Elephant Gun was annoying to work out as the original version is played on a uke tuned a semitone sharp (g#C#FA#). I decided to notate the chords as if the uke was in standard C-tuning. If you want to play along and don’t want to re-tune or use a capo, you can play along with this live version (or the many others on YouTube) which is in standard tuning.

To get the opening bars to sound right, start by strumming downwards twice, concentrating on the 3rd and 4th strings. Then strum upwards concentrating on the 1st and 2nd strings. Do this twice on the Am. Then, on the D7, strum in a similar way but hammering on from open strings on the first strum.

A quick aside, I’ve tweaked the tab (but not the chords) for Postcards from Italy. So if you grabbed it first time you might want to check back.

More Beirut on Uke Hunt

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MIDIs: Duet, Ukulele 1, Ukulele 2

I think it’s safe to say that I’ve listened to this tune more than any other over the course of my life. Yet I didn’t even know what it was called until I started researching for this post. The tune is variously called Korobeiniki, Korobeyniki, Korobushka, The Peddlers and ‘that plinky-plonky Tetris music’. The lyrics of the song (written by one Nikolai Alekseevich Nekrasov in the 19th Century) tell of a young stable-boy who was obsessed with arranging different shaped straw bales as they dropped from the sky.

This duet divides the parts up fairly evenly. The first ukulele takes the main melody and the second plays a counter melody. I’d suggest that you repeat it more than is indicated in the tab, speeding up each time until you’re going at a frantic pace at the end.

“But,” I hear some of you cry, “I have no friends.” No worries. I’m working on a solo version so stay tuned.

Update: The solo tab is here: Tetris (solo)

Thieves of Kailua (mp3)

On The Waikiki (mp3) via Mill Pond Records

Thieves of Kailua MySpace

It’s a typical English summer; I’m up to my elbows in flood water. At times like this I grab my ukulele, close my eyes, put on some suitably tropical music and imagine I’m sat on a Hawaiian beach. My fantasy may be eased a little further next week by the release of Jason Holstrom’s Tiki-resurrecting solo project The Thieves of Kailua.

There’s precious little in Holstrom’s previous work to suggest he was a laid-back uke player. He was a founder member of United States of Electronica and a knob-twiddler for the likes of Aqueduct. But a trip to Hawaii with his future wife obviously woke something in him.

The record was made entirely by Holstrom over three years in his bedroom-studio. Which makes the clear harmonies, rumbling percussion and large sound all the more impressive. More than enough to keep me happy as I rust in the summer rain.

Buy Thieves of Kailua US UK

12th Street Rag (MIDI)

12th Street Rag has long been a uke favourite and it seems to be very popular at the moment. Gary at Ukulelia wants to learn the Lightnin’ Wells version (above) and a number of people wanting a simpler version on Ukulele Cosmos. So I decided to knock together a version of 12th Street Rag stripped to its bare minimum. The idea is not that you play it this way, but that you take this and give it your own twist. Read the rest of this entry »

The week’s best uke videos after the cut.

Read the rest of this entry »

LA Daily News talks to Jim Beloff and Dan Sawyer about the ukulele’s gaining popularity.

Is this the earliest photo of an ukulele? It is according to this great article by John King. The photo was taken by Lewis Carroll and features Alice (of Wonderland fame), on the left, and her sisters holding machetes – the Maderian precursor of the ukulele.

The Idler magazine Ukulele band announce lit festival appearance. Rehearsals for which have a habit of starting late.

Why didn’t I think of this?

For when only real style will do. Buy on Flea Market.

What do you do with the offcuts from ukulele picks? Turn them into trivets and sell them for $196.

Dreamtime has a dark and atmospheric podcast telling the tale of Stagger Lee/Stack O’Lee and playing versions of the song including that by Ukulele Ike.

A Saint not playing the ukulele and Lee Morse not playing the ukulele either.

