With the new Winnie the Pooh film coming out featuring some Zooey Deschanel uke-work, I thought I’d tab up my favourite Winnie the Pooh song: Little Black Rain Cloud by Robert & Richard Sherman.
The biggest challenge in this one is all the moving up and down the neck. It takes a bit of practice to get it all accurate.
It’s been an age since I last updated my About page – I even have hair in that photo. Step 1 in the process: updating the FAQs.
If you’ve got any other questions (or questions about my answers) leave them in the comments below and I’ll do my best to answer those too.
What’s the strumming pattern for…?
Try following this post on ukulele strumming patterns.
Which ukulele should I buy?
Depends how much you’re spending. I write a bit about this in the Review section (which I also need to get round to updating).
Can you write up tab/chords for…?
Probably not. I get a lot of requests – too many for me to do. You can maximise your chances by being a regular commenter. If you want to request something anyway, it helps to follow these guidelines.
Can I advertise on your site?
No, I don’t have advertising on the site and don’t have any plans to.
Can I send you my CD?
Thanks, but no thanks – I hate CDs these days. I’m very happy to listen to MP3s though. You can get in touch via the contact page or email me at ukulelehunt@gmail.com
I wanna be on the podcast.
You can find ways to submit and the submission guidelines on the podcast page .
Can you review my music?
Sorry, no. I don’t do that any more. It’s a very easy way to lose friends. I do sometimes do general big-ups for records.
Can you review my book?
Almost certainly. Send me an email.
Can we send you a ukulele to review?
Thanks, but no thanks.
Can you write about my competition/do a competition with us?
No, I’m really bored of ukulele contests and competitions.
Will you feature my band/video/website?
I’m always happy to hear about new ukulele stuff and I’ll certainly mention anything I like. You can get in touch via the contact page or email me at ukulelehunt@gmail.com
Will you mention my gig?
I tend not to feature gigs – my readers are spread around the world so I avoid local stuff unless it’s really big.
Do you know ‘Uke Hunt’ sounds rude when you say it out loud?
I do. I know it puts some people off – that’s the point. If you don’t like bad language and terrible puns, you’re not going to like the site. At all.
What software do you use to make your tabs/chord sheets?
I use Guitar Pro 6 to make the tabs. You can read a full review here: Guitar Pro 6. I do use Sibelius for some stuff as well but I wouldn’t recommend it.
The chord charts are done by an unnecessarily convoluted method involving Pages and Sibelius. I’d recommend using GoChords for more general uses.
There’s a guide to all the stuff I use here.
I’ve bought Ukulele for Dummies, is it worth buying your ebooks?
It’s probably not worth buying How to Play Ukulele Strums or Ukulele 101. There’s much less of a crossover with the other ebooks.
Why didn’t my comment show up? FREEDOM OF SPEECH!
The first time anyone leaves a comment it gets held back for moderation. So give it a little while for me to check. Some times it gets trapped in the spam filter – if you think that’s happened let me know.
If you comment still doesn’t show up ask yourself, “Could that comment have come across a bit dick-ish?” Comment moderation is mostly based on my whims and moods. Whatever I decide, you’re always free to voice your opinions on your own website.
What WordPress theme are you using?
It’s a custom theme by Ben Lew.
Can I meet you? Do you want to come to…?
I’m really not a people-person. I’ve decided I won’t be going to any ukulele events this year.
You should write a book for schools, you’ll make more money.
I’m not keen on ukuleles being taught in schools at all. I’m anti-school in general. If I have kids they won’t be going to one.
This (not actually a) question is most frequently asked by my mum.
That thing you did/do/said is weird/offensive/stupid.
I know. I can’t help it.
Another medley from Mr B The Gentleman Rhymer in the vein of Chap-Hop History. This time taking on the early 90s rave music.
Two things to bear in mind:
– It’s in D tuning. The chords are all referred to with their D tuning name.
– The strumming, as always, is just suggested. He varies it and I suggest you do too.
The first section sets the main chords – A, C and D – which crop up in other sections. The chord progression will work in the parts that don’t have banjolele in them too.
Same chords in this section with an added G chord and the occasional move up to the fifth fret.
The next two sections move from the key of A into the equivalent minor: C#.
