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It‘s Back! LEOLANI’S 12 Days of Christmas Giveaway!
Mele Kalikimaka!
Well, at least that’s what Ingrid Michaelson is singing over on my Amazon Echo. (Sorry Bing, please forgive me!)
Thanksgiving is just a few days away and my stomach is already longing for my dad’s “super moist, bettah then da rest” turkey! Secret tip guys... he pretends he’s making brisket...lol! Low and slow, finished with a broiler sear. Seriously, at our large Thanksgiving gathering people don’t even touch the other turkeys. They end up taking their dry birds home while my dad’s roasting pot is empty. Can't wait! So with Thanksgiving being tomorrow here in the US we can see just over the hill to CHRISTMAS, the most wonderful time of year! And with that said, it gives me great pleasure to announce to you again: Leolani’s 12 Days of Christmas ukulele giveaway!
So in this post I’m gonna break down what this contest/giveaway is all about. And, yes, the challenges too! Just like we did last year we are gonna be giving away 12 ukuleles. One ukulele each day! To enter, check out our list of daily challenges. There are 12 of them, one for each day. You can enter all 12 days or just pick the ones that strike your fancy. Just remember to get your submission in before midnight (HST) on the day you want to enter (just like Cinderella). We will be announcing the winners the following day on our socials!
And as the big guy in the red suit delivers gifts to children all over the world, we decided to follow his lead and open this contest to everyone. US and International! If you win, we will find a way to get it to you. Even if we have to ship ELF-EXPRESS, USS (United Sleigh Service) or NPPS (North Poll Post). All are welcome to enter!
So the next logical question is how does one win one of these awesome ukuleles. We have teamed up with a special team of elves, twelve amazing musical influencers and artists to help spread the holiday cheer! Each of these artist is comman(deer)ing one of the twelve days, and they have personally picked the specific holiday challenges. They are really festive and fun! We hope you get excited looking over. We know that not everyone entering owns a ukulele, so we have both ukulele friendly and non ukulele friendly challenges to choose from. Hopefully a Leolani/KUMU will be your first ukulele, that would be jolly!
So without further ado, here are the challenges!
HO, HO, HO... those elves are so cheerful! The challenges start next week, in 48 hours, on Friday, November 26th so mark your calendars!
Here’s how to enter my fellow sugar plums:
1. Use the hashtag #MerryUkeMas2021 + tag @leolani_kumu_ukulele in your post.
2. Follow @leolani_kumu_ukulele on Instagram or Facebook @Leolani Ukulele. or subscribe to Leolani KUMU Ukulele on YouTube.
3. Post your entry to Instagram or Facebook by 11:59pm HST (Hawaii Standard Time) on the day you are entering. This year we are also adding the option of emailing your submission to leolanimedia@gmail.com. Day one is on November 26th, just a few days away.
4. Turn you account setting to public (at least on the day you are entering) so our judges will be able to see your festive submissions.
So be as creative and festive as possible. Let’s make this giveaway super fun! You can enter all twelve days, or just one. You have a chance to win all twelve ukulele or one. It’s totally up to you. The more days you enter... the more chances you get to win! This contest will have up to twelve winners so go tell it on the mountain! If you send in your submission via email, know that we will be posting it to our socials announcing if you win. Everyone will want to see your awesome submission!
HARK! You can prepare your entries whenever! Like right after reading this post. As long as it doesn’t come in after the daily deadline. So if you are baking cookies today you can enter for day 2, and make a Christmas cookie in the shape of a ukulele and submit it already. You don’t have to wait till day 2 to submit. Just don’t submit it on day 3 because the Grinch will give you that devilish grin!
We will announce the winners the following day on our socials. We can‘t wait to see your submissions! If you have a ukulele on your Christmas list this year... be sure to enter. (Hint, hint… go for the more challenging days, better chance to win!)
If you have any questions, ask away on our socials and we will get back to you with Prancer speed!
For all of our visual learners, here is our sixty second promo from Sabeth and I, head elf of social media and our reindeer refuse custodian:
Keep jamming and aloha!
2021 Holiday Gift Guide For Ukulele Lovers
Hey ya’ll… its Fall! Okay, I just had to get that off my chest. I’m still shocked that we are already in November with just 6 short weeks till 2022! Crazy! As we Americans head towards the Thanksgiving holiday I thought it fitting now to drop our ‘Holiday Gift Guide For Ukulele Lovers”. With Christmas around the corner, its good to get a get a head start (not to mention that shipping is all ‘nutzo’ this time of year). Plus there’s the added pressure of getting a gift for the ukulele enthusiast in your life, even if that’s you! Well count your lucky sugar plums, because I’m here to help you out! As shipping heads into high gear, below are 10 ukulele gift ideas that every uke lover will appreciate! I will add purchase links to express your shopping time! Some of these gifts are affordable, while others are next level and are sure to bring a smile to your giftee's face! Or yourself! Haha! We are the generation of self-love right? Let the Christmas shopping commence! Online Ukulele Course Most ukulele players want to improve their skills, and online ukulele courses make a fantastic gift that keeps on giving! Good online ukulele courses are almost as nice as in-person lessons, while being more affordable and a whole lot easier to fit into a busy schedule. This would make a perfect gift someone wanting to get into the ukulele. Maybe the perfect gift for your kid(s). Now if you are blessed to be able to live in an area where there are great ukulele teachers that teach in person, I recommend taking in person classes. This year the wife and I invested in our son Ben and got him lessons at ‘Ukulele Hale’ here on Oahu. It’s been three months and he’s blowing us away! He’s currently learning how to play ‘Mele Kalikimaka’! We recommend online lessons from UkeLikeThePros. Affordable and with tons of content! Check them out here! Ukulele Chord Chart My famed chord chart that hangs above my home work station is now discontinued by the artist. So here is the next best thing. This ukulele chord poster comes from the Etsy store Penny & Horse. They design amazing stuff. With over 22,800 sales and at 5 stars, I think its a winner. The chords are color coordinated and easy to follow. It is a digital product, and it includes 5 digital files in common sizes. At under $7 its a steal! Plus you can print multiples so it‘s the gift that keeps on giving. Peruse their shop, they have different layouts so choose the one that sparks your fancy. Check the many chord chart layouts here! USB Recording Mic Every budding ukulele artist needs a recording mic. But what if you don’t have all the chords and computer adapters? Don’t fret, the Audio-Technica cardioid condenser USB microphone requires only a USB port. Super simple to use and records crystal clear audio! Recording yourself playing will aid in progressing on your ukulele journey. Plus you can send your finished masterpieces to friends in family! Purchase the Audio-Technica USB recording mic here! Ukulele Song Book Ever heard of Hal Leonard? After their band broke up brothers Harold ”Hal” Edstrom and Everett “Leonard” Edstrom started the company Hal Leonard. They had the unique ability because of their professional experience to arrange popular music for school bands. This helped them launch a new publishing company that has been around for over 70 years. Check out this awesome song book they produced with 70 of the most popular songs ever! Aptly entitled ‘The Best Songs Ever- For Ukulele”. Purchase this song book here! Digital Tuner 3 in 1 The perfect gift for the budding ukulele star is the Lekato 3 in 1 digital tuner. This amazing little gadget doesn’t only tune your ukulele, its also a tone generator, and get this… a metronome! Trust me when I say that learning to play in time is key. People singing along with you will thank you. Now you can with this rechargeable all in one secret weapon! Purchase the Lakato 3 in 1 Digital Metronome here! Roadie 3 A tuner that actually tunes your ukulele. Yeah, you heard me right! The Roadie 3 can tune your ukulele for you and with great accuracy. It can also store over 100 alternate tunings! Just watch the videos of this thing in action and have your mind blown. The perfect gift for someone who has everything. They probably don’t have this! Gift the super engineered Roadie Tuner 3 off Amazon here! Ukulele Side Chord Decals Another ETSY gem! From the store front ‘Surfs Up’ comes an innovative way to remember ukulele chord formations. They offer stick on decals that you can put on the sides of your ukulele. What a genius idea! Plus they are removable, so after you’ve learned and mastered your chords, you can take away the evidence. Check out their store as they have many ukulele “cheat sheet” decals. Purchase them here! Ukulele Amp The Orange Amp Micro Terror is small amp with a ton of power! People all over love the Orange brand of guitar amps, and this little guy sure lives up to the hype. This may be the best gift your giftee may get under the tree. Paired with the right speakers and you will be headlining Coachella! Well, at least in your bedroom. Gift the amazing Orange Amp Micro Terror on Amazon here! Strings (Uke Logic) Its always a good day when you restring your ukulele. Being in the ‘biz‘ for over a decade I can tell you that strings do make a difference in the sound of your ukulele! So its always great to switch things up once in while to zero in on the right set for you. Low G or high G? Wound or unwound? Nylon or fluorocarbon? How about mixing them? I have done my fair share of research and fell in love with ‘Uke Logic’ strings. Uke Logic string sets are made from high quality "super fluorocarbon" aka Super-Carbon. A high-density formula of fluorocarbon that is tonally different from the average fluorocarbon ukulele string. Uke Logic string sets are available as all-plain Super-Carbon and additional options are available for players who prefer metal wound strings in combination with Super-Carbon. Plus they offer low G sets! Purchase your set of Uke Logic strings here! Leolani Gift Card Now if what you want to gift is an ukulele, I’ve got you covered. I’m pleased to announce the launch of our new Leolani e-gift cards! These gift cards can be used on all our products on our site. You can create the e-gift card and write a festive message to your recipient! This takes the guess work out of choosing the right ukulele! Plus you don’t have to wrap anything… haha! Get an e-gift card here! _________________________________________ So here is my list of 10 super awesome ukulele gifts for ukulele lovers! You can find all these items on Amazon and ETSY now (except for the e-gift card, you can get them at leolaniukulele.com). Keep jamming and Happy Thanksgiving!
2021 Holiday Gift Guide For Ukulele Lovers
Hey ya’ll… its Fall! Okay, I just had to get that off my chest. I’m still shocked that we are already in November with just 6 short weeks till 2022! Crazy! As we Americans head towards the Thanksgiving holiday I thought it fitting now to drop our ‘Holiday Gift Guide For Ukulele Lovers”. With Christmas around the corner, its good to get a get a head start (not to mention that shipping is all ‘nutzo’ this time of year). Plus there’s the added pressure of getting a gift for the ukulele enthusiast in your life, even if that’s you! Well count your lucky sugar plums, because I’m here to help you out! As shipping heads into high gear, below are 10 ukulele gift ideas that every uke lover will appreciate! I will add purchase links to express your shopping time! Some of these gifts are affordable, while others are next level and are sure to bring a smile to your giftee's face! Or yourself! Haha! We are the generation of self-love right? Let the Christmas shopping commence! Online Ukulele Course Most ukulele players want to improve their skills, and online ukulele courses make a fantastic gift that keeps on giving! Good online ukulele courses are almost as nice as in-person lessons, while being more affordable and a whole lot easier to fit into a busy schedule. This would make a perfect gift someone wanting to get into the ukulele. Maybe the perfect gift for your kid(s). Now if you are blessed to be able to live in an area where there are great ukulele teachers that teach in person, I recommend taking in person classes. This year the wife and I invested in our son Ben and got him lessons at ‘Ukulele Hale’ here on Oahu. It’s been three months and he’s blowing us away! He’s currently learning how to play ‘Mele Kalikimaka’! We recommend online lessons from UkeLikeThePros. Affordable and with tons of content! Check them out here! Ukulele Chord Chart My famed chord chart that hangs above my home work station is now discontinued by the artist. So here is the next best thing. This ukulele chord poster comes from the Etsy store Penny & Horse. They design amazing stuff. With over 22,800 sales and at 5 stars, I think its a winner. The chords are color coordinated and easy to follow. It is a digital product, and it includes 5 digital files in common sizes. At under $7 its a steal! Plus you can print multiples so it‘s the gift that keeps on giving. Peruse their shop, they have different layouts so choose the one that sparks your fancy. Check the many chord chart layouts here! USB Recording Mic Every budding ukulele artist needs a recording mic. But what if you don’t have all the chords and computer adapters? Don’t fret, the Audio-Technica cardioid condenser USB microphone requires only a USB port. Super simple to use and records crystal clear audio! Recording yourself playing will aid in progressing on your ukulele journey. Plus you can send your finished masterpieces to friends in family! Purchase the Audio-Technica USB recording mic here! Ukulele Song Book Ever heard of Hal Leonard? After their band broke up brothers Harold ”Hal” Edstrom and Everett “Leonard” Edstrom started the company Hal Leonard. They had the unique ability because of their professional experience to arrange popular music for school bands. This helped them launch a new publishing company that has been around for over 70 years. Check out this awesome song book they produced with 70 of the most popular songs ever! Aptly entitled ‘The Best Songs Ever- For Ukulele”. Purchase this song book here! Digital Tuner 3 in 1 The perfect gift for the budding ukulele star is the Lekato 3 in 1 digital tuner. This amazing little gadget doesn’t only tune your ukulele, its also a tone generator, and get this… a metronome! Trust me when I say that learning to play in time is key. People singing along with you will thank you. Now you can with this rechargeable all in one secret weapon! Purchase the Lakato 3 in 1 Digital Metronome here! Roadie 3 A tuner that actually tunes your ukulele. Yeah, you heard me right! The Roadie 3 can tune your ukulele for you and with great accuracy. It can also store over 100 alternate tunings! Just watch the videos of this thing in action and have your mind blown. The perfect gift for someone who has everything. They probably don’t have this! Gift the super engineered Roadie Tuner 3 off Amazon here! Ukulele Side Chord Decals Another ETSY gem! From the store front ‘Surfs Up’ comes an innovative way to remember ukulele chord formations. They offer stick on decals that you can put on the sides of your ukulele. What a genius idea! Plus they are removable, so after you’ve learned and mastered your chords, you can take away the evidence. Check out their store as they have many ukulele “cheat sheet” decals. Purchase them here! Ukulele Amp The Orange Amp Micro Terror is small amp with a ton of power! People all over love the Orange brand of guitar amps, and this little guy sure lives up to the hype. This may be the best gift your giftee may get under the tree. Paired with the right speakers and you will be headlining Coachella! Well, at least in your bedroom. Gift the amazing Orange Amp Micro Terror on Amazon here! Strings (Uke Logic) Its always a good day when you restring your ukulele. Being in the ‘biz‘ for over a decade I can tell you that strings do make a difference in the sound of your ukulele! So its always great to switch things up once in while to zero in on the right set for you. Low G or high G? Wound or unwound? Nylon or fluorocarbon? How about mixing them? I have done my fair share of research and fell in love with ‘Uke Logic’ strings. Uke Logic string sets are made from high quality "super fluorocarbon" aka Super-Carbon. A high-density formula of fluorocarbon that is tonally different from the average fluorocarbon ukulele string. Uke Logic string sets are available as all-plain Super-Carbon and additional options are available for players who prefer metal wound strings in combination with Super-Carbon. Plus they offer low G sets! Purchase your set of Uke Logic strings here! Leolani Gift Card Now if what you want to gift is an ukulele, I’ve got you covered. I’m pleased to announce the launch of our new Leolani e-gift cards! These gift cards can be used on all our products on our site. You can create the e-gift card and write a festive message to your recipient! This takes the guess work out of choosing the right ukulele! Plus you don’t have to wrap anything… haha! Get an e-gift card here! _________________________________________ So here is my list of 10 super awesome ukulele gifts for ukulele lovers! You can find all these items on Amazon and ETSY now (except for the e-gift card, you can get them at leolaniukulele.com). Keep jamming and Happy Thanksgiving!
Matte, Satin, & Gloss... Oh My!
Before we get started, can I just call out the huge elephant in the room? It’s FALL! Well, not technically since the official start of Fall is September 22. But we all the know the season truly changes when Starbucks brings the spice. No, not that spice! (Can't believe DUNE comes out next month!) Yeah, this one! I remember posting about this last year with gifs of leaves falling and pumpkin spice lattes, and here we’re at it again! Before you know it we’ll be hearing Christmas songs on the radio. Now that your back from Starbucks with a “venti” iced pumpkin spiced latte with cloud foam, lets get to the matter at hand. In my last post I wrote about ukulele finishes. I went over the different types of finish, how they are applied, and how they effect the instrument. To check out that post, check it out here. Now, we are gonna take a deep dive on how these finishes are applied and ‘finished’. You’ve seen and heard these buzzwords before; ”Matte, Satin, semi-gloss, full gloss, tuxedo, and ‘supah dupah’ shiny.” But what do these words actually mean? Let's talk about it! Matte, Satin, & Semigloss So let‘s get something big out of the way. All of these words are synonymous! So if your shopping for a new ukulele and see any of these words, they mean that the finish is very thin, rough to the touch, and doesn’t reflect light. Matte finishes are created using the same finish materials as gloss finishes, but are left un-buffed or not rubbed out at the factory. And in most cases they need less coats of nitrocellulose or polyurethane. This makes finishing a ukulele in matte quicker and easier than gloss. A huge benefit to matte finishing is the tonal supremacy achieved over those that are glossy. Using less coats of finish means less material on the body of the ukulele. Less material buildup means less vibrational obstruction. The body of the ukulele is an “air pump”. The more the body vibrates, and the more intense those vibrations, means more air is pumped out of the body. When this happens, you got an amazing instrument! So typically people wanting a great sounding ukulele go for matte versions. There are a few downsides. With less finish, you have less protection covering the wood. Typically matte ukulele scratch and ding a lot easier. Another downside is that matte ukulele eventually gloss up with use since you are ‘rubbing’ out the finish with your arms and oily hands. Gloss As we learned above there are really only two types of finish, matte and gloss. Now gloss proponents love that mirror shine look. So if looks matter most to you, than gloss is your pick! Gloss finishes are achieved by buffing out the layers of finish. The finish on gloss ukulele tend to be thicker due to the fact that there is more work involved to achieve that ‘glossy’ appearance. No one wants to sand and buff through the finish and into the wood. Some advantages of gloss finishes are they offer more protection, are easier to clean, and give the grain and color of the tone wood a pop! Ukulele finished in gloss are more ”sexy” than their counterparts since it reveals more of the wood! A perceived downside to gloss ukulele is a dampening of tone, sustain, and projection due to the added weight of the finish. Though this is debatable with modern applications and techniques. So has been the mantra for decades; ”If you desire looks, go with gloss. If you desire sound, go with matte.” But what if you desire both? Like choosing a partner. Wouldn't you want someone who is both gold on the inside as well as the outside? Now this brings us to… The Tuxedo Finish Tuxedo is a finish that we use here at Leolani. We decided to take the middle road and achieved a finish that is both thin and glossy! Our goal was to have our tuxedo finish look as if the ukulele had just come out of the spray booth… sleek and wet! This is where we got the name Tuxedo. We thought everyone looks good in a tailored 3 piece suite. We achieve this finish by meticulously buffing out thin layers of finish. Seriously check this out… In the end, all that matters is what you want. Most players want the shine and added protection. If this is you, I recommend going full gloss. If looks don't matter too much, and what you want is a ukulele that has more resonance, and patinas over time, go with matte. Some builders use both finishes on their ukulele. They gloss up the body and leave the neck wood matte so its easier to slide up and down the fingerboard. There are options. There you have it! I hope I cleared some things up over the last few posts about ukulele finishes. Now that your informed, maybe it’s time to choose your next ukulele? I mean, come on! Christmas is just around the corner...🎄😁 Keep jamming and aloha!
Ukulele finishes? Lets talk about it!
And like that… summer is coming to a close. Wow, that was fast! Schools here in Hawaii are starting back up, and so I felt it was apropos to post something that will hopefully educate us ukulele lovers (I had to look up how to spell apropos, haha!) As ukulele players, we're seemingly pre-wired to sweat the smallest details. Often details that seem absolutely trivial to everyone else are the subject of much debate for us, but hey, that's part of the fun. From our side of the equation as a local ukulele brand we find ourselves in almost constant conversation about a great number of ukulele related topics. Sound awesome? It absolutely is! No matter the specific topic, we learn a lot about what’s going on in the community and what’s trending. But more importantly, we learn about what matters most to players. Honestly in many cases there's not a definitive right or wrong answer, as each player is so different. “Different strokes for different folks!” As the old saying goes Over the years what I’ve found works best is to present as much information as possible on the subject and leave it up to the individual player to decide. Which I know can be daunting since their are already many voices filling up the space… including mine (haha!). I find more times than not that players already know what they want, and are just double checking. We’ve all been there before, impulsed buy an item only to realize later that there was a better option! So this brings us to our topic on ukulele finishes. Yeah, what’s the deal with finishes anyway? Well as your about the find out… a lot! For starters this is a great example of a "no right/wrong" situation. There are quite a few different options for finishes and each type of finish is going to offer advantages as well as shortcomings. In this post, I thought it would be useful to look at a few of the popular options for ukulele finishes and examine the strengths and weaknesses of each. But before we go there I need to cover the purpose why ukulele need to finished in the first place. What really is the purpose of a finish? When you look at the vast array of finishes found on ukulele it is hard not to think that the sole purpose of the finish is to make the instrument beautiful. No matter what some of the more elitist players may say, the aesthetics of an instrument are important to most players. I mean, just look at the bombshell ukulele they are playing. It's impossible to deny that the finish does add to the visual appeal of a ukulele, however its primary purpose is to protect the material underneath. Wood, which still is at the heart of every great instrument, is a great building material. BUT wood has one major downfall. Moisture, or lack thereof, is wood's "Achilles's heel”. If you want to take a deep dive into humidity and it’s effect on ukulele check out my post about it here. Too much moisture will cause wood to swell and often distort from it's shape. This can absolutely reek havoc on a ukulele where many parts are assembled with exact tolerances. On the other hand, a climate that's too dry can cause wood to become brittle and ultimately crack. Either way, your screwed! If you want to know how to protect your ukulele from “death by humidity” just out my post about it here! (Haha, last shameless plug.) The age-old way that craftsmen have been addressing this problem is by stabilizing the level of humidity. The best way to do this is to seal the wood under a finish in order to control the amount of moisture that can enter or leave the wood. Finishing “paint” is actually a very clever invention when you think about it. Finishes can be engineered to optimize a number of performance attributes for their given applications. These newer finishes are not only easier and cheaper to apply, but are also considerably more durable than some of the older ones. With this in mind it is not surprising that a lot of ukulele builder's have ditched the lacquer finishes of yesteryear in favor of some of the newer finishes. Though as we see with most fandoms, there are gatekeepers. And in the ukulele world those gatekeepers are well battle worn warriors of a bygone era. Whether its of historical significance or unique characteristics, many players still want the finishes that are traditional, aka “Old School”. This has spawned quite a debate over time and honestly each side has some pretty solid points. Lacquer Finishes (Nitro) Lacquer is a pretty general term that actually describes a few different finishes. Typically, when it comes to ukulele, the type of lacquer used is either nitrocellulose or acrylic. Nitro lacquer is made from mostly plant-based substances. Most luthiers will attest that the thinner layer created by a nitro finish will allow the wood to breathe better, giving the ukulele increased projection and greater sustain. This is a huge benefit to having a nitro finish. Also, a nitro finish is done over a period of a few days which each layer essentially melting into the previous one, creating a nice gloss layer over the wood. This gives the ukulele a beautiful “wet” look. Now there are a several issues when owning a ukulele with a lacquer finish. Having a thin finish means that the ukulele is more susceptible to cosmetic damage. So if you are a klutz, your ukulele will show it’s injuries. Another issue is that nitro finishes degrade over time. This means it will need to be coated again eventually if you want to keep the glossy, protective layer. Many though like this degradation as it gives the ukulele a vintage patina. Call it superstition, but some vintage models just have a glow to them that you just don't get with modern finishes. Another problem is Nitro doesn’t cope well with regular temperature changes. It tends to crack over time, especially if the ukulele travels between areas of different humidity. If you want to dive deeper into humidity and its… nah, just kidding! Polyurethane and Polyester Finishes For modern ukulele, polyurethane and polyester ukulele are considered the standard. After the ’90s, poly ukulele finishes began to replace nitro ones, and things have basically stayed that way since then. The decision to switch came from Nitrocellulose’s effect on the environment. In the 1960’s Nitrocellulose became a strictly regulated substance, forcing wood workers to look for an alternative. Hence the use of “Poly” finishes. No...not that “poly”! 😆 Polyurethane and polyester finishes are safer and better for the environment than nitro. They also do not require the time-consuming process of applying multiple layers. Instead, a single layer is more than enough to get a thick coat on the ukulele. This means that polyester and polyurethane finishes are much stronger than nitro finishes. Not only do they do a better job of protecting the wood underneath but they are safer and easier to apply, not to mention cheaper. Unlike Nitro finishes they won’t crack easily over time and can take a few bumps without damaging the ukulele. So if you are clumsy, this may be the finish for you! A drawback to poly finishes is that sometimes they are sprayed on the ukulele too thick. This will dampen the acoustics of the ukulele. Factories that have a ‘quantity over quality’ approach experience this issue since they aren’t as careful to limit the amount of finish used. Also, if polyurethane isn‘t allowed to dry properly, white and cloudy blemishes will appear in the finish. UV Finishes A UV finish, mostly found on modern wood floors, is now also used on some ukulele. A UV cured coating is created by using an ultra-violet light that dries the coating. The coating is pre-applied before being placed in the oven, where it dries immediately. This process is similar to what you’d find in the dental offices, when they use UV light to harden fillings. It’s quick! This finish looks similar to a nitro finish but is more durable and faster to manufacture. It is also VOC free, unlike nitrocellulose. This may be the finish of the future since it offers the best of both worlds, looks and protection! Well there you have it! If you are purchasing a new ukulele, it will most likely have some form of poly coating on it. However, if you are shopping secondhand, you might be able to find a vintage ukulele that still has it’s original nitro finish on it (like every Kamaka ukulele locked away in our grandparents closets). But those won’t come cheap! In my next post I’m gonna go over the differences between matte, satin, and gloss finishes. Even the mysterious Tuxedo finish! Please stay tuned! Keep jamming and aloha!
