Blog

Ukulele; reasons to check it out

 

Although enjoying something of a renaissance of late, thanks in no small part by such greats as Jake Shimabukuro and Israel Kamakawiwoʻole, the Uke is still often regarded as a not-so serious instrument, and maybe it’s because the Uke just sounds so happy- if it was a person, it would be one of those people that’s always smiling and friendly.

And maybe that’s partly why I love it, but I have another reason;

As a guitar player first and foremost, and as a guitar teacher, I’ve come to regard the Uke as a”gateway drug”.

For instance, there’s been many a parent (my own included) that’s been pestered to distraction with a constant request that goes something like “Please can I have a guitar – please, please please -PLEEEEEEEZZZEE?????”

Of course the parent’s understandable concern is that they fork out hard-earned sheckles for a decent instrument only to find it lying under the bed in a few months, barely touched and forever abandoned. So much for the hard-earned sheckles. Fair enough.

and that’s where the friendly ol’ Ukulele come in…

Here’s my one, a Kala KA-C, and I LOVE IT!! (full disclosure, this is an affiliate link, but I own one of these and can heartily reccomend it):

You see although the Ukulele is tuned in a different register, the physical chord shapes that the hand forms are the same shapes as a guitar.

Not only that, with a smaller neck and fingerboard, along with nylon strings (considerably softer and easier on the  beginner’s fingertips than steel strings), the physical discomfort factor is minimal.

Add to that the considerable price difference between a beginner guitar and beginner ukulele, and most parents would be quite happy to allow their pride and joy to experiment with a Ukulele and, if they take to it, maybe there’s a guitar in their future; ‘Christmas is coming” as my Dad used to say. Or, as sometimes happens, they just fall in love with their Ukulele and they live happily ever after.

So you might ask , as many do,

• What’s the best ukulele to buy?
• What price is a cheap ukulele, and where to buy a ukulele?
• Are some Ukulele brands better than others?

..and after all that

• Where do I learn how to play ukulele, and
• Can’t I just start with easy ukulele songs?

I can help.

I play a not-at-all-fancy KALA KA-C  (See above) that suits me just fine for jamming on and  having fun. Some other reputable brands are:

Cordoba

Lohanu

Donner

YOu “CAN” get a ukulele for 50 bucks or so, but have an experienced player take a look at it and make sure it stays in tune and wont fall apart in the rain.

Best to pay between 80 to 120 bucks to get started, I would say, for the instrument, and get a carrying case while you’re at it.

As for learning , there are a TON of books out there as well as You Tube tutorials on how to play ukulele.

And yes of course you can find easy Ukulele songs to learn as you work your way up to being another Jake Shimabukuro.

The main thing is to have fun- it’s what your Uke would want.

 

 

Disclaimer: Links provided are affiliate links. Rest assured that I only endorse products I know to be of the highest quality.

 

 

 

 

The pumpkin cranberry pecan muffin really hit the spot. The parade of airports from the day before  were now a distant memory, and the quiet town of LA Veta CO, with the Dpanish Peaks tall on the horizon, was slowly seeping into my pores.
I was there to play guitar, teach guitar, and perform at the Spanish Peaks International Celtic Festival, to give it it’s official title.
My official duties for the weekend was to host irish guitar workshops, singer songwriter nights, and generally participate in the merriment at one of the finest Celtic Music Festivals  -emphasis on quality over quantity and good music over beer sales-  in the mountain state.
My unofficial duties ( as dictated by me) were to kick back and soak up as much of these little-town vibes as I could. The Paradise Cafe was my first port of call after a long nights sleep. A sleep that was brought on by a constant whispering wind, sometimes carrying a coyote call and the soft foot fall of a deer in the garden.

The coffee was deep, rich and welcoming, and a steady influx of locals and visitors made it plain that I wasn’t the only one who thought so.
After whiling away an hour or so on the big comfy sofa, I wandered across the street to what became the central venue, both for music and generally hanging out, for the whole festival : La Veta Mercantile–  where gift ideas, home furnishings, beer, wine and coffee were all.available, as well as a mighty fine music venue and art gallery for all curious travelers to check out at their leisure. The hostess with the mostess,  Emily , with her dog Woody , greeted everyone with an easy smile, and I found myself sliding up to that bar and enjoying a cold one on more occasions then I should admit.
Through chatting with locals while I sat there, and from reading a few sidewalk plaques, I learned a thing or two about La Veta – some old native American legends still held their grip on today with tales of the devil rising from below, only to be cast out by giants.
More recently, it had been a prominent coal mining town where fortunes were made. And, presumably, lost. Many books of local history have been written, and I’ve promised myself I’d dive in some day.
For this weekend, however it was a buzzing hotbed of Celtic music and the musicians that make it happen. I did my part to make it the best we all could, and man it was good.
My guitar students were great – curious, quick to learn,  and a real treat to be around,  and the stages I played on were bursting with old-world character and charm- some from the room itself, some from the music being made.
After each night’s performance, the road back to HQ rolled out under a blanket of a  deep blue night sky, strewn with stars, as we headed for a late night rendezvous  (the afore – mentioned Merantile) to play a few tunes around the table and have a chat over a beer.
If only every festival experience could be like this one….I hope we meet again, La Veta. You’re all right.

 

It was a hot one this year. and humid; unusually so for Minnesota, but all those poor Minnesotans took it standing up to enjoy some really great music this year with bands like Altan, Doolan’ and WeBano3 taking center stage.
For my part I played with two other bands- both traditional Irish ensembles, and did a couple of solo things on top of that, and rather than try to fight the heat (as pointless as fighting an incoming tide) we all pretty much decided to just kick back, play at a more relaxed clip. and treat the whole thing as just a fun hang as opposed to a “performance”, and I think the audiences were pretty much on our wavelength, so if there is such a thing as a laid-back festival state of mind, that’s what we achieved.
St Paul Irish Fair is one of those great FREE festivals that does a great job representing the various aspects of Irish culture pretty evenly, from the music to the dancing, sport, cuisine, history and literature-a presentation with an eye for detail that has always impressed me. And it’s only fair (not an intentional pun – promise) to mention the setting – on the banks of the mighty Mississippi on a hot summer day, the whoel experiance is really stunning. Anyway, enough gushing – suffice to say you should go there some day…..:)