Mr B – The Crack Song After a couple of his cover medleys it’s about time I did one of Mr B’s own tunes. And, I have to say, it makes a pleasant change to write out the lyrics of someone with good diction. I did the chord sheet based on the version on O.G. […]

I included Emily Scott in my post about ukuleles at the Edinburgh Fringe mostly because I was intrigued by the idea of combining ukulele with a string quartet. After that, she got in touch and was kind enough to send a copy of her album, i write letters i never send, and I was blown […]

Videos this week include: a duet between Cliff ‘Ukulele Ike’ Edwards and Buster Keaton (which I think I’ve posted before but is well worth another spin), two from Liverpudlian swingers The Flamin’ Mamies, Mr B and plenty more. If you’ve got the patience for it and tolerance for lofi recording there’s a new, 8 minute […]

Germans in Grass Skirts?: A history of Martin ukuleles (Via @UkeTeeCee). David’s official uke rules. Including: – Don’t say you play the ukulele if you just own one and don’t touch it. – Don’t be an overly happy asshole – Don’t constantly flit around reminding everyone you play the ukulele… – …Unless you’re James Hill. […]

Walk On By (Tab) Is this the first time I’ve done a Burt Bacharach song? I think so. And it’s a huge omission. One that Shireen of Mighty Ukulele suggested I fix. I’m playing this mostly fingerstyle. The only strumming is done where you see the arrows in the tab. Most of these are finger-strums. […]

When I announced I was switching to posting one-week-on, one-week-off the main reaction was, “yeah, but you’re still going to do the UkeTube every week, right?” No, I’m not. But I am going to do something better. When Donnie announced that he was going to bring UkeToob.com to an end I immediately begged him to […]

Beirut – Port of Call (Chords) I’m working my way through this album from the outside in. I did the opening track here and here’s the album’s closer. This song has many of the features you’d expect of a Beirut ukulele song: it’s in waltz time, there’s a hammer-on from a second to a major […]

Videos this week include lightening picking from sanford ‘automatic inclusion’ andsong, zombie rocking from the Darling Sweets and this week’s non-uke video from Seth Lakeman and his tenor guitar.

A bumper crop of Martins this week: – Martin 5K – 30’s 2M – Martin Style 3 (I think this is the one I’d go for) – 1932 Martin 2K And this one covered in beads. I’m not sure how it could play, “like a million dollars,” and sound, “fantastic,” with all that stuff on […]

100 ukulele players help to open the Rugby World Cup. Charlie McDonnell has become the first UK vlogger to cross the million subscribers mark and the press coverage has really focussed on his uke playing. Including on ITV’s Daybreak (another video here if you’re outside the UK). Ukulele for Dummies has picked up its first […]