How To Take Your Strumming To The Next Level
Time flies! We are splitting the year next week in case you didn’t already know. I‘ve often used this analogy to explain this. The clock strikes midnight on January 1st and it’s the dawn of a new year. Imagine we are at the bottom of huge mountain… think Everest. We then start trekking to the top. Since recovering from the holidays we start thinking of new goals and things we want to accomplish in the new year. After short time we hike up to Valentine’s Day and climb into Spring. Spring cleaning anyone? Then in a blink we are through Easter pass and heading towards Mother’s and Father’s Day summits. Then it’s in sight, the peak! In my metaphor it’s better known as the 4th of July (at least in the US). We made it to top! We smile and celebrate, look over the horizon and enjoy the epic scenery. Then we start making our way back down the other side of the mountain. It’s a pivot point where we start reflecting and preparing for the end of the year. There’s the beginning of a new school year, football, and then the Fall. The Fall ushers in the the holiday season of Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Then on the eve of the new year we are ready to make the hike all over again! Today being July 6 officially means we are hiking back down the mountain. Wow! Isn’t this year flying by? With all that said I wanna ask you about your ukulele goals. I wrote a resolution post at the bottom of the mountain… I mean at the beginning of the year. Have you been sticking with it? If not, no worries. We still have some time to whip it into gear! So in this post I will go over some sumptuous strumming techniques. These will make you sound like pro and make playing a ton more fun! Here are five to master as you hike down to the end of the year. Chuck/Damping This one is a little controversial. Often confused with 'muting', string damping happens when you stop the strings from vibrating with its usual freedom, therefore "dampening" the sound so that a muffled type of tone is produced. Muting the strings is simple not playing the note at all. We can mute the strings by missing it when we strum, or lightly pressing on it with our chord hand so that it doesn't vibrate. When we damp, the actual pitch of the note is still evident. This technique also has a percussion aspect to it that adds flavor to uptempo songs. You can chuck/damp with either hand. Check out the video below to learn this amazing technique. Fan Strum First off, some house keeping! The video bellow is 9 years old. Older than most of these ukulele YouTubers today. And in case you haven't already guessed it.... yes, that's me! So if the image and sound quality are sub parr, it is because I shot it on a camcorder! Remember those? I thought I throw one my OG videos into the mix. Here I am teaching the Fan strum. A technique that all flamenco players know. This technique requires you to be able to strum with 3-5 fingers independently. With a flick of the wrist! This video is teaching the basic fan strum. If you want to take it to the next level check out the many flamenco videos out there. (Oh, and I released this video in October 2012 around Halloween... just a heads up for a little funny scare at the end!) Triple/Triplet Strum Another rip from our flamenco cousins. This strum is a need to know strum. It is a fun strum to add to your ukulele repertoire. Be careful as it can be a bit addictive to learn and play. Thank Jake Shimabukuro for this one since he was the first to bring this strum to the ukulele mainstream back in the 90's! This one is hard to explain so just check out the video below. Just remember, not every song needs this! Haha! Beatboxing Beatboxing? Well, beatboxing with the ukulele! James Hill brought this style of playing too the forefront with his take on Michael Jackson's 'Billie Jean'. Beatboxing is when the player taps a beat on the ukulele body giving the impression of a drum beat... as they strum the ukulele. The different sounds they are able to replicate is astounding. Feng E's take on 'Billie Jean' is the evolution of James Hill's iconic version. This is next level so don't be discouraged if it takes you a while to learn. Boots and cats! Hawaiian Style This is the mother of all ukulele strum patterns and techniques. Ironically everyone growing up in old Hawaii naturally played the ukulele like this. And if you were born after 1970 you had to relearn it (thanks Rock 'n' Roll)! The Hawaiian Style strum is tricky to figure out. When you hear it you are magically brought the shores of Waikiki! Nothing sounds quite like it. And when you watch someone strumming, it's almost an illusion. Seriously YouTube Hawaiian music (not Jahwaiian... haha!) and get mesmerized by the wrist action. And as a Native Hawaiian, I had to learn this strum. And in all honesty it was the hardest to master. Check out local boy Aaron as he teaches you the Hawaiian Strum. Did you get your bearings? I hope you don't get lost along the way. As we head down the mountain to the end of the 2021, it's my desire that you learn at least one of these amazing strum techniques. And if you get lost... trace your steps back to this post. Keep jamming and aloha!
The Lefty Dilemma!
When I was growing up in the 90’s (yeah, the greatest decade ever), I remember in elementary school the teachers asking us if we were left or right handed. The class poll would take place in two waves. First the ‘righties’ would raise their hands followed by the ’lefties’. I remember as clear as day that the wave from the righties was a tsunami while the lefties were but a ripple. Like 90% in my class were right handed! Who knows, maybe a few lefties were peer pressured into years of pretending to write right handed (no wonder some of my friends had horrible penmanship… haha). But still, the ratio was dramatic. As a righty, my sympathy goes out to all you lefties living in a righty world. Remember these chairs in school? Or scissors, cameras, and getting ink on your hands when you write? Oh man, lefty struggles are real! And this same bias has found its way into the music world. Go into any music store and ask for any instrument… in a lefty design. Most likely they‘ll say “shucks”, and tell you they don’t carry any. And this extends to our precious ukulele. I can’t remember how many times someone’s asked me if we carry left handed models. Like that old saying goes, if I got a dollar every time someone asked me that question I’d have a ‘lambo’………. on the moon (🦍💎🙌🏼). Sheesh, they don’t even have a left handed emoji, just a palm up right hand! And to make things personal, two of my sons are left handed! So when teaching my son Ben the ukulele, I had to figure how to teach him. This post is dedicated to all you lefties out there. The forgotten 10% in society. And my son’s Victor and Ben. Dad’s got you! So for you righties reading this, here are some struggles lefty ukulele players know all too well... -You can’t just grab any ukulele and jam it. -Lefty models, if you find one, are always more expensive. -Tablature is always right hand oriented. Good luck finding learning materials. -Being challenged by righties to learn the ukulele the ”right” way. -Learning how to do you own ukulele set ups. So if you‘re a righty out there count your blessing! There are many. And for all you lefties wanting to learn the ukulele, here are some things you can do to make your journey a lot easier. Buy A Right Handed Model I know this sounds counterintuitive but hear me out. Like I mentioned above, finding a left handed ukulele is like finding a needle in a haystack. And what are the odds of it being one you’ll love? Probably nil. And add in the fact that left handed models are more expensive and you can see why its a hard pass. But if you absolutely need a cutaway, or arm bevel, get a left handed model. But if those things are trivial to your playing, I recommend getting a right handed ukulele. This will ensure you’ll find the ”right“ ukulele since there will be a plethora to choose from (I just love that word). Upside Down In order for a lefty to play a right handed ukulele they can just learn to play right handed. Yikes! I bet that wasn’t the answer you were looking for, but some lefties choose to do this. They force themselves to play this way. To go against their natural tendencies. Like a student being forced to write with their non dominant hand because the other is in a cast. It can be done, but it‘s a rough road. An easier way is to learn the ukulele upside down. Since the ukulele is a right handed, the nut is already slotted for the strings to be tuned and played with a right hand orientation. This means you can’t just reverse the string order and play. Doing this may cause buzzing issues with strings not fitting correctly in the slots. So you will still tune them normally. This is why you would have to learn the ukulele upside down. More specifically hold the chords upside down. This will allow you to play a right handed ukulele in a left handed position. You’d be able to strum and pick notes with your dominant hand. So instead of playing the C chord, on the 3rd fret, 1st string. You’d hold the chord with your right hand, 3 fret, 4th string! And then proceed to learn all your chords like this. Now another thing to consider is that your strum patterns would need to be reversed as well since the chords would sound different being played in reverse. Instead of strumming DD-U-U-DU, you‘d strum UU-D-D-UD to achieve the the same sound. Remember you are playing the ukulele literally upside down when playing it left handed. So everything, even the strumming pattern, will need augmenting. Now the greatest benefit to learning this method is that you can pick up any right handed ukulele and play it. Plus right handed players will be astounded at you ability to do things upside down! Change The Nut Now the most complex fix if your a left handed learner is to change out the nut. Most repair shops and music stores can do this for you. They can pop out the original right handed nut, and install and slot one for left handed orientation. This way you can play a right handed ukulele in the left handed position while holding the chords in the proper configurations. Plus you wouldn’t have to learn strumming patterns in reverse. You would be a mirrored doppelgänger if you were playing next to a right handed player. No you may have an issue if your ukulele has a compensated saddle to help with intonation, so if yours does, you may have to flip it around as well. For my sons this is what I did for them. This way when they‘re grown, they won’t be able to “borrow” my precious right handed ukuleles…. Haha! So there you have it! A post for all the left handed players in the world. Don’t think I forgot about you and this very important issue. I hope it helps you on your journey. And if you‘re a parent with a left handed child, I hope this encourages you to get them started on their ukulele journey. Keep jamming and aloha! Ladies and gentlemen.... that's Kurt Colbain!
5 Summer Jams & Uke-torials
With Memorial Day 2021 in the books its safe to say that we are definitely in SUMMER (well technically its June 20th but it's hot already)! In Hawaii the temperature has risen to the 80's this past week and its been 'beachtacular'! Remember that's in Fahrenheit for you non Americans. In fact there's sand on my ankles as I just came in from the beach. Well .... after enjoying some refreshing raspberry and lychee shaved ice! So as we kickoff the summer I thought it would be fitting to share some songs off my summer playlist. And of course tutorials on how to play them so you can spread warm vibes wherever you go! Butter-BTS Who hasn't heard of BTS? Arguably the biggest boyband in history. With their slick dance moves and catchy melodies these guys are unstoppable. Chairia Tandias is an amazing teacher. Her simplistic teaching style combined with her amazing voice make this tutorial smooth like 'butter'! Save Your Tears-The Weeknd & Ariana Grand Okay, we all know The Weeknd is an amazing artist. Has he ever written a bad song? And adding Aria Grande to an already hot track sends this song through the stratosphere! Jam this smooth song on your ukulele and you'll have people crying while dancing to the rhythm. What can I say about Matt from U CAN UKE teaching this tutorial? He was in my top ten ukulele influencers from last year and you will see why when you watch this tutorial. If only we could sing with his conviction. Good 4 U-Olivia Rodrigo This is beginning to look like the year of Olivia Rodrigo. And 'Good 4 U' is just one her hits to come out this year. The bass line thumps and sucks you into it's pop rock chorus. The perfect top down, stop at the red light banger. Ricky Somborn knocks it out the park with his play along for 'Good 4 U'. He's on another level with the amount of amazing content he's putting out on the inter-webs. 'Good 4 U' Ricky Somborn! Build A B*tch-Bella Poarch From Tik Tok to the rookie of the year! Can you believe this is her first official venture into music. This song is a ton of fun and will be a summer anthem for girls everywhere! Ricky Somborn encore? His play along of 'Build A B*tch' is fun to watch as he really gets into it. You can see him find his inner Bella Poarch... haha! Leave The Door Open-Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak Okay I had to do it, this song is too damn smooth. And this is just the beginning! I've heard it through the grapevine that they've collaborated on a whole album under the name Silk Sonic. I'm already hyped! Now for a deep cut. I went to elementary school (Koko Head) with Bruno Mars. We were best friends for four years. I'm being completely serious. He came over my house after school to play everyday. And to be honest, he is the same now as he was back then. Back then he was always dancing and singing on the playground. I'm so proud of him and I love his music... always have. So I may be a little bias but seriously this song is sick! Now this play along and cover is hilarious. A bunch of local guys crooning with their ukulele with all the swagger! Mahalo Aldrine for this awesome video! __________________ So there you have it! 5 summer bangers for summer 2021! I know there are a ton more so leave your favorites in the comments. Keep jamming and aloha!
To Capo, or not to Capo?
I was born on the island of Oahu, in the beautiful state of Hawaii in the year 19-eighty something! My name is Keli’i. In English it means “The Small”. Its funny since the name Keali’i means “The Chief”. Just add a letter and the meaning is completely different. And for my middle and high school education I attended Kamehameha, a school for native Hawaiians. Only people of Hawaiian decent can attend this prestigious school. At Kamehameha, the curriculum incorporates and instills the Hawaiian culture in it's students. And by the way, the pronunciation of Kamehameha is the same as in the anime Dragon Ball. Hearing the character's scream it out still cracks me up! So you might be wondering… ”Why are you telling me about your Hawaiian ancestry and how you are so lucky to have been raised in Hawaii? What does this have to do with ukulele?” Well, here’s where things take an unsuspecting turn in my past. It might sound crazy but after being pretty much destined to play the ukulele by heritage and culture, my first stringed instrument was actually a guitar! “Huh, Keli’i? You are a Native Hawaiian and steeped in the culture! And you chose the guitar over the majestic four stringed ukulele.....really? What's up with that!” I must confess, I pushed the ukulele aside and grabbed the guitar! I know, blasphemous right? I took guitar classes at Kamehameha instead of ukulele. Maybe it was the rebel in me... haha! So this brings us to the topic in the title, the capo! As an avid guitar player of over 20 years I was already familiar with using a capo since we use it all the time in the guitar world. Every guitar player has one in their case. It is as essential as having a tuner! So it was to my surprise when I started seeing this little wonder from the guitar world make its way to the ukulele. We are seeing now the rise of the ukulele capo! You gotta understand that for almost a century locals never used any kind of capo on the ukulele. So with over 20 years of capo experience as a guitar player, here is a breakdown of what a capo is, what it’s used for, and if you should add one to your ukulele arsenal. Capo Taking its name from the Italian word for "head," a capo is a small device that clamps onto the neck of a ukulele and shortens the length of the strings, raising their pitch. A capo is usually fastened across all the strings of a ukulele, or other fretted stringed instrument. One of the main advantages of using a capo is that it lets a ukulele player play a song in different keys while still using first-position open-string chord forms. No barre chords! What a great hack for beginners and for singers with range! Now to understand what a capo does you must be know the purpose of the ‘nut’. On the headstock end of a ukulele, the termination point of a string’s vibration is a thin strip of bone or other hard resonant material called the nut. The nut straddles the joint where the fretboard meets the headstock, and the strings pass over it as they leave the fretboard and find their anchoring points on the headstock. The nut has grooves that, along with the bridge at the body end of the scale length, ensure the correct lateral placement of the strings along the length of the fretboard. A capo functions as a moveable nut since it can be affixed to any fret below the headstock (up to the heel) and provides the same termination effect on the string’s vibratrion. Unlike the nut, however, capos don’t have string grooves, as their only purpose is to change pitch rather than maintain lateral string placement (a function thankfully ensured by the nut and bridge even when a capo is in use). So are you convinced that this little wonder is amazing tool that everyone needs in their ukulele toolbox? Not only does a capo help with key changes, and barre chords (or lack there of), but capo’s also have a secret hidden benefit. And this feature may fully convince you so here it is: Using a capo will allow you play more songs with fewer chords! If you can learn the chords G, D, C, Em, and Am , and play them interchangeably. Then you're already capable of playing 1000’s of songs…… if you use a capo. Mind blown? Sure! That’s what you gain from using a capo. What an awesome benefit! Knowing the simple chords of G, D, C, Em, Am will open up new avenues to your ukulele playing when employing a capo. And if you're a visual learner check out the video below for more capo clarity. Now I know some old timers and traditionalists reading this are shaking their heads and getting their Twitter fingers ready! I get it, you still don’t believe in capos for the ukulele. You believe in hard work and learning to play barre chords. I hear you…. capos are not for you. But remember, I’m a guitar player…. hehe! So there you have it! I hope you learned the answer to the age old question, “To capo, or not to capo?” And my answer to that question is it's totally up to you! If you choose yes and want to add a ukulele capo to your 'ukebox', get one here! This one is pricey but its well made and will not obstruct playing with its minimalistic design. Keep jamming and aloha!
How To Strum The Ukulele
I just started teaching my son Ben, who is five, to play the ukulele. He’s left handed so I first had to reverse the strings on my right handed soprano ukulele so he could play it. He was so excited that his ’daddy’ was finally gonna teach him to jam. As his father I was eager to see if he had raw musical talent since I had just binged clips of Billie Eilish and her just as phenomenal brother Finneas over the past two days. They honestly blew my mind! The musical talent between them could light up a city! So as I stared into Benny’s big brown eyes thoughts crossed my mind… “Is he the next Billie Eilish?” “Is he gonna buy daddy a big house on the ridge?” I wasn’t even three minutes into the lesson before I hit bumper to bumper traffic. A full stop! I was able to teach him where to place his fingers to play the C chord, but he literally could not “play” the C chord. Here I was excited to teach him simple chords when he hadn’t learned how to strum. The lesson quickly shifted from holding the C chord to learning how to strum the ukulele. This got me thinking about writing a post on strumming. I learned how to strum so long ago that I forgot to teach it to my son! So here we go… Strumming is among the most foundational abilities you will learn for your dominant hand on the ukulele. If you’re new to strumming, the concept might have you stumped. Have no fear! We will explore several techniques that you should be able to pick up. But right off the top, lets start with a pro tip….. RELAX! As a beginner, it's common for your body to be tensed up as you're learning to strum. The best way to relieve tension is to stop playing, relax your hands, and begin playing again. Over time and with a bit of self-awareness, you'll learn to play more relaxed. Trust me, strumming with “frigid fingers” can be frustrating. So much so that you may want to throw in the towel but I promise, like learning how to ride a bike, you will get it! But before you start strumming away, make sure that you : Learn how to hold the ukulele properly. Your right elbow should cradle the body of the ukulele, giving your arm complete range of motion over the strings. Don’t worry about playing chords while you practice basic strumming patterns. Just make sure that you hit all the strings. Learn to keep time. Download a digital metronome. This will come in handy when learning to strum in rhythm. Keep your wrist free and relaxed. The strumming motion depends on the flexibility of the wrist, especially for more advanced rhythms. Know that this is a skill, so it will take time to learn. Don’t put pressure on yourself! Remember to relax and have fun. Thumbs Up! The correct way to strum is to make a movement that originates from both the wrist and the elbow. This movement culminates with your hand, and if your a beginner, your thumb. I know you see people strumming with their index finger as if they were flicking off a piece of gum but that will come with practice. To make things simpler when starting out, strum with your thumb. Wow that rhymes! The thumb hits the strings at the right angle and is away from your other fingers. You could even rolled up the rest of your fingers into a fist as you strum with your thumb if that‘s more comfortable. Basic Strumming Techniques There are three basic strumming techniques including downstrokes, upstrokes, and a combination of both downstrokes and upstrokes. Downstrokes: To play using the downstroke technique, you'll simply strum each ukulele string in a downward motion. Just remember to hit the strings with the meat of your thumb (you might want to trim your nail), and relax your shoulders and use your wrist and elbow while strumming. It's okay if you don’t strum chords, just practice until it becomes second nature. Upstrokes: Using the upstroke technique is similar to downstrokes but in reverse. Instead of coming down with your thumb your going swing up, nail first, from the bottom. Keep everything the same with your posture and hand configuration. Practice the upstroke until it feels comfortable. Be sure to play through all four strings when practicing. You don’t want to develop bad habits. Downstrokes and Upstrokes Combination: Once you've got the hang of strumming using upstrokes and downstrokes on their own, you can try combining the two. This is accomplished by strumming downward and then upward and back down again so that you're alternating upstrokes and downstrokes. Do this slowly at first and gradually get faster. After you got this down, you’re ready for strumming patterns! You‘ll soon learn what DD-UU-D-U-DD-UU-D-U means. And it’s not Black Pink’s DDU-DU-DDU-DU (seriously that’s the name of their song)! What you can immediately try after practicing all these techniques is to search for your favorite song, and while muting the strings with your chord hand, strum the percussive beats with your strumming hand. You can try this with just downstrokes, upstrokes, or both if you're able. This will help build rhythm memory into your arm, wrist, and hand. And the more you practice, the more comfortable it will feel. Then when you ready you can try using your index finger. You can train your index finger by pinching it with you thumb. Since your thumb has been trained, it will guide the index along. Here’s a video lesson when your ready to go to the next level: Don’t worry if you don’t know the chords, just play along with the strings muted or open. The key here is learning the different strumming patterns. John is such an amazing teacher! This is just the tip of iceberg. As my son Ben advances in his ukulele playing, so will my posts on the matter. Hopefully it won‘t be too long…haha! Keep jamming and aloha!
I don’t read notes! Can I learn to play the ukulele?
I’ve been asked this question quite a few times. Truth is, it was a question I myself had as a youngster navigating my way along my musical journey. Though it didn’t start with learning the ukulele but the piano… my most dreadful enemy! Those black and white keys were like fangs coming out of a bloated round monster. If you’ve ever learned to play the piano you know what it means to read notes. That’s piano 101! Thumping on keys as you read the notes on the page. And from a young age you get it drilled in you the importance of reading notes. To even dare play a piece memorized would be a cardinal sin, a deed so dastardly no amount of begging could appease. Or was that just my teacher Ms. Tamura? Haha! Well let me take the sting out the question by reassuring you that you can learn the ukulele without reading notes. Whew! Can we all take a quick second to let that truth sink in. In fact, playing without sheet music is called ‘playing by ear’. And it’s completely normal! For millennia musicians played their ‘music by ear’ before a written system was ever created. In fact, the written music system was developed during the Middle Ages. And this may surprise you that there are many famous musicians who didn’t read music. Here are three: Paul McCartney of The Beatles, rock legend and guitar face melter Eddie Van Halen, and pop icon Taylor Swift! While these artists didn’t read notes, they were all successful in a variety of musical styles. So don’t worry, you’re in good company! So now you may be wondering why anyone would go trough all the trouble to learn to read music. Now let me play devils’ advocate here and tell you why learning to read music is useful. Being able to read music is as useful as reading words in your daily life. Forget about reading a best selling book or intriguing news article. Imagine not being able to read a simple to-do list or text message from a friend. That’s what its like to not be able to read music. Staring at sheet music would be like reading instructions in a foreign language. Things would get so frustrating! A huge plus to being able to read music is that you can learn a song without having heard it before. I’ve heard of symphonies playing complex pieces without any rehearsals. They get the sheet music a few hours before curtain, and they can play the piece perfectly! Another use would be the ability to jot down your musical ideas. Since they are written down, you can share them with others who can read notes. You can also save your composition. If you play by ear, you wouldn’t able to do these things. Your great idea would become a fleeting memory! ____________________________ So there you have it! Do you need to read music to learn the ukulele? NO!!! But will it help you? Yeah, it will! So here’s where to start if you want to learn to read music. Start by playing songs using chord stamps and lyrics. A chord stamp is an image that looks like lines with dots on it. They are always accompanied with a chord letter (ie G,C,E,A). Chord stamps are used as a diagram of how to play a specific chord. After learning the chords using chord stamps, the designated ‘chords’ will display over the lyrics. This will help you with chord changes as you play through the song. For some, this may be the end of learning to read notes. If you want to go to the next level, learn to play a song using Tabs/Tablature. This will introduce you to musical notation. You will often see notation over the tablature. If this is too confusing, no worries! I will go in-depth on these approaches in my next post! In the meantime, keep jamming and aloha!
