Love my baritone and tenor mandos tuned in 5ths just so I can play familiar tunes with different tone.
Lotsa fun!
Steven
Apologies to the previous poster who said it, but THIS is the video that started it all. (At least for me. I never thought of a ukulele as a "real" musical instrument until I saw this. I blame Tiny Tim.)
That's some real good playing! And I agree, you can absolutely shred on nylon strings. Another exhibit, Rodrigo y Gabriela:
Personally however, if I was interested in getting into the nylon-type of sound I'd prefer a classical guitar - wider tonal range, gives access to more tunes. BUT, I can see someone preferring the ukulele for various reasons - cheaper, easier to keep in tune, easier to carry, or just because it has a different "character" than a guitar.
Whoa... how could I forget?? Thanks, all, for reminding me:
Back in '09 or so, when my wife's annual biological conference took us to Honolulu (always stay longer than the conference!), we spent a pleasant hour or two in a uke shop inside one of the big hotels along Waikiki beach. The 20-ish shop kid was most helpful, and most entertained by a) my insights vs. mandolin, plus that I was aware of Jake Shimabukuro, and b) my wife's incredibly good perception of tone vs. her incredibly bad perception of pitch... just sayin'! Right before we left, found that we'd been speaking with Jake S's brother!
- Ed
"Then one day we weren't as young as before
Our mistakes weren't quite so easy to undo
But by all those roads, my friend, we've travelled down
I'm a better man for just the knowin' of you."
- Ian Tyson
I blame Kate Micucci
I had 19 ukes in 2013 and now down to one. I bought my Phoenix Bluegrass mandolin in 2015 and never felt the need for another. The thing I miss most about ukes was socializing with uke players I would have never met in my usual circle of friends. I was a member of a fantastic group in Missouri called The Ukulele Fight Club and that has been the height of my musical experience to date since I have reverted to a bedroom player again.
2009 Phoenix Bluegrass
Local community college has a Music class , just for/with Ukes, and then they do ensemble shows..
George Harrison was, reportedly, a Uke evangelical...
writing about music
is like dancing,
about architecture
I've been teaching ukulele for several years -- intro and occasionally intermediate -- for a local town rec department. Never have a problem getting a half-dozen or more students for a six-lesson course.
My students are 75% women, of all ages. They are drawn to uke as a simpler, accessible, affordable instrument -- one where after a lesson or two you can play You Are My Sunshine and similar. They also appreciate the social aspects of playing an instrument with others; to most it's the first instrument they've tried, and the first time they've played in a group.
Despite the new visibility of virtuoso players, the main thrust of uke playing is song accompaniment, in my experience. I will try to intersperse a bit of melody playing, and also a smattering of chord theory, in the curriculum, but will mostly stick to teaching chord fingerings, simple strums, and "by ear" chord selection (what's a 1-4-5 chord progression?) to try to prepare students to go out on their own and learn songs that they want to master.
There's a huge proliferation of uke vids on YouTube, and I suggest that students cruise them and see if anything works for them. I also refer them to local ukulele "interest groups" (Bernunzio had one pre-pandemic, may be re-forming) where players can meet, learn and swap songs. The local main branch library also used to host Saturday morning sessions; I led one before COVID shut things down.
Also would mention the influence of Jim Beloff, who developed the Fluke triangular ukulele, the Flea mini, and the Daily Ukulele songbook.
By the way, my main performance instrument is a '30's Regal 8-string "taropatch," tenor sized. I usually introduce my classes to a variety of ukulele-family instruments -- ukulele-banjo, resonator uke, tiple, baritone uke, and of course the majestic Polk-A-Lay-Lee. Lots to choose from, lotsa fun to play, especially with others.
Allen Hopkins
Gibsn: '54 F5 3pt F2 A-N Custm K1 m'cello
Natl Triolian Dobro mando
Victoria b-back Merrill alumnm b-back
H-O mandolinetto
Stradolin Vega banjolin
Sobell'dola Washburn b-back'dola
Eastmn: 615'dola 805 m'cello
Flatiron 3K OM
It’s not just the ukulele, it’s the people who play them too. Always laughing and smiling. They can’t stop it.
It’s a happy instrument.
Check out this songbook, I defy anyone to find just one miserable song in there!
Jake Shimabukuro’s cover of Bohemian Rhapsody is what convinced me to get a uke. But I also love these folks for the interesting instruments they choose. Uke in this case:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=o4g0aGsXVZE
Bookmarks