There’s a new film out with a ukulele song in it. So far, so blah. Here’s the part that will blow your mind: the song isn’t Somewhere Over the Rainbow. Instead he’s playing a lovely old tune that’s very well suited to the uke. I’d love to hear someone really good do this on uke. like Patsy Monteleone. I’ve written up Gosling’s version, but if you want a more jazzy take on it check out Dr Uke (it’s number 522).

In this version, he’s tuned – in the loosest sense – two frets down to roughly f Bb D G. But I’ve written up the chord shapes as if it was standard tuning.

Suggested Strumming

Something simple will get you through the song:

d – d u d u d u

The only possible hick-up might be the occasional passing chord he throws in. For example, in the intro you’d strum it something like this:

I don’t know how it’s possible but there was a genre of banjolele-heavy music that had completely passed me by until now: quelbe (or fungi), a cousin of calypso and mento from the Virgin Islands. From the US Virgin Islands, the Ten Sleepless Knights are a Quelbe band (Virgin Island’s cousin of calypso and mento). And from the British Virgin Islands, The Lashing Dogs playing Fungi (the British Virgin Island’s version of quelbe). So I know where I’m going for my holidays this year.

Also this week: Taimane (hasn’t she grown and isn’t she exactly the same), Misty Miller with easily the best song I’ve heard from her yet and plenty more besides.

YouTube have changed the way they do embeds. Looks like they’re setting lower quality by default so bump up anything you like the sound of and watch some spinning balls for a while.

In other video news, Jake Shimabukuro’s performance at TED has finally hit the intertubes. He does his usual, “If everyone played the ukulele we’d all be living in happy-fluffy-bunny-land,” schtick and plays Bohemian Rhapsody and gets a standing ovation.

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A couple more interesting videos from NAMM 2011. Epiphone are bringing out an official Les Paul ukulele but that guy is so annoying I’m already striking it from my want-list. Much more likeable are the Beloffs with their Flea banjo-uke and (from around 4:25) the solid-body electric Fluke.

Kerri Char custom tenor.

Photo: Women with ukuleles.

Ukulele music box angel.

Mark ‘Fingerstyle Solos for ‘Ukulele Nelson has a new book of slack key uke arrangements out: The Uke Buke: Learn to Play Slack Key Style `Ukulele. You can buy it in paper form on Amazon or, in pdf form, on his website.

This week’s most exciting news: Garfunkel and Oates have been signed up for a Conchords-style show by HBO.

James Hill is putting together a new album and is taking pre-orders for various levels of goodies.

Eddie Vedder is planning to release a “batch” of ukulele songs.

I’m never sure if I’m allowed to mention Buke and Gass (since the baritione uke has been modified into a guitar) but they’re one of my favourite bands and the moment and this session on NPR is too good not to mention.

Some quick videos: Ralph Shaw makes a very brief appearance in The A-Team. 2001: A Ukulele Odyssey (Via Got a Ukulele). A handy place to write your ukulele chords.

And a long video: Skynt The Musical: A musical with songs in Cornish including a uke song at the 10 minute mark (Thanks to Jack).

Why can’t all ukulele lessons be like this?

Pictures: U-900 effects pedals, “I play the ukulele” “Wow, that’s really interesting”, New Drawin’ Ukelele, Ukulele boy.

Damon Albarn is no stranger to the ukulele. He used one with Blur on Jets. And it’s cropped up again on Revolving Doors from the new album by the Gorillaz. And a nice little riff it is too.

I pick it using thumb on g and C, index on E and middle on A.

The chord part later in the song:

C – C6 (0000) – Gm – C6 – C – C6 – C7

The C6s are just passing chords. For the main chords do 6 down strums. And for the C6s do two down strums.

Get it on their website.

Requested by Coline.

Download podcast.

Or download it on iTunes.

Another knockout podcast from Bossarocker. I’ve listened to it four times already. This month’s podcast features a session from Uke Punk along with tracks from Annie Bacon, Eliza Newman, Sophie Madeleine, Sweet Soubrette and plenty more.

You can now hook up with the podcast on Facebook.

You can find a full list of the podcasts here.

