Kala Pineapple Competition Results
July 11, 2008
And the winner is *Trumpets Blaze*:
Bill Weigel for his review of the Ohana CK-50G Concert Ukulele
It was a really tough decision. There were a load of great entires - I wanted at least six people to win the uke. I have to give special mention to Roberto Katigbak and Ken Middleton for their reviews.
I don’t think I can ever do another competition because I’m hopeless at deciding who wins - I can’t take the stress of all that responsibility. That’s why I’ve ended up with double the number of runners up that I’d intended.
Runners Up
Shelley Rickey, Mike Via, Todd Baio, David Massop, Ken Middleton, Jimmy McGee, Alan Brandt, Jimmy (dinoshaur), Garry Copeland, Cary Corse, Linda Wilson, Lonna Brockway, Emily Reeve, Martin Smith, Roberto Katigbak.
Additional Winners
There were a few videos that deserved a prize for bringing a huge grin to my face. Henceforth to be known as The Ventriclemouse Award for All Round Fantasticness in honour of Anne’s review of the Lanikai LU-21P which is about the only work of poetry I’ve ever enjoyed. Even the comments are good (plus she got a comment from Jacob Borshard which makes me insanely jealous).
Jack33’s guide to getting a good sound out of a Mahalo
Paulina Sinaga’s Ohana review (the only person to work out that ‘Waa-waa-wee-waa’ was the instant ‘win a prize’ code word).
Michelle Flaherty’s news report.
Lee Robertson’s Fluke review.
If your name is here and you haven’t seen an email from me, let me know in the comments and I’ll get it to you.
A big thanks to Jason of Ukewarehouse for providing the big prize. He’s still got a few ukes left in his closing down sale, so if you missed out on the Pineapple, you can still grab Kala Soprano or a Lanikai LU-21T
Zach Condon of Beirut’s Ukuleles
June 18, 2008
The second in the ‘What ukulele do they play?’ series. The good news: if you want to play the same ukuleles as Zach Condon, you won’t have to spend anywhere near as much as if you wanted Jake Shimabukuro’s ukulele. They’re actually fairly bog-standard ukuleles, not that expensive and would be a good choice for beginners.
He seems to have two main stage ukuleles:
Irrefutable evidence. Looks to me like a BU7TV.
Irrefutable evidence. Looks to me like an LU-21T.
Other ukuleles he’s been spotted with:
Fluke: On the set of the video for Elephant Gun he Postcards from Italy on the Fluke that’s featured in the video.
Samick: In this photoshoot. It’s the only time I’ve seen him with a Samick, so I don’t think it’s a regular player of his. It looks like a UK70.
Sex! Drugs! & Ukuleles!
June 16, 2008
Having founded the New York Ukulele Ensemble and the New York Ukulele Festival, Uke Jackson is a bit of a ukulele legend. His latest project is the musical Sex! Drugs! & Ukuleles! written with Ragtime musician and historian Terry Waldo. I drilled him for more info.
Where did the idea for a ukulele musical come from?
The short answer is my imagination. Basically, I was looking for a way to bring the ukulele into my art as a playwright, which became my main vocation in life when I was 21 years old and my first play was produced. The show is unusual in that it juxtaposes 2 styles of music – contemporary corporate bass lines and throbbing beats, and trad jazz – and it incorporates this as a theme without being didactic. At its core, the show is about the transforming power of music and love, and the eternal transcendence of the human spirit – all things I passionately believe in.
Can you give us a quick overview of the plot?
Here’s the text that appears at the beginning of the video:
“SEX! DRUGS! & UKULELES!
The Story
At the end of the 21st Century, after an environmental and economic collapse, everything is controlled by the One World Pharmaceutical Corporation. Much of what is considered normal today is abnormal in this dystopian future. Abnormal behavior is treated pharmaceutically. Sex is illegal. Drug evasion is illegal. Making music is illegal, unless you’re a member of the corporate controlled Top 10.
Three young outlaw ukulele players meet in secret to play their music, until a mysterious stranger changes their lives forever. After a series of comic twists and turns, the trio find themselves in the Top 10. The ukulele players start a revolution. Corporate control collapses. Love and music return to the world, forever.”
I think that pretty well covers it
Is the ukulele inherently anti-establishment?
It would be intellectually dishonest to ascribe that kind of quality to any musical instrument. I know ukulele players who are variously conservative, liberal, radical, and apathetic.
You’ve done a huge amount to promote the ukulele in recent years, what inspires you?
