Pockets: Monday Exposure
November 16, 2009
PocketFox – No One Knows (MP3)
Pockets – The Final Countdown (MP3)
Pockets – A Fake (Ukulele Empire) (MP3) via Mmm… Fruity
Me when first seeing this video: Hmmm, kazookeylele. Nice gimmick. We’ll never hear from him again.
You can download a whole pile of his stuff (and as half of PocketFox) on Mmm… Fruity.
Harry Potter – Hedwig’s Theme (Tab)
November 15, 2009
Harry Potter – Hedwigs Theme (Tab)
I’ve done a whole load of tabs of John Williams tunes (Star Wars, Cantina Band, Olympic Fanfare, Indiana Jones). Yet I wouldn’t be able to pick him out of a line up and I regularly get him mixed up with the guitarist of the same name.
This arrangement does miss out a lot of the original. If you can recreate all the swirling strings, you’re a way better player than me. But I have included the two main sections of the piece. The first is a slow waltz and the second a rapid 4/4. The other arrangements I’ve seen miss out the second part – not sure why since it’s much more fun to play. And it’s fairly straight forward – mostly just moving the minor chord shape up and down. The tricky part is the speed so start slowly until you’ve got it under your fingers then build up speed. To give it a bit of variation, I play the first half of this section strumming with my thumb and the second half with my fingers (all down strums in both cases).
Via Tanya, Sophie Madeleine: Saturday UkeTube
November 14, 2009
After a bit of a male dominated week last week, the girls are back in force
I was originally going to post Via Tanya’s video for Wonder Stranger but the version she did for Shoot the Player. Also this week: Sophie Madeleine doing my second favourite song of hers for a Crypt session (watch the whole session in dazzling HD here), Victoria Vox previewing a song from her next album and plenty more.
Anna Van Riel – Einey Meiny Miney Mo
Mood Indigo – Swing Brother Swing
Jeff Warren and Miss Jess – I Ain’t Messin’ with You
Shelley O’Brien – You, Me and the Birds
Brenna MacCrimmon – yagmur yagar tas ustune
Lil Rev and Brian Hefferan Pig Ankle Rag
live2tivo – Paraskavedekatriaphobia
Kahiko, Luna: Ukulele Window Shopping
November 13, 2009
Prettiest ukulele this week has to be the Kahiko Concert Flyer
And ugliest ukes this week have to be the Luna Ukuleles. You have to question the design sensibilities of any company that would use the papyrus font in their logo.
And ukulele I haven’t made my mind up about yet of the week is the Kala Acacia. I haven’t quite come to terms with the open-headstock look and the twirly fret markers are a bit much.
The Kala/EleUke marriage looks to be working well. The new look EleUkes aren’t a whole lot different from the old look but they’re definitely more elegant.
Since I seem to be obsessed with looks this week, cute guy plays ukulele 4 fun.
Uklear Meltdown 2010: Friday Links
November 13, 2009
Ukelear Meltdown – Newcastle-Upon-Tyne’s foremost ukulele festival – is looking for suggestions on who should be a part of their 2010 event. If you want to suggest yourself or someone else get in touch with them.
There have been a few pale imitations since, but the original Ukulele Hero T-Shirt is easily the best – or it was until it was taken off the market. But luckily it’s back and you can buy it here along with the other cowbell, kazoo, bagpipe etc. hero t-shirts.
Ashton Kutcher is a big fan of WS64.
Ukulele Perspective drew my attention to a new iphone/ipod app that lets you cart around your tab.
Jim D’Ville has started a great new series on intervals – a great way to improve your ear.
Shelley Rickey goes ukulele spotting.
MP3s: Good Cop Bad Cop release their, “instrumental ukulele rock opera about the parting of the christian church into the western Roman Catholics and the eastern Greek Orthodox,” (not another one).
Zings Music Group are offering the chance to win a Kala ukulele in return for some Twitter spamming.
Pictures: Cat Green Bike tour poster, dynamic duo, Billie Joe Armstrong and his ukulele.
Budding Amy Crehores can answer the call for ukulele art submissions.
On Uker Tabs: Owls by Cocoon and Funky Tonight and Zebra by John Butler Trio.
In the comments: There was a lot of discussion this week about solid body, electric ukuleles and their relation to guitars both on the Kala solid post (with a contribution from the Wellingtons) and on the RISA post. Something I’ve been thinking a lot about recently and haven’t come to any conclusion on. And Andy has an excellent suggestion for hotels to provide ukulele rental.