What’s That Sound? Fret Buzz and Intonation
You buy a new or used ukulele, your first one ever. Your excitement is through the roof as you can’t wait to begin your ukulele journey. You start perusing the inter-webs for ukulele tutorials and lessons and after watching an avalanche of videos you start hearing ‘buzz‘ words such as intonation and fret buzz. Its like hearing a sommelier wax poetic on the nuances in a glass of wine as they swirl it in the light… only to then rate it one grape out of five. You're frightened as a deep sense of dread envelops you. ”What the heck is fret buzz? Do I have it?” It’s like catching a life threatening disease the way these ’pro’ level players talk about it. And don’t get me started on the countless sour faces they make when they realize an ukulele has bad intonation. Its pretty much stage 4 and terminal. Lights out! The worse part is you don’t even know what they are talking about. You try to listen hard for the bad intonation in the video but can’t pick it out. Have no fear! As your resident ukulele doctor, I’m going to help you diagnose your ukulele! Fret Buzz Fret buzz is the annoying sound caused by a ukulele string rattling/buzzing against a fret wire when the ukulele is being plucked or strummed. To diagnose this problem you just have to play up the ukulele fingerboard note by note, string by string. As you do this, listen for any buzzing sounds. Its important to press firmly on the strings between the frets as doing this lightly can give you false buzzing. If your ukulele plays all the way up the fingerboard without a rattle, congratulations! Your ukulele is free of fret buzz. But if you hear buzzing anywhere on the fingerboard…. well, I’m sad to say you got a bad case of the buzz. There are three things that cause fret buzz. String Action is too low Frets are not level with each other (some are taller, some are shorter) Neck does not have enough "relief" (neck is too straight, or bowing backwards) String Action Let's start with string action. String action is the height of the ukulele string measured at a specific fret. It’s common to take string action measurements at the first fret, twelfth fret, and fifteenth fret. Different players will have different preferences for their string action. Some players prefer it being relatively high (people who strum extra hard), while others prefer very low action (those with a soft touch, you jazz players). There is a threshold to know how low the string action can be set before it starts to create problems. Using a String Action Gauge ruler you can figure this out. If the strings are set too low, the vibration alone will unintentionally rub on frets creating buzz. Unleveled Frets The frets on your ukulele are supposed to be level with each other. That means they should all be the same height down the fingerboard. When the frets are not level with each other this means some of the frets are shorter and some of the frets are taller. Though it’s only with the tall frets that we have a problem. When strings rub up against taller frets down the fingerboard it creates buzz. Thankfully though, strings won’t buzz against low frets (a point for us shorter guys, yay). To fix this type of buzz, you have to get the frets leveled. Short or tall, they have to all be the same height! Take it in to a music shop and they should be able to level and re-crown the frets in a couple days. Neck Relief A ukulele neck is supposed to be perfectly straight, and yet not quite. Assuming the ukulele is strung and tuned to pitch, it should have a slight dip in the middle (around the 8th fret). It’s called the "neck relief". If a neck has a dip in the middle, we can refer to that neck as having "forward bow". If a neck has no dip at all, but rather a hump, then we can refer to that neck as having "back bow". Back bow is always bad and a deal breaker. It means there is not enough relief in the neck which causes the open strings to buzz on the first fret. Avoid back bowed ukulele at all cost… no matter how beautiful it looks. If your ukulele has a bolt on neck, this can be fixed by changing out the neck. If not, it will make a beautiful and expensive wall decoration! Though I must confess! As the resident ukulele doctor in the ER, there are a few more reasons for buzzing. Though they are not caused by the frets. One is an easy fix while the other is a death sentence… haha! The buzzing can come from the tuners on the headstock. The washers may be loose, so they rattle when played. To check this, just tap on the tuners where the strings are wound. If you see the washers on one of more of them move, just use a wrench to gently tighten them up. This will stop the buzzing immediately. The other reason your ukulele may be buzzing is that it has an internal problem. These include loose braces and bad installations. Whether they are for pickups, side mounted EQ’s, or strap pins. Those can be fixed with proper reinstallation. But loose braces, there's nothing we can really do. RIP! Bad Intonation Intonation is the way that the instrument is in tune with itself, along the entire neck. Intonation is something that affects almost any fretted instrument that has a bridge and strings, and can make a massive difference in the way your ukulele sounds. Making or breaking whether you sound good while playing. If the intonation on your ukulele is out of whack, you’ll find that the ukulele sounds awful. Even if you tune it 1000 times! This is because fretted notes will sound sharp or flat as the strings aren’t compensating correctly for any tension. This will effect the pitch of the note. Thankfully with ukulele, you don’t find intonation issues until to move quite a way up the fingerboard… where most players dare to venture. So if you don’t plan on holding ‘phat’ chords or shredding up there, no worries. But if you are heading that way on your ukulele journey, good intonation is key. Checking Intonation You can test to check whether your intonation is good or bad easily. All you really have to do is play an open string, and then play that same string at the twelfth fret. This is because both of those notes should be the same, but an octave apart. For instance, an open G string rings out an G note, and fretting that same string at the twelfth fret will also play an G note. Just higher up. If you notice that these two notes sound out of tune or dissonant, you're ukulele has an intonation problem. If you have a digital tuner or tuning app on your phone, you can literally see the bad intonation if you have trouble with hearing it. Pros can hear while most of use mortals can’t. So having a tuner handy will help you discover this issue. If the intonation is truly a code blue, taking it to a professional luthier for surgery is needed. They can do some things to help with the string tension like changing the saddles and refilling the nut grooves. Its so nuanced that you need a pro to handle it as the process is finicky! But most times, and for most of us, it won’t be noticed. Also a word to the wise. If you're buying an affordable mass market ukulele, odds are your gonna have intonation issues. And if you drop big bucks on a custom high end ukulele you too will have intonation issues due to environmental changes on the ukulele such as humidity . Bad intonation truly is the silent killer! ________________________________ There you have it! You have the prognosis as well the diagnoses for those strange ukulele sounds. I hope your ukulele is in good health. But if not, a speedy recovery! Keep jamming and aloha!
KUMU Buyers Guide
We are in the home stretch! The final five days of our Spring sale. Right now you can get a cool 25% off our entire KUMU collection. What incredible savings! That a $90 savings on our tenor KUMU with our TUX finish! At check out be sure to use the promo code Spring25 to lock in your savings. The Spring sale ends next week Wednesday, March 31 at midnight HST. So before you close this post and head over to our KUMU page, I thought I would spend a minute going over our KUMU ukulele. Like a KUMU buyers guide. This way you‘re better prepared when choosing your perfect ukulele. You know, like those doomsday preppers. So here are our current KUMU currently available for purchase as of this posting are: Soprano Longneck Hawaiian Koa with TUX Finish (SQ34A) Concert Hawaiian Koa with TUX Finish (CM54A) Concert Feather Hawaiian Koa with TUX Finish (CF52A) Tenor Feather Hawaiian Koa with TUX Finish (TF72A) Tenor Hawaiian Koa with TUX Finish (TM74A) Tenor Hawaiian Koa with Gloss Finish (TG75A) Wow where to begin! First off if you‘ve noticed, all of these ukulele are made using Hawaiian Koa wood. If you don’t know anything about this special wood, check out my post dedicated to the “Holy Grail”of ukulele tone woods. Our entire KUMU line is built using this gorgeous and rare wood. So if your looking for an ukulele that embodies Hawaii’s rich history and culture, look no further. Now on to size. Believe it or not size is a huge thing to consider when choosing a ukulele. Like buying shoes, finding the right fit it super important (unless you just want to flex and enjoy having blisters)! Soprano Longneck KUMU If your younger, or looking to purchase a ukulele for someone between the ages of 3-11, I recommend getting the soprano longneck (SQ34A). It will perfectly fit someone with a small stature. These being kids or someone with small hands. Typically the soprano ukulele is preferred for younger children. We knew we didn’t want to put those limitations on our soprano we added a twist. Our soprano ukulele is built using a concert size neck and fingerboard hence the name ‘longneck’. This allows players to grow with this model since the concert neck is longer, allowing for more room and versatility. The soprano size offers the brightest sound out of all our sizes. Concert KUMU If your just starting out, I would recommend either the concert or concert feather model. The concert size offers the best of both worlds. Just like the story of Goldilocks and the three bears they‘re not too small, and not too big, but just right! The concert size is easier to play since it offers a shorter scale length (the distance between the nut and and saddle) then it’s larger brother, the tenor size. This shorter scale makes the strings easier to press and hold when chording. This is due to the strings having less tension. So if your just starting out, or picking up the ukulele again, this is the ideal size for you. Another bonus with having less string tension is that the ukulele produces a warm and mellow tone. "Now should I get the feather concert model?" Great question! The ’Feather’ designation is for our thin bodied line. These ukulele models are the majestically thin and the perfect size for adventurers on the go. They not only sport a thinner profile, but are lighter in weight as well! This makes playing a feather model more comfortable as they conform closer to the body. We‘ve also designed the feather with a curved back to achieve maximum projection and tone. If price is the determining factor between our standard and feather version, no worries, they are the same price! Tenor KUMU Now if you’re confident in your playing ability and don’t mind a higher string tension, I recommend going for the tenor size! Its the most popular size amongst professional musicians and for good reason. The larger body produces a wide range of tonal voices. In laymen‘s terms, you can play more styles of music more effectively. The tenor body also allows for greater sustain as the soundboard has a greater surface area. Our KUMU tenor also comes in a feather size that is extremely popular. Currently we offer a gloss finish on only our tenor model as the gloss versions of the concert and soprano longneck are on back order. If you want more sound out of your tenor ukulele I would go with our TUX (satin) finish. If you’re more interested in a mirror finish and more protection I’d go with the gloss. So there you have it! I hope this KUMU buyers guide made finding your perfect ukulele easier. Remember to use the promo code Spring25 to receive 25% off our KUMU collection. Plus we are currently offering free domestic shipping, and only $35 for international. At a time like this with shipping costs through the roof, we find its now the best time to take advantage of all the savings! And if your reading this post after the KUMU spring sale has ended, here's a special promo code just for you. Use promo code KUMU38 to receive 15% off your KUMU purchases! Don't tell anyone else...hehe! This is just for you! Click here to head over to our KUMU page! Keep jamming and aloha!
Ukulele Hack! Transposing
Have you ever ridden in the car, music blaring, hands in the air, with friends and family singing your heart out? Maybe it was to Queens “Bohemian Rhapsody“, or Leonard Cohen’s immortal classic “Hallelujah”. Or how about some Taylor Swift, Dua Lipa, or Post Malone? For me it was… get ready for it… “The Backstreet Boys”! Hey I was in high school at the turn of the millennium and they were the biggest thing in the world. Sorry *NSYNC fans. Next! So my friends and I honed our singing abilities listening to Backstreet Boys, Boyz 2 Men, and Brian McKnight. Remember this was 20 years ago. I'm getting old...haha! But we’ve all been there. ‘Bang Bang’ comes up next on the playlist. A hype song if I ever heard one with hot vocals from Jessie J, Ariana Grande, and Nicki Minaj (everyone fails her part, but you get props just for trying)! Everyone‘s dancing in the car to that catchy intro and then Jessie J. belts out… ”She’s got body like an hourglass but I can give it to you all the time!” And that’s all it takes. Everyone singing in the car goes flat or sharp. Either way… OFF! The key is so high she's cracking phone screens! These ladies have incredible pipes! But maybe yours are a little rusty…haha! So what do you do if you have a favorite song that you want to play and sing on your ukulele and the key is too high? Your struggling to hit the notes and feel defeated. Have no fear, there is a remedy for this. The remedy known as chord transposing! Chord transposing involves the moving of a musical pitch up or down, but remaining in the same interval. There are a few reasons as to why we would need to transpose notes or chords in our music, the main reason being to change the key of a song . For example, if you struggle singing a song in the key of Bb, you can transpose the song to the key of C. Doing this will making it easier to sing since you’ll be lowering the key. Another reason you may want to transpose music is to make it easier to play. Using the same example, playing the Bb is way harder than playing the open C. Chords associated with Bb are Eb, F, and Gm. On the other hand, the same chords transposed in the key of C are C, F, G, and Am. Chords everyone learns when starting out on the ukulele! So let’s learn how to transpose chords. Finding The Key Before you can start transposing you have to know what key you are in. Here's a hint, its usually the first chord of the song. But when its not, you’ll have to look at the other chords in the song to get an idea of the key. After you find the key, you have to figure out which key you want to transpose to. If you are only concerned with playing simpler chords, find a key that incorporates chords you already know. If you’re more concerned with singing in a comfortable key, then try moving up or down 2 keys. Some songs are actually too low for singers so in these cases they have to transpose to a higher key. Most of us mortals on the other hand need to lower the key. Thanks Celine! How To Change Key Maybe you find a song you want to play and it‘s in the key of Bb. So the chords of the first line of the song are Eb, Bb, F, and Gm. You try to play it and two things become evident. One, you can’t hold the chords right, and two, its pitched too high to sing. So you have to change the key to solve these issues. To bring down the key, you may want to try transposing to the key of C. This is where the above diagram becomes helpful. Above is layout of a piano. Believe it or not, there are only 12 keys. Counting from the first C (white key), then C# (black key), on to D (white key) and so on, there’s 12. If you already know this from taking piano lessons, then the rest will is easy! To transpose from Bb to C, you have to first find how many steps are between the two. Using the above diagram first find the Bb key. Then count each step until you get to C. In this case it will be two. Once you know this, you then apply this to the chords that need transposing. So moving up two keys from Eb brings us to F. And Bb to C, F to G, and Gm to Am (G to A). Try it out for yourself using the diagram and see if you get it. If you‘re successful, you‘ve transposed the song from the key of Bb to C! Congratulations! Now the song will be easier to play and sing. Key Wheel Cheat Sheet Above is a cheat sheet in figuring out key changes. The above diagram is highlighting the key of C (hey, that the same one we just went over). Notice anything interesting? The chords we transposed from Bb are all within the redlined part of the Key Wheel. Those being C, G, F, and Am. Now utilizing this wheel, you can figure out the chords in any key. If you want to find the different chords in the key of G for instance, just rotate the redlined section one letter to the right. All the chords within the new redlined area can be used in a song in the key of G. But if you don’t have this wheel handy, try to memorize the 12 black and white keys on the piano and its layout. This will help you transpose on the go. Maybe your playing in a band and they change the key on the fly, now you can follow in an instant! Whew! There you have it. Wasn’t that a lesson! Now let me let you in on a little secret. Living in the modern age, its awesome seeing technology change things up. Some song sites now offer a transposing feature. WOW!!! All you have to do click on the key of choice and it will change the chords that display over the lyrics. What a hack! Well at least you know how to do it if you don’t have your phone handy. Keep jamming and sing your heart out! Yeehaw!!!
Koa Wood, the Holy Grail
“You guys get koa?” That is probably the number one questioned I get asked when selling ukulele directly to customers. If I say no, they usually follow up with... “I get one Koa ukulele at home you know!” And with a smirk, and the crossing of the arms, they would continue on walking. I would politely smile, nod... and laugh in my head! It always cracks me up since they are flexing. In reality, Hawaiian Koa was pretty much the only option available to early local builders. Rosewood, ebony, and walnut were hard to get in those days with shipping taking months. The truth is tone-wood choice is subjective. It depends on the type of sound the player prefers. Let me tell you a little secret... koa is sonically not the best sounding tone-wood in the market for ukulele. Don’t get me wrong, koa is amazing! But it ain’t the best. So this is why I chuckle inside when locals flaunt koa all the time. But maybe there is more to the story. A deeper reason why koa is so prized and sought after. Why all the locals go crazy for it and swear that a true ukulele is one made of koa. Are you curious yet? Good! Now let’s dig in! Hawaiian Koa wood, or Acacia Koa, is the Holy Grail of ukulele wood. This endemic Hawaiian species of acacia is prized for it’s stunning beauty and it’s limited supply. Owning a koa ukulele is a badge of honor here in Hawaii. Locals have a hard time accepting that ukulele are now being made with many different species of wood such as mango, spruce, mahogany, and rosewood. Where did this pride over koa wood come from? To truly understand why this wood is special you have to go way back. Back before the ukulele came to our shores from Portugal. Back to ancient Hawaii. History Of Koa Wood In ancient times koa was highly revered and sacred. The wood could only be used by the ‘ali’i’ (kings), ruling chiefs, and for their purposes alone. It was considered ‘Kapu’, or forbidden to be used by normal people. The hawaiian people believed that the kings and chiefs were summoned by the gods and were given special powers to rule. The kings and chiefs created the Kapu system and forbade the use of koa. The divine punishment for breaking the Kapu was death! Now since the ruling class of Hawaii had full control of the koa supply, what were they using it for? When you see world leaders today they all have one thing in common. They need protection. And if you were a hawaiian monarch you needed warriors! So it may surprise you but the word koa means warrior. This is important because it was the primary material used in making weapons and canoes. These weapons were made with shark’s teeth, marlin bills, and even human teeth and hair! These sharp materials were embedded and tied onto koa spears and war clubs. This is why koa became synonymous with the warriors themselves, and that’s why the wood became known as koa. These warrior were conscripted to make these weapons by the kings and chiefs keeping them safe from breaking the Kapu. In the late 1700’s, King Kamehameha the Great used koa to aid him in conquering the Hawaiian islands. They were used in building his armada and for arming his warriors. It’s been said that if Kamehameha didn’t posses a large quantity of koa wood, he wouldn’t have been able to conquer and unite all the islands! After his passing, Queen Kaahumanu and son Liholiho abolished the Kapu system allowing all Hawaiians access to this prized wood. So all that to say... yeah, koa is valuable, and you can see why it’s the Holy Grail for ukulele. Koa+Ukulele=❤️ Today, koa continues to grow on all the Hawaiian islands. Though the bulk of the wood harvested comes from the Big Island. The rich volcanic soil of the Big Island yields koa that is dark and red. This color-way is the most prized among builders. Koa is strange in that it can be found in many colors. It can be brown, red, orange, white, green, and even purple! Though the most beautiful koa wood has a wavy, ripple-like grain pattern known as “curly”. In the mainland this type of grain pattern is better known as ‘fiddle back’. Only 10% of koa harvested is curly, making the stuff up to 1000% more expensive! Big Island landowners today can’t cut down living koa trees. They have to be dying or dead! These old growth trees are hard to find since many have already been harvested. Some are even half rotten! The yield of usable wood in these trees is only around 20-30%. This also adds value since a whole tree can yield so little usable wood. This is also why Agar wood is so expensive. In the case of Agar wood, only the diseased areas produce the intoxicating Oud oil. Like koa, it is in high demand!
As a tone-wood, koa has a similar sound profile to mahogany. This is because they both share similar densities when dried, as well as board stiffness. This puts koa smack in the in middle on the sound spectrum of tone-woods. Heavy and dense woods such as rosewood and ebony don’t vibrate enough, making them better used for constructing the back and sides of the ukulele. At the other end we have softer woods such as spruce and cedar. These tone-woods are light and flexible, giving them a bright and responsive sound. But due to their fragility are used only as the soundboard of the ukulele. Koa’s density makes this tone-wood the best of both worlds. It is strong enough to be used as a sound board, but soft enough to vibrate and produce a rich, warm tone.
Koa’s Availability With a wide color spectrum and kaleidoscopic grain patterns, koa is breathtakingly beautiful. It’s a joy for luthiers to work with, and in the right hands, it’s pure tonal bliss (looking at you Eric Devine, Alvin Okami, and Chuck Moore)! So this begs the question:
“Why aren’t there more ukulele made of koa on the market?” It all comes down to availability. Remember reading during the history lesson above. After the Kapu was dissolved, the people started building everything with koa. When the merchants arrived in the islands, they saw koa as a prized export to the world. Soon, everything from bowls to furniture were being constructed with koa. Unfortunately this quickly depleted the koa forests. For luthiers, they need specific sizes and cuts of wood to build ukulele. This makes usable quarter sawn pieces limited, forcing brands to hoard supplies. Due to this lack of resources, many luthiers aren’t able to build meaningful quantities. Hawaiian Koa vs Formosa Koa? Due to koa’s growing worldwide demand, many companies have resorted to shady sell’s tactics. They started calling their acacia ukulele, koa wood ukulele! Their reasoning was that since koa is a type of acacia, then acacia is koa. All acacia. So acacia farmed in Taiwan, aka Formosa, were being labeled as Formosa Koa. This name change would confuse customers since it carried the koa designation. You can find Indian Koa, Philippines Koa, and even African Koa. But they are not true koa. For koa to be koa it MUST be grown in Hawaii. When searching for a koa wood ukulele, be sure the manufacturer uses koa grown in Hawaii! Once again, koa can only be koa in it’s grown in Hawaii. Whew, congratulations! You made it through that long winded explanation of what makes koa wood the Holy Grail for ukulele. If you have a chance, and can afford it, get one for your collection. At Leolani, all of our KUMU ukulele are made with Hawaiian grown koa wood! Rest assure that we aren’t using Formosa Koa...haha! And yes Rock, we get koa ukulele! Keep jamming and aloha!
New Uke Alert! Its a Blue Valentines!
That’s right everyone! Valentine’s Day is this Sunday. Crazy to think that last week was Super Bowl Sunday (aka Valentine’s Day for guys). So two super Sundays back to back. So lets get something straight before I break some awesome news. WARNING!!! WARNING!!! WARNING!!! WARNING!!! Guys, don't forget to get your girl something nice for Valentine's Day! It's this Sunday. Or else... Now that I’ve just saved some lives here is the breaking news. We have been cooking something special behind the scenes for several months now with ukulele influencer and newly minted vlogger Ricky Somborn! If you aren’t familiar with Ricky Somborn, check this out... So after all that teasing, here’s the beans! We partnered with Ricky to create and design his own ukulele model!!! Its so good to finally release it out there. Whew! Holding it in was brutal.... haha! This ukulele is the first in our artist series. And we are excited to announce that it will launch on Monday, February 15th! You heard me right... next week Monday, at midnight HST (Hawaii Standard Time). This first run is extremely limited so set a reminder to check back to the site when it launches. So are you ready for a tease? Specs: Concert Size Solid Curly Okoume Top Okoume Back and Sides Okoume Neck Rosewood Fingerboard and Bridge Bone Nut and Saddle MOP ’LEOLANI’ Logo and Rosette MOP Diamond Fret Markers and RS Inlay on the 12th Fret Tuxedo Finish Slotted Headstock Oh, and how could I forget?! It’s also contrast stained in Kai Blue. We are so excited for you to get your hands on one of these! They are well made and sound amazing. We also offer free US shipping and $35 for international. In this pandemic, you can’t beat these shipping prices! And on top of that, every artist series ukulele will come with a padded gig bag, chord chart, and finger pick. So there you have it! All the scoops on our now “not so secret” project. Now remember, get your special cuddle buddy something nice on the 14th! And then on the 15th, get yourself a Blue Valentines! Keep jamming and aloha!
Ukulele Trends For 2021
Happy New Year! I know it’s already after January and we are in February but hey, a huge thing happened in my life last month. I can even pin point it to the day. And I can do better than that and even tell you the minute. On January 11, at 4:04am, I became a father......... again! My wife and I already have three little boys ( I know crazy right!), but this time it was different. This time ‘she’ made her debut in this world. Yup, I have a daughter. Her name is Kamea. So thats where I’ve been this past month. Believe it or not I had this post planned and written out. I thought I could finish it while resting at the hospital. What an idiot! Needless to say this little girl got me wrapped around her little fingers. So 2021 has already started off with a bang for me and my “little“ family, and I believe it will be an incredible year for the ukulele! Just like at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas every January, they showcase the latest and greatest in tech gadgetry and innovation, I will try and forecast the new ukulele trends for 2021! As I poured over forum threads and studied influencer press releases, I found 5 new trends emerging. 5. Custom Artwork More than ever people want to express their individuality and style. No one wants to be a sheep and follow the rest of the crowd but stand out. We will see this mentality trickle down to the ukulele. Traditional tribal artwork was the craze a few years ago, with laser etched patterns covering the ukulele. Today, modern design elements are beginning to take over. These designs are being ported over from the new wave of tattoo design. From hyper realistic pieces, to geometric fibonacci formations, and everything in between. These designs can be added via laser, inlay, or with print overlay. The latter being new and innovative. You can take any artwork or image and wrap the ukulele with it. All the detail and color retained! ‘Imagine’ playing a ukulele with the famous Abbey Road album cover on the sound board. Now it’s possible! We are not far from people being able to add their own unique design to their ukulele. What sort of design would you put on yours? 4. Pickups, Pickups, and more Pickups! Pickups have always been popular on expensive instruments since many who play them do for a living. But step to the side professional players! A new trend is rising amongst new and novice players wanting to plug in and play. With music stores around the world offering ukulele pickup installations (now that companies are making ukulele specific pickups), we see more and more players opting for the upgrade. It’s not unusual to see a pickup installed on an ukulele that was cheaper than the cost of the pickup! Nuts right? Having a pickup installed gives the advantage to record music directly to your PC or tablet is a game changer. So as we continue to weather through this pandemic, ”home studios” is where it’s at. Not to mention adding playing effects is fun too! Who doesn’t want to play heavy metal on their ukulele...haha?! With wide variety of pickups to choose from, I see this trend rising in 2021. With new and innovative pickups being introduced last year such as Leolani’s X1PRO, the market is primed for explode. If you don’t have one, consider electrifying your ukulele. Check out the sound hole version X1PRO below. 3. Affordably Premium Import ukulele are starting to blow minds! Gone is shame of purchasing a cheap import ukulele off the side streets of Waikiki for $30! What we jokingly call “toy” ukulele. Import factories are now serious about their ukulele manufacturing. They have begun to master the intricacies of building a quality instrument and its only the beginning. Now you can find an all solid bodied ukulele made with quality tone-woods, sporting custom inlay, and fully glossed for under $400!!! Oh, and did I mention it also has a sound port and slotted headstock? Boutique ukulele with all these features can fetch up to $3k. In 2021 this trend will continue. With many looking for deals during this pandemic, imports are hitting that sweet spot being affordably premium. 2. Colored Contrast Stains When we talk about colored finishes on ukulele we typically mean a painted ukulele. Non opaque, full coverage paint. Grain and color of the wood doesn’t matter since it gets painted over completely. This is definitely not trending in 2021! Whats trending is colored stains. Staining adds color to the wood without covering up the grain. And in almost all cases the staining process makes the grain stand out and ‘pop’. The process is time consuming and tedious as you have to add layers to build it up. They sometimes start the process by pre-coating the wood with ink black base layers to create more contrast. The end result being an almost three dimensional illusion. Colored stains have been used in the guitar industry for ages and have now made its way to the mainstream ukulele market. You will start seeing more of these ukulele in 2021... like maybe in a few weeks on this site (hint, hint). 1. All Solid In 2021, it has finally happened. Imports for many years have been carrying around a badge labeled ‘veneer’. And for many in the ukulele industry, the “F word”. Today, import brands are moving away from using veneer woods and strictly manufacturing using solid sets. The gap between boutique handmade ukulele and imported factory produced ones has closed tremendously. Many import brands have completely moved on from using laminated woods with many more to follow in 2021. And they accomplished all of this without jacking up the price for consumers. If you purchase one of these solid bodied ukulele, just make sure you get a humidifier as well! Alas a positive for laminated ukulele: you don’t need to worry about heat and humidity. Maybe they may still be around for this killer feature. There it is! 5 ukulele trends to look out for in 2021. I hope you enjoyed this peek into the future. As I write this my daughter is resting peacefully by my desk...... FOR NOW!!! Keep jamming and aloha!