Well, it’s certainly not other ukulele players, though many of those folks are wonderful people. I love the sound of the ukulele, and its size makes it charming for me. There’s no question that the ukulele produces a joyous sound, and lots of smiles. I would have to say it’s the music that inspires me, as it should be.
What are the plans for the future of Sex! Drugs! and Ukuleles! and the NY Uke Fest?
These are two very different subjects. NY Uke Fest is undergoing a transformation. My son Jesse, who co-produces the event with me, is busy on this front. There have been a number of requests to have the Fest all under one roof, so we’re talking mainly to some large midtown hotels. We’re also seeking corporate sponsorship for the whole shebang. It’s coming along well. We’ll be updating the web page soon, with info on submitting for 2009.
I’ve actually been working on Sex! Drugs! and Ukuleles! for considerably longer than I’ve been working on NY Uke Fest. Right now, Sex! Drugs! and Ukuleles! is my main focus. I’m working with a small group of very accomplished people “in the biz” to bring the show to Broadway and subsequently to London’s West End. There’s also been some interest from producers of television and movies. I’m open to all possibilities that represent a step forward for the project, but my main focus right now is getting the show up on Broadway.
Broadway is a very expensive proposition. The total budget is $10 million. Money is only part of it, of course. We’re about halfway there. There’s also casting, and then finding the right theater, which is a huge part of a successful production. Fortunately, I’ve been able to surround myself with very capable and experienced people. It’s big business, but, like the ukulele, it’s a lot of fun.
If you want to catch Sex! Drugs! and Ukuleles! or you’re looking to fund a Broadway musical, you can find out more on their website.
Win a Kala Pineapple - Competition Closed
June 1, 2008
COMPETITION CLOSED
I’m jumping on the ukulele giveaway bandwagon and starting up a competition. The prizes are:
First prize: A Kala Pineapple Soprano Ukulele courtesy of UkeWarehouse.
Ten Runners Up: One of my ukulele ebooks (your choice).
Everyone Who Enters Gets: Tab for my solo arrangement of Rick Astley’s Never Gonna Give You Up (yeah, you read right).
What you have to do: Review your ukulele.
You can write it, make a video, take pictures, record an mp3, whatever takes your fancy. I’ll put it up on the Buy a Ukulele section so everyone can benefit from your experience. The winner will be the one I find most interesting and enlightening (it doesn’t matter whether you give the ukulele a good review or a bad review; or if the uke cost $10 or $10,000).
Email me with your entry (or, if you make a video, upload it to a video sharing site and send me the url). If you want me to link to your website/blog/Facebook/MySpace when I put it on the site, include that too.
The Rules
The review has to be new and original.
You don’t mind me putting it on the site.
You can enter once per ukulele.
Competition Closes: Midnight (Hawaii time) 6th July.
Essential Ukulele Songs
May 21, 2008
To go along with the ukulele songs list, I’ve put together a list of the instrumental ukulele tunes that are most associated with the ukulele here:
The list was a bit harder to get together than the ukulele song list, but I think it gives a good overview of the instrumental side of the ukulele. I’ve included links to tab where possible: I don’t think anyone has used a sentence more often than I’ve used ‘Dominator has the tab’ on that page. Dom’s tabs are all very high standard, difficult to play tabs. So, there’s a good chance I might put together arrangements aimed at mere mortals.
If you think you think I’ve made a glaring omission (very likely), leave a comment on this post and let everyone know.
The next list I’ll be working on is the Ukul-A-List: a list of the world’s best and biggest ukulelists. But it won’t just be the shredders. I’ll probably be breaking it down into different sections. As ever, let me know if you’ve got any suggestions. Perhaps I should run a poll on who is the greatest ever ukulele player.
Uke Hunt Is One
May 12, 2008
Happy Birthday Uke Hunt!
A year ago today was this blog’s first ever post. I thought I’d take the opportunity to be completely self indulgent and have a look back at the first year.
Most Popular Posts
1. While My Guitar Gently Weeps Tutorial
My plea for people to stop aping Jake’s version and come up with their own. Lots of people read it. They all ignored it. Oh well, I tried.
2. Beirut - Elephant Gun
3. Beirut - Postcards from Italy
One of the main reasons I started this blog was to spread the good news about indie ukulele acts like Beirut and Magnetic Fields which I thought were being overlooked a little in the online uke world. But I had no idea so many people were looking for Beirut chords and tabs. Still, I think it might have been a little obsessive of me to work out their entire back catalogue.
