Ukulele

[MissNathalieVintage]

Hi, I am new to the Ukulele (Rouge) and wondered if there were any other Ukulele players on the Lounge.

 

[Rathdown]

I am about to take up the Ukulele, provided my local Ukulele shop can teach me the basics.

 

[Brad Bowers]

Moved to The Observation Bar, as it's a better fit here and will be seen by a wider audience.

Brad

 

[Edward]

I have my eye on a Banjolele, when I'm better off in a few months' time.

 

[LizzieMaine]

I own a uke -- my grandmother was a skilled player -- but so far I've only learned to plunk on it a bit. One of my goals is to achieve, if not a Roy Smeck level of skill than at least an Arthur Godfrey.

 

[MissNathalieVintage]

Great! Thanks for the move.

 

[MissNathalieVintage]

I own a uke -- my grandmother was a skilled player -- but so far I've only learned to plunk on it a bit. One of my goals is to achieve, if not a Roy Smeck level of skill than at least an Arthur Godfrey.

Swell, I was having a hard time with the pressing down on the strings. I use to play a little bit on the guitar years ago. Thanks to good old google I learned the strings it came with are the heavy kind and I can look into getting some thinner style strings to help improve with my fingering.

 

[MissNathalieVintage]

I have been admiring this lady's ukulele playing and singing. Its so sweet. The type of music she sings is anywhere from Al Jolson-Guns and Roses. Her name is Andi B Goodie (her blog is the same name). http://m.youtube.com/user/andreaaaaahh?gl=US&hl=en&client=mv-google

 

[Gene]

I have my eye on a Banjolele, when I'm better off in a few months' time.

Quite expensive! I play regular ol' banjer myself and lemme tell you they are as hard to find as hen's teeth (other than ebay where they go for lots and lots of moolah)

 

[The Wolf]

A bonus feature on the special edition of "The Jerk" has a lady showing how to play "You Belong Me".
I've thought of buying a uke because of George Harrison and others.

Sincerely,
The Wolf

 

[PHIL1959]

I've just watched a documentary on George Formby and now i'm on the look out for either a ukulele or banjolele

 

[Cicero]

What is harder to learn, ukulele or guitar?
I've tried the guitar for some time, but had no talent for this.

 

[Edward]

Quite expensive! I play regular ol' banjer myself and lemme tell you they are as hard to find as hen's teeth (other than ebay where they go for lots and lots of moolah)

Mn. I'm hoping there'll be a cheaper alternative somewhere!

What is harder to learn, ukulele or guitar?
I've tried the guitar for some time, but had no talent for this.

I'm told ukelele is easier than guitar.

 

[Espee]

A bonus feature on the special edition of "The Jerk" has a lady showing how to play "You Belong Me".
I've thought of buying a uke because of George Harrison and others.

Sincerely,
The Wolf

That was noT JUST A lady, that was Janet Klein.
Some ukesters thought the lesson was a bit confusing for beginners (from what I read somewhere) but the whole thing is certainly inspirational!
As for Janet's straight-through performance of "Tonight You Belong to Me," on her web site she has the original version, where she's sitting on a Paper Moon. But the studio folks had some of those notorious "meetings" and decided she should instead be sitting on a rock, on a beach-- because in the movie, Steve Martin and Bernadette Peters are on a beach.

 

[Espee]

Soon after seeing Janet Klein and Ian Whitcomb for the first time, my sister said she had sent for a banjolele. I've never heard any more about it...

 

[LizzieMaine]

One thing uke players might want to do is start collecting vintage sheet music: most popular songs from the twenties thru the forties were released with ukulele chords and fingering charts printed directly on the music, making it very easy to pick up on the tunes of the moment.

 

[Espee]

That lady Janet Klein will be just 40 miles from "The Wolf" in September, at the Wine Country Ukulele Fest, in Napa.

 

[JennieWren]

Quite expensive! I play regular ol' banjer myself and lemme tell you they are as hard to find as hen's teeth (other than ebay where they go for lots and lots of moolah)

Like this?
http://larkinam.com/BanjoUke.html
That first one doesn't seem too bad to me, but when you play the oud 240$ or so seems like a steal! (it could be cheaper because it sounds like cardboard, though, I donno) My "cheap" turkish oud was 550$ (and it goes out of tune as soon as you breathe on it).

 

[MissNathalieVintage]

One thing uke players might want to do is start collecting vintage sheet music: most popular songs from the twenties thru the forties were released with ukulele chords and fingering charts printed directly on the music, making it very easy to pick up on the tunes of the moment.

Great idea Lizzie!

Interesting: I checked my Library and they have nothing on learning how to play the uke.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Roy Smeck wrote a good basic ukulele method in the twenties, and wonder of wonders it's still in print. You ought to be able to find it at a well-stocked music store. It's called, amazingly enough, "Roy Smeck's New Original Ukulele Method."