Playlist:

1. Savannah Smith – Ventriloquism
2. Annie Bacon – Superwaitress
3. Eliza Newman – Ukulele Song for You
4. Ronan Kearney – Remember Me
5. Sophie Madeleine – Little One
6. The Uke Punk live in session – Laura Laura
7. The Uke Punk live in session – Girl Across the Road
8. The Uke Punk live in session – Am I Supposed to be a Grown Up?
9. Stoned Popes – What’s Comin’ After
10. Lost Colours – Giants
11. Electric Mystical Soul Vibration – Daisy
12. The Brass Traps – Something to Hang My Hat On
13. Lemoskine – Maria Lucia
14. Sweet Soubrette – All That Glitters
15. Jennifer Teeter – Dik Dik

Buy it on iTunes

For some reason, TV is convinced the way to win viewers is to parade a shower of idiot bell-sticks before us. Whereas the more democratic world of YouTube is dominated by people who seem very nice and sometimes even intelligent. And the nicest and most subscribed of all (on these shores) is Charlie McDonnell. And like all, like, cool people the ukulele is his favourite instrument and he inspires his friends to play. In fact, I think I get more, “I started playing ukulele because of…,”s about him than anyone else.

He also had the smart idea of playing every song from his album at once. Which makes my job easier because I can fulfil all requests in one go.

That the was the plan, anyway. Looking at it now, I think it’s more likely to create, “Can you write up all of…” requests.

Buy it on iTunes or from dftba.com.

Tobuscus Theme

Mid-tro of H2 tags.

While we’re on the subject of vloggers, here’s Toby Turner’s d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-do subscribe bit suitably transposed for uke.

Bless you and bless your face. Peace off. Boop

Subscribe to Tobuscus.

Plenty of videos to choose from over the break. The most striking is Amanda Palmer returning to her outrageous (and NSFW) best with a new style and a welcome ode to big muffs from her new album.

Also up General Fiasco (looking dapper in their Burberry makeovers), Uni with the least Uni-like song title you could imagine, a good cover of Tip Toe… and plenty more.

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Plenty of ukes at NAMM to salivate over but the one that’s got me warming up the credit card is aNueNue’s harp ukulele (designed with Pete Howlett). I got in touch with Johnson from aNueNue for more details:

Tenor Size/Scale
Canadian Sitka Spruce
Khaya Mahogany
Sub-bass side with Pegheds Machinehead
Included a Hardshell case

I have not yet calculate the cost, Price wise I don’t know, it maybe in the USD$900-1000 retail range. They are in production in about 4-6 months.

Hello Kitty ukulele only $1,500. Lucky for us, it’s free to read the description:

Sanrio × [korabo] of VOX becomes in the sound hole and it becomes the ukulele of the specifications not collected valuable and 100 limited in the designed fan…

It plays and ringing improves further it is made of HEADWAY and making and the real thing and the sound are making the first class as musical instruments from the real thing by a crowded thing.

The ‘Ukulele: A Portuguese Gift to Hawaii. I’d love to read that book. But perhaps not at that price.

Celtanowoodworks have been putting out a number of strange ukuleles but this Roc-Em-Soc-Em Robolele is the first to catch my attention.

Photo: Girls and ukulele.

Bossa has set up a Facebook page for the Uke Hunt podcast. So like it or friend it or do whatever it is you do on Facebook.

Lots of ukulele stuff flooding in from Winter NAMM 2011. Ukulele Underground have been interviewing all the players, Ukeeku has a look at the Martin S1 and there’s a look at Kala’s Ukeadelic range and solid U-Bass.

The Bushman Contest has finally officially kicked off. But if you’re thinking of entering do be aware that last year’s winners haven’t received their prizes yet. Lorenzo (aka Ukulollo has been in touch with me about it and I’ve had this comment.

Kate Miccuci has appeared on Raising Hope as – if you can believe it – a cute, quirky ukulele girl: clip 1, clip 2 and clip 3.

Please let this be the end of ukuleles in adverts.

On Uker Tabs: My Heart Will Go On and Shambala.

It’s amazing how much stuff is going on in London. Mighty Ukulele has a full list of London ukulele events if you’re in the area.

Pictures: Ukulele.fr have come up trumps with this post and this post. Also: Christopher Guest, Tron with a Ukulele, Ukuwaile