UkeTube
October 18, 2008
James Hill and Ralph Shaw - Yodelele Lady
Rebecca Fonoimoana - Its a Pity
[Read more]
If this is your first visit here, you can find the chords/tab in those posts by clicking on the song title in red.
Friday Ukulelinks
October 17, 2008
A big thanks to everyone who’s written to me saying nice things about How to Play Blues Ukulele. I’m completely knocked out by how well it’s been received. There was one small hitch, a couple of the examples got lost somewhere. If you bought the ebook - you should have an email from me. If not, you can download them here:
That caused a bit of a mix up with a few of the track titles as well (the file names are correct but Examples 15 - 33 had the wrong names in the MP3). Sorry for any confusion caused.
On to the real uke news…
The US version of the ad for Wii ukulele. Just as bad as Wii ukulele ad #1.
Ukulele Tonya has a write up of the Wine Country Ukulele Festival and Uke Gal has one in the works. A few videos of the festival have cropped up and James Hill and Ralph Shaw’s unusual duet is my favourite so far.
Chord charts for those weird people who are either left-handed or play baritone (or both).
Songsheet Generator: I couldn’t get the chord shapes to show in ukulele mode, but you might be more successful.
Buy an Amy Crehore t-shirt between now and Halloween and get a signed drawing - dang, wish I’d have waited.
Peter Delaney’s EP Duck Egg Blue is now available outside of Ireland and Oslo. You can pick it up on his MySpace (which I’ve just done).
Strange ukuleles all over the place in this photo.
Lock your doors, the ukulele killer is on the loose.
Dent May’s debut album announced.
Learn CSS with the ukulele. Everybody now, “H1 curly bracket property colon value semi-colon curly bracket…“
AC/DC / James Hill - Thunderstruck
September 30, 2008
James Hill / AC/DC - Thunderstruck (Tab)
You might notice the lack of an mp3 for this one. That’s because it’s way beyond my abilities. You really need to use a pick to play this right and I’m hopeless with those rhino’s toenails. You’ll just have to watch James Hill do it here (Thunderstruck starts around 1:00). He plays the riff in D-tuning and exactly the same way as it’s played on guitar (so it’s a fifth higher than the original).
More guitar riffs for ukulele.
James Hill, Ukulele Masters, Emilyn Brodsky on Video
August 16, 2008
In this week’s videos: James Hill breaks out some hip hop beats and a pair a chopsticks, Byron Yasui, Lyle Ritz, Ledward Kaapana, Bob Brozman, Joel Eckhaus and Jim Beloff play together, while Craig Robertson and Phredd participate in Take Your Daughter to YouTube Day. [Read more]
Jen Kwok, Uke Hunt Happenings and Other Ukulelinks
August 15, 2008
Gosh, it’s been quite a week for Uke Hunt. Probably one of my favourite blogging weeks ever. To stop this post being too self obsessed, I’ll keep it brief. This week I’ve: been mentioned in the New York Times, been asked if I want to work on a real life ukulele book by a real life publisher, been banned from ezFolk, and found out I had a world exclusive on the review of Clone Wars which had unwittingly meant the BBC was breaking the Clone Wars review embargo (a guy from the BBC emailed me telling me they’ve temporarily taken the video down and wanted to know how I found the Kermode uke post two weeks before they published it). I haven’t stopped laughing all week.
You might not have realised it from my previous references to it, but the NY Times article wasn’t entirely about me. It was mostly about Jen Kwok. Congrats, Jen. Now she’s a big star, we can say we knew her back when she was making uke playing, pipe cleaner dolls fellate Rabbi Bob L. Mensch.
I have to take umbrage at Jim Beloff’s quote in the article: “If you were a poor guitar player, you suddenly become a pretty good uke player.” If you’re a lousy musician, you’re a lousy musician on any instrument. Perhaps the ukulele will suit you more, but the idea that you automatically become better when you play the ukulele is bullshit.
Speaking of which, Gawker calls bullshit on the ukulele trend.
James Hill graphs out a new track.
Aldrine Guerrero ditches his talking cock in favour of Jake Shimabukuro.
Ian Chadwick has in depth reviews of a whole bunch of ukuleles.
Ukulele Tonya visits the Windy City Uke Fest.
Ladybugs Picnic on Uker Tabs.
Photos from the first Irish Ukahuli.
Stop Okay Go has an mp3 of Robin Gray’s These Days and an interview with the man.
Buy your own bobble headed Bob L Mensch. “Watch Him Bob at the Waist as he Davens.”
Aldrine Guerrero, James Hill, Rachel Goodrich and more Videos
July 26, 2008
The boys and their fretboard wankery are back with avengeance this week with videos from James Hill, Aldrine Guerrero, Dominator, Takashi Nakamura and Bobby Tomei.
In other news, the Ukulele versus Major League Baseball campaign is gaining momentum.
Aldrine Guerrero - Bodysurfing
There are a bunch more UU tour videos here.
Aldrine, Ryan and Dominator - Reason
Rachel Goodrich - If Your Mine
Takashi Nakamura - Spanish Guitar and Ukulele Battle
Ken Middleton - The Colosseum Hornpipe
Fabio Koryu Calabro - Zbylenka Tournée
Bobby Tomei - E Ku’u Morning Dew
Poopy Lungstuffing - Why Don’t You Do Right?
