised how much more professional things will look with some lighting. With the advent of LED lighting rigs these days, portable stands offering colour washes can be obtained for very little money compared to the old rigs.

- Spare PA system - A spare just in case... this is getting silly.. (or perhaps not - most professional touring bands carry backup amplifiers)

So generally speaking it's all common sense. Everything will depend on where you are playing - not all of this will apply to busking gigs for instance. Just run through and work out what may apply to you. Hopefully some food for thought though.

Remember this - if YOU are booked, then it is YOUR responsibility to deliver what you said you would. Whilst many venues will assist if they can (and other bands can often assist here), if you turn up and fail to play because you say to the venue 'sorry, I broke a string', 'Sorry, I forgot my words' or 'sorry my instrument cable is broken'- then that is a sure fire ticket to never being asked to play there again. Glitches do happen, but in the wise words of the Cub Scouts - BE PREPARED..

----

A final word on cables. If you are an absolute beginner this may confuse you, but this article is referring to two main types of cable.

Standard instrument cables (for plugging a ukulele into an amplifier) are usually ¼ inch jack cables with a male plug at either end. One goes in to the uke, the other into the amp or mixer. I'm often asked if ukuleles need special cables or will one marked 'guitar' work. The short answer is - a cable for guitar will work perfectly.

Standard instrument ¼ jack plug

Standard microphone cables tend to be balanced XLR cables - these are three pin sockets that connect the microphone to the mixer (or amplifier). The male end goes into the desk or amp, and the female and into the base of the microphone. Confusion arises where you don't have an amplifier that takes and XLR input - for this reason XLR to ¼ inch jack cables are available.

Female end of XLR cable

Finally, an instrument like a ukulele can be plugged into a mixing desk XLR input through the use of a Direct or DI box. With these, you run the ukulele into the box with a standard instrument lead, then run an XLR lead from the box to the amplifier or mixing desk. Generally speaking, in all applications XLR is the better quality option, but in reality, when on stage, plugging in a ukulele will usually use a standard jack lead.







© Barry Maz

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Can We Have More Ukulele Content PLEASE!

I suppose it's a natural oddity of social media and the wider internet - the focus on the quick 'share' the quick 'tweet' or the quick 'like'.  But is it just me that is desperate for more new  CONTENT? New ideas, new opinions rather than just quick fixes? When it comes to the ukulele community I certainly am.

Don't get me wrong - the beauty of social media these days is built on the ease of 'sharing' stuff. It's become the backbone of a big part of it. The ease of anyone to see something for a fleeting moment, giggle, and then click 'like' or 'share' so they immediately feel part of a club or group... like they now 'belong'.  I do it myself, and it makes me smile quite often. But something I have noticed in the interest group that this website belongs to (the ukulele) is a drive toward that kind of content being the 'norm' with actual real content becoming lost in the noise. I don't mean individuals using social media for the way it was intended - I mean the websites and bands who seem to be using it as a replacement for actual content.

In the last few years I have noticed a significant increase in this. Whether they are Facebook ukulele pages with 'like counts' that are growing exponentially, posts on voting sites that get more 'up votes' than anything else or Tweets that are being 'retweeted' more than anything else - the ones that fit that description share one thing more often than not. They are not actually sharing anything at all. It's content in the most basic sense (a 'funny' picture or quote) but it's all been shared before. Bands are starting to fill their Facebook pages, not with footage of the band itself, but with the same memes knowing that they will generate 'likes'. Surely we don't need any more memes that rehash the same old same old 'you need more ukuleles' or 'they ukulele is magical' theme?

What I mean is.. there is actually very little real fresh content that helps the reader beyond that short and transient quick 'meme'. An awful lot of pages now that seem to thrive on sharing pictures of animals / sad looking children / hipsters with beards on beaches or surfboards / inspiring landscapes / old time pictures of music hall artistes who never expected to appear in a meme / random photographs of instruments / pictures of teddies with ukuleles thrust into their mitts / and so on... all complete with a hollow  'inspirational' quote about how the ukulele is 'happy/ funny / all you need' and the like typed in a 'kooky' font. Those are the 'memes'. You've all seen them. You've probably shared them.