Worth paying attention to the strumming in this section. I had trouble getting to grips with it.
Back to A. The first bit of this is much trickier than it looks. You have to pay close attention to where the chords change. The only way I could find of getting it right was to count:
(A) 1, 2, 3
(D) 1, 2
(A) 1, 2,
(D) 1, 2, 3, 4
(A) 1, 2
(D) 1, 2, 3
But you might well be clever than me so count it any way you can get it right.
He busts out the triplet strums for the final section, but you can have fun here and strum however fits.
Nice, simple section to finish on.
A track this week from Watercolor Paintings’s new album These Arms (which you can buy on Bandcamp) along with a cavalcade of stars including Dave Matthews, Zooey Deschanel, Ben Schwartz, (Carolina Chocolate Drop) Dom Flemons and Robert Crumb.
Social Links
If you’re looking for me online you can find me on Twitter and on Tumblr. And I’ve started a Google+ where you can find an exclusive tab.
I’m also experimenting with Twitter/Facebook/Google +1 buttons at the bottom of posts. I’ll give it a while and see if anyone is clicking on them and, if they are, which ones are getting used. So if you want them to stay click on your preferred method at the bottom of this post (or any other – if it’s working right).
General Links
A couple of gorgeous videos of Huakani ukuleles being made.
Ukegnome tweeted something I’ve noticed of late: the ukulele is getting very popular in Thailand. You can find out what’s happening on UkuleleThai (if you happen to read Thai).
Stereogum have a premature evaluation of the forthcoming Beirut album, The Rip Tide. I’m expecting plenty of uke since it’s named after one.
Article in The Independent about The Duke of Uke closing.
Prince Charles strums a margarine tub ukulele.
Ukulele Window Shopping
After my last Window Shopping post, Ron Hale pointed out that you can buy the sitar-kuleles on Amazon.
Lego ukulele for sale on Elderly (via Ukulelia)
If I had any musical ability or get-up-and-go, you’d be looking at a blank screen right now. I’d be off writing theme tunes, scoring movies or just writing ad jingles. And I’d want to write them like this.
Klaus Badelt’s theme tune to Pirates of the Caribbean (He’s A Pirate) is a perfect example of blockbuster theme. It’s huge, pompous and overblown. Which makes it a bugger to play on the ukulele.
I’m not doing anything fancy with the arrangement here. It’s mostly just the melody line with the chords in the background. But all the twists and turns it takes makes it very tricky to put together.
If you want to play something more straight-forward, grab a buddy and use the melody and chord version here. Or you could use it to build your own arrangement.
UPDATE: awfguitar did a version of this arrangement that’s better than mine.
The amount of ukulele stuff on the net is swelling rapidly. I spend most of my day trying to keep up and I still miss loads. So here’s a list of uke goodies you may have missed because they are nowhere near as popular as they should be. If there’s something you think I should be made aware of, please do leave a comment.
Taken from the Top 50 Ukulele Sites
Armelle’s world tour of ukulele is only just outside the top 25. She has a great range of non-English and English language videos alike.
You haven’t noticed how often ‘Via Humble Uker’ turns up on the Saturday UkeTube?
Jim D’Ville travels the world interviewing ukulelists about their approach to music and provides invaluable information about the most widely used chord progressions.
4. Ukulele Dav
5. Descordes et Dubois
Two French sites with some excellent tabs.
6. The Backwards Ukulele Player
Michael has a real knack for finding great old news stories and pictures.
A relatively new blog from UkuleleTim promising to teach you, “how to play ukulele like a badass.”
8. Ken Middleton
9. Ukulele Bartt
Two ukers offering tabs and playing advice on their sites.
10. Ukulele Brasil
A few years back I’d get emails from Brazilians unable to find a ukulele amongst the cavaquinhos. Good to see that’s changing.
1. Rod Thomas – Same Old Lines
2. Ukulelezo – Optional Accessory
How quickly people forget, eh. Rod Thomas was the 2008 Ukulele Video of the Year and Ukulelezo was the 2008 Bushman Contest Winner.
