Podcast #14 in your face. And it’s a bumper, all female edition to celebrate International Women’s Day including an interview with ukulelist and cookbook compiler Rose Turtler Ertler.
I don’t usually put up album cover videos but I had to make an exception for the uke track on David’s Lyre’s new album. You can get it on Bandcamp on a ‘pay what you like’ basis. It’s well worth throwing in a few quid – it’s an excellent album.
Also up folkiness from The Staves, hula dancing with Da Ukulele Boyz, some Bach from Richard Durrant and more besides.
Classical and traditional tab site PDF Minstrel now has a sister site with modern tunes PDF Uker.
New Releases: Jacob Borschard has completed the Beach Boy’s album SMiLE with vocals and ukulele of his own and you can download it on his website, Garfunkel and Oates are Slippery When Moist.
If you’re ever thinking of doing one of those ‘cute ukulele girls‘ bits you might want to read this first.
Since I put up two videos played on my aNueNue harp ukulele I’ve had a steady stream of tab requests. Strange since most people requesting them don’t even own one. My arrangement of Albatross wouldn’t work on a standard ukulele. But my version of Here Comes the Sun certainly could.
It works so well on ukulele I was convinced it was written on one. It uses a capo on the 7th fret of the guitar which makes it the same tuning as a D-tuned ukulele (George’s favourite) and fits just fine on four strings. But according to Eric Clapton in the George Harrison documentary it was written on guitar.
For the harp version I’m tuned as aNueNue suggest with the bass strings as C, D, E, F and the uke strings in low-G tuning.
Standard Tuning Version
Here Comes the Sun Riff (Standard Tuning)
Here’s a slightly adapted version for a standard tuned ukulele. Use D-tuning or slap on a capo at the second fret if you want to be in the same key as the original.
Votes have been cast, hanging chads have been assessed, last year’s winner has been dethroned and cast to the wolves, and the winner of Ukulele Video of the Year 2011 is A Banda Mais Bonita da Cidade’s Oração. With more views than all the others on the list put together, a joyous video and a tune that makes me sing along despite having no idea what I’m saying, it was a clear winner.
Vaguely interesting fact: Ukulele Video of the Year has never been won by someone from the same country twice. So far: an American, two Japanese puppets, a Welshman, a Canadian and now a bunch of Brazilians.
A Ukulelist Mais Bonita da Cidade, Rodrigo ‘Lemoskine‘ Lemos was kind enough to answer a few questions.
Congratulations on winning! Can you tell us a bit about what inspired the video and how it was filmed?
Thank you all, people from Uke Hunt! We’re very happy to represent our folks here. Well, the idea for the video came up as we were invited by our sweet friend Ana Larousse – who also is a singer/composer – to spend the weekend at her grandma’s house in Rio Negro, this very little town in Paraná, south Brazil. By this time, the band already had gigs and a large set of songs in which “Oração” (by Leo Fressato) was kind of “in charge” to be arranged. We just told people to come over for the weekend and brought all of our audio and video equipment to shoot it.
For us non-Portuguese speakers, what’s Oração about?
You’d have to ask Leo, if you wanna know better lol. But certainly he’s gonna tell you it’s pretty much about love and hate. He was like so stuck to a bad experience on a past relationship that the only way out was to start being lovely, instead of being greedy. The main verse says “My love, this is the everlasting pray to save your heart…”.
How did the band get started and why did you name it A Banda Mais Bonita da Cidade?
The band began to play gigs in 2009, when Uyara (vocalist) and Vinicius (keyboardist, director of “Oração” sequence) came together with this idea of reinventing other people songs. At first, I was featuring on the debut show as a composer and special guest musician… by the second time, I was officially in the band. The name was suggested by Vinicius, and it came from a story by Bukowski which is called “The Most Beautiful Woman in Town”.
The video made a huge splash all over the world. What do you made it so popular?
I’m not sure, obviously. We think that is the truth behind it and the friendship we’re celebrating there. I guess people simply identify with that…
How did you first start playing the ukulele?
It was back in 2010, when I first visited New York City. I was already in love with the instrument because of George Harrison’s tribute “Concert for George” (you know, that McCartney’s uke version for “Something”… and then suddenly Clapton goes wild with his Stratocaster?). So… I had the rare opportunity to buy a cute “Cordoba” mahogany model on that trip. Later, when I was well adapted to the chords, I bought myself an electric Lanikai (recommended by sweet Lou Armer) to play live. Things are slowly getting better, but it still hard to find good ukes here in Brazil.
It seems like a lot of the focus on Brazil is centered around Rio and Sao Paulo. What’s the music scene like elsewhere in Brazil?
I believe it’s everywhere. Our new artistic output is getting bigger with the internet thing, of course. There are many acts being nominated and playing worldwide because of the free sharing of information. You see, plenty of them were not necessarily raised in Rio or São Paulo. I have a special feeling for the northeast scene, for example, which stands out with “Nação Zumbi”, “Otto”, “Cidadão Instigado”, “3 na Massa”, “China”, “Lulina”, etc.
What are your plans for the future? With the band and with your solo music.
The band is back on the road, promoting the album we’ve just released. It can be downloaded for free on Facebook, and it’s a good thing to do right now that “Oração” is no longer “fresh meat”. My solo project is running damn great this month. I’m producing its debut album with the co production of John Ulhoa (Pato Fu member) who already worked with my early band “Poléxia” and with huge Brazilian artists like Arnaldo Baptista (Mutantes) and Zélia Duncan.
There’s another project (I’m never tired of…) sung in english. It’s called “Naked Girls and Aeroplanes” and we’re putting out a virtual EP in a few weeks. People can listen to it on Soundcloud.
Zooey Deschanel – You Forgot About Valentine’s Day (Chords)
It’s not hard to work out the musical inspiration for Zooey Deschanel’s Saturday Night Live song. The intro and verse chords are almost identical to her version of What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve?.
But after that the swirly, hotel-lobby piano makes it tricky to work out what to do on a ukulele. I had my best shot at doing those parts in the write up. But I’m not entirely happy with it so feel free to make changes.
Related thought: what is it with ukers and skinnymoons?
Suggested Strumming
While she’s playing the uke the strumming is pretty straight forward. You can just do down strums – two for each chord – most of the time. For a fuller pattern try:
d – d u
In the middle section I like to do just down strums but cutting them short by releasing the pressure on them. Then follow with this little bit.
Some famous types picking up the ukulele this week: OK Go (continuing their journey into every more insane videos), Sharon Van Etten and Frank Turner. Alongside them people who are famous to all good uke-loving people like Patsy Monteleone, Kimo Hussey and Herman Vandecauter.
Lanikai have come up with Tuna Ukes as a way of improving the intonation of ukuleles. They have little slidey-doos on the bridge you can adjust. Take a look at Music Guy Mike showing one off at NAMM. I can see them causing more problems than they solve though.
One of these days I’m going to cave in an spend way too much money on a Martin: Martin 3K, Style 2, Martin Tiple.
Kiwaya are getting in on the slimline travel ukulele trend but it’s clear that the next stage of development is the walking cane ukulele.
Cognitive psychologist recommends ukulele playing: “If I had to do it over again, I might start with a ukelele, which has a conceptually simpler organization.” I’m not sure I agree with that though.
