It used to be that you could only legally post covers of public domain songs to YouTube. But last year YouTube struck up a deal with music publisher. That meant publishers who opted would get money from cover versions and nobody would get in trouble. Which would be great except when Andy Baio at Wired tried to find out what was on the list no one could tell him. Which leaves us back in the situation of uploading stuff and hoping for the best. Ho hum.

I got frustrated with reading books and immediately forgetting everything about them. So I’ve taken to writing up a self inflicted book report when I finish one. Sometimes they’re ukulele related (Ralph Shaw’s The Ukulele Entertainer), sometimes music related Cultural Appropriation and the Arts and sometimes neither (Zimbabwe: Years of Hope and Disapir).

The Slack Key Show always has great performances – and I’ve featured quite a few here. Now you can buy a ‘Best of…’ DVD.

PBS documentary on Kamaka.

Pictures: Scenes from my living room, No job, Mr Jack, I disagree with this t-shirt.

New release: The Future Laureates’ Fortress Sessions.

Giving a ukulele a swirly paintjob.

The Guitar Riffs for Ukulele series is mostly packed with rock music. But I like to broaden things out a bit now and then. So here’s a bunch of riffs from hip hop.

Jay-Z and Kanye West – Ni**as in Paris

Riff

This has to be my favourite riff of last year. Which is really saying something in a year when The Black Keys released an album.

Dr Dre – Still DRE

Riff

This one works so well on the ukulele I’m a bit surprised he chose not to use one for the original. UPDATE: Thanks to Adam sleuthed out this interview where Dre says the riff is piano, guitar and ukulele mixed together.

Check out the song that inspired this riff Grant Green’s Maybe Tomorrow. Be sure to keep the chord stabs really staccato (i.e. stop them as soon as they sound).

Missy Elliott – Get Ur Freak On

Riff

This has to be the most most mashed–up song in history. I’m picking this with my index and middle fingers in a running-man motion. But this is one occasion when using a pick might give you a sound closer to the original.

Usher – Yeah

Riff

Perfect example of how effective a really simple riff can be.

Panjabi MC feat. Jay-Z – Beware

Riff

This one has been popular again recently thanks to its use in Sacha Baron Cohen’s new film The Dictator.

I’ve made this one way harder than it really needs to be by splitting it between the g and A strings. I just love the song of the same note played on different strings. In fact, in this tune I wrote I play the same note on each of the four strings in quick succession.

If, like me, you’re an idiot and want to play it the hard way barre across at the sixth fret for most of the riff and move that shape up when you go to the 7th and 9th frets.

If you’re a sensible person grab a pick and play it like this:

More Hip Hop

Mr B – Chap Hop History
Jay Z – Death of Autotune
Biz Markie – Just a Friend
Outkast – Hey Ya

Can you guess these ten ukulele players/acts from the clues given? Once you have your guesses, check your answers here. Then leave your score in the comments along with your darns, waahooooos and ‘how the hell was I supposed to guess that?’s.

If you hover over the photos you might get an extra clue.

1

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Go check the answers here

Photos Via

Thanks to these fine folks for allowing use of their photos:

chrisinplymouth, Photo Plod, Tambako the Jaguar, kudumomo, itsbf, Espacio CAMON, SD Dirk, woody1778a, msmail, Hubert Burda Media, Simon Greig (xrrr), StuBramley, Benjamin Chun, eschipul, HeveaFan, PlanetObserver, iamtdj, foilman, Scott*, Jeffrey Beall, calamity1, paulswansen, slowitdown, Thirsty in LA, ?????????, bubjay, koadmunkee, mag3737

I’ve had a few requests for this ukulele song from Train’s new album already. So I thought I best get this one done before it turns into another Hey Soul Sister stand-off. Plus I like this one more than Hey Soul Sister.

If you want to play along with the original, shove a capo on the first fret or tune up half a step. But if you don’t mind playing in a different key you can just play it in standard tuning.

Suggested Strumming

You can use this pattern almost all the way through:

d – d u d u d u

Which sounds like this slowed down:

Main Strum

Do that once each time you see a chord name.

The only exception is the end of the bridge. There do d – d u for the G7 and G7sus4 and a long down strum for the G7′. Which sounds like this:

Bridge Strum

(If you prefer a chart without the chord repetitions here you go).

Twiddly Bits

If you can’t be arsed with the extra twiddles you can replace both Am’ and Am9 with the standard Am chord. And you can replace G7sus4 and G7′ with the usual G7 chord.

Buy the MP3

A whole pile of great videos collected while I was away. But I wasn’t paying as much attention as usual so if I’ve missed something great please do leave it in the comments.

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Kala are doing a limited edition run of resonator ukuleles.

Electric Tombo Ukelet from Japan

This 40s Gretsch is nice but the case is fantastic.

I’m not too keen on banjoleles, but I do quite like the idea of a ukulele-sized piccolo banjo.

Photos: Psychotic clown, Deco swimsuit girl, Carthage, Missouri High School With Ukulele, musical brothers.

A documentary about the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain The Ukes Down Under is raising funding. Robert Stern made a documentary about them six years ago and has filmed them again on their Australian tour this year. There’s the usual array of rewards including copies of both documentaries and a chance to appear on the DVD. You can fund it and find out more on the Indiegogo page.

I love this little ukulele animation: Heart Strings.

New Releases: New covers EP from Leftover Cuties, Craig Robertson has a new album songs inspired by Film Noir titles, Corner Laughers’ Poppy Seeds. And Anne Janelle’s debut solo album is out – you may know her as James Hill’s partner Anne Davison and James ukes on a couple of the tracks.

Lil Rev talks about Ukuleles In Old Time Music. And here’s a direct link to the PDF.

The Britain’s Got Talent judges weren’t impressed with the kazookeylele but other uke acts did well. Loveable Rogues reached the final (international version and The Jive Aces made it to the semis (Non-UK version).

The Uke of Wallington is Radio 4’s book of the week (thanks to @pabloscott).

The Garfunkel and Oates App has chords for their songs.

Ukulele pins

On Uker Tabs: Emerson, Lake and Palmer’s Take a Pebble

I lied to everyone and told them I could play the ukulele.

I thought I’d posted this one months ago but there it was in my drafts. And it deserves posting because the Leftover Cuties album puts a grin on my face every time I hear it. It’s an effective poppy updating of the 30s uke sound. And it’s a good time for it to crop up because the Cuties have a new collection of covers coming out soon. You can preorder it here and get two tracks straight away.

Suggested Strumming

In the verses you can keep it dead simple with:

d – d – d – d u

And in the choruses you can use:

d – d u – u d –

Easy Version

If you’re not into barre chords, you can play this version with a capo on the first fret.

Twiddly Bits

The song has a great blues outro that goes like this in the original key:

And you can play the stylophone intro like this:

Move both of those down a fret if you want to play it in the easy key.

Buy the MP3

I’m taking a break and I’ll be back on the 18th May.

An actual ‘venturing out of Woodshed Towers and going somewhere’ type of break for once. Although I will be spending most of the time lounging around watching snooker.

See you then.

A bit of sad news: Boulder Acoustic Society have gone their separate ways. But you’ll still be able to get your fill of old-timey ukulele because Aaron is continuing with his solo project The Quiet American.

One video from them today along with two traditional Irish tunes (I’m currently the under the influence of Charlie Connelly’s Our Man in Hibernia), a Stones-y Gaga cover from UOGB, fretboard wizardry from Tim and the Heff and plenty more besides.

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