Ukulele Resolutions For The New Year
At last it’s December 31. Better known as New Years Eve. As the world turns a new page, we bid farewell to a year none of us expected. For some it was the worst year of their lives. They’ve lost their jobs, plans were dashed, and many even battled the virus itself. Worst yet, many have even lost dear loved ones. But for some it was the year they didn’t think they needed. They were pushed to take a deep look at themselves and make hard decisions that needed to be made. Many of those with families were locked together with them, finding that they missed out on so much pre-covid as we raced toward the carrots of success, money, and fame. Many were forced to rethink their careers and find out what brought them joy... and then pursue it. So 2020 gave us 20/20. As in 20/20 vision. No matter where you fall on the year, we should all agree that it was a major reset. And as the dawn of a new year approaches, I want to help reset your ukulele goals with 5 ukulele resolutions for 2021! 5. Chord Guru In 2021 become a chord guru! We all get stumped sometimes when we try to learn new songs. We forget how play certain chords and we get frustrated as we have to search for it online or dig them up on an old chord chart. Doing this risks taking us out of our flow state. As I’ve gotten to know many pro ukulele players throughout the years, one of the things they all have in common is a deep repertoire of chord knowledge. Watching them play through different chords is inspiring. So start by learning a new chord each week. That’s 52 chords in 2021! Learn the chord name, fingering, and play songs that require it. Playing them continuously for a week will help cement it to memory. Remember that their are many variants for chords so learn them all! This will make learning new songs a breeze! 4. Learn 12 New Songs With the plethora of awesome YouTube tutorials, this resolution should be a piece of cake! And 12 new songs is just the baseline. You can make your resolution 24 if you think you can handle it. And if your a classic overachiever, how about 52? Songs can run the gamut of learning a simple jingle to a complex instrumental piece such as Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata! Just WOW!!! 3. The Songwriter Maybe this is the year you start creating your own music! I know the 2020 wave has churned up many emotions so now may be the best time to express them through your ukulele. I‘ve just watched Pixar’s new movie Soul and loved watching the musicians get “in the zone”. Make this a year long resolution. No need to rush. Spend time ’feeling’ your way around the ukulele and start setting your heart to chords! And if you must.....add lyrics. 2. Recording Artist Have you ever heard yourself play the ukulele? As strange as that question sounds, many haven’t. Think about it. Of course you‘ve heard yourself as you play, but have you ever just sat back, relaxed, and enjoyed listening to yourself playing? If you haven’t, this is the resolution for you! Throughout 2021, record yourself playing your ukulele. You can do this simply by shooting it on your phone. If you want to take it further, you could purchase mics and import the audio to your PC. And if you are inspired, you can play with the mix on music apps and software. And who knows? This could be the start of your musical career! 1. The Dream This is a huge one. We all have dreams, right? Hopefully you do! A dream car. A dream home. A dream travel destination. And the dreams go on and on. But what about a dream ukulele? The 2021 could be the year when you purchase your dream ukulele. Start by looking for your dream ukulele. Start researching into the sizes, wood combinations, builders, pickups, and extras. And those extras being side ports, cutaways, slotted head stocks, bevels, custom inlays and rosettes, Rodger’s tuners, 5 strings (or 6 or 8), etc...etc...etc...! Haha! You get the picture. And then start saving each month. This dream ukulele could be a $300 KUMU to a $5,000 Kamaka! Or more! So by this time next year you could be strumming on your new dream ukulele. As I wrap up this post I want to personally thank you for reading my last one of the year! As 2021 arrives I hope you and your loved ones a healthy, safe, and joyful New Years! Keep jamming and aloha!
Mele Kalikimaka Song Tutorial! Merry Christmas from Leolani
This ones for you! Thank you for all your support this 2020 year! As we head towards Christmas, we want to wish you and yours a Mele Kalikimaka and Happy New Year! As a gift, we wanted to bless you with this amazing tutorial of Mele Kalikimaka from our dear friend Jonah Davis. Now grab your uke, a cold glass of eggnog, and let’s learn this classic together! Time Stamps: Mele Kalikimaka Playalong: (00:53) Learn the chords: (03:05) Strumming Patterns: (06:36) Learning the Intro: (11:38) We hoped you enjoyed learning Mele Kalikimaka! We hope you jam it come the 25th! From our ohana to yours.... Mele Kalikimaka!!!
Last Minute Gift Ideas!
There’s 11 days left till Christmas! I know, crazy right! And maybe your like me and you’ve waited till the last minute to get gifts. Then there’s the added pressure of getting a gift for an ukulele enthusiast!
“What do I get and how do I get it fast?” Well count your lucky sugar plums, because I’m here to help you out! As shipping windows close, here are 10 last minute ukulele gift ideas you can get in a jiffy! I will add purchase links to express your shopping time! Amazon is gonna offer before Christmas Day delivery up until Sunday!!! Mahalo Amazon elves! You guys are saving Christmas. Some of these gifts are affordable, while others are next level and are sure to bring a smile to your giftee's face! Or yourself! Haha! We are the generation of self-love right? So without further ado, here...we...go! 10. Online Ukulele Courses Most ukulele players want to improve their skills, and online ukulele courses make a fantastic gift that keeps on giving! Good online ukulele courses are almost as nice as in-person lessons, while being more affordable and a whole lot easier to fit into a busy schedule. This would make a perfect gift someone wanting to get into the ukulele. Maybe the perfect gift for your kid(s). I recommend AllForUke with Kevin Presbrey! He offers a 7-day free trial and only $10 a month afterwards! He even offers private uke lessons! Check out more on his website allforuke.com! 9. Ukulele Chord Chart/Cheat Sheet Every ukulele player needs one of these so this will make an amazing gift. Having a chord chart on hand will help when your in a pinch and need to figure out a specific chord. This version comes in two sizes and are small enough to fit in a ukulele bag or hardcase pocket! Plus they are gloriously laminated so no worries Cheeto fingers! Get the Ukulele Chord Cheatsheets on Amazon here! 8. USB Recording Mic Every budding ukulele artist needs a recording mic. But what if you don’t have all the chords and computer adapters? Don’t fret, the Fafine Condenser Recording Microphone requires only a USB port. Super simple to use, and records crystal clear audio! Gift the Fifine Condenser Recording Mic off Amazon here! 7. String Winder Drill Bit This gift is for the hip ukulele players who like unique gifts. Who wants to spend minutes hand winding their strings when you can do it in seconds! Finally some wizard created a nifty piece of practical magic... a drill bit string winder! And it’s super affordable at under $7 (drill not included... haha). So make sure the giftee has a drill! I use this bit and its a time saver. And its incredibly fun too! Get a String Winder Drill Bit off Amazon here! 6. Orange Amp The Orange Amp Micro Terror is small amp with a ton of power! People all over love the Orange brand of guitar amps, and this little guy sure lives up to the hype. This may be the best gift your giftee may get under the tree. Paired with the right speakers and you will be headlining Coachella! Well, at least in your bedroom. Gift the amazing Orange Amp Micro Terror on Amazon here! 5. Crossrock Hardcase Today, most ukulele come in padded gig bags. They are flexible, lightweight, and get the job done. But sometimes your ukulele needs to ride around in style. In these ‘cases’ you have to get a hardcase. I recommend gifting a Crosswalk Hardcase. They come in all sizes and in a multitude of colors. They even offer different material options. If looks could kill, better call the doctor! Gift a Crossrock Hardcase off Amazon here! 4. Wireless Transmitter Receiver Now this thing is really cool. You can plug in your ukulele into an amp, and do it wirelessly! What devilry is this? No worries, no devils here. Just science! You just plug one of the receivers into your ukulele and the other into the amp and now you can play untethered. No more tripping over your cords. Now your free to roam around as you play. And dare I say dance? Gift the Getaria Wireless Digital Transmitter off Amazon here! 3. The Beatles Ukulele Song Book George Harrison loved the ukulele! And the world loves George Harrison. So here is a fun gift to give to an ukulele player who wants to tap into their musical roots. You can’t go through music pop history without taking a major detour down Abby Road. Now you can take this detour with your ukulele! And did I mention this book comes loaded with 195 songs! Wowza! The Little Black Book of Beatle’s Songs for Ukulele found here!
2. Roadie Tuner 3 A tuner that actually tunes your ukulele. Yeah, you heard me right! The Roadie 3 can tune your ukulele for you and with great accuracy. It can also store over 100 alternate tunings! Just watch the videos of this thing in action and have your mind blown. The perfect gift for someone who has everything. They probably don’t have this! Gift the super engineered Roadie Tuner 3 off Amazon here! 1. KUMU Ukulele So your reading this post on our site. The same site that sells KUMU and Leolani ukulele! This isn’t a top 10 list, but a list of 10 gift ideas... haha! But hey, what best last minute ukulele gift is better than a ukulele? And now we have a secret sale going on until Christmas Day! I recommend getting a KUMU ukulele since its made using Hawaiian Koa. Many companies nowadays are claiming to inventory Hawaiian Koa ukulele, but what they really have are acacia wood ukulele. True, Koa is a type of acacia wood. But Koa can only be grown in the volcanic soil of Hawaii! Now rest assured knowing that our KUMU are produced using this prized wood! Check out our KUMU page and see if a KUMU ukulele will make the best gift for someone really special! Or for yourself... remember...self love! KUMU ukulele: https://www.leolaniukulele.com/kumu-series So here is my list of 10 super awesome ukulele gifts to gift at the last minute. You can find all these items on Amazon now (except for number 10 and 1)! And they are currently offering shipping before Christmas! So get on it fast! Like right after reading this. Keep jamming and Mele Kalikimaka!
12 Days of Christmas Ukulele GIVEAWAY
Mele Kalikimaka! Well, at least that’s what Bing is singing over on my Amazon Echo. Thanksgiving is just a day old and my stomach is already longing for my mom’s homemade cranberry sauce! Secret tip guys... she uses apple and pear in her recipe so it’s basically a Ramsey-fied cranberry sauce. So now with Thanksgiving in the rear view mirror, we are heading right into CHRISTMAS, the most wonderful time of year! And with that said, it gives me great pleasure to announce to you Leolani’s 12 Days of Christmas ukulele giveaway! Now say that 10 times fast. Thankfully that isn’t one of the daily challenges. “Wait what? What are these challenges you are speaking of?” Yes, you heard me right... challenges! Just like the ole’ Christmas carol goes we will be giving away ukulele on each of the twelve days! I really love that song BTW (especially the Hawaiian style version)! So in this post I’m gonna break down what this contest/giveaway is all about. And, yes, the challenges too! So lets just start with the best part. We here at Leolani are gonna giveaway twelve ukulele! Yes, you heard me right through those ear muffs! TWELVE ukulele! Your right Dwight! One for each of the twelve days with a few surprises sprinkled in a day or two. And as the big guy in the red suit delivers gifts to children all over the world, we decided to follow his lead and open this contest to everyone. US and International! If you win, we will find a way to get it to you. Even if we have to ship ELF-EXPRESS, USS (United Sleigh Service) or NPPS (North Poll Post). All are welcome to enter! So the next logical question is how does one win one of these awesome ukuleles. We have teamed up with a special team of elves, twelve amazing musical influencers and artists/groups to help spread the holiday cheer! Each of these artist is comman(deer)ing one of the twelve days, and they have personally picked the specific holiday challenges. They are really festive and fun! We hope you get excited looking over. We know that not everyone entering owns a ukulele, so we have both ukulele friendly and non ukulele friendly challenges to choose from. Hopefully a Leolani/KUMU will be your first ukulele, that would be jolly! So without further ado, here are the challenges! HO, HO, HO... those elves are so cheerful! The challenges start next week, in 72 hours, on Monday, November 30th so mark your calendars! Here’s how to enter my fellow sugar plums: 1. Use the hashtag for the specific day you are entering. For day one it will be #MerryUkeMasDay1. For day two... #MerryUkeMasDay2. And each consecutive day will follow the same pattern. So for day twelve its #MerryUkeMasDay12. You got it! 2. Follow @leolani_kumu_ukulele on Instagram or Facebook @Leolani Ukulele. 3. Post your entry to Instagram or Facebook by 11:59pm HST (Hawaii Standard Time) on the day you are entering. Day one is Monday November 30th, just a few days away. 4. Turn you account setting to public (at least on the day you are entering) so our judges will be able to see your wonderful creations. So be as creative and festive as possible. Let’s make this giveaway super fun! You can enter all twelve, or just one. You have a chance to win all twelve ukulele or one. It’s totally up to you. The more days you enter... the more chances to win! This contest will have up to twelve winners. So go tell it on the mountain! HARK! You can submit your entries whenever! Like right after reading this post. As long as it doesn’t come in after the daily deadline. So if you are baking cookies today you can enter for day ten, and make a Christmas cookie in the shape of a ukulele and submit it already. You don’t have to wait till day ten to submit. Just don’t submit it on day eleven because the Grinch will give you that devilish grin! We will announce the winners the following day on our socials. We can‘t wait to see your submissions! If a ukulele in on your Christmas list this year... be sure to enter. If you have any questions, ask away on our socials and we will get back to you with Comet speed! For all of our visual learners, here is our sixty second promo from Sabeth, head elf of social media: Keep jamming and aloha!
My Current Top 10 Ukulele Influencers
Wow! I can't believe Thanksgiving is right around the corner. Hopefully, my fellow Americans, you have already gone out to the grocery stores to pick up all your family secret recipe ingredients! But I made a promise a few months back when I made my ‘My Current Top 10 Ukulele Players’, and today I make good on my promise. Here is my current top 10 ukulele influencer list. This list was difficult to make. I spent a few weeks thinking things through, writing down names, moving them around, and cutting some when I remembered others. I went over countless feeds of content and feel that this is it. Some influencers were so close... but didn’t make it on the list this year (yeah, this gonna be yearly thing). Now as a caveat, there are a ton of new ukulele influencers. Wow, the potential with most of them is huge! So this list was composed with a few criteria. Those being that the influencer/artist plays the ukulele exclusively, and has been on their platform for over a year. So here we go! 10. All For Uke AllForUke was created by Kevin Presbrey. An influencer on the rise with an incredible head of hair. His videos are shot with impeccable quality of detail. He does an amazing job teaching classic songs in a casual way. Not to mention his thumbnails are polished and tempt a click! He also has a website where he has a ton more content. More videos, lessons, reviews, courses, and private lessons! Kevin’s socials: Youtube Facebook 9. Cynthia Lin Singer and songwriter Cynthia Lin. Did I also mention YouTube sensation? With 403k followers on YouTube and climbing! She is full of aloha and chill and relaxed. She makes learning the ukulele easy by taking out all the intimidation with her smile. Her jazzy playing style and superb vocals makes her an incredible influencer to follow. A perfect song for Thanksgiving! Cynthia has many friends in the ukulele community who frequent her channel! She‘s a gem! Cynthia’s socials: YouTube IG Facebook Twitter 8. Timmy Cruz Timmy Cruz—aka Timmy-cruz89, uke shredder, and boutique ukulele hunter. Timmy has been shredding the ukulele and influencing others to do for many years. This guys always making people jealous with all the ukuleles in his collection. Basically a lover of tenor ukes! He also rebooted his online presence with a new IG handle and fresh YouTube channel. Timmy’s socials: Youtube IG 7. Nix (Nix // uuuuuuuukewithme) Whew! All those u’s! All 8 of them. This girl has been blowing up IG and YouTube for years. She also loves playing KoAloha ukuleles! Her passion for life and the ukulele is infectious. Plus that smile... it screams of ukulele joy! She also does quite a lot of traveling and even found her way back to Hawaii earlier this year. Nix’s socials: YouTube IG Facebook 6 . A r y y (Ariel Mancanares) From Brazil to California! Ariel has been taking over the YouTube scene amassing a huge following. When I say that huge, I mean over 1 million subscribers! Yowza! Parabens Ariel! She is bilingual and speaks both Portuguese and English! Its great watching her inspire her Brazilian followers on her socials since she often posts in both english and Portuguese. She's also very active on Youtube posting many stories there. Her free spirit and seriously good songwriting skills have catapulted her to the top. Don't sleep on Ariel, she's making moves. Oi! Ariel’s socials: Link Tree 5. Matt Taylor (U Can Uke) Hailing from Rockford Illinois comes Matt Taylor. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting Matt a few times at the Winter NAMM in LA. This guy is infectious! Super friendly and always down for a jam session. His YouTube channel is going off and he’s definitely spreading ’da aloha spirit’ everywhere he goes. He got his start teaching songs on YouTube... and the rest is history! He has a bright future in this game and I would bet that his 430k followers on Youtube would agree! Matt’s socials: YouTube Facebook IG 4. Aldrine Guerrero OG right here! If you don’t know who Aldrine Guerrero is, you strayed off the ukulele path. Aldrine has been in the game before I got into it 12 years ago. Okay... how about Ukulele Underground? Ring any bells? This guy started the movement to putting the best ukulele resources online. This local ‘braddah‘ from Kauai is pumping out amazing content every week and his passion for the ukulele community continues to blow me away. Check out all of awesome content on Ukulele Underground and check out his play-alongs. He’s taught me a few....haha! Mahalo Aldrine! Aldrine’s socials: YouTube Facebook IG 3. Ricky Somborn
Who would‘ve thought breaking your foot could be so live changing? If you don’t believe me, just ask Ricky Somborn! It was a foot injury that changed the course of this influencer‘s life forever. If you’ve seen his videos, his deep warm vocals and smooth playing gets you every time! What’s crazy is that Ricky really didn’t start singing until a few years ago to the surprise of his family. Since starting his career, his reach and following has been explosive. And his output of his content is ever increasing. Needless to say I’m a huge fan! Ricky’s socials: YouTube Facebook IG 2. Bernadette “Plazi” Bernadette teaches music! She sure does! I have never seen a more in-depth breakdown of music theory on the ukulele! Arigato Plazi sensei! Okay, thats 4 exclamations so I think you get the picture. Plazi has been racking up followers like people were hoarding toilet appear at the start of the pandemic. Her smile, her style, her passion puts her high on the list. I don’t think you can be into the ukulele without knowing who she. Seriously the best free lessons on the web. Friends, she’s got a music degree! And congratulations to Bernadette on the bundle of joy on her way! Bernadette’s socials: YouTube IG Facebook 1. Elise Ecklund Making her to 2 millions subscribers (maybe before 2021), Elise tops my list. If your having a tough day, pop on one her YouTube videos and you’ll be back in good spirits in no time. She doesn’t only showcase her ukulele prowess, but her super funny personality. Like the time she the got a super huge tattoo (her first) and didn’t tell her parents until afterwards... haha! She has bought many young people over to the ukulele, and I couldn’t be happier. Check out her sister Eden as well. There’s no reason she won’t be at 3 million subscribers by next year! Elise’s socials: YouTube IG Facebook So there’s my current top 10 influencer list! This humble instrument has been taking over the world these past two decades. As a native Hawaiian, I’m filled with joy seeing tons of people from all walks of life, falling in love with our little instrument. Who are your favorite ukulele influencers? Maybe you‘ll see them make my list next year! Lotus Cole, Aleksandra (_outofmycomfortzone), and Fernanda Gomes (chewfe)... so close... so close! Keep jamming and aloha!
5 Trending Songs Anyone Can Play
A new season is upon us! If you are an American we are preparing to celebrate Thanksgiving. For many others, it’s CHRISTMAS! As we start cleaning up the cob webs, paper bats, and pumpkins, the sound of Christmas music fills the air. At my house we went from listening to HalloweenTown’s ”This is Christmas”, to Johnny Mathis‘ “Sleigh Ride”! But before we turn on Pentatonix, lets learn how to play these top trending songs. Don’t worry all you Christmas lovers, my list of Christmas song tutorials will be coming out in December! But below are 5 songs that are currently trending all over the place. And all of these are songs are easy to learn. But honestly... maybe not easy to sing... haha! Dreams by Fleetwood Mac We’ve all seen it by now. Nathan Apodaca longboarding to work, sipping on cranberry juice, singing along to Fleetwood Mac’s ’Dreams’. Something about this clip resonated with millions around the world. For me, it was relaxing watching this guy living his best life. The joy on his face made me feel all warm inside. As soon as this clip went viral, streaming of this classic song went through the roof! Learn this smooth song below. Be sure your not trying to learn this song as you cruise the streets on your longboard! Haha! And if you hadn’t seen the original viral video... here it is. Justin Bieber “Holy” Featuring Chance the Rapper The Biebs just keeps coming back and this time he’s bringing company. This song is so uplifting and catchy. Even the music video to this song will bring a smile to your face. Not to mention Chance is lighting up the track with his smooth rhymes and vocals! What a dynamic duo. I know, I know, some of you are tired of Bieber. But just give him another CHANCE! Haha! Get it? Okay, here is the tutorial from Matt from U Can Uke! And the music video is here! Golden by Harry Styles This song from Harry Styles just dropped last week! This song has an 80’s vibe to it that I can’t resist. Like Bieber’s hit above, this one is so catchy. The one issue I have is that it sounds like it should have been dropped in the summer since it has beach vibes. I mean “Golden”, like a beautiful sunset on a warm balmy day. But I guess it’s Harry’s last ditch effort to hold on to summer before the bitter cold sweeps over the Northern Hemisphere. But since I live in Hawaii, it‘s summer all year round baby! Here’s Ricky Somborn’s tutorial! He’s in Florida so he gets my drift. Listen to Harry's new song here! Dynamite by BTS In the past I didn’t get K-Pop. It was silly and I thought their fans were nuts. But now I can unashamedly declare that I’m a fan of K-Pop! It started with my sons dancing to their music video’s on YouTube. Granted BTS (the biggest group on the planet) has already been making waves since 2014, so we had many dance videos to catch up on. The song Dynamite hit America this summer and blew away the competition. It was also their first all English language song. It's so poppy with it’s lyrics and melodic hooks. You can't help but dance along to this jam. Listen to it and see if your at least not bobbing your head to the beat. Learn this summer sizzler below! Dance and smile with BTS here. Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen There‘s really nothing more to write about with this next “trendy” song. Like Fleetwood Mac ‘Dream’, Leonard Cohen’s ‘Hallelujah’ needs no introduction. Hallelujah was recorded by the late Leonard Cohen all the way back in 1984. And it’s probably the most covered song in history! Whats even as interesting is that it’s often sung on Christmas Albums. Most recently with Pentatonix and Tori Kelly. The meaning behind the song is still debated to this day. Even though Leonard himself has given us his interpretation. I’m not gonna debate it here, but learn this amazing “Christmas” song below with Plazi! A Christmas song huh...... yeah right! Listen to this immortal classic here. There it is! 5 songs currently trending and how to play them on the ukulele. I’m gonna challenge myself this week and learn them all. Maybe you too should take a crack at this challenge and see it you can play them all in a week. Keep jamming and aloha!