And if it isn't the memes, it's the growing habit of sharing Amazon review scores to create some sort of faux review page for instruments. In other words, pages that say 'my advice on what ukulele to buy is based on a bunch of reviews from strangers on Amazon'. We can read Amazon for that...

Of course people are absolutely right to share and post whatever they like, and they readers are free to like / retweet / up vote whatever they like too.  That's fine.  The majority wins of course. But when pages and bands are using that tactic as the main source of content  to garner likes, what is going on here?

It's well known that many groups, such as financial scammers are using sites like Facebook to 'farm' 'likes' in order to sell such pages on for profit (a gathering of contact details from hundreds of saps who click on those ' share this when you spot the letter C' or 'what is the first word you saw', or the 'What Disney Princess are you?' posts.) They are all devices to generate 'likes' that can then be traded on. But I actually don't think that is what is happening in ukulele circles at all.

I see ukulele pages, clubs and bands that do this who appear to have genuine aspirations for building their names in the community and from whom I get no sense that selling a page on for a profit has ever occurred to them or is part of their plan. They are merely on the drive for 'likes'. And actually, I suppose there is nothing wrong with that either I guess, assuming you are not using likes for some evil plan we don't know about...  Likes on pages mean that posts on pages are more likely to appear on other peoples timelines. Run a page with no likes, you may as well be shouting your content into an empty field - nobody is listening. But to choose to gain that popularity by using lowest common denominator stuff seems to be missing an opportunity to create something that really makes people think or is really helpful. Surely? And with bands -  what do you want to see on a band page? Content of the band (music, videos etc) or generic memes about rainbows and ukuleles? Why not try and build the fanbase with actual content?

But this is all avoiding my real point. If you are like me, you enjoy NEW content on the internet that relates to your interest. I WANT to read more stuff, opinions, reviews, interviews, ideas, tips, lessons, you name it connected to the ukulele. I WANT to see new bands and in particular I want to see and hear their performances. I want to be challenged with new ideas. I want to see differing ideas about things I have written about - different perspectives.  Yet, the sad fact is, that with only a small number of exceptions, those getting the BIG likes are sharing nothing more than generic, meaningless (and most importantly) unhelpful stuff. What's worse is that I see that sites where people are actually going to the trouble of actually trying to write and create interesting new content, when I can see they have spent hours on writing an article,  are not getting the same responses as the lazier site who merely shared a picture of a unicorn with a ukulele on it's back replete with an inspirational quote. The limited content out there is not getting through. Is that just a case of 'tough cheese'? Perhaps, and sad if it is.

Are readers lazy? Do readers not have enough time? Are readers not interested in anything other than the meaningless and quick? Are the true content writers actually not of any interest? I actually don't think any of those things are really true, but it can appear that way. I've certainly considered hanging up my keyboard on this site on many occasions. But I keep going because I think readers are always desperate for new and interesting information on the internet, but most are getting no further than the 'quick fix' of the tepid and meaningless in the fast world we now live in. And it concerns me where that will end.

Hang on Barry - this is clearly a push for your own site? Well in part, yes, I suppose so, but only insofar as I genuinely think that I don't share stuff on here willy nilly that doesn't have a lot work behind it. But I am not the only one. The point of the post (if you have read this far..) is to actually champion the sites that ARE actually writing stuff that I think is helpful and relevant. In other words, it's not just me trying to do this.

Most readers of Got A Ukulele will know the daddy of ukulele websites in the form of Ukulele Hunt. Al Wood continues to drive that site forward - always original, always useful and never pointless or trite. But what of newer sites? Another fairly recent newcomer is the work of Dave at 'Ukulele Go' - one of the few sites that has prompted me to actually bookmark them in recent years. It's great to see another take on artists and instruments and he has created some great beginner posts as he shares his development with the ukulele and his desire to help others. Simon Taylors 'Cool Cat Ukes' also springs to mind (some great reviews and interviews, just wish he would do more) and Tim Szerlongs Ukeeku (a site that persuaded me to get into doing instrument reviews) also fits the bill as a page with genuine content.

