Joanna Newsom – Peach, Plum, Pear (Chords)

All this talk of freak folk has put me in the mood for some Joanna Newsom. The harp is my second favourite instrument. In fact, if my parents had been immensely rich you’d be reading a harp blog right now. Come to think about it, if my parents were that rich you’d be looking at a blank page while I drove around Monaco wearing a money suit and munching on golden eagle eggs.

This tune is in the uke unfriendly key of C#m so I had a hard time working out the best way to play it. It is (just about) possible to play in standard uke C-tuning using these chords:

You can tune down half a step (to F#BD#G#) and use the following chords (I’ve left the names as they are in standard tuning to try and cut down confusion to a minimum). You could, of course, just play these shapes in standard tuning if you aren’t playing along with the record.

But my favourite, and the only in the pdf, is to use the D-tuning (aDF#B) and these chord shapes:

These shapes allow the top string to ring open through the chords creating a pivot note. It’s also these reason I chose this shape for C#m rather than just barring across the second fret.

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It was only a matter of time before someone on the freak-folk/naturalismo scene picked up on the ukulele. Last month saw the debut release by baritone ukeist Rio En Medio (aka Danielle Stech Homsy). The album features some of the cream of the movement including Devendra Banhart, Andy Cabic (Vetiver) and David Coulter

David Coulter deserves not just a blog post to himself, but an entire blog. He plays a vast array of instruments including ukulele and a quite terrifying electric saw which you can hear on his MySpace. Recent projects include Musical Supervisor of Damon Albarn’s opera Monkey: Journey to the West and guest appearances with the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain.

With a friends like that, it’s no wonder Rio En Medio’s makes some beautiful, chilled and trippy folk music.

MySpace
YouTube
Sample mp3s
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It’s rare you seen charm in comedians anymore. Usually, they’re either spraying vomit and mocking mental disability or inflicting genital torture. Jack Pepper was a man with charm. So much charm that he managed to marry Ginger Rodgers (he was her first husband of five) despite having a face like grinning frying pan.

Of course, what woman could resist uke playing like this? Add to that the sexually charged, arms to the side, leg-bending dance and all women would have been putty in his hands.

I can’t discuss Stephin Merritt songs without it descending into me reeling out quotes from the song. So, I’m not even going to try to resist.

Shipwrecked with you/I can’t think of a single thing I’d rather do/and that’s why I decapitated the crew

You needn’t do much, just sit there and flirt/and if it looks drizzly, I’ll build us a yurt

As the album version doesn’t have any ukulele, I’ve tabbed the live version (from the show you can download here. If you want to play along with the album version, put a capo on the second fret, tune up to aDF#B or transpose the chords up two frets.

Requested by Susan Tobacco

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New rave and ukulele: go together like a horse and marriage. I’m a firm believer that if a song has chords and a strong melody it’ll work on the ukulele. Golden Skans is a case in point.

You can even play the ‘ooo eee ooo eee ooo eee ooo ee ooooh ahhhh’ part:

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A bumper crop of YouTube videos this week. It was tough narrowing it down.

Wilfried Welti – Elspeth of Nottingham

Welti plays with a restraint and clarity that’s rarely seen on the uke – suiting the classical pieces perfectly. You can download some of his tabs and mp3s here

Jake Shimabukuro – Orange World

This isnt’ the first time this clip has been uploaded but it’s well worth watching again.

TT Cafe – In The Mood

A battle between uke and accordion complete with Angus Young/Arnold Schwarzenegger style heal kicks.

Ukulelezaza – Rockin’ The Uke

It’s heartening to see Uke Fest spreading around the world. This week has seen clips uploaded from the Swedish Ukulele Festival (featuring an impressive young banjo-uker) and the Ukulele Festival of Belgium (from which this tasty piece of strummery comes).

Oh, the long, lonesome nights spent at sea blowing the sailor’s hornpipe.

Brian Hefferan (of The Fabulous Heftones) has for the last few months been uploading some staggering finger-picking uke pieces on YouTube. I couldn’t resist trying to work some of them out. Here, with the help of the man himself, is the first tab.

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As someone who doesn’t dare uncork a wine bottle without an emergency helicopter and a skilled team of physicians on standby, I have great admiration for anyone who can start with a few lumps of wood and end up with ukulele. I’ve found it fascinating to follow luthier Pete Howlett’s blog as he sets about construction.

If you’re heading off to see the Philadelphia Phillies this Sunday and you’re under 14, make sure you pick up one of these promotional figurines of some sportsman or other. Although I can’t quite fathom why a dashboard ornament is only available to under 14’s.

Uke playing is becoming a bit of a fad amongst Hollywood stars of a certain age. First William H Macy, now Jeff Bridges is getting in on the act. At the end of the soon to be released animated film Surf’s Up he sings and strums a ukulele. The film also features ukulele evangelist Zooey Deschanel.

Musicguymic‘s eBay store is almost enough to make me wish I hadn’t spent all my money on hookers and ice cream. I can’t think of a single justification for not owning a ukulele with a huge horn attached.

Tell your enemies that they may take our lives, but they’ll never take our free stuff.

10. Ukulele Icons – A batch of cute little ukulele icons in .ico and .gif formats.

9. Uke-4-U – it’s exceptionally ugly, but it teaches beginners their first few chords and lets you strum along with a few simple songs. Read the rest of this entry »

“People say, ‘Do these books have any messages for young people?’ And I say, ‘Of course, it’s one of the most important lessons in all literature. The lesson is: if you see Count Olaf, scream and run away. You don’t get that from CS Lewis’.”

After I posted Smile, I was overwhelmed by a flood of/floored by a barrage of/inundated with two requests for more. In the face of such an outpouring, who am I to deny it? Particularly when I can’t get enough of these songs myself.

Although there is no uke on Scream and Run Away the chords fit very nicely. But, if you’re desperate for a little ukulele oompah action, you could try playing this:

I plan on transcribing more of the songs from this album in the near future. So, if you don’t want to miss them, make sure you subscribe.

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