The Forbidden Tritone (The Devil’s Melody on the ukulele)
We are here! On the heels of scariest holiday of them all——Halloween! Or if your from a ‘across the pond’, All Hollow’s Eve. This holiday is derived from a sacred festival of the ancient Celts and Druids, coming as days grow short and night stretch long in the Northern Hemisphere. The day itself marking a cross-quarter day, or the midway between an equinox (when the suns sets due west) and a solstice (when the sun sets at it’s most northern or southern point on the horizon. They also called this holiday Samhain marking the end of the harvest shear and the beginning of winter. Now this is where the ‘heebie-jeebies’ come in. They would celebrate Samhain with the lighting of special bonfires. They lit these fires as a cleansing and protective mechanism as they believed that the boundary between our world and the spirit world could be traversed! Meaning their pagan gods and fairies could be appeased (in person) in order to ensure that their livestock would survive the winter. Here is where all our rituals that we incorporate into our Halloween traditions come from. I know, dark right?! Over the years Samhain was seen as being apart of the occult by the early Christian church and seen as demonic. This brings us to the devil’s music! A musical melody thought to conjure of the devil himself, the perfect melody for a Halloween night! Like the “Beast” in the Christian tradition, it goes by many names: Diabolus in musica (devil in music), the devil’s interval, the tritone, the triad and the flatted fifth . As its Latin moniker suggests, it’s an evil sounding combination of notes that’s designed to create a chilling or foreboding atmosphere. The interval was given a sinister name since listeners originally found it unpleasant and surprising. Before the tritone became a common tool in later music, listeners expected artists to play chords and patterns that were pleasing to the ear. When a tone that wasn’t melodious as the triad was inserted into a musical passage, it was unsettling since it didn’t conform to listener expectations. I first heard about this in my college history class, and the teacher played it for us. Definitely a dark set of notes. Rumor has it that it was banned to play the devil’s tritone by the Roman Catholic Church in the Middle Ages for fear that it conjured up Satan! Or that something evil would befall the musician that dared to. Some stories called for the musician to be beheaded if they were heard playing it. You can easily play the devil’s tritone with any of the notes on the scale. For example, playing a perfect fifth will take you from a A to E note. This is pleasing and harmonious. But remember, the triad is a “flatted fifth”. So instead of going from A to E. You go from A to D#, a half step down. But why is it called a triad? Well, when playing the devil’s interval, you play the perfect fifth and then slide down and play the half step. So here is the devil’s interval in all it’s ingloriousness! A-E-D# Now be careful where you play this triad. You may have either a priest or a ghost chasing you around... haha! Now it even gets darker. This system of playing the devil’s interval works for every note of the scale... until you get to B. Playing the devil’s interval on the B scale was called the Locrian mode, and it was the only one where the fifth degree of the scale is not a perfect fifth - it’s an augmented fourth – a forbidden tritone! Goose bumps right on cue. This went against everything music appeared to stand for, and was christened diabolus in musica – the Devil in music. The Locrian mode was very rarely used in compositions! So why is the devil’s triad so horrific to listen to? John Sloboda, a professor of music psychology at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, explained that the tritone is particularly unnerving because the human brain is hardwired to find harmony and symmetry in music: “When we hear something dissonant, it gives you a little bit of an emotional frisson, because it's strange and unexpected. The emotional result of hearing a tritone, might not be too different from the one experienced at the bottom of a staircase that failed to mention it’s missing its last step.” So it’s this melodic dissonance that creates the chill down our spine when we listen to it. Here’s how to play it on the ukulele! Using a low G, you can play the A note (G string, 2nd fret), E note (C String, fourth fret, and then ending on the flatted fifth, D# note (C string, 3rd fret). Play these notes in order at different tempos. Then play the A note and D# by themselves in rhythm. Now all superstitions aside, Heavy Metal rocks bands have embraced this tritone. Most famous being Black Sabbath! Check them out playing the devil’s tritone below! So there you have it! This concludes our October fright fest of posts! And this Halloween you can kick up the scares by playing the Devil’s tritone on your ukulele! But beware, you don’t want to invite things back from trick or treating that go bump in the night. Keep jamming and.................
Get Your Pink On!
The month of October is nearing it’s close and if you live in the United States you know how much we love Halloween. My last couple posts have been about the spookiest time of the year, like how you can ‘Frankenstein’ an ukulele to learning to play catchy Halloween themes. But for this post I’m gonna switch gears as there is another huge event we celebrate all month long that I don’t want to miss. This being ‘Breast Cancer Awareness’. So if you’ve seen the flood of professional athletes wearing pink socks, and just pink ribbons everywhere, you now know what they are supporting. When I think about breast cancer awareness I think of the ladies in my life. My mom, wife, and soon to be born daughter (January 8, 2021). Then there are the many friends and family members that have had their lives changed by this disease. Whether they have fought the fight, or have lost someone to this horrible disease. This is why we at Leolani are donating parts of the proceeds from all our online sales to the BCRF, Breast Cancer Research Foundation, in the month of October. The BCRF is valiantly fighting the fight to find a cure for breast cancer. So for this post I wanted to spread joy by highlighting some of the ladies of ukulele. These women sure can jam on the ukulele. I can’t even hold a candle to them! Here we GO! Honoka and Azita Better known as Honoka and Azita, Honoka Katayama and Azita Ganjali stole the hearts of ukulele community and the world. They met each of other while learning the ukulele at Ukulele Studio in Honolulu under the tutelage of ukulele sensei Jody Kamisato. They became friends and realized that their skills complemented each other. When I say these ladies sure put on a show, that is a huge understatement! From their quick picking to their advanced strumming, these ladies will leave you smiling. And that‘s apart of their appeal, their magnetic smiles! Oh, and if you didn’t know—— they can sing as well. As of 2019, Honoka has moved on as a solo artist blazing a new path while Azita is currently pursuing her degree in medicine. But I’m not gonna lie if I said I’m already excited for their reunion and return! Maia Mayeshiro Maia Mayeshiro is a bright up and comer. I had the pleasure of getting to know her when she worked at the famous ukulele company KoAloha! She is sweet and full of positivity. But don’t let that give you the impression that she’s all sunshine and rainbows. Put a ukulele in her hand and the storm clouds roll in. Her playing is electric to watch! Maia found her inspiration to play the ukulele from her older brother TJ. Him too being an exceptional ukulele artist. A family that jams together stays together! Maia is not only known for her playing but also for her beauty having entered and winning beauty pageants. Try and guess what her talent was during the talent segment of the contest. Check her talent out here! Brittni Paiva Brittni Paiva has been enthralling audiences for almost 20 years. She started playing the ukulele at 11 years old and cut albums shortly after. It all started when her grandfather bought her an ukulele. Being classically trained on the piano since she was 4, Brittni transferred her passion to the ukulele and the rest is history! She’s even played on stage with legends Carlos Santa and Tommy Emmanuel. Brittni’s level of musical knowledge makes her an incredible artist to watch and listen to. Every note and strum being methodically chosen to make you feel the music! Bravo! numerous other awards and nominations throughout the years, Taimane Gardner Read my post on my current top 10 ukulele players and you will know what I feel about Taimane. An artist to the core of her being. Strong, feminine, and supremely talented! Taimane has been playing the ukulele since she was could ride a tricycle. Her name means ’diamond’ in Samoan and she truly is a diamond the rough. She plays many genres and lives her art. Karlie G Another amazing artist in my top 10 post! I‘m a huge fan of Karlie Goya and can‘t wait to see what she puts out into the universe. By the age of 18, she already has won numerous awards and competitions. She is not only a gifted ukulele player, but an amazing singer, songwriter, and producer! Grace Vanderwaal Grace Vanderwaal! The 16 year old phenom who stole the hearts of America on AGT. I mean she won the whole SHEbang! Hyper talented. She picked up the ukulele at young age (she’s still young) and secretly honed her craft posting videos of her original songs and covers on YouTube and performing at open mics. Then she entered the AGT at just 12 years old. Just her, her talent, and her ukulele. Thanks to Grace, the ukulele resurged amongst the younger generation, becoming the gateway instrument for a new generation. Thank you ladies for your incredible talent! I hope you all enjoyed this post showcasing some of the best ukulele players in the game. Let’s not forget to stand together and fight the good fight of ending breast cancer. Support the BCRF and love on the ladies in your life! Keep jamming and aloha!
‘Spooktacular’ Halloween Themes on the Ukulele
It’s two weeks out till Halloween and the festivities are already in full swing. I try to fill the month with spooky Halloween movies. The main ones on the list are the original Ghostbusters 1 & 2 (even the 2016 reboot is a guilty pleasure), Casper, Hocus Pocus, Sleepy Hallow, The Addams Family 1 & 2, The Nightmare Before Christmas (is it a Halloween or Christmas movie, the debate at my house continues), and The Ring. I know, I know——all but one of these movies (The Ring) are not that scary but more family friendly. Well what can I say, I’m a dad of three young kids and I don’t want to stay up all night putting them to sleep, or worst yet, them sleeping in our bed. But I do like the really scary stuff too. I try to see if they can keep me up at night. Usually no, but they sure are fun to watch. Last year we watched The Hill House series on Netflix and it was great! Season 2 is out now and my wife and I just started watching. So far it’s good! Now we all know that the visuals of ghosts, demons, monsters, and knife wielding psychos give us the creeps. But I would wager that the score and soundtracks to these movies and tv shows are just as creepy. We are either covering our eyes, or plugging our ears to lessen the scares. I confess, I’m guilty of doing both of these things even though I try to hide it...haha! Many of these songs have become iconic over time and have become of anthems of Halloween. Below I’ve collected a list of some of my favorite “Halloweenie” songs that you can learn on the ukulele. If you are not easily frightened, have a go at some of them! Muahahahahaha! Stranger Things Theme Seeing Will Byers vanish in the shed during the opening of the first episode got me hooked. It was nostalgically perfect and hella creepy at the same time. Then the opening credits role and my oh my did I fall into a trance! That rhythmic 80‘s synth pulsed through my soul, teasing me of what was to come. By the end of the season the theme of Stranger Things became a character in the show. Now when you hear the first few seconds of this theme, your hairs of the back of your head begin to rise, and then you begin to wonder... am I in the Upside Down?!? Learn this pulse pounding theme below! Halloween Theme Believe or not I‘ve seen these movies a kid..... at my next door neighbors house. There were many famous slasher psychos in movies- Freddy Krueger, Chucky, and Jason. But it was Michael Myers who gave me heebie-jeebies! He just walked and stalked. No running, never even turning his neck! Haha! This theme song is iconic to it’s core. Almost sounds like a frantic beating heart. So good! Learn it below. Its not for the faint of heart... 🖤 The Addams Family Theme Okay so I just watched the new animated version with the kiddos last week. It made me want a live action reboot. Oscar Isaacs as Gomez and Anne Hathaway as Morticia Addams? I think it would be awesome! This theme song needs no introduction, you just need to know how to snap your fingers. I have two version below. One for beginners, and one that will have your friends impressed! Fun version: Lurch version: GhostBusters Theme I am literally watching this movie as I’m writing this. Classic Rick Moranis! This song is so dang catchy. We’ve all sang the “daaaanah, daaaanah, daaaanah, daaaanah, dan-dah-da-nuh-nah” part of the song! I just gotta say thank you Ray Parker Jr. You wrote one of the best theme songs in the world! Didn’t I mention this song will get stuck in your head. Sorry! Learn this classic theme below, and be sure to watch the movies! ZUUL! The Exorcist Theme You all knew this was coming! The theme for The Exorcist has been giving people nightmares for years. Even when I listen to this in the dark I get spooked! When this movie came out, people where leaving the theaters in droves. It was the most shocking movie in it’s time. Not only was this movie scary, but eerie things happened on set. I mean when you read the title, go figure! The tubular bells add a sense of dread as they are instruments usually played in cathedrals. But played in this melody they become a tune of the devil! Follow along with Matt Dahlberg if your up for a challenge. You may need to call a priest afterwards. “The power of Christ compels you!” Hopefully learning these songs add a little more fright to your Halloween season! I can’t wait to dress up and walk the streets (socially distanced of course 😉) ‘trick or treating’ with the kiddos. I‘m sure I‘ll be humming these tunes as I stroll along. Keep jamming and aloha!
7 Ways To Frankenstein The Ukulele!
Yes you read that right. Seven ways to Frankenstein the ukulele! MWAHAHA!!! “We are fashioned creatures, but half made up.” – Frankenstein As we are moving through the month of October, I wanted stick with the subject of Halloween and share with you 7 unique and interesting ways one can Frankenstein, or customize an ukulele. Some of these ways are pretty common but others are ’stranger things’. And if you have the courage, maybe you can have some of these features built into your next ukulele. Let the haunt.... I mean hunt.... begin ! 1. Slotted Headstock One defining feature of the Frankenstein monster is his oversized, flat topped, nail punctured neck. Just one look at this creature’s head and you need no introduction. This feature on an ukulele is the slotted headstock. Taken from the stylings of the classical guitar, ukulele have been modified with this design for over 50 years. It is beefier in size, the strings are wound on ‘string rollers’, two gapping holes, with the tuning pegs sticking out the sides. A slotted headstock on an ukulele adds class and sophistication to the instrument. Some owners even have custom tuners such as Alessi and Rodger’s hand made for them. These tuners run up to $500 and over! If your looking to having an ukulele with a slotted headstock, your looking at a $250+ upgrade. If you ask me, its totally worth it! 2. Scalloped Nut and Saddle One of my favorite dishes in the world is sautéed scallops! Seared in a piping hot pan, olive oil, sea salt, and finished in brown butter. Hmmmmmm! Sorry if your drooling on your phone or keyboard... haha! This makes me think of the creature from the Black Lagoon. With all the oval shaped scales plating it‘s fish-like body. Maybe the creature can fetch some sea scallops out of the lagoon for us? This scallop motif brings us to our customized feature of scalloped ukulele nuts and saddles. Check it out! Even the overall design continues it’s ocean motif as it resembles a wave pattern. This bizarre customization is not only aesthetically pleasing but functional as well. Typically seen on guitars, scalloping the nut and saddle increases the bass. Don’t do this if you want more treble from your ukulele. This design got it’s name from resembling the shell structure of a sea scallop. This customization doesn’t end here, but they scallop frets as well. Google it! 3. Fanned Frets One of the easiest Halloween costumes to create requires only toilet paper. If you‘ve already guessed it, it is none other than The Mummy! Though this costume of wrapped toilet paper is easy to make, creating and fitting fanned frets on your ukulele is huge nightmare! Fanned frets, or multi-scale ukulele, place the frets on a calculated angle. This angle has to be perfectly precise in order for the ukulele to stay in tune. But doing this gives each string a different scale length. Fanned frets give ukulele a longer scale length on the lower strings and a shorter scale length on the higher strings. When done correctly, the layout of the frets look like mummy wrappings. Whether you're playing straight- fret or fanned , both have the same capabilities as far as tunings are concerned. On the higher frets in particular you may find that playing intricate solos is far easier on a fanned fretboard compared to straight simply your because your hand is more comfortable when playing on them. 4. Florentine Cutaway Its a full moon night and theres a mist rolling in. A ear splitting howl rings through the trees. Screams are head at nearby cabin. What fate has fallen on these innocent weekend glampers? No ones knows. All that was left in the morning was a clawed up Range Rover. Of course you figured it out at ’full moon’. It’s the savage on the list, The Wolfman! The CUT away, like the slotted headstock, has been around along time. There are two main types of cutaways, the Venetian and the Florentine. In this particular post we will be focusing on the the Florentine style because it has a passing resemblance to a werewolf claw. That point it sharp! Cutaways are great since they allow for greater access to the higher frets on the fingerboard. If you love to shred on the upper frets, you gotta get this feature on your ukulele. AAAAAHHHWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!! 5. Armrest Bevel A newer innovation to ukulele has been the armrest bevel. The purpose of the bevel is to make playing the ukulele more comfortable. This is done through smoothing out the corners of the ukulele body where your forearm falls on the top corner. When executed properly, it is a thing of beauty. It makes the top corner of the ukulele disappear. The corner edge should be there..... but it isn’t! Using the bevel will eliminate forearm numbness. This invisible edge really doesn’t affect the sound so it is an awesome edition on any ukulele. There are two main types of arm bevels. The traditional Laskin, or the modernized Ryan. On a ukulele I prefer the Laskin, but on a guitar I gotta go with a Ryan . Feeling the difference is really noticeable. Now if only The Invisible Man wasn’t messing around with my post! Sheesh! Hehehehehe! 6. Sound Ports One of the strangest of all the monsters is London born Dr. Jekyll. Or better known by his other half...... Mr. Hyde . This mild mannered scientist who turns into a hulking murderer when not taking his medicine best exemplifies the ukulele sound port. Indeed, sometimes two are better than one. Or better yet, two in one! And this brings us to our next customized feature, sound ports. Since the beginning of the modern lutherie, guitar and ukulele were built with one “sound port”, or sound hole. Normally centered on the top of the soundboard. Recently though, the adding of a second sound port quickly gained momentum throughout the ukulele community making it an established new feature. A sound port is an added hole, or ”air pump”, on the side of the ukulele. It can be put in the upper or lower bout of the ukulele. Sometimes in both! They act as a personal monitor for the player. This allows them to hear the beauty of their own instruments. And you know what? It definitely works! There is a huge difference in volume and projection. Just like Mr. Hyde , pushing to be heard and experienced! 7. Cantilevered Fingerboard Now this list wouldn’t be complete if I didn‘t add the biggest baddie of them all. Can you guess who I’m talking about? It is none other than the Count of Transylvania.... Dracula! The last custom feature on this list is the cantilevered fingerboard, or the “floating neck”. If you already made the connection, bravo! Floating......NECK. Ouch! The cantilevered neck is an innovation in engineering where the tongue of the fingerboard hovers over the soundboard. Normally the tongue is glued down on traditional ukulele. Supporters of the cantilevered fingerboard believe that glueing down the fingerboard on the soundboard has a negative effect on acoustic vibration. The glued down tongue acts like a ‘break water’, breaking down sound vibration like a mound of boulders protecting ships in a harbor from large surf. In order to get around this they mounted the fingerboard over the body allowing the vibrations from the bridge to reach all the way up the soundboard. You have to see it to believe. It is so effective that many ukulele that use cantilevered fingerboards don’t even have a traditional sound hole but utilize a larger side port, ensuring maximum resonance! Wow, incredible! The cantilevered fingerboard is hands down the most monstrous customization on the ukulele! Just remember to lock these ukulele away in their coffins..... um, I mean cases! There you have it. The seven ways to Frankenstein the ukulele. Hopefully this post sparked your curiosity and inspires you to investigate further. But be warned.... you may want to hire Van Helsing so that he can protect your wallet! Keep and jamming and aloha! On second thought...... maybe not!🧛🏻
Top 5 Ukulele Pickups
Today, as of this writing, is October 1st. The season of Fall is fully upon us! The temperature begins to cool and leaves start changing colors. The Halloween decorations are taken out of storage and pumpkin farms, pumpkin spiced lattes, and pumpkin pies are all the rage. For many, this is the start of what we here in America call “the Holiday Season”. The time where we go through Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years. And if your anything like me you live for this season all year round. I love Halloween. I know its a little crazy but my wife and I start decorating for Fall on September 1st! We know it’s early but time seems to be moving quicker by the year. And before you know it, there will be Christmas music playing everywhere. I’ve already seen Christmas decorations at the local Lowes and Home Depot. I’m not kidding they were up in September! And this may not be the best kept secret for people who know me personally, but as much as I love Halloween, I love Christmas way more! So here is a chance, looking ahead, to give yourself the best ukulele gift (other than a new ukulele) ever! I’m talking about getting a pickup installed on your ukulele. Sure you can get a new case, or a new set of strings. But deciding to install a pickup, thats the ultimate upgrade for any ukulele. Like an angel getting it‘s wings! Ukulele pickups are overwhelming to think about. There are different types such as UST, soundboard transducer, and internal mic. And each in either active or passive styles. Yeah, it can be confusing picking out a pickup. So I will make it easy for you and give you the my top 5 suggestions. 5. Pono Passive Pickup Now here is the caveat with this amazing pickup. You can’t just buy the pickup, you have to buy a ukulele and get it installed from The Ukulele Site (ukulelesite.com) . So if your in the market to buy a new ukulele with a pickup, the team and selection at The Ukulele Site is second to none. This pickup is a very clean, with great note articulation. It’s one of the best passive pickups I’ve ever played. Accompanied with a good preamp, the Pono passive pickup will meet all your needs. Get your new uke and Pono passive pickup here! 4. K&K Aloha Twin The Aloha Twin is an internal double-sensor pickup specially designed for the ukulele. Its based on the same technology as their award-winning Pure Pickup . The K&K Aloha Twin pickup system has a strong output signal and works nicely even without a preamp. The sound of this pickup is clear and bright! This is the most affordable option on the list. Please keep in mind when playing without a preamp, the result depends somewhat on the quality and type of the amplification equipment. You will need to get this installed at a music store because you will need to drill a hole at the bottom for the jack. Get your K&K Aloha Twin pickup here! 3. Fishman Matrix Infinity The Matrix Infinity pickup and preamp system is the newest version of the flagship Matrix Series and offers a clear transparent tone, dynamic string response, and ease of installation with solderless connections. Easily accessible soundhole-mounted Volume and Tone rotary controls allow the player to make effortless adjustments. It sports a redesigned active, endpin mounted preamp! Because this pickup is active, it needs a 9-volt battery to power the preamp. You will need to get this installed at a music store because you will need to drill a hole at the bottom for the jack, fit the under saddle sensor, and mount the sound hole rotary controls. Get the Fishman Matrix Infinity ukulele pickup here! 2. Mi-Si Acoustic Trio Uke Pickup The Mi-Si Acoustic Trio Uke system features an active, battery-free preamp designed specifically to work with the L.R. Baggs ukulele pickup. Yup, you heard me right...battery free! The preamp for this system uses Mi-Si’s custom piezo linearization scheme (whew, say that 5 times fast). This scheme brings the most truthful and accurate sound from the pickup. And boy is it powerful! And the secret weapon for Mi-Si pickups is the onboard charging. All you have to do is power up for 60 seconds using the Mi-Si power charger, and now you’ve got 16 hours of performing power! 60 seconds for 16 hours of plugged in play time? Did Marty bring this pickup back from the future? Get the Mi-Si Acoustic Trio for ukulele here! 1. LR Baggs Five O This pickup is the “King“ of ukulele pickups. It’s been around for almost a decade, but still delivers the most genuine sound of the ukulele. This is important since you want your ukulele to sound like... a ukulele! What a novel though! T his powerhouse active pickup is designed specifically for ukulele, sporting a convenient volume control that’s mounted right in the soundhole for easy stealth access and a teeny tiny 3V battery that provides power for a minimum of 300 hours! It’s also very compact and light weight, so it wont add a lot weight to your ukulele. You will need to get this installed at a music store because you will need to drill a hole at the bottom for the jack, the fit the under saddle sensor, and mount the volume control. Its no wonder why this pickup is the most installed ukulele pickup for pros and serious hobbyists alike. Get the LR Baggs Five O pickup here! So now for a shameless plug! Honorable Mention: Leolani G1 Stick-On Transducer Pickup If you don’t want to take your ukulele in to a store for a professional installation, you can get the plugged in experience with the Leolani G1 stick-on transducer pickup. No ukulele surgery required. It utilizes a piezo contact system that just sticks onto your ukulele soundboard. The adhesive is non abrasive so it doesn‘t mess with your ukulele finish, and is reusable so it can be used over and over again. The Leolani G1 pickup sports three onboard control knobs that control volume, bass, and treble to help you fine tune your sound. It also has quarter in cable access so you don’t have to use a mini adapter. Just plug the same quarter inch cable that you use for your amp. It also comes with a spare adhesive pad and a dust protector plug for the port. This way you can protect the electronics when you not plugging in. Comes with a compact carrying case so you can store it in your case. It’s also an affordable option! Get your Leolani G1 stick on pickup here! Can I get a little ‘Mele Kalikimaka’? I know, I know.... it’s too early. Haha! But its never too early to plan ahead. Getting your ukulele amplified could be the gift that you never knew you needed. Trust me when I say its a game changer with you have a pickup installed. It’s like your ukulele is complete. I hope you check out the 6 six mentioned above and see which one is right for you. Keep jamming and aloha!