Uke Hunt is two months old today – still not in full control of its faculties and gurgling incoherently. Like most blogs, the only person reading it was its mum. So you may have missed some of the early posts. Here’s a rundown of the eleven (yes, eleven) most popular posts so far:

1. Julien Doré – Cet Air-Là: Sexy Frenchman covering France Gall/April March.
2. Top 10 Free Ukulele Software Downloads: People like free stuff.
3. Simpsons Ukulele: how do you play the ukulele with only three fingers?
4. Pink Panther: some people may put this post’s popularity down to a killer tune. I say it’s all down to the handsome guy in the video.
5. UkeTube 5: Fantastic videos from Bob Brozman, Bosko and Honey, The Winin’ Boys, Earlyguard and Cool Hand Uke.
6. Rick Sauer – Tequila: Excellent arrangement by Mr RISA.
7. Various Artists – Creep: Everyone’s playing it, everyone was searching for it.
8. The Good, The Bad and the Ugly.
9. Stephin Merritt – Smile: Everyone you despise will die so smile.
10. Earlyguard – Blue Smoke: Very effective tune, great for those learning fingerpicking.
11. Ukulele Flash Cards: Cut out and test your chord knowledge.

A big thanks to everyone who has commented, linked and emailed. It makes it seem like this blog isn’t a colossal waste of time.

Last Friday, the Tatamimats‘ resurrected their Dark Side of the Uke show which inspired me to tab out the riff to Money despite it being one of the least uke-friendly riffs in history. The only way you can sensibly play it along with the original song and the Tatamimats’ cover is on the baritone.

The opening riff is in the unusual time signature of 7/8. I find the most comfortable way of keeping track of it is to count it as four beats then three. So I’m counting 1,2,3,4,1,2,3 for each bar.

The timing then switches to 4/4 with one bar of 2/4 for the other section of the song:

If you’re desperate to play the riff on the soprano ukulele, it is just about possible to so long as you play in F and you’re willing to cheat a note. The main riff goes like this:

With the other section (and here’s the note finesse) being:

Or you could keep it simple and vamp along with the original with a Bm chord.

Buy Dark Side of the Moon US

Warning: Some of these songs contain language and themes not suitable for children. The others contain language and themes not suitable even for drunk Russian sailors.

The UkuLady’s hilarious songs are a regular highlight of YouTube’s stream of uke videos but it turns out I was familiar with her work long before YouTube was a glint in geek’s eye. She earns a crust as a voice-over artist and is responsible for the heavily bleeding nurse Lisa Garland in Silent Hill and the babbling teenage girl in The Sims 2. But on to more important matters.

I love these songs so much I couldn’t help but work out a bunch of them. Transcribing these songs was made considerably more difficult as I broke down laughing at regular intervals. So if I’ve got something wrong, that’s why.

These songs are played in d-tuning (aDF#B), so if you’re a C-er tune up to play the chords as written or ignore my chord diagrams and play your regular chord shapes.

The mp3s of these songs (along with many more) are at UkuLady Songs and be sure to visit UkuLady’s UkulUniverse.

UkuLady – Oops! (mp3)

The great thing about this song is that it becomes topical every time Britney has another breakdown. It’ll never get old.

UkuLady – Poor Lindsay Uke (mp3)

Part of the Poor Starlet triptych and my favourite UkuLady song. It reminds me of the old folk song John Henry but instead of a guy dying attempting to keep up with a steam hammer, it’s Lindsay Lohan becoming broke and doing irrevocable damage to her lady’s garden attempting to keep up with Paris Hilton.

UkuLady – Another Love Song (mp3)

I enjoy the non-comedy numbers she does. This one is really sweet.

UkuLady – Different Strokes (mp3)

A kick ass song from the 80’s.

Bitch – Two Girls Strong (video) via Bitch Music

Bitch first came to prominence as half of the queercore duo Bitch and Animal (tip:turn safe search on before googling ‘bitch and animal). After three albums, the two split to follow solo careers. Bitch released her debut solo album Make This/Break This last year.

Highlight of the album is the ukulele song Two Girls Strong (probably one of the sweetest songs I’ve ever heard about border guards rifling through your strap-ons). The manly figure in the video is Bitch’s longterm girlfriend Daniela Sea (star of the L-Word) who now forms part of Bitch’s band Bitch and the Exciting Conclusion.

Bitch – Unstick (mp3) via Kill Rock Stars (not a uke song)

Buy Make This/Break This US