Uke Hunt Retrospective

I do sometimes have it brought home to me that not everyone hangs on every single word I say. Hard to believe, I know. So here are a few things that are popular, good or over-looked that might have slipped by you.

The Most Popular Tabs and Chords

Well, it’s all fairly obvious stuff. Exactly what you’d expect.
Somewhere Over the Rainbow
Beirut
While My Guitar Gently Weeps
Daft Punk’s Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger

Wait! What? Yes, Daft Punk is the fourth most visited tab/chord post on the blog. No, I don’t know why.

My Favourite Tabs and Chords

James Bond Theme – I think it’s the best arrangement I’ve done. Other people tend to think it’s…
Baby Elephant Walk – I like this one but it needs some work.
Sophie Madeleine – Take Your Love With Me – Just a brilliant chord progression.
Davy Graham – Angi
Naked As We Came – yeah, it was only yesterday. But I like it.

I Should Have Just Stayed in Bed

I toiled for hours. Deep into the night I sat playing. Sweat dripping from my brow. Blood dripping from my fingers.

Bollocks to you James Earl Jones. Sometimes you build it and no-one comes.

Carl Ray Villaverde’s version of Tears in Heaven
Chopin’s Funeral March
Mara Carlyle’s Baby Bloodheart

The How to Play Ukulele eBooks

I’m reliably informed by proper internet marketing people that I should sell my ukulele ebooks a lot harder than I do. Because most people visiting Uke Hunt would have no idea they existed – I’m sure quite a few regulars might not know – and those that do know they exist might not know that I’m the one who wrote them.

I don’t want to go all hard sell on them, but I will make them a bit more obvious. Because I think they’re really good and I’m proud of them.

The Interviews

Most viewed:

Rod Thomas – this one has been viewed over 10,000 times. I couldn’t be happier to give him any exposure I can – he’s the nicest guy in the world. And I have a man-crush on him.
Kate Micucci – is also very sweet. But I don’t fancy her as much as I do Rod.

My faves:

Gus from GUGUG
Dean ‘Minor Constellations’ Engle and Madeline Ava – Both insanely talented young lyricists. Dean has released a new album which you can download free on Rack & Ruin Records (click the album cover). Madeline’s stuff has disappeared from the interwebs along with CLLCT (*sobs*). After reading about her on here, Dean asked Madeline to marry him. I’m still hoping it’s going to happen – it’d make me the happiest blog-pimp in the world.

Useful Stuff

Slash chords – People are always asking, “how do you play B/C on a ukulele?” or some such. I think part of the problem is that people don’t know what to Google when they have that problem. So if you don’t know what a slash chord is, read the post now.
Blues scale and Pentatonic scale – essential if you ever want to do any improvising and solo shenanigans.
10 Reasons You Need to Buy a New Ukuele – psychologists say that people buy based on emotion then search for logical reasons to justify it. That’s certainly true of a lot of uke purchases.

Some Things Just Don’t Catch On

Me (in August 2007): Hey, here’s an idea. Why don’t I do a post with photos of me making stupid faces? And I’ll have a little test-what-you’ve-learnt bit at the end. Wow, everyone’s going to be really engaged with this post. I should do this all the time.

The Internet: Zero comments.

View Comments

16 Comments

  1. Cluggers June 17th, 2009 6:56 pm

    I personally am very engaged with this thread.
    (Is it single?)
    I’ve missed many of the things on here so am looking them up RIGHT NOW.
    So you see, it was worth it.
    x
    K

  2. Jeff June 17th, 2009 7:14 pm

    That’s a real shame about Carl Ray Villaverde’s Tears in Heaven. It’s absolutely beautiful. Even though it’ll take years and years (and years) of ukulele practice for me to be able to play it like he does, that doesn’t stop me from trying. I think trying to learn a song so far above my skill level like this has really taught me more about the uke than any of the more manageable (still wonderful) tabs you post.