My Current Top 10 Ukulele Players
It had to be done, my list of the current top 10 ukulele players! I spent a few days thinking this list through, writing down names, moving them around, and cutting some when I remembered other players. This list has changed through the years and these artists are my current faves. I’m not gonna lie when I say that it was tough putting this list together since there are many amazing ukulele players out there. Now this list doesn’t include social media savvy ”ukers”. So this list doesn’t include YouTubers. That list will be coming soon! And I’m sure will be a little controversial as everyone has their favorites. Let me say that this is my personal top 10 so if your gonna fire up the comment section sling your stones at me! I would love to hear who your favorites are. Also this list is not a list of singers who play the ukulele, there are many amazing singers that use the ukulele. But my current favorite list of ukulele players, emphasis on the ukulele! Some do sing though (haha)! 10. Tobias Elof Tobias is a musical nomad. He traces his roots to Denmark, with 20+ years of performing and composing on the ukulele, and a bachelor’s degree in traditional folk music from Denmark’s prestigious folk music academy. His style is melodic and relaxing. In fact so relaxing that I can’t write this post or drive while listening or else I’d drool on my keyboard or drive off the road! I love listening to his music when I wake up in the morning and drink my coffee. I’ve personally had the pleasure of hanging out with Tobias when he was helping out at The Ukulele Site. He’s super laid back and friendly. Check out his album Settle Down. Just be sure you are not operating machinery or behind the wheel... haha! Listen as Tobias walks you through the Nordic forest here! 9. Abe Lagrimas Jr. I remember hearing Abe play live at the Winter NAMM a few years ago. He was jamming with a guitar player. What struck me was his ability to play jazz on the ukulele. He sounded like Joe Pass. My mind was blown. He was doing things on the ukulele that I’ve never seen before. Abe resides in LA and has studied at the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston. He pretty much is a musical prodigy, even mastering the drums! Watch him play in this jazz circle here! Can someone bring me a cigar and a Old Fashioned? 8. Kris Fuchigami Kris is probably the nicest guy you will ever meet! Well, he is from Hilo on the Big Island of Hawaii, where us ”Oahuians” go to slow down and relax. This shows in Kris‘ onstage persona as he’s always in his own little world, just him and his ukulele, smiling. Sometimes his eye’s roll back as he plays and that’s my cue that he’s transported somewhere else. Kris made the list because he plays the best version ever of my favorite ukulele song, Santana’s Europa. Jake had that spot for decades until Kris came and stole it. Not to mention that he plays with his equally awesome mom behind the keys. A family that jams together, stays together! Check out Kris playing Europa here! His mom on the keyboard and his eye rolls, love it! 7. Taimane Gardner Mysterious! That‘s what comes to mind when I think about Taimane! From her double low-G ukuleles, to her wide range in musical influences, you can’t pin her down. She plays traditional Hawaiian, jazz, flamenco, pop, rock, blues.... and the list goes on. I really love her take on bossa nova! She also has an eclectic style of fashion. If anything, to me she is an ukulele goddess. I first seen her play at the Hyatt hotel back in 2009. She was a teenager and took command of the stage! I remember everyone in the audience being entranced by her playing. I remember thinking “poor ukulele” as she was shredding up and down the fretboard. I think it even started smoking at one point...haha! Watch this ukulele enchantress put a spell on you here! 6. Sarah Maisel Not many ukulele players sing. Scratch that! All ukulele players can sing....... but only a few can sing well. Haha! This is the case for the uber talented Sarah Maisel. Her voice stylings and playing ability are superb, sweeping me away to my happy place. Sarah and her husband Craig Chee have a massive presence in the ukulele community. They even sponsor an annual ukulele boat cruise where they spend a week on the water teaching and entertaining ukulele aficionado’s. She’s high on the list because of how much she gives back to the ukulele community, and her amazing jazz chops, both singing and playing. Watch Sarah take you to your happy place here! 5. Kalei Gamiao Where do I start with Kalei? Well, we are distant cousins. His grandma and mine were first cousins. I first saw him play back in 2006 at the Red Elephant in Chinatown Oahu when he was barely a teen. And as you guessed it, could shred like no other all way back then! Saying Kalei is an amazing player is an understatement. His stylings and flourishes are uniquely his. You can hear it in his own composition of “The Unknown”. He’s is a pioneer of the modern wave of the ukulele renaissance started by Jake Shimabukuro in the mid 90’s. Watch Kalei take you to the unknown here! 4. Karlie G Not gonna lie, but my first experience of Karlie was comedic! I was delivering ukulele at a local store and I saw the artwork and title of her newest album and starting laughing. Get it? She didn’t look like she was having fun to me! So I judged the book by the cover and didn’t think twice. Then one day I was perusing around YouTube and got one of her videos in my recommended section. I clicked on it and and watched in amazement as she expressed herself with a cover of Radiohead’s Creep. Her voice... mesmerizing! So deep and rich. I couldn’t believe that voice was coming out of her. Another player that can really sing! I am a FAN! Watch the video that instantly changed my mind here! 3. Feng E Dare I even say it! Can this 13 year old be the best ukulele player in the world? The more I watch, the more I tend to believe so. Feng E is simply a musical genius. He not only plays ukulele, but shreds on the guitar. This Taiwanese virtuoso is burning up the internet! You can see him on Ellen, AGT, and many more places wowing crowds with his prowess. I would have a successful musical career if I had 5% of his ukulele talent. He’s even visited Hawaii a few times and entered ukulele contests! If you haven’t seen this kid play, you must. I’ve seen him learn a new song, completely by ear, all of the parts, in just half an hour! I quit! Watch Feng E, be Feng E, here! 2. James Hill Canadian born James Hill is a legend. And for many years, even his hair was legendary. But if it were even possible, his hair cut made James ascend to Instinct (shout out to all Dragon Ball fans)! James Hill for me is like a scientist. He’s always experimenting with the ukulele. Adding percussion taps on his ukulele, as well as playing lead.... while thumping the baseline made him a one man band. It was nuts watching him do this. His approach to the ukulele always left me inspired. His ”discoveries” can be seen in other ukulele players repertoire. Even Feng E takes a page out James text book with Billie Jean! Watch the scientist at work here! 1. Jake Shimabukuro This guy really needs no introduction! Who else did you think was gonna be number one. I’m pretty sure without this guy there would be no list. I go way back with Jake. I learned of him through his band days with Pure Heart! This band played at my little Hawaiian church‘s benefit luau (the church was little but the luau would host 3,000 locals). We didn’t think much of them when they got on stage, but when they left everyone was quiet. If you know anything about a Hawaiian luau, it is never quiet. I remember people trying to pick their jaws off the ground. The singing, the percussion, and the ukulele playing was off the charts! Literally no one played the ukulele like Jake. It was crazy. Since then, this man has changed the course of the ukulele forever. But the most amazing part is that he is the most humble person. He’s played on network shows, TED and Google HQ, and for the Queen of England and Dalai Lama. He’s even been in a movie (Just Go With It), and been on countless world tours. What other ukulele player can claim that resume? Simply none. But you wouldn’t know this from him. He’s as down to earth as can be. And if you had the pleasure of meeting Jake you would know this as well. After being a fan of Jake since I was 10, I now call him friend. And whenever I meet with him, he makes me feel like I’m the special one. Sure his ukulele playing is masterful and all, but to me Jake’s character and heart supersedes it. It’s funny, he really does have a pure heart. Watch Jake the way I was introduced to him 15 years ago. Here! There it is! My current top 10 ukulele players. Whew! If you don’t see yours on the list let me know. Keep jamming and aloha!
How To Clean Your Ukulele
You roll out of the car dealer’s lot. That new car smell wafting through the air. If you could bottle this smell, as well as the smell of a newborn baby, you‘d be a gazillionaire! Sadly as we know that new car smell lasts just a few weeks. Everyday getting less and less noticeable until it smells like you (or McDonalds...haha). And just as the scent of that new car smell is waning away, so is the cleanliness of both interior and exterior of your new car. So we all know that we have to wash and vacuum our cars to maintain them. Hopefully every week, but for some, at least once a year! As we have to maintain our vehicles to keep them in tip top shape, so too must we clean and maintain our ukulele—and not once a year either! Learning how to clean a ukulele is an essential skill every ukulele player should know how to do. Cleaning your ukulele is one of the most important aspects of proper ukulele maintenance other than your typical strings changes and weekly wipe downs (full gloss ukulele are major finger print magnets). Over time, with regular practice , your ukulele will naturally accumulate dust, sweat, grime, and corrosion. If not properly cleaned, your ukuleles overall performance may suffer. And if you want your ukulele to last a lifetime, then it is crucial that you clean it properly to ensure longevity. You remember seeing that old man down the street wiping and waxing his car under his garage. That car was probably at least 25 years old and still running like a dream! Your ukulele can play like a dream in 25 years with the right amount of commitment and care. How to Prepare Your Ukulele For Cleaning Before you start cleaning your ukulele, there are few things you’ll need to do in preparation. Start by choosing an area where you will work on your ukulele. Choose a well-lit area to do the “examination”. When we play and practice we are sometimes unaware of things happening to the ukulele. Corrosion on the frets, gunk build up on the fret board, and dust blanketing the on the headstock and gears. So finding a place with good lighting will help you find the areas that need the cleaning. You can choose to place the ukulele on a desk, workbench, or even your lap. When working on your ukulele it’s best to have the neck propped up at an angle at the nut. This makes it much easier to access the tuning pegs and other parts of the ukulele. It just makes the ukulele a lot easier to handle. I would also recommend resting your ukulele on a padded work mat to ensure that you don’t damage the finish. When you’re working with a ukulele, you’ll be lifting up, flipping over, and handling it a lot, so it’s important to make sure you don’t create any scuffs or scratches. And in the case you accidentally drop your ukulele, it will fall onto something soft. Ukulele dents are pretty impossible to fix, so this is important. Organize Your Workspace When cleaning the ukulele, it helps to have ample room to move and neatly organize your tools and cleaning supplies. You do not want to worry about your ukulele sliding, falling or banging into anything. So, clear your work desk or bench, clean off all the dust and gunk and then place your ukulele on the table. Arrange all other supplies right next to it. What you will need: A micro fiber towel Music Nomad’s premium ukulele care kit 0000 Super fine steel wool (for super corroded frets) Painters tape (once again for super corroded frets) Damp paper towel or vacuum. Wash your hands before handling your ukulele. Just in case you been snacking right before. Remove the strings Once you have your station and all the necessary tools and products for cleaning set up, remove the ukulele strings. Removing the strings is crucial as you do not want them to come into contact with cleaning products. It also makes cleaning your fretboard a lot easier. Here’s a pro tip: we highly recommend conducting your thorough ukulele cleans when you change your strings. How to Clean The Ukulele Fretboard The ukuleles fretboard is subjected to the most wear. A ukulele fretboard requires cleaning once or twice a year. Excessive dust and sweat build-up can cause permanent damage to your ukulele if not properly cleaned. Usually, when sweat buildup dries up, it evaporates and dehydrates the wood, leading to cracking, which can form permanent marks. After taking off the strings it’s important to use painters tape to tape of the sides of the fingerboard. You will be using oil that can stain the neck if they have a matte finish. Also you will be using steel wool so you don’t want to risk a polish to the neck as well. After you’ve masked the sides of the neck, your ready to go! First, take a small piece of 0000 super fine steel wool, about the size of dime, and gently go over the frets. This will take off any corrosion that built up over time. This will bring back the the shine and smoothness to your frets. Try and keep the passes over the frets. When your done, using a damp paper towel, or vacuum, remove the fine pieces of the steel wool. This will help clean and prep for the next step. Next we will use Music Nomad’s premium ukulele care kit. The kit comes with F-One Oil fretboard conditioner , body cleaner, and a cleaning cloth. Taking the bottle of the F-One Oil, drop a small bead of oil between each fret. Then with the cloth, you just rub the oil into the fretboard. Be sure to rub up to the frets to get complete coverage. If you get some on the frets don’t worry. It won’t damage them. When your done, remove the painters tape from the neck. Next we will clean and wipe down the body, neck, and headstock. Using Music Nomad’s body cleaner, first spray some on a separate microfiber cloth. Remember not to use the same cleaning cloth that was used to clean the fretboard, we don’t want to apply oil to the body. After you’ve sprayed the body cleaner on the micro fiber cleaning cloth, wipe down the body of the ukulele. This cleaner works great on both satin, matte, and full gloss finishes. Apply the same process to the neck and headstock. When you’re finished, restring your ukulele with a new set and your ready to go! You won’t smell the new ukulele smell, but it will feel like butter! (Not actual butter, but silky smooth, but not like real silk... you get the picture... haha!) You can pick up a Music Nomad‘s premium ukulele care kit 3 pack up here! You can also check out their video here to see how to use their products. Some of us are visual learners... right braddahs! And that’s it! Do this everything 6 months (or whenever you change your strings) and your ukulele will look and feel amazing. Now keep in mind your still encouraged to wipe down your ukulele every week (and if your Jake Shimabukuro, you will wipe/massage your ukulele before you play because it opens it up and helps it sound better). Seriously, that last part is true. Jake actually wipes and massages his ukulele. Whether it helps it sound better is unknown, but it’s Jake! My hope is that you clean and maintain your ukulele. Who knows, maybe you and your ukulele can experience a 50 year anniversary! Keep jamming and aloha!
How To Enjoy Practicing
Hooray! The first post by me to come in under three minutes! This post will be short and sweet... I promise. Though it will be an easy read, prepare to hear something crucial to your ukulele journey. Practice ain’t easy! I get it. When I was a wee little lad at the age of 7, I decided that I wanted to learn the piano. Who in their right mind puts down their baseball bat, leaves their friends back at the field, and sits alone in front of a piano for hours? Well, I did! Ok, as I’ve started to write, I’ve been inspired to take you back in time... I thought this was gonna be a short blog but strap in. I promise this story will have relevance for you! So when I was 7, the idea of playing ‘The Music of the Night” from The Phantom of the Opera on the piano gave me delusions of grandeur. The musical came to Hawaii and everyone was excited to experience this block buster musical. Me included. I thought I was gonna pick it right up like playing soccer. Run, kick, and run some more. I soon found out that learning how to play soccer was 1000x easier than learning the piano. And what I didn’t factor in was the practice.....the hours and hours of practice! I practiced everyday of the week and took private lessons on Saturdays. Oomf! To be honest, I scorned every second of it. My poor dad paid for two years of lessons and all I knew how to play were “Indian songs”. The simple thumping of chords like the beating of Native American drums. These songs were fun to play but they were simple rhythmic patterns. And they were for beginners (2-4 month skill level). The play level equivalence to glorified Chopsticks! After two years stuck in the mud, I went back to playing sports. I went on to do well in sports and played through high school. I figured out what made the difference in me finding success in sports rather than piano. It was my enjoyment of practice! Playing the piano alone in my house while fully knowing that my friends were outside riding bikes, playing at the park, and enrolled in sports made practicing miserable. Being able to have fun while practicing made all the difference. So how would I recommend you practice to make it more enjoyable? I recommend you start recording yourself practicing. That’s it! When I was practicing the piano in the 90’s, digital cameras didn’t exist. Only a few people had camcorders and recording on blank VHS tapes wasn’t cheap. So doing this in the 90’s was a no go for me. Contrast that with today when everyone walks around with a phone/camera/camcorder/computer/GPS/music catalog in our pockets. By simply recording ourselves, we are able to experience our playing in a new way. And its exciting! Normally when we practice, we tend to be over critical. Making mistakes in the moment can be very discouraging. This can blind us, making it difficult to hear (or see) our actual progress. When we record our practices, we can take a step back and experience it as an audience member. Most times we sound better than we remember. This can be the encouragement to keep you grinding through. Recording your practices is also a way of critiquing yourself constructively. You can see your posture, finger positioning, and body mannerisms as you play. This can help you make physical adjustments that can aid your playing. Now if you are also a singer, this will help you truly hear yourself. The way you hear yourself in your head is different from how others hear you. I remember giving a speech once in front of my freshmen class and when I heard my voice through the gym speakers it threw me off. To me it didn’t sound like me. So hearing how you actually sound, whether it be ukulele or voice, will give you an enhanced self awareness. So there you have it! Next time you practice or learn a new song, bust out your phone and record it. You can choose to record only the audio, or capture all of it on video. Watch it back to experience how you really look and sound. Not gonna lie this could be strange at first but over time you will grow accustomed to it and maybe, just maybe, start your own music YouTube channel! Now get out there and have fun! Keep jamming and aloha!
Top 7 Must Have Ukulele Accessories
Most ukulele players suffer from what is known as U.A.S. or “ukulele acquisition syndrome”. This is where you hunt for your first ukulele, study ads, YouTube reviews, and purchase your first ukulele. But as soon as you receive it, crazy thoughts start running through mind. Soon you realize you “need” something else. A different shape, a solid top, a customized wood combination, a low G, or whatever! Now off you go buying ukulele left and right “adding to your collection” . If this sounds like you, you are officially diagnosed with U.A.S. This disease is deadly.......on your wallet! But may I add that there is another ”disease“ out there. This sickness is called G.A.S.! G.A.S., or “gear acquisition syndrome”, is not as deadly on the wallet as U.A.S., but it is still pernicious. This can mean you end up with a ton of junk that you really didn’t need to buy. Checking out what other ukulele players are using, especially the pros, is likely responsible for triggering 90% of those ukulele gear purchases. So fair warning… the following 7 uber-popular ukulele accessories may very well be a dangerous proposition for those who have G.A.S problems, but hey, at least they’re all under $30 bucks! Here are the top 7 ukulele accessories every ukulele player needs in their ’tool box’, and where to find them from the best brands. This in hopes to ease your G.A.S. cravings! #1. Chromatic Tuner I recommend the KLIQ EcoTuner. It can tune your ukulele precisely... as well as your guitar, bass, mandolin...etc., etc. This specific tuner also features micro USB charging! Meaning you‘ll never have to go to store, hunting for those small disc shaped batteries ever again. Get the KLIQ EcoTuner here ! #2. Capo I recommend D‘Addario’s Planet Waves Pro capo. A capo is small tool you can strap around the neck of your ukulele to keep all the strings down on the same fret. So essentially, you are barring the strings on that particular fret with a capo instead of your finger. This is a great accessory to have in your ukulele tool box when you want to sing songs in a different key. This capo will give you the precision needed to have keep adequate pressure on all of the strings of your ukulele. Spring loaded capo’s are quicker to use but lack the ability to control the pressure, resulting in fret buzz which is a deal breaker. This capo is compact and sleek, allowing it to take less room on your fingerboard. Get the D’Addario Planet Waves NS capo here! #3. Strap There are many out there that don’t believe the ukulele should be played using a strap. What do I say about it? Go for it! Straps aid in allowing your left hand (chording hand) to have total freedom and autonomy. Typically you’d have to focus on holding up the neck as you play, relying heavily on your thumb pressure. Straps enable you to throw caution to the wind, and just let your fingers do the talking. You can get straps that don’t require any altercations to the ukulele. They hang on to the sound hole. I recommend using a strap that utilizes strap buttons. If you have a drill gun, ruler, and 2 minutes, you can easily do this yourself. I recommend the CloudMusic cotton woven ukulele strap. It’s woven material is soft and comfortable to use. It also comes with all the parts for installation. Even a draw string for attaching the strap to the headstock, right above the nut. It’s also another way to customize your ukulele as it comes in many colors! Get the CloudMusic cotton woven ukulele strap here! #4. Stand I have spent years looking for the perfect ukulele stand. They are a great way to showcase your ukulele. But sadly I haven’t found one that adequately met all my needs. They were either too small, not supportive of the neck, and not built using quality materials. But guess what? I found the perfect ukulele stand.....and it was a violin stand! Seriously the best stand you can buy for your ukulele. I recommend Eastar’s violin stand. It meets all the requirements and it comes in black! Get the Eastar violin stand here! #5. String Winder I recommend Stringtec’s 3 in 1 string kit. It winds up strings, clips them, and pulls out pegs. I love this kit since the two pieces come apart and you use the tools separately. Usually they come in one piece. This makes using this tool cumbersome as you have parts dangling around that are not in use. The Stringtec kit gives you the ability to use the tools in the proper way. Every ukulele player needs one of these in their quivers! Trust me! Get the Stringtec string kit here! #6. Wall Hanger I recommend the brand String Swing. They are proudly made here in the USA using quality materials. Not to mention they’re affordable! They come in multiple solid wood finishes you can pick the right wood to match your homes aesthetics. I personally have used one for the past 3 years to hold my custom Rick Turner ukulele!
Check here for the String Swing ukulele wall mount! #7. Thumb Pick Ukulele players rarely use picks, let alone thumbpicks for that matter. Though some do like the ukulele/guitar legend Ledward Ka’apana. I agree that regular guitars picks are not helpful since you lose most of your fingers just holding it. But I know some of you thinking that advanced players can use a guitar pick along with the last three digits to pick and strum. But is hard and complicated! But thumbpicks are something else! Thumbpicks can be used in multiple ways. You can hold it like a normal pick, but you can also use it with an opened hand. This allows you to play the ukulele traditionally if you want to. A thumbpick will also aid strumming. You will be able to strum loud and clear and the fleshy tip of your pointer finger will thank you. If your a skeptic, try one out. They are super affordable and can be kept “clipped” right above the nut when not in use. Every ukulele player needs one in their ukulele tool box! Get some here! There you have it! The top 7 must have ukulele accessories every ukulele player needs. I know I‘ve left some off the list but I figured you already own a case, have extra strings, and may or may not be interested in having a pickup installed. I hope I helped you find the ones missing from your list. Thank you for letting me, Dr. Keli’i, get rid of your G.A.S.! Now don’t ask me for the cure for U.A.S.. Cause there is none! Keep jamming and aloha!
3 Ukulele Drills To Make Your Fingers Faster
Every professional ukulele player starts a session the same way, by warming up. So if it’s important for the pros, its important for everybody! Here are some technique and warm up exercises that can help you to gain fluency, speed and accuracy on the ukulele fingerboard. It's a good idea to do these exercises every day. If you are totally new to the ukulele, please don’t get discouraged when you start these drills. Your fingers will probably strain, fingertips burn, and your hand may freeze up like a mummy. But that’s okay! You gotta start somewhere. But I promise over time your skills level will increase and these drills will become effortless. Below are 3 drills that everyone can learn. I’ve given them names that will help you differentiate them. First... ladder drills. Drill #1 “Ladders” “Ladders” is just like it sounds. We are going to move from one end of the fingerboard to the other, nut to 12th fret. Starting with your index finger on the first fret, G String, you are going to continue moving up to the 12th fret note to note. You are going to do this using your index, middle, ring, and pinky finger just on the G-String. When you get to the 5th fret you are going to restart the sequence by playing it with your index finger... followed by playing the 6th fret with the middle finger, 7th fret with your ring finger, and 8th fret with your pinky. It then restarts with the index finger on the 9th fret and so on, until you get to the 12th fret. Then you’re all the way up the ladder. Then you repeat this pattern again on the C, E, and A string. If you want to make this drill more challenging, you can “climb” down the ladder from the 12th fret. Starting with your pinky on the 12th fret, you begin to move backwards back to the 1st fret. Drill #2 “Stairs” This drill is similar to ”Ladders”. But with “Stairs” we are gonna move vertically on the fingerboard. Starting on the 1st fret G String, we are going start like we did with ”Ladders” and move up the fingerboard to the 4th fret. But instead of restarting the sequence on the 5th fret on the G String, we are gonna move down to the 1st fret, C String . And then continuing the sequence up the C String, stopping on the 4th fret, and dropping down to the 1st fret E String. Then finishing the sequence on the A string. Remember that we are not playing up the fingerboard with a single finger, but are using a consecutive finger for each note. So index finger for 1st fret, middle finger for the 2nd, ring finger on the 3rd, and pinky for the 4th fret. After finishing the sequence on the A String, you are gonna restart the “Stairs” on the G String 5th fret . Then doing the final sequence on the 9th-12th frets. If you want to add another level of challenge, reverse the order back up the stairs from the bottom starting with you pinky finger on the 4th fret, A String. So your gonna go down the stairs and come back up. Then redo this sequence on the 5th and 9th frets. Drill #3 “The Caterpillar” This is a fun one! When I first saw this in my classical guitar class, I was amazed. My teacher’s fingers literally looked like a caterpillar crawling up the fingerboard. Though it was fun to look at, it was difficult to emulate. This is because your fingers can trip over themselves! So here’s how to do “The Caterpillar”. Starting on 1st fret G String, your gonna play this note with your index finger. Following the same sequence as “Ladders” and “Stairs”, you will move up the fret board to the 4th fret using consecutive fingers. This is where things are different. After playing the G String on the 4th fret with your pinky finger, your gonna restart the sequence but on the 2nd fret, G String. The sequence begins again and ends now on the 5th fret. It then restarts again on the 3rd fret. If you do this, you will see your moving fingers resemble a crawling caterpillar. Its so awesome! Continue the sequence till your pinky reaches the 12th fret. Repeat “The Caterpillar” on the C, E, and A Strings. If you want to take to the next level. Have the caterpillar come back down the fingerboard in reverse. This is a little tricky so take your time. There you have have it! Three drills you should practice everyday before you jam on your ukulele. Start s...l...o...w...l...y. It’s not a race (at least at the beginning, haha). Focus on your finger placement, and and finger pressure. You want to be able to hear each note played clearly. If you need to take a break due to your fingers straining, no problem. Take a quick break and start where you left off. An interesting feature of these drills is that they move up, (and down), the fingerboard. As you move from the nut toward the saddle the frets get closer together. This adds a challenge that your fingers have to navigate as you now have to deal with fret spacing. This same issue will come up when you learn songs so practicing these drills will help you with spatial awareness on the fingerboard. I hope these drills help you along your on ukulele journey. Deliberate practice makes perfect! Keep jamming and aloha!
What’s the Deal with Laminates?