Of course there are probably others, and if they are absent in my mentions  here I am afraid that is probably more likely to do with them being lost behind the noise of the meaningless that pervades social media channels. Please, don't be offended.

If, on the other hand,  you enjoy sharing pictures of kittens with ukuleles please continue to do so. It can be fun I guess, and it makes the world go around. If you are not a website writer or band, absolutely you should have fun with these things and this post isn't suggesting that you stop that. Providers of content though? Ask yourselves this... What if that was all there was? What if all those giving up their time writing about artists, instruments, teaching and the instrument in general just stopped tomorrow? What if the only thing that was left were memes of sunsets, kittens and people on boats in lakes with ukuleles coupled with a quote that doesn't really mean anything? What if nobody was actually sharing an opinion about anything save for copied and pasted Amazon instrument reviews and a general assumption that everything in ukulele land is wonderful? No thanks.

Surely the majority of us want more than that?

Support real content. This stuff takes time. And at times it can be sorely tempting to give this all up and leave the ukulele channels to the meaningless.

IF you enjoyed this article - be sure to read the rest of my Ukulele Rants here!



© Barry Maz

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Phil Doleman and Ian Emmerson - Can't Get Enough Of That Stuff - REVIEW

I think many in the ukulele world were rather delighted to see Ian Emmerson appear on stage again with his old partner in crime Phil Doleman. Well, they've taken it a step further and I've been lucky enough to have an early copy of their forthcoming EP to have a listen to. "Can't Get Enough Of That Stuff".

I believe this is the first commercial release of the two as a duo since their 2013 album 'Turn'. But it's a release with a slight difference. This one isn't a pure ukulele album. Phil is not just using a ukulele but also returning to an instrument he has been playing even longer and Ian is not playing ukulele at all...  People who understand my dislike of the 'it's ukulele or nothing' brigade will understand my excitement. What matters to me is the quality of the music rather than what it is played on it. Of course, being two people forever associated with the uke, and with Phil playing uke on some tracks (his Argapa resonator I believe), it's absolutely right to feature on Got A Ukulele.

So after a long period of jamming together in this new guise, putting out the occasional video and performing the occasional show as a pair, they have delivered a brand new EP of six songs. Performed with Phil on either ukulele or tenor banjo and Ian on acoustic guitar it also represents a change of sound and dynamic from what they have produced before. Recorded in a truly traditional fashion, they recorded all of these tracks as a pair into a single condenser microphone with no overdubs or meddling. I like that.

We open with 'Wild Man Blues', a song credited to both Louis Armstrong and Jelly Roll Morton and you get an idea of the feel of the EP.  Jazzy blues banjo picking by Phil together with his old timey vocal and rhythm backing from Ian on guitar.

'Police Dog Blues' is up next and a favourite of mine from this selection. A song penned by 'Blind Man' Phelps and covered by all sorts of people (including Hugh Laurie) it shows off Phil's impeccable finger picking style.

Another song from Jelly Roll Morton in 'Winin' Boy'. It's as laid back and smooth as you like. For me it's the only one of these that I've heard performed by others on ukulele before now so immediately caught my attention as I know the song quite well.

'Fine Artiste Blues' is a cracker and sees Phil back to banjo and Ian joining on backing vocals. It's one of those songs that sounds older than it is - it's actually from the 1970's and was originally released by and outfit called R. Crumb and his Cheap Suit Serenaders. (The R. Crumb being Robert Crumb, the US cartoonist). It's funny, whimsical and a track that you cannot help tapping the foot to. The are fine artistes indeed. I will leave it to others to decide if they deserve to be kissed... (only joking - the song is a dig at the expectations of grandeur from certain 'artistes' - not something that I think could be levelled at either of these two).