The Be Arthurs - Rock Your Body
Kiwi Ukulele, ezFolk and other Uke Links
July 25, 2008
Mike’s ukulele book Kiwi Ukulele is out now. You can buy it here. The book has endorsements from Age Pryor and George from the UOoGB, to which I can add my whole hearted supported (more on that in the not too distant future).
ezFolk has a new blog look. As an aside/hissy-fit, is it just my self interest speaking or is it a bit off that general sites like ezFolk and Curt Sheller are included in the Top 50 Ukulele Sites list?
First ever Wine Country Ukulele Festival in Napa Valley featuring workshops and performances from the likes of Herb Ohta, Jr., Keoki Kahumoku, Ralph Shaw, and James Hill.
HawaiiMusicSupply has just put up a selection of ukulele tutorials.
Does anyone know anything about Oly Arkle? His From Paris to Barcelona is rather magnificent. All I’ve been able to find out is that he’s French and he looks like this.
I long ago gave up reading ‘news’ pieces about Jake Shimabukuro, they all say the same thing. Luckily, Gary is far more diligent than I am. He found out that Jake’s new album will include a uke/cello duet and a ukulele string quartet. Speaking of Jake, Cover Me has an mp3 of his version of Time After Time.
If you’ve been watching closely, you’ll know I’m a fan of Poopy Lungstuffing. It turns out that she was a sort of proto-Avril Lavigne with the band Rosebud. This was the song as it was and here it is now. A big improvement I’d say.
The Offspring’s Original Prankster on Uker Tabs.
Ukulala gets his make-out socks on for the Squirrel Nut Zippers.
I’m Yours on the world’s smallest ukulele.
Ukulele Links: Irish Uke Gathering, Julia Nunes Inspires Molly Ringwald
July 4, 2008
Last call for entries to the win a Kala Pineapple competition. It ends on Sunday.
Ireland will be having its first ukulele gathering in Dublin on August 9/10. Guest of honour will be Dan ‘Cool Hand Uke‘ Scanlan. If you’d like more info contact Tony Boland.
Italy’s first ukulele festival kicks off today with appearances by Bosco and Honey and James Hill.
Aldrine Guerrero releases his debut CD.
The Ten Commandments of Uke (via Ukulelia). And now that straps are verbotten, here’s the Catholic solution to a slipping ukulele.
Molly Ringwald was inspired to take up the ukulele by Julia Nunes (Noo-nez). That might be my favourite bit of news ever. Skip ahead to around 4:20. (Props to Uni for finding it).
Soldier’s Joy on Uker Tabs (Thanks Ken).
The Barnkickers are the deserving winners of Ukewarehouse’s video competition.
You really should be following Ukulele Hero. Half the news here has already been on there.
The Beautiful South’s Paul Heaton writing their next album on ukulele.
Get yourself a free ukulele by having your YouTube videos sponsored. OK, that guy’s not much of a uke player, but I think that’s a pretty good idea for people whose videos get plenty of views. Bushman are the Bentley of ukuleles? I’d say they’re more the Ford Taurus of ukuleles.
The Independent on Sunday’s style guide favours the MJ Hibbett spelling of ‘ukelele’.
Ain’t nothing but a G thing. Who plays the G chord like that?
Re-entrant tuned guitar. I love Soukous, but I never realised some of them replace the D-string on the guitar with a high E-string tuned to D - giving it a ‘my dog has fleas’ style tuning. Diblooooooooooooooo!
Jupiter Creek, RISA, G-String
June 27, 2008
There have been three Jupiter Creek ukuleles crop up on eBay this week. The baritone has gone already, but you still have a shot at a concert and a tenor. There’s also a soprano for sale on eBay France.
It’s not often you see RISAs on eBay, but there’s a Meltocaster on there right now. It’s a guitarlele rather than a uke, though. And I still can’t quite come to terms with that shape.
The RISA isn’t the only strangely shaped ukulele on eBay at the moment. There are ukes shaped like a biscuit tin (strangely inelegant for a Lyon and Healy ukulele), a teardrop (I’m pretty sure that’s also a Lyon and Healy: a Venetian ukulele) and, best of all, an aeroplane.
It’s not often that there’s a ukulele I’m lusting after more than one shaped like an aeroplane, but this week that’s the case. MGM has a James Hill Signature JSM-2 ukulele up for sale right now (made by G String). I can always kid myself that if I had one, I’d play just like James Hill and no one can prove otherwise.
There’s a banjo ukulele collector who’s selling off his collection on eBay UK. There’s a Gibson UB3, a Maybell, a Bruno (made by Harmony ukuleles and an Avalon. All look very well cared for.
Most ridiculous ukulele/cavaquinho of the week: Del Vecchio Resonator. Even more strange than the uke itself is the video that’s presumably made to help sell it.
Indiana Jones Theme
June 1, 2008
Before we get down to business, James Hill’s new website/ezine Ukulele, Yes! is up and running. I still haven’t managed to successfully sign up for the ezine itself, but it looks like it’s all online anyway. A bunch of good stuff in the first issue including an interview with Peter Luongo, , an arrangement of Rattle on the Stovepipe (splatters and squiggles only) and an article by John Kavanagh about me (there might be something about Ragtime in there as well).
With the new Indiana Jones film coming out and a couple of requests for it, I thought I’d take a stab at arranging it for the uke. To be honest, I didn’t think it would work on the uke. I’ve been trying to do a decent arrangement of Star Wars for the uke but haven’t come up with anything good enough. The Indiana Jones theme is similarly epic, John Williams stuff. But, with a bit of jumping around and finger twisting, it works pretty well. Make sure you let as many notes ring into each other as you can to get a extra sound out of it.
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