This is a question I’ve had to answer ever since I started in this biz. So I figured I’d sit down and let you know about the state of laminates and their place in the ukulele marketplace. 11 years ago when I started out, saying the word laminate was like using a curse word. The use of the said word would send customers running for the hills. Fast forward to today and ukulele are constructed using all kinds of materials. Carbon fiber, fiberglass, plastics, and even recycled metal come to mind when I think of the current build materials in the market. Yeah, you heard me right... plastics (they actually sound pretty good and best of all you can play them in the rain)! But by far the most common building material is still good old fashioned wood. And with the majority being laminate! The top, back, and sides of professional grade ukulele are still made of meticulously crafted cuts of solid wood, while beginner and intermediate models are built partly – sometimes entirely with pressed plywood. Pressed plywood is laminate. Laminate wood is essentially multiple layers of thinly processed wood that has been pressed and bonded together with an adhesive for strength and stability. Many laminated boards today are made using three layers of wood. These layers are pressed together like a sandwich, with the outer layers have the grain direction flowing in the same direction with the center layer running cross (or opposite) greatly increasing it’s strength. Now a major difference between laminate and solid wood ukulele involves how the tonewood is sourced and processed. Where affordable ukulele tend to require less refined wood variations, today’s custom ukulele builders rely exclusively on the most resonant, heavy grained, and exclusive cuts of solid wood. This makes the production of laminate ukulele easier since the materials are more abundant and easy to acquire. Sourcing these high-end materials requires not only planning and connections but the ability to judge and assess the quality and potential resonance of raw, stockpiled wood. It is a skill that can quite literally take a lifetime to master. Common knowledge would suggest that beginner players would choose a laminate ukulele while professionals would still opt for a high-end, entirely solid wood instrument. But as you’ll see, there are more factors at play when looking at laminate ukulele. And many benefits of owning one over a solid wood ukulele may surprise you. Here’s a quick tease... there’s no wonder why many players are opting to play laminate ukulele. And why many solid bodied ukulele manufactures are designing laminate models that outsell their solid bodied ones 10 fold! Laminates Can Look Good Too! There is no doubt that aesthetics factor significantly into our everyday purchases, and ukulele are no exception. To be honest it‘s the main factor even over sound! I‘ve seen novice players, (and I say that lightly), pay out thousands of dollars for a high end ukulele and they don’t know how to play. They want to own these special woods because they look incredible. If the choice was between a Maple bodied ukulele, or a heavy curled Hawaiian Koa ukulele? Well, no contest. Custom builders will often utilize more exotic wood species such as Ziricote,
Cocobolo, Redwood, ‘Moon’ Spruce, and Hawaiian Koa. But the limited supply of these materials means that these options, though visually striking, are simply not available to most because they in themselves are rare. Laminate ukulele on the other hand can produce more ukulele out of the same amount of wood making them far more accessible! And since laminate ukulele today are using high end wood with striking grain and appearance, more players who want to own beautiful exotic wood ukulele now can. This also extends to extras. In the past, low quality laminates were made to be simple. Simple shape, no bindings, no rosette, and matte finishes. Today, laminate ukulele are made with everything you can find on custom ukulele. From slotted head stocks, arm bevels, and cutaways. To fancy purflings and decorated rosettes. Durability Factor For the acoustic connoisseur , here is a category that is very important. Yes, your $3,000 solid wood, hand-built, fully loaded art piece of an instrument sounds phenomenal. The curl of the Hawaiian Koa ripples like a pebble skipping along a pond. And when stummed it sweeps you into a gorgeous scene from the The Lord of the Rings! But let’s say you live in Florida and travel regularly to Denver for business and your ukulele is your travel companion. Then what? What could possibly go wrong, right? Haha! Solid cuts of wood rely on their natural resins and the ukulele bracing for stability. Rapid changes in temperature and humidity can have a disastrous effects on your ukulele. The worst being cracks and warping. Warping can effect the sound and intonation. Without proper humidity your beautiful solid body ukulele will have issues. For laminate ukulele, due to the nature of their construction and their more complex patterns of overlapping grains, laminate ukulele are far less susceptible to cracking and warping in extreme heat. For this reason, they tend to be better suited for players who travel or for those individuals who simply require a more sturdy ukulele (like my three little bears at home..... I mean boys). If you want to learn more about the effects of humidity and how you can keep your solid bodied ukulele safe, read about it here. Tone (Oh My!) For many musicians, tone is everything. They are willing to drop unbelievable amounts of money for this mystical quality within an instrument. Can a $200 beginner laminate ukulele “out tone” a custom, handcrafted solid wood ukulele? Many would say no, but the fact remains that tone is entirely subjective. (I know I triggered some of you collectors, haha). Truth be told, what makes a solid tone-wood sound good is not the fact that its solid, but it comes down to physics. SCIENCE! Density, weight, and shape are all factors in tone. And laminate manufacturing is becoming more sophisticated. The heat, pressure, adhesive, and process used in making the laminate wood is coming closer to the tonal qualities of solid wood tone-woods. But ultimately, a laminate ukulele simply cannot resonate as freely as an all solid wood instrument. This is due to the laminates added rigidity that aids in it’s durability. The added tactile strength does have an effect on tone, hampering it a little. But laminates are catching up! This is great news for those wanting to have an affordable great sounding ukulele! The Bottom Line This is the big one... Price is without a doubt the main determining factor when deciding which ukulele to buy, but it has now become really complex. There was a time when a cheap ukulele sounded like a cheap ukulele. We called them ‘toys’. Mainly souvenirs from your trip from Hawaii. When it was played next to an instrument that was two, three, or four times its price, you would be embarrassed you paid for it. Banishing it away to EBay...haha! However, those days are long gone! Within the last 10 years or so, modernized building techniques and new, more sustainable methods of harvesting wood have brought about an increase in the number of high quality (and ultimately inexpensive) ukulele. This has certainly skewed the playing field with regard to what we can get for our money. Currently the market has shifted to ukulele under $200 being the highest selling market. I don’t think you can find a quality solid body ukulele for under that price. Today, solid top ukulele, with a laminate back and sides are essentially an industry standard. A ukulele’s soundboard, being the most important factor with regards to the ukulele’s overall tone and projection profits the most from the resonant qualities of being a solid top. But the back and sides being made with a quality laminate greatly reduces the price. For starters, a quality all laminate ukulele can be found for $150. One you could play for the rest of your life without the need to upgrade. A quality solid top, laminate back and sides ukulele could be found for around $250 or less. While a quality, all solid ukulele starts around $400, and goes up to $1,200. As you can see, the cost savings are meaningful! So the secrets out! Laminate ukulele are amazing too! I hope this post gives you the confidence to purchase a laminate ukulele. You can always upgrade later! Keep Jamming and aloha!
7 Best Gift Ideas For Ukulele Players
Ukulele players love the ukulele. It’s a pretty simple formula, isn’t it? Few hobbies have quite so many options for gifts, but here I’ve compiled the best gifts for ukulele players, ranging from the super practical to the humorous. Now when I say gift... I do mean for birthdays and the holidays (I’m a sucker for Christmas). But I’m also writing about gifting to yourself! For me I love getting gifts for others. I plan on my Christmas purchases starting in the summer and I finish by November. I know, I know! Crazy right? Strange enough though I do have a hard time buying gifts for myself. Especially things ukulele related. So maybe you’re like me and its been a while since you purchased something for yourself. Maybe you haven’t gotten anything since you got your first ukulele, other than maybe a ukulele gig bag. No worries, I’ve got you covered! Here I’ve compiled a list of the 7 best gift ideas for ukulele players. You can already get a head start on the holiday season, find the perfect birthday present for that uke lover in your life... or maybe treat yourself with something special. Look at it as a “investment” for your ukulele journey (that’s what keep telling myself when I buy all my running shoes). It’s an investment... right? Haha! My wife would beg to differ. Quality Case If you’re a ukulele player, you should have a ukulele case to protect your instrument. You may already have a simple gig bag or foam case, so maybe its time for an upgrade. I’m sure a ukulele player being recipient of a beautiful new case will bring a “ case” of the giggles. Here is an example of a protective wood hardcase. The Gatorcase Journey Man series offers traditional craftsmanship, modern engineering, and distinct vintage style. Dressed up in pebble weave burlap, accented with espresso trim, and outfitted with antique brass hardware, its a beautiful case. Heavy-duty plywood panels create a sturdy outer shell while royal blue crushed velvet and thick foam padding cradle your tenor style ukulele securely in place. A single interior storage compartment provides ample space for your favorite strings, picks, and accessories. Check out this Gatorcase here ! If your wanting to gift something a little more unique, look no further than the new Leolani Showcase wood hardcase. What makes this hardcase unique? Well take a look at this... This case is built from heavy-duty plywood panels with a thick plush foam. It sports a interior storage compartment to store your accessories. Two way carrying system with briefcase handle or shoulder sling carrying strap. But whoa! There is a clear impact resistant acrylic cover to ’showcase’ your ukulele. Now you can both protect and swoon over your ukulele at the same time! Pick one up here! Wall Mount A ukulele wall hanger protects the instrument from damage while putting it in easy reach. I am a dad with 3 little ankle biters scurrying around. Any ukulele on the ground, in a case, or on a stand is free game for utter destruction! Unless my kids can reach above 5 feet than my ukulele is safe. Wall hangers are also a great way to show off your ukulele. So if you rarely play your ukulele at least you can still enjoy it’s beauty. A quality wall mount would make the perfect gift for you or someone who loves their ukulele. I recommend the brand String Swing. They are proudly made here in the USA using quality materials. Not to mention they’re affordable! They come in multiple solid wood finishes you can pick the right wood to match your homes aesthetics. I personally have used one for that past 3 years to hold my custom Rick Turner ukulele! Check here for the String Swing ukulele wall mount! Chromatic Tuner Can you say rechargeable! Finally a clip on chromatic tuner you don’t have to buy those disc shaped batteries for. All you need is a micro USB charger, and we all have those all over our homes. If you don’t already have a tuner the KLIQ EcoTuner would be an amazing one to get. It can tune your ukulele precisely... as well as your guitar, bass, mandolin...etc., etc. If your getting this as a gift, I’m sure you uke loving recipient will be more than happy to upgrade! If you know me personally, and don’t know what to get me for Christmas... look no further. Mahalo in advance! Get this little lifesaver here! Plug and Play Pickup Here is a shameless plug! Here is a great gift if you know someone who wants to be able to plug their ukulele into an amp without doing any ukulele surgery. Installing a pickup can be scary. A slip of a hand can damage your ukulele forever. So here is an option and takes literally a minute to set up. Once the pickup is on the ukulele you just have to turn it on, plug in, and play! Simple as that. Three knobs on the pickup control volume, bass, and treble. Allowing you to get the sound you want. It also runs on a CR2025 bartery. Well designed circuits block out noise interference and a high-tech vinyl allows for repeated use on sticking the pickup to the ukulele. And if you have multiple ukulele, you can put our pickup on all of them (of course not at the same time, haha). And the battery life is whopping 30-40 hours. Check it out here ... watch the overview video to see how to use it. Online Lessons Most ukulele players want to improve their skills, and online ukulele courses make a fantastic gift that keeps on giving! I recommend taking online lessons from Uke Like The Pros! Terry is a fabulous musician and has been in the biz over 25 years. He offers different subscription level tiers with loads of live content! Good online ukulele courses are almost as nice as in-person lessons, while being more affordable and a whole lot easier to fit into a busy schedule. This would make a perfect gift someone wanting to get into the ukulele. Maybe the perfect gift for your kid(s). Remember it’s an “investment”. Haha! Your kid could be the future Billie Eilish, (she jams on the uke)! Just remind them that you’re owed 50% of their earnings...haha! It’s part of the investment right?! Check out Uke Like The Pros and gift online lessons here! Ukulele Chord Chart This is the most beautiful ukulele chord chart to ever exist. Try and find one better. Most chord chart posters are not worthy enough to be framed and hung on a wall. They usually remain folded and buried in the corner of your desk. This is both a work of art as well as being extremely practical. If your ever in a rut and forget a chord, just stroll by this poster and take a look. This work of art was created by the artist Taylor Waldman. This would be a great gift alongside a wall hanger. Get one before it’s gone... Get this masterpiece here . Tablet/Phone Holder Many ukulele players rely on their phones or tablets for viewing lessons, play-alongs, and more. This cool tripod has an adjustable mount that accommodates most phones and tablets. This can be used at home while jamming or on the road when you visit your local ukulele club. If you gig, or know someone who does, this would be an excellent gift for them. Musicians using iPads/tablets on stage as they perform risks them falling on the floor since they use a normal music stand. These stands offer more protection as they are more sturdy and clamp to hold the device. This stand is so versatile and stows away in a small compact form. While it’s not a traditional gift, it’s sure to be a hit. Get one here . There you have it! 7 gifts ideas for ukulele players. Hopefully you find something for that uke lover in your life..... or better yet, for yourself. As I think about, I know what gift ideas I want to send to my friends and family....... for me! Keep jamming and aloha!
Humidifiers... do you need one for your ukulele?
Ukulele are wonderfully simple instruments. In fact, that’s one reason why they’re more popular than ever. They are so simple in fact that many don’t know about moisture maintenance and how important it is. I’ve heard it many times before. Testimonies of people purchasing ukulele here in Hawaii, only to find their precious instruments cracked and splitting a month after getting home. Oh no! This is due to a lack of moisture maintenance, or maintaining the proper humidity around your ukulele. As someone who plays the ukulele you should already know that your ukulele is made of wood. “Wait... what? Ukulele are made out of wood?!?” Okay, I know, so basic. I did start by saying the ukulele was a simple, right? Haha! But follow me on this, its gonna make sense when we get into the topic. So yes, ukulele are made of wood, so now lets go down the rabbit hole. This is gonna get weird! Zombie-Wood? Just because your tone-wood is cut, dried, shaped, sanded, glued, and made into a ukulele, it still thinks its a tree. Yes, your wood is ‘zombified’! The wood is technically dead, but it is still moving. Get it. Zombie-wood? So just like a tree, the wood in your ukulele will continue to try to acclimate to it’s surroundings. And if your surrounding area isn’t suitable for your ukulele, then destruction is inevitable. “Why will my ukulele fall apart?” Great question! It all comes down to humidity. For example, if the air around your ukulele is too dry, it will eventually dry out the wood causing it to shrink. When this happens, the wood in your ukulele will crack. And this humidity issue goes both ways. If the surrounding area is too humid, the wood on your ukulele will absorb the moisture making it expand. The wood will start warping, taking on new angles and shapes. Either way, having too little or too much humidity can hurt your ukulele. These negative effects can take months but I have seen things happen in days! Scary right? “So What can I do to protect my ukulele from the humidity?” Well, get a humidifier! What the heck is a ukulele humidifier? Ukulele humidifiers are small moisture-filled containers that fit inside your ukulele case or hung on the ukulele itself (while in it’s case). It works by gradually releasing moisture into the environment as needed. It does this without over-humidifying the environment. A consistent humidity level between 40 and 50 percent is ideal. In Hawaii, the birthplace of ukulele, many builders construct their ukulele in humidity controlled rooms. They lower the humidity using dehumidifiers and air conditioners in order to maintain a room humidity of 50%, though Hawaii’s normal humidity vacillates between 55-80%. This helps decrease the chances of cracking when the ukulele is sent to places that are too dry. Some ukulele humidifiers protect your instrument from over-humidification too – that’s a win-win! Particularly if you live in an area where humidity tends to rise and fall as the weather changes. Denver Colorado has the lowest humidity in the United States, as low as 12%! If you send a ukulele made in Hawaii to Denver it could crack in day! 70% down to 12%. Yikes! Does my ukulele need one? Probably! All the best ukuleles are made with wood, which is composed of cells that react to atmospheric changes. Especially if your ukulele is made using solid woods and not laminate. Sure when a ukulele splits, or the top ”bows” it can be easily seen. But like terminates eating in the walls of a house, humidity can also cause damage that’s hard to see. It can manifest as problems such as fret buzz, bad intonation, or high (or too low) action height. These can pretty much make the ukulele unplayable so it’s pretty serious. It’s also very expensive to fix and repair these issues. So it’s the humidifiers job to keep the ukulele environment at the right level of humidity so those changes, and the damage they can cause, don’t happen. If your room is at the right humidity, you can store your ukulele out of it’s humidified case. Hang it on the wall, display it on a stand. It’s all good! Nothing is going to happen to the instrument. Now when you take it from that room to somewhere else... well, now you need to keep your ukulele humidified. Every time you take your ukulele on the road, going from a cool house to a hot car or vice-versa, you want keep the humidity level around your ukulele consistent. Or else... CRAAAAACK! Your climate can help you decide if you need a ukulele humidifier or not. If you live in a warm, humid environment and you don’t use a ton of air conditioning inside your home, your instrument should be fine. If you purchased your ukulele from a local luthier then your ukulele should be fine, just watch out for the seasons! As the temperatures drop, so does moisture. So like chaining up your tires when there’s heavy snow, you need to humidify your ukulele during winter months. If you live in a hot, dry region, then you might need to use a ukulele humidifier year-round to keep your instrument from drying out. When using a ukulele humidifier you must use it in a case. This way it can regulate the humidity in a small contained area. If using a room humidifier, theres no need to worry about keeping it in a case since the room will be humidity controlled. Below are some humidifier recommendations! Best Humidifiers... Oasis Humidifier The Oasis OH-18 ukulele humidifier protects your instrument from the inside out. I really like the fact that it goes right inside your uke and stays put even when you’re traveling. If you forget to fill it up and it runs out, no worries, you can just fill it up again. It’s so user friendly! When it’s time to refill your Oasis humidifier you will notice the ‘humigel’ beads making a sound. This is because they are drying out. Just add water and the beads will swell back up with moisture, and your ready to go. These beads don’t last forever so they recommend you change them out every year. You can purchase these refill packs here . The drying out and shrinking of the humigel beads also affects the tube. The tube also shrinks, crunches up, and starts bending. This is another sign that your humidifier needs more water. We love the father and son duo (the Hepple’s) from Oasis! It’s always great to see them at the Winter NAMM every year. Mahalo for letting use your vacuum for our booth! Geniani Mist Humidifier The Geniani Top Fill Cool Mist Humidifier is a great choice to humidify your ukulele. This way you don’t have to keep your ukulele in a humidified case. You can display it for all to see (or just you...especially if you own a work of art). It is also quite affordable at around $45. It runs silent and boast a large water capacity at 4 liters! If you have multiple instruments, this is the humidifier for you. You can also use in any room of the house. Check it out here and see it’s full list of features! Last but not least........BOVEDA! I have a confession to make... please don’t judge me. I am a connoisseur of the finer things. I collect whiskey, mid century furniture, and pipes and cigars. If you know anything about pipes and cigars, you know you need to humidify your tobacco leaf. With cigars, optimally they should be kept at 69-72% humidity. Yeah, that precise! This is where Boveda Humidipaks save the day. Boveda Humidipaks use a patented, all natural salt solution to precisely protect cigars, musical instruments, and food. They are able to keep your items at precise humidity levels... like at exactly 68%. For guitars and ukulele, they have packets in the 30-50% range. Boveda Humidipaks also control humidity both ways. They can either lower humidity or raise it. Which takes the guessing out of the everything. Just throw a 49% packet in your ukulele case and you’re good! You will need to change them over time. The packet will get hard when you need to change it out. If your regulating humidity is already near 50% you may never have to change it out. If humidity is really low you may have to change it out every month. Get them here! I love these things! So are humidifiers important? Well, yeah! Now if you have a laminated ukulele humidity maintenance is not as necessary. This is actually a reason you should consider a laminated ukulele. They are not only affordable, with construction quality now matching solid body ukulele, but they are practically humidity proof. But if you want a solid body ukulele, or already own one, getting a humidifier is the cheapest insurance for your instrument! The last thing I want for your ukulele is for it to crack or warp beyond repair. So I hope this post helped you out. And if at night you hear a rattling sound coming from your ukulele case... RUN!!! Keep jamming and aloha!
3 Reasons Why You Aren’t Getting Better at Ukulele
If your reading this, you’re probably stuck along your ukulele journey. No worries, beef curry! You’re not the only one who’s experienced this. At points in our ukulele journey we all go through this. In fact, if you take part in any of the arts you will probably get stuck in the weeds at some time. I’m sure Mozart, Van Gogh, and Alfred Hitchcock got lost in the fog as they revolutionized music, painting, and film. So you’re not alone! Haha! So to help you get out of the weeds here are three reasons why you might not be getting better as a ukulele player. After reading this, I hope you are able to find your bearings, and get back on your musical pilgrimage. Reason #1: Goals and Bullseyes In high school I was a lean 135 pounds (61 kg, and 9.64 stone if your a Brit or Irish). I could eat whatever I wanted and not lose my six-pack. Among my brothers I was the ‘skinny’ one. Then in college I ballooned up and gained a bunch of weight. Everything changed. For the first time in my life I struggled to button my pants! So let me get honest with you. I went from 135 pounds to 205 pounds. Thats 70 pounds! After seeing the shock on the faces of my long time friends, I decided to make a change. And in order to do this I needed to set goals and commit to a plan! I followed the plan and saw progress. It wasn’t easy, but I was able to drop 35 pounds. Planning, setting goals, and aiming at targets was what I needed to move forward. So now that your back from shock, where do you want to be as a ukulele player in a year, six months, one month, or even a week? What songs do you want to be able to play? What chords do want to know? What style of playing do you want to master? Are there any areas in your playing that you need to address and work on? Whenever I find myself banging my head up against a wall in frustration with my skills as a ukulele player, it’s usually because I can’t answer these questions. And this is because I didn’t take the time to set goals. I don’t have targets! Because of this, I have nothing to shoot or strive for, so I tend to stay stuck in the same old place. I’ve heard it before that sometimes it’s best to slow down. Even stop at times in order to think, re-evaluate, and reset plans. This all for progress. If we keep running forward, we may overlook areas that need attention and maintenance. Or maybe we are running in the wrong direction! Sit down and write up a plan. Set some goals and targets. Examples of this would be to learn one new chord a day, learn a new song every week, or learn how to transpose songs. Goal setting will guide your steps until your miles along in your ukulele journey. Reason #2: I Aint Got No Time To Practice! Now that I have a family, a wife and 3 kids (with one on the way), I feel like I have absolutely no time to invest in my ukulele playing. This is why it’s important that I carve out time in my day to spend towards music. For you this might mean cutting some other things out of your life. For example, how easy is it to waste an hour or two (or five) throughout the day on your phone watching YouTube or stalking... I mean checking in on Instagram? It might even mean waking up half an hour earlier to strum some chords. If I can get up at 4:30 in the morning to run (aka kill my body), I’m sure you can do it too! Though it’s not just that you find time to practice, but that you are consistent in practicing. Even if you can only carve out 15 minutes a day , it makes a world of difference. If you need some proof of this, check out this video from Elise Ecklund and her ukulele skill progression over a few years. Trust me... make the time. Do this everyday and you will get better. “Practice isn’t the thing you do once your good. It’s the thing you do to make you good.” -Malcolm Gladwell Reason #3: The Missing 3 Letter Word F-U-N! Enjoying the process means focusing on the journey instead of the destination. As cliche as it sounds this may be the most important aspect of getting out of the doldrums. If all you're focused on is playing like your favorite artist, you’re gonna be disappointed. Things can get frustrating when you feel your improvement inadequate. It’s like me looking at Cross Fitters! Its like there bodies are chiseled out of granite rock! If I strive to look like them, I could lose sight on all the progress I’ve made feeling discontent. This mentality will take the fun out of the everything. In reality there is only the continuous improvement process. And wherever you are at any given point along that process is exactly where you need to be! And maybe... just maybe you could be Matt Fraser and Tia Clair-Toomey, the fittest on earth! If the journey takes you there. Now ask yourself this question. Do you honestly ever want to get to the point where you're not improving anymore? If you want to keep improving you've just liberated yourself! You're now free from the idea of reaching that moment when you've ”made it”. Guess what? That moment doesn’t exist. Realizing this will free you up to get better, bit by bit, every time you pick up the ukulele. And really, if we're not enjoying the learning process, then why keep playing? There are two kinds of ukulele players: professionals and amateurs. Most professional musicians could earn far more financially being miserable doing something else. So if they‘re miserable as musicians what's the point? As for amateurs, hobbies are supposed to be fun, right? So if you’re not having fun, why are you spending time being miserable? Let that sink in... Remember that playing the ukulele is supposed to be fun. Growing as a musician with this amazing instrument is FUN. Bringing joy to yourself and others is.... say it with me ....FUN! So today is a new day! I really want you to succeed on your ukulele journey. If I could summarize all this in a sentence it would be... Set new goals, make time for consistent practice, and above all else have FUN! Keep jamming and aloha!
