The Moonlighters, Hoagy Carmichael, Soko Ukulele Videos

August 23, 2008

This week’s pick of ukulele videos includes a performance by legendary songwriter Hoagy Carmichael (responsible for Heart and Soul, Stardust, Georgia on My Mind and many others). Other videos this week include The Moonlighters and a uke version of Smells Like Teen Spirit by Abe Lagrimas, Jr. that kicks the crap out of UOGB’s. [Read more]

Taimane Gardner, GUGUG, Ema and the Ghosts

March 29, 2008

My favourite ukulele videos of the week from Taimane, GUGUG, Ema and the Ghosts and plenty of others. [Read more]

The Saturday UkeTube

March 15, 2008

Bret McKenzie uking it up with his old group, sweetafton23, Taimane, Des O’Connor and plenty more. [Read more]

Joe Brown, Howlin Hobbit, Jen Kwok, Taimane Gardner

February 9, 2008

Watch my favourite ukulele videos of the week after the ‘more’ tag including Joe Brown’s appearance on Jools Holland. [Read more]

Lars Larsson’s Ukulele Video Showcase I: UkuLadies

October 6, 2007

Recently, the Berkeley Ukulele Club message board disappeared and took along with it the excellent list of the best ukulele videos in various categories. The list was compiled by Jeff West of the Berkeley Ukulele Club, the Ukulele Club of Santa Cruz and the Deutscher Ukulelenclub. He’s very kindly supplied me with the lists and has let me put them up.

Here’s the first list, dedicated to the distaff side of ukulele.

Alison Young / Satellite

Karen Langlie (w/friend) / Money

Honey with Bosko / Dance with Me

Kelli Rae Powell / Handmedowns

Sweet Soubrette / Tenderness Has Teeth

Ami Worten / Beedle Um Bum

Heather Lev / Ukulele Afternoon

Taimane Gardner / Tico Tico

Meaghan Ferrell / Optimist

Helen Kane / Betty Boop

Mercedezz (Banjo Uke) / I Will Survive

Honey with Bosko / Baby It’s You

Zoe Woodbury / There Is A Light That Never Goes Out

Janet Klein / Tonight You Belong to Me

AlliBee / Claire

Victoria Vox / Uking on the Road

Rose Turtle Ertler with B & H

Raiatea Helm / Kalama’ula

Brittni Paiva/ Europa

Black Sabbath - Iron Man

September 12, 2007

One of the easiest ways to make an audience sit up and take notice is to play a snippet of something they recognise and weren’t expecting to hear on the uke. It’s a trick that Taimane Gardner uses regularly and to great effect.

With that in mind, I’ve decided to tab out the top ten most recognisable guitar riffs for the uke. As far as possible, they’ll be in the key of C. Transpose them to whichever key you are playing them and insert them into a song or tune any time you think people are getting bored.

10. Iron Man (Black Sabbath)

black sabbath iron man ukulele
Iron Man midi

The slow tempo makes this seem like a very easy riff to play. But the slides in it make it tricky. You could replace the slides with hammer-ons and pull-offs but you’d lose some of the effect.

Buy Iron Man
Black Sabbath - Reunion - Iron Man

The Saturday UkeTube

July 7, 2007

A week in which I watched the ukulele played on stilts, Taimane mix with Scientologists and an explanation of the difference between a ukulele and a tortoise which left me even more confused than I was to begin with. Nevertheless, there were still some fantastic performances. See them behind the cut.

[Read more]

UkeTube

May 25, 2007

My favourite ukulele videos uploaded to YouTube in the past week.

Taimane Gardner

Taimane recently turned in a suitably barnstorming performance at the memorial concert for Don Ho; with whom she had been playing since the age of 14.

Here, at a family reunion, she is markedly more restrained and relaxed than she is in most of her performances.

Takashi Nakamura

Albert Hammond, Jr - In Transit

With The Strokes taking a year off, guitarist Albert Hammond is focusing on his solo career. In it’s original version, this song featured I’ll forgive the use of a plectrum in this case.

Ukulele-Coolia - Tequila

Gus and Fin - California Sun

Ukulele + wooble board = fun.