Uke Blog

Find that chord...

2004-10-14T21:42:00.000-07:00

There are lots of handy-dandy little chord charts on the market, but for my money, I like the Hal Leonard book the best. Tons of chords in different positions. An invaluable resource when you are trying to learn chords and the notes they consist of.

Blog stuff...

2004-10-13T14:00:00.000-07:00

Off the Uke topic momentarily, I just found a great site with tons of useful tips on making your blog more dynamic. Check out Mandarin Design. Great stuff. All kinds of things about making your web page better. For instance, I didn't know how to left justify this picture and make my text wrap until I visited their site. Well worth the time.

Good song books...

2004-10-13T06:11:00.000-07:00

As you may have noticed after picking up the uke, there's not exactly a goldmine of information and sheet music available to the average player. Enter Jim Beloff. The pied Piper of the modern Ukulele movement. Jim has done more for the instrument in the last ten years than just about anyone else, including publishing a dearth of great songbooks with arrangements that are specifically for Ukulele. I have been slowly working my way through "Jumpin' Jim Goes Hollywood" for the last few months and thoroughly enjoying it. All the Beloff books are available on Amazon and they all come highly recommended. Here is the link to the "Hollywood" book.

Ukein' on the Beeb

2004-10-12T15:33:00.001-07:00

BBC article and sound bytes about the Ukulele renaissance and the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain Link here

Ah, Martin...

2004-10-06T04:52:00.000-07:00

Want to learn about the history of the most sought after vintage ukulele on the planet? Trip on over to Bruddah Bu's site and take a tour of the Martin legacy.

Make a uke...

2004-10-05T14:20:00.000-07:00

Can't afford a flea? Well, then make one out of tupperware. What? Yep. You heard right. The darned thing actually sounds good even though it looks like hell.

Plans here

Wanna change those strings?

2004-10-05T13:09:00.001-07:00

Few ukes come with strings that you'll be happy with, but changing them can be a daunting proposition if you've never done it before. Check out the Kawika website for full instructions on the art of the string change.

The Hoosier Hotshots

2004-09-30T11:03:00.005-07:00

Even though there’s no Uke in this band, I still love these guys and think you will too. Proper records has just put out a terrific boxed set called "everybody Stomp" with 100 great Hotshots tunes that is really well thought out and retails for under $25. Who could ask for more?

Here’s some history of the band quoted from Hoosier Hotshots.com

"The story of the Hoosier Hot Shots begins on a farm near Arcadia, Indiana, about 20 miles north of Indianapolis. It was here on September 13, 1903, that Kenneth Trietsch first saw the light of day. He was to be one of a family of four girls and five boys, children of parents with musical inclinations that included a banjo-playing father.

About 18 months after Kenneth's birth, Mrs. Trietsch, on April 11, 1905, gave birth to another son who was given the name Paul. It was these two brothers, Ken and Paul, who, because of their love of music and entertaining, eventually formed the nucleus of the Hoosier Hot Shots.

Except for a brief period when the family lived in Georgia and Alabama, the Trietsch brothers spent their formative years in rural Indiana, not far from where they had been born. By the time he was five years old Ken was coaxing melodies from a tuba which, since it was almost as large as he was, had to be placed in a chair before he could play it. In high school he won prizes for his corn crops and played in a 65-piece concert band. While still a young man he went off to New York where he played in the Paul Whiteman and Vincent Lopez orchestras.

Meanwhile, younger brother Paul was developing a taste for music which, due to household circumstances, took somewhat of an unorthodox turn…."more

Here’s a link to the boxed set:

We like Ike...

2004-09-29T08:18:00.000-07:00

Another Ukulele luminary that everyone should know about. I discovered Cliff "Ukulele Ike" Edwards about a year ago and since then, his music has been in heavy rotation on my cd player. Actor/singer Edwards appeared in over 100 motion pictures and sold over 74 million records. For the best Biography information on Ukulele Ike you should check out David Garrick's excellent site and also make sure to visit The Red Hot Jazz Archive.

Here are my top three Cliff Edwards albums:

Got Old Sheet Music?

