Christmas Ukulele: Mele Kalikimaka
December 23, 2007
Uke Hunt is going on its Christmas holibobs and it’ll be back in the New Year. If you want to make sure you’re the first to know when it’s back, subscribe by RSS or by email.
A big thanks to everyone who has read, subscribed, commented, emailed and contributed. It’s been great that so many people have got involved. I’ve got some big plans for next year so have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Christmas Gifts for Ukulele Players: How To Play Ukulele eBooks
December 22, 2007
You’re still looking on the net for Christmas presents this late? You are screwed. Unless…
The big advantage with ebooks is that they’re delivered straight away (unless you pay be echeck - slogan: “Do you miss the hassle of real-world checks?”) and you can send them to anyone, anywhere instantly.
In my opinion, the best ukulele ebooks around are those available at How To Play Ukulele. Of course, I might be slightly biased in that opinion since I wrote them. If you want a more even handed view, here’s what other people are saying.
How to Play Ukulele Chord Progressions
“This is the first time someone’s explained basic chord formation and scales and transposition in a way that makes sense to me”
Mike Dickison of Mike’s Ukulele Page
I started using the book - it’s great!!! This is really a helpful and friendly guide.
Jen Kwok
I am really glad I bought your chord progression theory book. You did just a great job! I am taking piano from my daughter’s classical teacher. He is great but somewhat hardcore classical. He tried to explain some of the theory to me, but I think that your book is way more accessible and directly applicable. And this comes from me, someone who has taken theory classes in the past!
Carol Seigal
“Your ‘How to play ukulele chord progressions’ is excellent. It cleared up a number of things for me. I’m just getting into music theory and having something that relates directly to the ukulele was very useful.”
Chris Double
The “How to Play Ukulele Chord Progressions” was great. I got a better sense of hamonized chords, and their fretboard relationship. The feelings the sounds generate for different chords, and how the tension is built and released really made sense.
This ebook is key to understanding chord relationships, and I can take my music to whole new levels.
Terry Truhart
An excellent selection of tabs and playing tips… I highly recommend picking it up.
Chris of The UkeCast.
Just have to say again that your “How to Play Christmas Ukulele” is really terrific. There is a fair amount of ukulele Christmas music out there but very little as good as your arrangements. All of your music is very easy to play as well a lot of fun to play.
Art Crocker
The selection of songs is great. There are popular favorites, along with some that I’d never heard of before. All are arranged for beginner to intermediate. I’m definitely in the beginner camp, but have been able to play a few bars of each… Priced at $7.00, this eBook is a bargain.
Ukulele Review
Christmas Ukulele: The Pogues - Fairytale of New York
December 20, 2007
The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl - Fairytale of New York (Chords)
One of the joys of Christmas is that Shane MacGowan is on the radio and TV as often as he should be the whole year round. Since the BBC has decided that the words ‘faggot’ and ’slut’ are perfectly fine and it looks like being Christmas number one, here’s Fairytale of New York.
I tried a bunch of different ways to play the intro and narrowed it down to two. This one:
And this one:
I prefer the second one because of all the open strings.
I had a tendency to get a little lost in the chords during the penny-whistle parts, so I had to start counting. For the first one, after ‘…dreams come true’ and the repeat of the intro:
D,2,3. D,2,3. D,2,3. A,2,3. D,2,3. G,2,3. A,2,3. D,2,3.
The second (after the first chorus) is even trickier to follow:
D,2,3. A,2,3. Bm,2,3. G,2,3. D,2,3. D,2,3. D,2,3. A,2,3.
D,2,3. Bm,2,3. D,2,3. G,2,3. D,2,3. D,2,3. A,2,3. D,2,3.
Christmas Ukulele: Sarah Silverman - Give the Jew Girl Toys
December 19, 2007
Sarah Silverman - Give the Jew Girl Toys (Chords)
Like Mr Garrison, I’m very eager spread the love to all during the holiday season. So here are the chords for Sarah Silverman’s protest against Santa’s blatantly anti-semitic present giving policies.
I’ve written the song up in D-tuning as it makes the chords much easier to play. You can play the chords in C-tuning but they’re slightly more difficult:
Alternatively, you could play the same chord shapes as the D-tuning. This will make the tune a whole step lower.
Christmas Ukulele: The Ramones - Merry Christmas (I Don’t Want To Fight)
December 18, 2007
The Ramones - Merry Christmas (I Don’t Want To Fight) (Chords)
Helen Love’s cover of The Ramones’ Merry Christmas (I Don’t Want To Fight) is the sound of Christmas as far as I’m concerned. You can download it at Filthy Little Angels. You’ll have to hunt for it on there but it’s well worth it.
For the most part, the chords are dead simple. I’ve put a C5 chord in because it’s more punk, but you can play a normal C chord there and it will sound fine.
The only tricky bit for beginners is the Fm. You can minimise the amount of finger changing between these chords by playing them this way:
Here, you’re keeping you second finger on the G-string and sliding it down to the first fret. It’s a little awkward but easier than completely changing your fingers around.
In the introduction to the original, the chords slide up from B to C a few times. The easiest way to recreate this on the uke is to play the C5 shape, move both fingers down a fret, play the chord and then slide your fingers up.