Title track 'Can't Get Enough Of That Stuff' is one I've heard them play before as it is one of the first videos they put out in the ukulele / guitar guise a few months back. Little did we know then that there was an EP coming. Originally by Tom Dorsey and The Famous Hokum Boys, it fits the mood of the EP perfectly, bounces along well and has a lovely melodic repeating riff from Phil on the ukulele throughout.

Closing track, the Big Bill Broonzy penned 'Trouble In Mind'  is my favourite without a doubt. Phil on banjo, Ian on guitar, sublime harmonies in the vocals. It's got a feel of old Hank Williams songs, or the earliest Beatles / Quarrymen track 'In Spite Of All The Danger'. It's laid back yet pretty and comes complete with a nice guitar solo from Ian in the middle. I think it's the harmonies that just wrap the EP up perfectly. A couple of great musicians and great friends doing what they love to do. Close and in tune with each other on both the instruments and on the vocals.

So those are the tracks. But what do I really think? Well I genuinely think it's a superb set of performances that I've loved to leave playing. Listening to it through genuinely had me smiling.  Few people will know that I have a long standing love for this kind of music that takes me back to my childhood. Sure, it's old time jazzy and bluesy, but I get a kind of old time folky country feel from it (hence my mention of Hank Williams above). Not sure if that is what they were going for, (I doubt it) but there you go. Either way, it reminds me of weekend afternoons at an Uncles house who had the largest collection of old US records I have ever seen. This would have fitted in to that soundtrack perfectly. It's a collection that feels warmly familiar despite me not having heard them perform all of these before. Surely that's the mark of something that is hitting the spot?

As for the recording sound - that single mic has worked brilliantly. It sounds like Phil and Ian are sitting in your living room with their instruments and playing for you personally. And aside from the fact that Ian would probably complain you were not making him enough cups of tea, I can assure you - that is something that you would want to happen.

Readers will know I have been a fan of Phil's solo work and their works a pair before that for some time, so this may come as no surprise. But there is a new twist here. The addition of Ian on guitar really fattens and broadens the sound in a good way. That's not a criticism of Phil's earlier solo releases, but you know - one man, one ukulele - it's always going to sound thinner. But then, remember that this ISN'T a ukulele album - it just features a uke on some of it. And for me, who likes to encourage a breadth of musical instrument playing rather than rigidly devoting yourself to just one, this is a very good thing.

Highly recommended.

Can't Get Enough Of That Stuff will be available to purchase from the Phil Doleman website at the beginning of March (possibly earlier!). Head over to his site to have a listen to some excerpts from the EP now. You can also see them performing as a duo again at this years Grand Northern Ukulele Festival amongst other venues.

http://phildoleman.co.uk



© Barry Maz

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Trying To Put The Myth That The Ukulele Is Easy To Bed Once And For All

Oh here he goes again... Barry is back with his usual rant about how he finds the suggestion that the 'ukulele is easy' to be unhelpful.. Again..... So what's new here?

Well not a lot I suppose, the media are still trotting it out.  But since I did my rant on the subject I did then get a lot of blog comments, social media comments and emails telling me I was just wrong.  You know - the usual... People saying, 'I think it is easy, so there' kind of stuff, and there was a LOT of it. Yet, something didn't sit quite right for me. You see, alongside those dismissing my post were several people who emailed me with quite heartfelt messages to say, yes, they agreed with the rant - and passionately.   That they were glad someone spoke up for them. They didn't find the ukulele easy when starting and more importantly for me, they found the endless statements that it IS easy to be off putting, counter productive and made them feel useless. I think that is a horrible way for someone to feel, but were they isolated cases? I hatched a plan.

Eagle eyed readers will note that on the left hand panel of this site for the last couple of months has been a poll asking a very simple question with a 'yes or no' answer. Nothing loaded, nothing pushy and I haven't promoted it anywhere. I just put the poll up and left it there to see what would happen (not expecting much to be honest).

The question was:

'Being honest, when starting out with the ukulele, did you find it 'easy'?'