    Thanks for tabbing that out. It really inspires me.

    Jeff

  3. Hello Jodi June 17th, 2009 7:29 pm

    I hang on every word, really!

    I need to get my freakishly small hands on those eBooks for sure.

    And the scale posts: hadn’t seen them and going to be totally useful! Thanks Al, you’re the best!

  4. tinyfolk June 17th, 2009 7:40 pm

    I think you are one of the few people who would want to try to figure out a chord progression for funsies. but goodness knows i’m glad you folks are out there.

  5. Woodshed June 17th, 2009 8:05 pm

    Cluggers: Thanks, hope you find the stuff useful. (The engaged bit was a reference to the old post – I’ll have to edit that bit).

    Jeff: It is an incredible arrangement. He’s a really classy player.

    Jodi: Thanks for being an uber-fan!

    tinyfolk: Am I that strange? Wait, don’t answer that.

  6. Bob Guz June 17th, 2009 8:48 pm

    Love the site, love the eBooks. “I think they’re really good and I’m proud of them.” Justifiably so. They are all very well done.

    You didn’t mention my personal guilty pleasure: the weekly Window Shopping feature. I look forward to it every Friday afternoon as my work week is winding down.

    Thanks!

  7. MC Safety June 17th, 2009 10:51 pm

    How disappointing that Chopin’s Funeral March isn’t more popular. I like you arrangement of it a lot.

    In general I just like Chopin.

  8. Minamin June 18th, 2009 1:33 am

    Why am I just now learning of cllct’s passing? I had so many Super Famicom albums to get!

  9. todd June 18th, 2009 2:12 pm

    Ah, the Gus Raucous interview……

    why is there no “Sugar Daddy” or “Sugar Mommy” bankrolling their exploits to the benefit of us all?

    hmmmmfff!!!

    thanks Al :)

    Todd

  10. Byjimini June 18th, 2009 2:17 pm

    Davy Graham’s Angie, brilliant. Sounds a hell of a lot like Stray Cat Strut, too. :)

  11. HumbleUker Jeff June 18th, 2009 2:27 pm

    Al;

    My daily dose of the uke vitamin AL to go with the vitamin U. Sometimes I tell myself I need a sobatical. To become cloistered just me, the uke and your Blues Ukulele book (or one of my 35 other books) and play. To become a better listener. To write some songs.

    Then reality hits and I’m back to work again. In today’s economy – that’s a blessing.

    Jeff

  12. Woodshed June 18th, 2009 6:42 pm

    Bob: Thanks very much. I enjoy putting the window shopping posts together, but they’re a real wallet threatener. I didn’t include any here because they tend to go out of date once the auctions I link to have ended.

    MC Safety: It is a particularly unsuitable tune to play on the uke – so I understand why it’s not so popular.

    Minamin: Yeah, it’s sad. You can read about it here.

    todd: It was originally longer than it is now. Gus made me edit half of his musical history out. Which was a shame.

    Byjimini: It does? *Goes to listen to Stray Cat Strut* Yeah, I can see where you’re coming from.

    Jeff: Thanks.

  13. Rob NY June 19th, 2009 4:53 am

    Nice post Al. All you give us is useful and interesting.Don’t know what I would do without ukehunt. All ukehunts should go to Als just giving page and donate a few bucks, or pounds,to help him achieve his goal. A small gesture of thanks for all the joy and pleasure ukehunt brings.

  14. Elijah Wilbury June 19th, 2009 5:45 am

    Funny, I always liked the Chopin tabs as well :)

  15. bender June 19th, 2009 8:30 am

    Loving the Funeral March. Take the happiest instrument on the planet and play the slowest, darkest composition ever on it.

  16. Woodshed June 21st, 2009 8:12 pm

    Rob: Thanks for that.

    Elijah: Must be one of those love it or hate it things.

    bender: Thanks very much. The constrast is certainly interesting.

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