2004-09-28T06:57:00.001-07:00

One of my favorite antiques to hunt for is old sheet music. It's usually cheap and the graphics are great. The best thing about sheet music is that antique dealers can't get rid of the stuff fast enough. They hate it. I recently bought a lot of 40 pieces from a dealer in New Hampshire for $15. The other cool thing is that almost every piece of music that you pick up (20s,30's,40's) has a Ukulele arrangement. So, you can play it or display it. Be aware though that a lot of the music of the 20's and 30's is arranged for D tuning (A,D,F#,B), so you'll have to transpose it if you are used to playing in C tuning (G,C,E,A). Happy hunting.

If any of you have Uke related (picture of ukulele on cover or the word "Ukulele" in the title) sheet music, that you'd like to sell or trade , lemme know. Here's a couple of favorites that I've found lately:

DaSilva Ukes...

2004-09-27T05:59:00.000-07:00

Mike at the Uke Expo 2004

While at the Ukulele Expo earlier this month, I got a chance to meet and talk to Mike DaSilva of the DaSilva Ukulele Company. I also got to play some of the gorgeous instruments that he has been producing in his shop in Oakland, CA. As expected, they sound phenomenal. Light, loud and warm. Mike also happens to be a really nice guy who cares a lot about what he's doing. You can check out Mike's site here.

Oh and he also has a monthly giveaway, so even if you are a little light in the pocketbook, you still have a chance to own one of these small wonders.

What's the best Uke to start with? Or, Flea me.

2004-09-26T10:33:00.000-07:00

The question everyone wants answered is "what kind of uke should I get?" There are a ton of $20 - $35 Ukes on the market and I can't emphasize enough just how much these instruments suck. They will serve you well for about four months until you can't stand the "plinky" sound of them any longer. So, my first advice is to spend a little extra money and get something that you'll be happy with for a good long time. I started with a Lanikai LU-21. A fine little instrument that retails for around $55 - $75, depending on where you shop. I was pretty happy with my choice for some time until I started playing melodies up the neck and chords in second position. The Lanikai just didn't sound quite right as I reached for the higher notes. Enter The Flea. The first time I played this little uke in my local music store, I was absolutely floored by it's tone and good looks. It had great volume and intonation as I moved around the neck as well. Since that day I've noticed more and more Fleas at uke events and in stock in the music stores around town. And for good reason. It's a damn fine Ukulele for the money. So, if you think you're going to stick with the Uke and you can afford to spend a little more green, the Flea is definitely for you.
Check it out here:
Flea Soprano Ukulele (Assorted Colors)

George Formby...

2004-09-26T08:23:00.000-07:00

This year, English clown prince and uke virtuoso George Formby was inducted in to the Ukulele Hall of Fame Museum. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Formby's career, I offer up this partial biography, excerpted from the website of the George Formby Society:

"The show business career of George Formby spanned exactly FORTY YEARS, beginning in 1921 until his death in 1961. During that period he appeared in 21 hit films, cut over 230 records, made hundreds of stage performances, appeared in two Royal Command Performances and entertained an estimated THREE MILLION Allied Servicemen and women during World War II throughout Europe and the Middle East. Although he never performed in the U.S.A. he did make personal appearances and was quite popular in Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

By 1939, George Formby was the most popular and highest paid entertainer in the British Isles and was estimated to be earning over £100,000 a year. The secret of his success was a unique combination of personality, natural ability and talent coupled with the driving force of his wife, Beryl as his Manager. With his natural human warmth and friendliness, George could hold a live audience in the palm of his hand as he sang and played the ukulele in his own inimitable style. He seemed to have the ability to make people enjoy what he did, and his audiences always called for more."

This reasonably priced boxed set has all the famous Formby songs like Swimmin' with the Wimmin, My Little Ukulele, The Window Cleaner, and Leaning on a Lamp Post. Check it out here:

Ralph Shaw Rocks!!

2004-09-26T08:05:00.000-07:00

While at the Uke Expo in the Pocono Mountains, I took a class from Ralph Shaw, a British ex-pat/ukulele virtuoso living in Canada. His class was one of the absolute highlights of the weekend. So impressed was I that I immediately bought his instructional DVD and was not disappointed. In sixty minutes, Mr. Shaw takes you from simple strums and tuning to the George Formby Split Stroke. All of which is presented with humor and clarity. If you buy one Uke instruction video, make it this one.

Visit Ralph's site here

Just Doodlin'

2004-09-25T21:29:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Ukeboy Blog...

2004-09-25T20:53:00.000-07:00

I've decided to maintain a seperate blog dealing exclusively with my Ukulele adventures. Visit often.