3. The Fall – Theme From Sparta FC
Let me explain the story of the Fall-feit: I posted I’m Yours, against my better judgment, to stop the cavalcade of requests. Less than two hours after it went live, I was being taken, unconscious, to hospital. Realising I had angered the indie gods, I pledged to do a post on the most indie band there ever was whenever I posted something suspiciously popular.
4. The Elected – At Home (Time Unknown)
I only posted this because I had a bunch of requests and now no one reads it. Typical!
If you’re ever wondering why I don’t do many interview posts anymore it’s because, no matter how famous the interviewee, no one ever reads them.
6. Shorty Long – Viper Mad
7. Mirah – Take Me Out Riding
Two great songs probably suffering from the fact they a) aren’t very well known and b) don’t have a video on YouTube for me to embed.
Plenty of GUGUG in the more popular posts. But not this one.
9. Jack Pepper – Girl of My Dreams
His musical talents were enough to attract Ginger Rogers, but not to attract any views.
10. The Blockheads – A Little Knowledge
The Blockheads without Ian Dury really isn’t the Blockheads.
Loveable, tuneful folkies. Top band.
Kimya Dawson-style songs with touching and insightful lyrics.
3. DianeRubio
4. SanfordAndSong
Two top-notch instrumentalists.
5. BenMealer
Old-school songs made fresh.
6. Phredd
So much fun your pants will explode.
7. UkesNotDead
Jeremy Kyle-loving star of Uke Hunt Podcast #6
Writer of adorable songs.
9. Machitz (Roberto Moritz)
10. Machetista (Roberto Moniz)
Two Madeiran masters of the uke-precussor the machete.
Search for ukulele books on Amazon (US) and you won’t find these on the first page.
1. 101 Ukulele Licks by Lil Rev
I wrote a full review here .
2. The Classical Ukulele by John King
3. Famous Solos and Duets for Ukulele by John King
4. The Ukulele: A Visual History by Jim Beloff
5. Ukulele for Dummies by The World’s Handsomest Ukulele Blogger
It’s not even out yet, so I can’t complain. It’s more favourably placed in the UK store. I wrote all about Ukulele for Dummies here.
I’ve hardly listened to anything else since I picked up the new Bon Iver album. It’s incredible. I think I’ve started hallucinating ukuleles in a couple of songs (not beyond the realms of possibility).
I’ve written up the chords for Michicant in a few ways. Combining the original and Kina Grannis’s ukulele cover.
Kina is tuned down (roughly) 3 frets to e-A-C#-F#. But I’ve written the chord names up as if it was standard tuning.
Here are the tuning notes to match her version.
If you use these chord shapes in standard tuning, you’ll be in the same key as the live version.
Pluck the g-string with your thumb then do two down strums. Do that twice for Faadd9 and once each for Am and Gsus2. Then use it four times for the last two chords in each verse.
Try these if you want to play along with the original. It’s in C# so you can make it easier by moving everything down a fret (C – Em – D).
For strumming this one, try:
d – d u d u
This one is in the same key as Kina Grannis’s version but stays in standard tuning. I’ve substituted an E for the Esus2 within the verses (I think the Esus2 comes across as a Bsus4 and sounds out of place) but kept it at the end of the verse.
Sophie Madeleine is spending the month leading up to the full release of her album doing a cover a day. You can watch them all here.
Or watch my two favourties so far in this post along with Connie Francis, The Winin’ Boys, Tyrone and plenty more.
UkeToob is shutting up shop.
youkulele.com (the Italian ukulele site headed up by Jontom) has been putting up tabs – a mix of free and paid for.
I was interviewed by Got A Ukulele…
Peter Luongo discuss 30 years of heading up the Langley Ukulele Ensemble.
Trying to convince Ben Lerman to sell DIY ukuleles.
Kickstarters: Manitoba Hal is raising for his album. Amanda Palmer and Kim Boekbinder are raising for their joint single (Thanks to @im_a_mia).
The Duke of Uke are holding a 5th Anniversary Extravaganza in London next weekend. The first two nights are headed up by The Wave Pictures and Darren Hayman. And Saturday is a ukulele packed bill including Uke Hunt favourites like The Bobby McGee’s, Nigel Burch and Salwa Azar.
Receive the latest Uke Hunt posts in your inbox.