Monday Exposure: Ballard C Boyd
December 17, 2007
Christmas With U (mp3)
Christmas for Cowboys (mp3) via his website.
At this time of year a lot of us will be working up a few Christmas songs to entertain family and friends. Ballard C Boyd is no different. Each year he puts together a CD for family and friends and also puts it up on the net. I mention it because this year’s CD, Christmas With You, is bloody fantastic.
The standout tracks are Christmas for Cowboys (made famous by John Denver) and, an original song, Christmas With U. There’s also a secret track mashing-up Steve Harley’s The Joker and Weezer’s Undone (The Sweater Song).
You can download the whole thing here and the previous two years’ tracks here.
Christmas Gifts for Ukulele Players: CDs
December 17, 2007
Beirut - Flying Club Cup
Beirut - Sunday Smile (mp3) via their website
Beirut are hugely popular with hipsters and college kids. Whichever record exec focus-grouped the idea and found out that brass band waltzes and ukuleles were what the youngsters wanted deserves a raise.
You can check out the songs at flyingclubcup.com where the all the songs are performed in various locations (in an abandoned house, on the river bank, on the street) to great advantage.
Beirut are responsible for turning loads of people on to the ukulele and my Beirut posts are some of the most popular on the blog. So if you buy this for your uke playing loved one, be sure to give them the url of this blog too.
Craig Robertson - That Dress
Higher Heels (mp3)
Leopard (mp3) via his website.
Whoever said, “They don’t write ‘em like the used to,” obviously hasn’t heard Craig Robertson. His songs have a classic, timeless feel to them and could have been written yesterday or ninety years ago. They’re full of dark and sinister ne’er-do-wells.
If you’re not drinking whiskey and smoking when you start listening to this album, you will be by the end of it.
Craig has a huge pile of mp3s available for free download. You can find cover versions here and demos of his originals here.
Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain - Precious Little
Theme from Shaft (clip)
How Can You Mend a Broken Heart (clip)
God Gave Rock and Roll To You (clip) via their website.
The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain seem to be popular with just about everyone. They’re a viral YouTube smash; writer Howard Jacobson called them, “the best musical entertainment in the country”; George Harrison wanted to jam with them; they’ve appeared on kids TV a number of times and Brian Eno said that they, “may well turn out to be one of the turning points of 21st Century Art.” I think that’s a fair demographic reach.
Personally, I could happily go without the covers of Nirvana and the like that seem to have made them popular. I find them much more impressive when they’re being musical rather than ironic.
More Christmas gifts for ukulele players
Christmas Ukulele: Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
December 16, 2007
Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas (Chords)
This is one of my all time favourite Christmas songs. A huge number of people have done this song but my favourites are Coldplay’s (in the video) and Patsy Monteleone’s version on MUD.
The chords in my version are loosely based on Patsy’s version - and, gosh, there are a lot of chords in it.
Some of the chord changes in this song are gorgeous. The change between C and Am7 is a fairly common one. You could play Am7 with all open strings but this one is much more effective. The chord is just the Gm shape moved up two frets (with the open G string giving the 7th note). It just goes to show what a huge difference the chord inversion you use can make.
The other stand-out chord changes come from very small changes in chords like the Em - Em maj7 - G progression. There’s only a difference between each chord of one fret of one note but it’s very effective.
Christmas Gifts for Ukulele Players: Patterned Ukes
December 16, 2007
When you’re giving someone a gift, you do want it to be that little bit more special. Ukuleles with an added design give that extra ‘wow factor’. You could commission yourself a painted uke. Or, if you’re a bit more strapped for cash and time, buy off-the-shelf.
Flukes seem to be almost universally popular. Even more so when there’s a half naked dolly-bird holding one aloft.
Inspiration for Fluke designs ranges from Hollywood to Dollywood (with their cowboy fluke). Flukes sell for between $200 and $300. You’ll pay a bit of a premium for the design and also if you want a rosewood fretboard (rather than the standard plastic).
Black Bear Christmas Bell
At the other end of the price spectrum is the beauty.
Duane Heilman of
The auction eBay auction for this one has finished now but it didn’t sell so it may return. If you’ve got a loved one worth $2,000 to you, keep your eyes peeled.
Another heftily priced ukulele. I have no idea how these sound but ooooh pretty, pretty, pretty. And, at the end of the day, isn’t it what’s on the outside that really counts?
More Christmas gifts for ukulele players
Christmas Gifts for Ukulele Players: Electric Ukuleles
December 15, 2007
If you can’t stand the sound of your loved one strumming incessantly, it might seem a little counter-intuitive to buy them an electric ukulele. Were it not for one word: headphones.
With their round backs and distinctive sound-holes, Ovation Applause ukuleles are heavily based on their guitar big brother. In my opinion, they have a slightly dated look - there’s a definite whiff of Bon Jovi unplugged about them. But recently, Kaki King came along and rescued the Applause image.
Buy for: the hair-rocker in your life.
Bugsgear’s Eleuke has a much more modern look. They come in a sparkling blue or a more understated natural wood.
They now have one you can plug headphones straight into, so no excuse for waking up family members with midnight strummings.
The Kala Archtop Tenor has a more classic look with jazzy f-holes and an archtop.
Buy for: midnight jazzers, those who find the term ‘f-hole’ endlessly amusing.
What’s your electric uke recommendation?
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