4. IZ/Jason Castro - Somewhere Over the Rainbow
I woke up one morning to an email from Jeff telling me about this guy who had played the uke on American Idol. I decided to knock together a quick post about it. Since the minute it went up, it’s been the most visited post on the blog.
5. Beirut - The Penalty
6. Britney Spears/Sweetafton23 - Toxic
Molly linked to this post in her description. It still sends a bunch of people here every day.
7. Daft Punk - Harder, Better, Strong, Faster
Terrible song to play on the ukulele (Spencer, what were you thinking?). Why the hell are so many people looking at this? Gave me an excuse to watch that video over and over, though.
8. Guns and Roses - Sweet Child o’ Mine
9. Arcade Fire - Keep the Car Running
10. Sean Kingston - Beautiful Girls
Most Overlooked Posts
I toiled and laboured through endless nights. Spilt blood, sweat and tears on my uke. If you build it people will come. Or not.
These posts took hours and hours to come up with and didn’t make it into the top 100 pages:
1. Carl Ray Villaverde - Tears in Heaven
2. Danse Macabre
3. Brian Hefferan - Sailors Hornpipe
The Stats
Page Views: 1,143,624
Visits: 236,808
Subscribers: Around 600 (half of them by email, nearly half by RSS and a smattering by Twitter).
Visits Graph:
1st Spike: Christmas Day. I decided to take Christmas time off. “Who’s going to be on the computer on Christmas Day?” I thought. Two conclusions to draw from this. One: I’m an idiot. Two: This blog is much more popular when I’m not here.
2nd (Mini) Spike: Jonathan Coulton mentions Molly winning Online Ukulele Video of the Year.
3rd Spike: Jason Castro on American Idol.
4th Spike: This happened just a few days ago. The number of direct visitors (people typing in the address or using a bookmark) tripled and it was my biggest day ever. I have absolutely no idea why this happened. Anyone any ideas?
Absolutely No Change: Getting mentioned in the NME.
Referrers
1. YouTube
2. KDUS
3. Boat Paddle Ukuleles
4. Richard Gillman
5. Ukulele Cosmos
I’m really grateful to everyone who has linked to me in the last year (no matter how big or small your site is). Thanks everyone.
Best Comment
Nobody - “Seems that you’ll put anything up on this site just for content. Or maybe you’re doing favors for your special friends to rake in lots of freebies.”
Note to freebie givers: I’m a very cheap date.
The Next Year
As you might have noticed, I’m moving towards making this place a bit less bloggy. There’s a whole lot of stuff here now and the blog layout isn’t the best way for people to navigate it. I’m also doing more long term, permanent stuff like the Buy a Ukulele section (which still needs a lot of work).
People have started turning up at the blog after searching for just the word ‘ukulele’. I assume these people mostly aren’t hardcore ukulele nerds like you and me. So I’ll be doing a few bits that might be helpful to them as well as uke players (such as the Ukulele Songs bit). The plan is to turn vague browsers into hardcore ukulelists.
From the start, it was my plan to post once a day until I had enough posts on the site to make it worth people visiting. When I hit that point, I thought I’d slow down. I’m now doing 8 posts most weeks. I’m still planning on slowing down a bit. It probably won’t happen. One thing I will have to do is start saying ‘no’ to some requests. I’ve got a huge backlog and feel guilty about it. Also, it’s amazing the number of people I do requests for who never thank me. I’ll be much more likely to do your request if I recognise your name from comments and messages and if it’s the sort of thing I usually have on the blog. (Oh, and double check your email address if you’re using the contact form).
Ultimately, I want Uke Hunt to be the best ukulele website around. I think I have a long way to go before that’s the case. The first year has gone far, far better than I thought possible. So I’ve set some aims for next year which I think are also impossible:
- still number one on the top 50 uke sites (I think Ukulele Underground will overtake me sooner or later).
- number one on Google for ‘ukulele tabs’, ‘ukulele chords’ and ‘ukulele’. The last one definitely is impossible (thanks to Wiki-frickin’-pedia). Type ’search engine optimization’ into Google; even the experts can’t beat Wikipedia. If you want to help, you could link to Ukulele Hunt with the word ukulele on your website/blog/LiveJournal/whatnot. The other two might be doable.
- 1 million visits (not page views)
- 1,500 subscribers. There can’t be that many people in the world who feel the need to read this site every day of their lives.
Thank You!