As simple as that. Then people started clicking their answers..... in their droves.

And the results were actually quite startling. Not only did over 15,000 of you spot the poll and register your vote, but the results were frankly a landslide for the NO camp - that is to say, 98% of respondents did NOT find the ukulele easy when starting out. I was wrong to have worried about the validity of the rant it would seem. (and no, I don't know why Blogger only tally up those percentages to 99% either...!)

Yes, yes, I know polls can be flawed, and can't be relied on totally. And of course this is just a poll of my readers, so not the world at large. But it was a big response (equivalent to the attendance of a couple of the worlds largest ukulele festivals put together), and that is a pretty massive mandate for the NO camp.

Why does any of this matter? Well I think the media, brands and other players (driven by the brands perhaps, or the brands feeding off the media?) are sending the wrong message to new players. I know when questioned on the subject they come back with qualifications like 'ah.. but what we mean is, it's easy compared to many other instruments' or the equally lame, 'yes, but I found it easy, so there...'. The other common defence is, 'but it IS easy to get started with'. You know what though, talking to some beginners I am not sure that is the case either.  And the messages that are forever trotted out don't go into that detail. The message that goes out is simply that it IS 'easy' and doesn't come with any qualification. We are simply told that 'it just IS'. And of course that comes with an inference that if you don't find it that way, then there is something wrong with you. You've failed.

So the effect that creates is that it makes people who do struggle (and based on the poll statistics, that's an awfully big percentage of you) feel like they are doing something wrong, feeling useless and (my worst fear) actually giving up because they don't think they can do it. Think about it - everything you read about the ukulele tells you it is EASY, the dealer tells you it is easy, poor quality YouTube tutors tell you it is easy, the TV and newspapers tell you it's easy... and you try it and find that it actually, no it isn't after all.  Perhaps your hands ache, your fingertips hurt, you can't stretch to reach some chords, you can't get a steady rhythm, you tangle up in the strings, and many many more things challenge you... I think it's reasonable to expect that some people might probably ditch the instrument because they assume they cannot master it.  I mean.. everyone said it was easy, right? And I think that is a crying shame.

Is there a merit to saying it is easy? I've thought long about that argument but can't come up with a rational justification. Perhaps it encourages people to try to play the ukulele? Perhaps. But at the expense of making some people feel useless? No thanks. For me it's used far too much, and usually hand in hand with the myth that 'ukuleles are cheap'. It devalues the instrument, makes out that it isn't serious and ultimately only helps one sector, the sellers, to sell more. Aside from some trusted specialists out there who do care, the ukulele bandwagon has been well and truly jumped on by generic music stores in every country. Do you think that Guitar Center give a damn how YOU get on with your purchase? Don't kid yourselves.

The point I keep trying to make is connected to an assumption that I really don't understand. The assumption that the ukulele owes you some sort of 'right' to be easy. That the 'easy thing' is guaranteed and part of the deal. That's a crazy assumption.  It really doesn't. And I do find the assumption that it has to be easy is one of the things that drives people to avoid difficult chords, or to cheat or not develop their playing - almost like they don't want to play anything challenging because it would disprove their view that it is easy! See my point?

So please, please, please media, brands, dealers, players - stop telling people the ukulele is easy with your lazy journalism that simply reaches for the last ukulele article you saw (the one with a picture of Tiny Tim and / or George Formby) and just trots out the same garbage EVERY time. Try actually speaking to a ukulele player, in particular, a beginner - ask them what they thought! It's what I did.  In fact, try remembering how it was for you. You know what? Saying that you became accomplished on the ukulele with no trouble at all is NOT a badge of honour that impresses me.

And if you are a beginner reading this and struggling with your ukulele in the early days and weeks. Remember - you are not alone - most other people felt the same way.  Stick with it. It can be a challenge for many reasons, but that's nothing unusual, you are NOT failing and it's totally worth persevering.

Have fun!

Be sure to read all my other ukulele rants here - a refuge of sanity in the ukulele madness!



© Barry Maz

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