A massive thanks to all of you. I’m massively grateful to the people that have commented, messaged and got involved. If it wasn’t for you people, I’d have given up a long time ago.
Jake Shimabukuro’s Ukulele
May 11, 2008
Here’s a random selection of emails I wake up to in the morning:
- What type of ukulele does Jake Shimabukuro play?
- What sort of uke is that Jake uses in While My Guitar Gently Weeps?
- Where can I buy a ukulele like Jake Shimabukuro plays?
OK, I’m exaggerating. But I get enough enquiries to make it easier just to write a post.
Shimabukuro plays a custom Kamaka tenor ukulele by Casey Kamaka. His first ukulele, at the age of 4, was a Kamaka and he’s been using them ever since.
If you want to buy one, you’re pretty much out of luck. In 2006, Kamaka made 100 Jake Shimabukuro Signature Model ukuleles. These ukes were made to Jake’s specifications and individually inspected and signed by him.
Despite a hefty price tag of $5,500, demand for them was over whelming. So much so they decided to have a raffle to determine who could buy the ukuleles. By January 2007 they were all gone. If you manage to find one for sale, expect to pay much more than the original price (at least double would be my guess).
The Nerdy Stuff
Body: Curly Koa
Fingerboard: Ebony
Bridge Ebony: Ebony
Binding: Rosewood
Inlays: Mother of pearl and abalone
Tuners: Gold Schaller tuning keys
Pickup: Fishman Acoustic Matrix
Photo: BotheredByBees
Essential Ukulele Songs
May 4, 2008
I’ve written up a page about Ukulele Songs: songs that are heavily associated with the ukulele. They’re the ones that people who know nothing about the ukulele will ask you to play, the ones you’ll see hundreds of ukulele versions of on YouTube.
It’s quite interesting to note that most of the songs are from the ukulele heyday of the mid-20s but weren’t primarily associated with the uke until picked up decades later.
As well as including the definitive versions of those songs, there are links to less well known but equally good (and often better) than the better known songs and also links to tab, chords and instructional videos.
Before any Jake fans get up in arms, this page is just for songs. I’ll be doing a ‘Ukulele Music’ page at some point.
If you think I’ve missed anything or you’ve got any suggestions for ukulele music page (and I need help on that one - I’ve only got three so far) leave a comment and let me, and everyone else, know.
Ukulele Grades: Victoria College of Music
April 30, 2008
All to often, the ukulele is dismissed as a toy instrument - not capable of real musicianship. So I was delighted to find out the Victoria College of Music (VCM) will be offering exams in the ukulele up to grade 5 from this summer. I tapped the man writing and arranging the ukulele exams, Colin Tribe, for more information.
What is the VCM?
VCM is the Victoria College of Music, the smallest of the music examining boards in the UK. Established in 1890 it did not join the Associated Boards of Music because it was keen to keep an individual identity that it has still got, offering exams in a wider range of instruments than other boards. It does Electronic Keyboard , Ocarina, Mandolin, Bass Guitar, Accordion and many others. You can find full details on their website.
What will the ukulele exam consist of?
The exam will be in presented in this first version as 9 grades A,B,C,D (suitable for younger beginners but not exclusively - I have examined an 80 year olds taking grade A on piano) Then 1,2,3,4,5 which are comparable with grades on any other instrument.
The speed which you can progress through these is not specified and you do not have take one grade before going to the next, for instance someone could take grade 5 as their first exam. Going beyond grade 5 is a distinct possibility including Medals and diplomas, but we wanted to get started with these grades.
Tablature is the simplest way to show where the notes are on the instrument, and by combining it with standard notation, a fairly common practice for modern guitarists, you get the mixed system I have used which I think is as clear and complete a guide to the music as is possible. All the music is arranged for the more common types of Ukulele (Soprano, Concert and Tenor) using high G,C,E,A tuning although other version will be available on request.
What techniques are required at each level of playing?
Any right hand playing techniques will be allowed, so long as the musical ideas are performed. Some pieces will work with just an old fashioned felt pick or a combination of thumb and first finger. Some of the higher grade pieces demand a 4 finger style aproach, but the variety of pieces gives a wide degree of choice.
Grade A and B mainly single string melodies within the first 3 frets
Grade C and D some easy rhythmic strummed sections with an embedded melody line. only occasionally above fret 5
Grade 1 Semi quavers added in more complex rhythms, some melodies above the 5th fret
Grade 2 Triplets and sustained notes
Grade 3 Up to the 12th fret
Grade 4 Opportunities for improvised sections
Grade 5 More complex musical ideas
Which pieces and theoretical knowledge will be required for each grade
Grade A First Steps: Dancing Pawns, Twinkle, Twinkle Little Uke.
Scales Arpeggios and Chords C major
Grade B Preliminary: Aunt Nancy, On top of Old Smoky
Scales Arpeggios and Chords C major, D major
Grade C Preparatory: John Brown’s Body, Little Brown Jug
Scales Arpeggios and Chords D major, D minor
Grade D Advanced Preparatory: Daisy, Daisy, The Seamaster Strum
Scales, Arpeggios and Chords C major, C minor
Grade 1: Three from- Auld Lang Syne, Rockin’ On!, Silent Night, Strum Along with Me,
Waltzing Matilda.
Scales Arpeggios and Chords G major, F major
Grade 2: Three from- 12 to the Bar, Au Claire de Lune, First Love, Greensleeves,
Those were the Days
Scales Arpeggios and Chords A major, E major, A harmonic minor, E harmonic minor
Grade 3: Three from- Pirates Medley, Prelude in G, Regency Quadrille, Saltash Blues, Yellow Bird
Scales Arpeggios and Chords A flat major, E Flat major, G harmonic minor, F harmonic minor
Grade 4: Three from- Ain’t She Sweet, Ajeeb dastan hain yeh, El Condor Pasa, Great Western Waltz, Irish Washerwoman
Scales Arpeggios and Chords F sharp major, F sharp harmonic minor,
Chords and Inversions C,C7, C diminished, A minor
Grade 5: Three from- Alphabeta, Chocolate Lime Juice, Dem Dry Bones, Sonatina in A, Sweet Georgia Brown
Scales Arpeggios and Chords D flat major, C Melodic minor,G major and G harmonic minor on strings 1 and 4.
All these pieces, composed or arranged by Colin R Tribe specifically for the exams, will be published in a VCM series I hope to call “Uniqulele” which also includes notes on the pieces and playing techniques.
At all grades it is also possible to substitute one piece with a song chosen from the VCM Self-Accompanied Singing syllabus for which
Grades A-D are published in a special “Self-Accompanied Singing” Ukulele version.
What do examiners look for in a performance?
They look for a combination of skill, knowledge and understanding. Questions are asked in a manner which assesses the candidate’ depth of understanding, not merely the ability to repeat definitions (this applies to understanding the notation they are using and any technical terms in either tablature or stave). Ingenuity, variety, musicianship and a sense of style are rewarded as well as technical skill and musical accuracy. The examiners will rarely be ukulele players but they are all highly experienced musicians, players and teachers who understand the musicality being displayed.
How do you apply for and enter Ukulele grades?
The Victoria College of Music has a website and Robin Wood the Chief Executive can give details of secretaries and centres where exams are conducted nationwide and indeed as far afield as Ireland, Sri Lanka, Malta and the Isle of Wight! The address for letters is
52 Bedford Row, London, WC1 4 LR
Tel./Fax: (020) 7405 6483
Email: Click here
A big thanks to Colin for answering the questions. He was also kind enough to let me post the tab for his arrangement of Spinning Wheel:
Colin Tribe - Spinning Wheel (Tab)
Midi
Search for Ukulele Tabs and Chords
April 14, 2008
I love Google. It’s about the most fantastically useful product there is and it’s free. And it sends me more people than anyone else. AND it keeps coming up with little gadgets that I can’t help but test out. The latest one I’ve taken advantage of is Google Custom Search to create this:
Google Ukulele Tab and Chord Search
You type in the band or song you want to play on the uke and it searches the trusted ukulele sites for tabs and chords for that song. I haven’t decided whether it’s useful or not. But, it’s there if you want to test it out.
Other Interesting Google Stuff
Google Books has free previews of a number of books. Most exciting is Jim Beloff’s The Ukulele: A Visual History.
Google Patents has plenty of weird and wonderful ukulele inventions such as Maccaferri’s button press chord doohicky and a ukulele on one side/mandolin on the other mashup.
Google Sets is a strange one. You type in a few words and it spits out more words in the same group. I tested it out out with “tenor, soprano, concert” and it came up with the right answer.
Google Experimental Search lets you search ukulele history by date or find places of ukulele interest wherever you are.
It might be possible to use these for non-uke related purposes. Although I’m fairly sure that’s the original intention behind them.
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