Low-G Strings...”It’s All About That Bass”
Meghan Trainor was right! It really is all about that bass. Stringing a Low-G on a ukulele will give you all the bass you need! But lets get real for a minute. Low-G ukulele strings are a mystery to many players. While many artists opt for using High-G strings, Low-G strings are quickly becoming a popular option. By tuning the top G-string down an octave, you add five additional notes to the bottom of the ukulele range. This produces a deep, warm, and rich sound to the ukulele. Think Barry White! So what are the differences between Low-G and High-G strings? The High-G High-G strings are used in traditional ukulele tunings. Using this type of string makes for an odd pitch pattern that goes from high (G note) to low (C note), then back to high (E, and A note). This is actually uncommon among stringed instruments. This is why this type of pattern is called ‘re-entrant‘ tuning. So whenever you see the word ’re-entrant‘, know that its referring to traditional tuning with the High-G. Re-entrant tuning keeps the ukulele trebly and bright. It has been said before that it’s impossible to play a sad song on a ukulele when it us tuned with a High-G string. Famous players that use High-G tuning are Jake Shimabukuro, Kalei Gamiao, and Kris Fuchigami. Check out Kris play his High-G tuned ukulele here! The Low-G As High-G strings are tuned ‘re-entrant’, Low-G strings make what is called ‘linear’ tuning. This means the string pitch order goes from low (G note) to high (C,E, and A note), or bass to treble. This pitch order gives the ukulele a rounded, even sound. Having a second “bass” note can be useful for solo fingerpicking arrangements which allows you to get a fuller sound when playing. It creates a wider range of notes when you play any chord. When you strum a Low-G ukulele for the first time, chills will run down your spine. How can one string change the sound and ‘feel’ of the instrument? Believe me... it really does. It’s like comparing the mellow meow of a cat to the booming roar of a lion! Players who tune their ukulele to Low-G are Taimane Gardner (she uses two Low-G strings on her five string ukulele!), James Hill, and the ridiculously talented Feng E. Watch Feng E. masterfully play using Low-G tuning here! In the video he’s using the Low-G primarily as a bass string. Prepare to be amazed! Adding a Low-G String on Your Ukulele A Low-G string simply replaces a High-G string. You just have to swap it out. So you may being thinking, “Why can’t I just tune my High-G string down an octave?” If you try and tune a High-G string down one octave it becomes way too loose and can’t even produce a sound. So by increasing the thickness of the string, it is now able to play at a much higher tension. And most importantly at a lower note . This is why Low-G strings were created. Without them you couldn’t achieve this. Getting ’Nutty’ Ukulele are usually setup for a High-G at the factory. This is due to the fact that ’re-entrant‘ tuning is more popular. Almost all the songs in the ‘book’ employ High-G tuning so players want to play and hear those songs the same way. So if you want to restring your ukulele with a Low-G you will have to file the nut slot to accommodate a wider string. If you try to put a larger string in a normal sized nut slot, it wont fit and lay on top of the nut. This will raise the action and possibly mess up the intonation on the G string. Also be absolutely sure you want to make the modification because it’s not reversible. If you want to change it back, you‘ll have the change out the nut. Oh NUTS! “To wound, or not to wound! That is the question...” Though this is not quite what Shakespeare had in mind, its still a deep and ethical question... haha! Wound Low-G strings are made by winding a metal wrapping around a nylon core . This design allows the wound string to hold the same tension as an unwound string, with added bonus of being thinner. Though, they do have some trade offs. Low-G strings are notorious for over-powering the rest of the strings, they squeak as you slide your fingers along, and they corrode. If you live in a humid place, it can corrode in as little as a few weeks! If you’ve ever had ‘green fingertips’ you know what I’m talking about. (Pro-tip: Using a dish sponge with an abrasive side, wipe the rusted wound string. It will polish them back up in 10 seconds! They will look good as new). Thankfully progress has been made with Wound Low-G strings, how they are produced so that they are more tonally balanced. And they were able to reduce the ‘squeakiness‘ of the string as well as it’s resistance to corrosion. So what about unwound Low-G strings? Unwound Low-G strings are a ‘newer’ innovation. They are made of the same material as the other strings in the set (usually fluorocarbon), unlike their metal wound predecessors. The obvious advantage is the strings are smoother to the touch, therefore they don’t make any noise when you slide your fingers on them. They also match tonally to the rest of the set. I find sometimes that wound Low-G strings sound like they belong on classical guitars! So I personally find unwound Low-G strings more balanced in tone and clarity. Not to mention you don’t have to change them out since they don’t rust or corrode. This can save you a bunch of money! On my personal custom ukulele I use a Tenor Low-G set from Living Waters Strings . They are made with fluorocarbon. I have been using these on my ukulele for the past 9 years! Shout out to Ken Middleton for these making these amazing strings! Pick up a set here! So in the end it is totally up to you! If you are transitioning from the guitar and don’t want to miss out on the those rich bass notes, I recommend using a Low-G. And if your ‘down’ with tradition and want to play those bright and ‘happy’ notes, go re-entrant. Maybe get two ukulele and have one of each. For me though...... it’s all about DAT BASS! “Low-G bass” that is......
How to Sing and Play Ukulele At the Same Time
"Feel the Rhythm! Feel the Rhyme! Get on up, it's bobsled time!“ -Sanka This quote comes from one of my favorite 90’s movies ‘Cool Runnings’! In fact I just watched it with my sons this past week on Disney+ and they loved it. They sure don’t make movies like they used to. ‘Cool Runnings’ is based off of true events when a bobsled team from Jamaica made it into the finals of 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Alberta. Throughout the movie you witness the team learning to jive together, not with just their physicality, but with their differing personalities in order to make it to the olympic finals. They must learn to meld their summer track skills with the otherworldly sport of bobsledding. This is just what one has to do in order to sing while playing the ukulele! After you read this go watch the movie..... its a classic! As a ukulele player ... that sings (seriously, many of the world’s best can’t), I’ve heard it more than a few times of how difficult it is to play and sing at the same time. Many people either play or sing well but when they try to put them together they fail miserably! It’s almost as if you needed two brains to do this. Try and pat your head while rubbing your belly at the same time... pretty weird huh? The ultimate goal is to help you develop an independency between your strumming rhythm and singing rhythm. In other words, we need to be so comfortable with our strumming that we don’t even have to think about it. This will allow us to sing how we please and not have our strumming pattern dictated by the rhythm of our vocal cadence. Use the tips below to learn how to sing while playing the ukulele. 1. Musical welding! Like a pianist who uses both hands to play two different rhythms concurrently, or a drummer who uses all four limbs working independently, you need to meld your strumming and singing rhythms so that they sound seamless. If you can believe it, there are drummers that can play with all four limbs and SING the melody! Check this out. This is 18 year old Paulina from the band The Warning. Don’t get discouraged if your mind is blown. Learning to play and sing on the ukulele is a lot easier. But the first thing to learn and understand is playing and singing aren't two separate things. 2. Simple rhythms, simple rhymes... Don’t complicate the task unnecessarily by choosing songs that exceed your skill level. This will only leave you feeling frustrated and defeated. I know you want to learn the new Shawn Mendes ditty but it may be too challenging off the bat. Start off learning easy songs that you know well. Songs that only have a few chords, a simple strum pattern and lyrics you can easily remember like ’Happy Birthday’. Check out our friend Bernadette‘s lesson for ‘Happy Birthday‘ here . Keep things simple. 3. Build a strong foundation! Trying to remember how to hold the Em chord while playing is going to make singing at the same time virtually impossible. Your ukulele playing must be at a level where chord changes are effortless. You need to be so comfortable with your strumming that you don't even have to think about it. This will free you up to concentrate on singing. Its back to basics. Run through chord patterns until they are second nature. Drill scales to strengthen finger dexterity. When you can get to chords quickly without looking at your fingers, you have built a strong foundation. 4. Practice strumming with a metronome... ... ... ... ... For better timing and rhythm practice with a metronome. Although it will feel a bit restrictive at first a metronome will make help with staying on beat. If you‘ve ever played with a group you realized how important it is to stay on beat. For practice spend 5-10 minutes a day practicing a simple strumming pattern with a metronome. You will notice significant improvements in your timing within a few weeks. A pro tip is to tap your foot along with the metronome as you practice. This will help build a metronome in your mind and body. Watch professionals on stage and you can often see them tapping their foot to the beat as they play. The craziest part is they don’t know they are doing it. It becomes autonomous! 5. Master the song; the playing and singing... separately! Play the music on your ukulele until you have it memorized and can perform it fluently. One way to tell if you've mastered a song is to play it flawlessly while watching a movie or having a conversation. In addition to getting all the chord changes down you have to know the melody and lyrics. This will require putting the ukulele down in order to focus purely on the singing portion of the song. Play and replay the song in the background. Drive it into your memory and sing along to it whenever you can. Now to be completely honest, in middle school I secretly loved The Backstreet Boys. I new every song by heart (though my friends never knew, haha). Last year they came and ended their world tour in Hawaii. It amazed me that after 20 years I knew, by heart, every lyric and vocal rift. It was awesome! Get the idea? This is what I mean by mastering a song. It’s engrained in your brain foreverrrrrrrr! 6. When all else fails, hum! It is helpful to first hum the parts of the melody over your strumming pattern before actually singing them. This will allow you to get used to any chord changes without having to concern yourself with lyrics. Once you get used to humming different parts of the melodies, you'll gradually become comfortable singing it. It will flow naturally. You will start adding words while you hum. Humming through a song while playing can sound beautiful as well. Be careful as this type of training can put people within earshot into REM sleep...haha! 7. Practice... “Practice is the best of all instructors.” -Publilius Syrus No one gets anywhere without practice. You have to be patient when learning this ’skill’. It will not come over night and you will need to train diligently. Learning to incorporate vocals into your ukulele playing takes practice. Even after you have acquired the basic skill, you will be adding more songs to your repertoire, some of which may contain awkward combinations of rhythms that can trip you up (thanks James Hill, Voodo Child ). When this happens, break the song down into parts and work through the problem areas. Then slowly string them back together. These tips will help you master singing and playing ukulele together. This skill is difficult to learn but most players can master it. Give the process the time it needs and don’t forget to “feel the rhythm, feel the rhyme, tune your uke up, its jamming time”. Keep jamming and aloha!
How Much Is A Decent Ukulele?
So you want to play ukulele but don’t know how much to spend on one? How much is a decent ukulele? That is the question! It all depends on how much money you have to spend of course. As with most instruments, ukulele (or ukuleles, ‘ukulele’ can be both plural and singular) can vary in cost from less than $25 up to thousands of dollars. The latter being ornate pieces of art. Check out those beauties from Eric Devine up top, they can cost $10,000! If you are just starting out and learning some ukulele basics you'll want to budget for a quality instrument that offers a nice, warm sound. But without over or under spending! This can be a head splitting conundrum. I get it... I was there before. I once overpaid for a Martin guitar from a local shop here in Hawaii. It wasn’t until a few years later that when I searched online I found that I had over spent $500! You know who you are! They are located on ‘Island’, and sell ‘Guitars’...wink, wink. Haha! So here are some things to keep in mind and consider as you shop around. Quality Ukulele can be made from a variety of different materials. Cheap ukulele are often made with plastic and cheap plywood. These inferior materials can change the sound you get from the instrument. This can sour your ukulele experience as you hear that your playing sounds off. In this case what’s off isn’t the playing but the ukulele. Now I need to interject something very important here. For many decades the word ’laminate’ has struck fear in the hearts of guitar and ukulele enthusiasts. Since the beginning of lutherie, wood instruments were constructed out of solid woods. To cut costs companies in the 1940’s began to construct their instruments with cheap laminated woods. If you don’t know what laminated tone woods are they are thin pieces of wood that are fused together with glue, heat, and pressure. These laminated boards are then able to be cut and formed into instruments. This technique was used on cheaper model guitars and ukulele, creating a negative association with the material. But recently in the last 20 years the lamination process has gone through many changes. Manufacturers were able to make advances on this material in order to get it close to the sound of solid body instruments. If this was a race between solid body instruments and laminated ones, laminated ukulele are catching up, narrowing the gap. In fact, laminated ukulele out sell solid bodied ukulele by 50 to 1. This is due to the rise in quality and affordable prices. As you explore the world world of ukulele it may be a good idea to invest a little extra money and get a solid wood ukulele. This will give you a better sound and manufacturers spend more time on the construction process. This detail ensures that the ukulele will live a long and healthy life. Solid bodied ukulele do need more maintenance due to the nature of solid woods and the never-ending battle against humidity! This can be intimidating as your ukulele can warp or crack due to environmental conditions. In general you should expect to spend between $500 and $1200 on your first solid bodied ukulele. Take the time to look for a trusted brand. I recommend those that are ”Made in Hawaii” since they are backed by tradition and almost exclusively use Hawaiian Koa wood. The traditional tone-wood of the ukulele. Now if this sticker price shocks you, don’t worry you’re not alone! There are many wonderful laminated ukulele, some with solid wood tops that come at affordable prices. A good laminate ukulele would range from $100-$300. For a first ukulele, I recommend you look at ukulele in this price range. Ukulele priced under $100 are likely to be souvenir/child level. There are even ukulele made from Hawaiian Koa laminate! If you want to check out some Hawaiian Koa laminate ukulele you can find them here. Construction Ukulele come in many shapes and sizes. The best instrument will not only be one that sounds great and is built with quality in mind, it will also be the one that fits the player. Different body designs can change the way the instrument feels against the body and the way you play. Some "toy" ukulele have odd shapes to make them stand out, I’ve even seen ones shaped like a bean. Though serious brands rely on body shapes similar to a traditional guitar. So avoid ukulele that don’t have this traditional shape. Now when you pay for a ukulele, the bulk of that price is in the craftsmanship and labor. Shhh... don’t tell anyone but the parts of ukulele aren’t really that costly. Even the speciality woods. It all comes down to the attention of detail and quality control. Ukulele that costs $25-$50 will lack in construction tolerances. This will have a direct affect on the longevity of the ukulele. Like most cheap things, they don’t last. So be ready to pay at least $100+ to get the proper attention to detail in the construction of any ukulele. The higher the price, the higher the standards. If you want an ukulele that is an heirloom piece be prepared to pay more. If this is not an issue for you, I think you can still find those bean shaped ukulele on EBay! Haha! Thrifty Folk Now maybe you are thrifty and want to get a deal. Be sure to keep quality and construction in mind. If you are able to see and hold the ukulele in person be sure to inspect the instrument for signs of damage. Who knows, this could snag you a sweeter deal! The next thing you need to do an online search of ukulele. This will give you information on the brand, description, specs, and most importantly the original retail price. Use this retail price to give you a better indication to sound quality and level of construction. Depending on the condition you may save up to 50%! A decent second hand ukulele can be found at around $60-$200. In general, beginners can get a great ukulele for $100-$300! You can find these ukulele everywhere. Like here. Just make sure to do your research, understand the different types of ukulele materials, and inspect your instrument for signs of damage if you are buying it second hand. Happy hunting!
Fireside Chat with Ricky Somborn!
Ricky Somborn’s ukulele covers are blowing up the inter-webs! His laid back style, dapper vocals, and winsome smile make him an inspiring force in the online ukulele community. He’s performed at the LA International Ukulele Festival and recently at the 2020 Winter NAMM show. I was able to catch up with Ricky Somborn as he is hunkering down in Florida during this global pandemic. Today is also his 32nd birthday. Happy Birthday Ricky! Since it’s his birthday, I wanted to do a deep dive/candid interview with the man himself. So here... we... go... What is your full name? Ricky Somborn: My full name is Ricardo Somborn. When is your birthday? Ricky Somborn: My birthday is June 28, 1988. Now where were you born? Ricky Somborn: I was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina. What are your ethnicities? Ricky Somborn: My ethnicity is Argentinian. So I consider myself Latin American. I was actually adopted. My dad is Austrian and my mom is South African. So it's interesting when people are like, what do you consider yourself? I consider myself Hispanic. Whenever somebody's like, “Where are you from?” I say Argentina, even though I grew up since I was like two in New York and then moved to Florida. Are there any hobbies or hidden talents that you have that nobody really knows about? Ricky Somborn: I think my hidden talent and hobby was music. Before that, I was strictly corporate business orientated. Wanted to climb up that corporate ladder. So I think music was my little secret. What is your morning routine? What does the average morning look like for you? Ricky Somborn: I usually try to get up by 6:30am. And then usually I play with the dogs for about half an hour, and then I go straight into either uploading to YouTube or Instagram. I try not to get those two on the same day. Otherwise, I’d be working till like four in the morning! So pretty much it's probably by 8:30am I start going through what I have to do in the day, and then I usually upload to YouTube around 11am. Then I want to make sure that the video is fully uploaded to YouTube, thumbnails done. And then I'm pretty much gonna be filming from noon to 4pm. And then it's usually hang out with family and then I go back to editing because I usually have to upload the next day. It’s a pretty full day! I don't think many people who watch YouTube realize the labor of love it is to do this kind of work. Ricky Somborn: Yeah, and if it's a day after upload, it's usually busy spending a few hours responding to comments and emails, and that kind of stuff. Then I’m also learning the next day's tutorial and how I want to structure it. Everyday it kind of varies because it's like either upload or learning day. Learning days are usually between uploads. So yeah, it's pretty interesting but I enjoy it. Keeps me busy. Now, these questions are gonna be a little more ukulele related and about your YouTube and Instagram journey. Hopefully a little more introspective. As you get closer to your birthday are you more reflective or anxious about what's to come? So do you do you look back at the last year? Are you the type of person that like looks forward into the next year? Ricky Somborn: I've been reflecting a lot on the past year because it was was probably the biggest life changing year of my life. In a really positive way. I think when I broke my ankle it was a turning point. And I didn't know what was gonna happen afterwards. That was to me a low point because I didn't know what was gonna happen. But I turned it into one of my high points because I was able to learn the ukulele and that turned into something that I thought would be impossible! And then thinking about it now, it's pretty crazy to look back at the past 365 days, and to see what has gone down and where I've been and what I've done because of this instrument is pretty amazing. So I think I'm reflective but then I'm also really excited for the next 365 days. Where do I go from here? If I've done all that in the past year and it wasn’t even a part of my plans, I can’t even fathom what the next year will lead to. And now that I'm have my goal set for the next year, obviously I want to keep doing this and I want to keep growing. I want to keep growing my skills with the instrument and with social media. Very Excited! What was the hardest song you had to learn on the ukulele for YouTube and Instagam? Ricky Somborn: Hardest song? I think for me it was a Taylor Swift song. I'm not a huge Taylor Swift fan. But I appreciate her music. It's just that I don't listen to that style of music so then it takes me forever to get the rhythm, melody, or the just the lyrics down. The hardest thing for me is not the actual chords or whatever. It's the genre that throws me off. I remember the song having a really fast part. Taylor sang the lyrics really quick. It was basically a rap. It had a minute of no breathing! It took me while to nail it down. Yeah, that was probably the hardest. Who are your musical influences? Ricky Somborn: I mean I grew up in Florida so I feel like it's a staple to love Dave Matthews Band. Yeah, as a Florida guy you have to 100%. I've been to 16 of his concerts. I count because he plays in West Palm often. He's played in West Palm every summer and does two shows Friday and Saturday. I would go to both shows. I did this for eight years in a row. I just love the way he performs and he's such a great singer and a performer in general. I’d also say Phineas, Billie Eilish‘s brother. The way he composes and the way he writes music is really awesome. He incorporates everyday sounds into his music, you'll hear this beep and it's from a random traffic light. He records it on his cell phone and then incorporates it into the music. It's unique. This uniqueness is something I look up to. What amazes you the most about the online ukulele community? Anything surprising? Ricky Somborn: I think I'm just amazed at how welcoming and supportive the community is. I've seen it firsthand myself when I first started playing, everybody was super welcoming. And there was no ego in the ukulele world, I mean, I can't speak for everybody but like from what I‘ve seen in the guitar community, I feel like there's a lot of competition there. For the ukulele community, it's just you play and whether you have 100,000 followers or 10 followers, you can feel that your on an equal playing field with everybody. You can DM anybody, and they will most likely answer. I mean, I try to answer every message. And people are always surprised when I answer a DM when they have a question. But when you have that support system of strangers who just love the instrument as much as you do, it's really cool to have that sort of community. Right! Along with that question is what is it like being a music/ukulele influencer? The good, the bad, the ugly? Ricky Somborn: I think the good is working with companies like you guys and being a part of growing the community. It is strange though I don't consider myself an influencer. I think that's a “no, no”. I don't think I would ever consider myself an influencer but to be able to grow the community and to have a voice in the community is really cool. Though sometimes comments are not so positive, like the DM’s that that say “you suck”. Which I know is just surface level stuff. So it never really gets to me. I've had conversations with followers and they shared that because of my videos they also decided to start uploading to Instagram or YouTube. Some people have 25 followers and were like, I was inspired to make this video because I saw Ricky singing a Billie Eilish song, and they upload it. One time this girl messaged me and was like, “I don't know what to do. I'm getting so much hate on my video.” I'm like, oh why? And they said, “It's these kids from school. They're making fun of me because they saw my video“. I told her to not to worry about it. Shake it off. I know it's easy for me to say because I've already gone through that and learned how to process it. I know that at the end of the day that person is saying something negative because they are probably going through something negative. And they're going to try to hang it on the other person. But to see other person hurting and they don't understand why they are getting put down... it's a frustrating for me and you know, there's only so much that I can do. That's the negative part about this social platform. There is always gonna be negative people. Following up with that question let's talk about what was maybe the worst day since becoming a ukulele player and being on YouTube and Instagram? Did you ever wrestle with the question of giving it up? Ricky Somborn: I have thought about stopping, like once a month. It usually revolves around technology. I had my external hard drive completely crash at one time, and that had everything on it. So now I have everything backed up. Now if my drives crash I still good! Too bad I had to learn this the hard way, which is I guess a good thing now that moving forward, I have backups of backups. Also issues with the microphone not working, lights breaking. Yeah for me a lot of it's technology, it can be super frustrating. And sometimes I don't have great days, sometimes I'm just not into filming. I mean, everybody has bad days. And I think what I've learned now is to just step back and if for some reason I don't upload on a day that I'm supposed to upload, I tell myself it's not the end of the world. Even though I'm the type of person that wants to get things done, that stay up all night to film it right mentality. One time I remember filming a video at night. I was done at like 12:30am. I started editing and I realized that it just didn't sound good. It was my singing. I set everything back up and literally refilmed it again at one in the morning. I just wanted this video to go out, but I was SO tired. I finished filming at like 2:30am and then had to edit the video. I think I stayed up until nine in the morning and then uploaded at 11am. And I still wasn't happy with it, but it just gonna have to do. If your interested it was Billie Eillish’s ‘Everything I Wanted”. Watch that video and look at my eyes and try and see if you can see how tired I am. Funny thing is it was actually my most viewed video on Youtube! I wasn’t planning on unloading it after that all nighter. And now it's has over 200,000 views. Crazy right?! The videos you think aren't gonna perform, they actually do better than the ones you're like, this is gonna be it. This is my big break. Yeah..... right! So you need some more three in the morning sessions! Haha! But you know Ricky, many young people reading this will definitely find hope and inspiration through that. Now we're going to move in a different direction. These questions are not ukulele related. This is just about getting to you know you better. What was your first job? Ricky Somborn: My first job was literally down the street. I could walk 30 minutes to and from my house and it was was like a deli/restaurant. It was an Italian place called Leon's. It's not open anymore but I remember that was my first job because my cousin got a job there. And then I was like, I think I want a job because my cousin got a job and I think it's time that I got a job. I was in ninth grade! So making sandwiches at Leon’s was my first job. It was interesting! That‘s great! I’m getting hungry. Leon’s was your first job... so what would you say was your worst job? Ricky Somborn: I was a dishwasher at a retirement home. I was the ‘dish washer’ guy. I actually applied for the server position and they said I got it and then on my first day, they're like, actually your a dishwasher. And then they put me as a dishwasher and I was there for a few weeks. I was like I can't do this. I'm gonna go back to my Leon's job making sandwiches. So much better! What was your favorite subject in high school? Ricky Somborn: My favorite subject in high school was oddly enough government. Because of my teacher Mr. O'Neill, he was really awesome. And then US history was also really awesome. My teacher for that class was Mr. Adams. They were cool with me being a couple minutes late because that's usually my style. I'm always a couple minutes late. So Government and US History were my favorites, even though I was never into politics, or whatever. These two teachers really wanted to make it fun to learn topics that weren't necessarily the most fun. You know, for the average 11th grader. Are you watching any Netflix? Streaming? I know your time is tight with editing and uploading but do you watch streaming shows? Ricky Somborn: Truthfully I don't. I literally don't watch anything. I think the last thing I watched was LOST on Netflix. This was a year ago. As soon as I started creating content I stopped consuming content. But yeah, LOST was the last TV show that I actually binge watched. I want to watch more so I am up for recommendations or suggestions. And then its the same with music. The only music I listen to is for my content. I don't really listen leisurely anymore which is kind of a bummer. What is your earliest childhood memory? Ricky Somborn: My earliest childhood memory? For some reason I remember when my family first moved to New York when I was like, two, two and a half years old. But I remember sort of doing like a walkthrough of the house that we lived in. It still is my favorite that we've been in. Because it was so old, and it was I think 100 years old at that point. I just remember it being super bright when we did the walkthrough. I don't know why I always think of that. Whenever somebody is like, what's your earliest memory, that's it. It's literally just walking through a house. But that's what I remember and it was impactful! I remember after we moved I always told my parents I'm was gonna buy that house. I don't know how much that house costs but I am gonna buy it one day. It's gonna be mine! Did you ever go back later when you went back to the New York? Ever go to the street and see the house afterwards? Ricky Somborn: I mean I grew up in Tarrytown, which is right on the border of Sleepy Hollow. So the Headless Horseman tale. I used to love thinking our backyard was Sleepy Hollow. It was in the woods and was really secluded. It was cool but terrifying at the same time. Especially at night. I remember when I was in New York for six years, I think I went back there, maybe three times because it's literally like 30-40 minute train ride out of Manhattan. I remember going there and I walking on the same route that I used to walk. It was up all uphill. We lived on the steepest hill ever! And I definitely feel like it got steeper.... as I got older. Haha! What are the movies that define your childhood? You are a 90’s kid. Ricky Somborn: My favorite that I could still watch today is ‘Space Jam’. I grew up loving basketball and Michael Jordan. ‘Liar Liar’ was like one of my favorites as well. I used to love Jim Carrey. So do you have any siblings? Ricky Somborn: Yeah, I have an older brother and an older sister. So if I were to call them, okay, what would they tell me about you? Ricky Somborn: They would say that I am definitely the ‘youngest’. You know of the “youngest child syndrome”? I'm the baby in the family. I feel like I probably get away with more than they ever did when they were younger. So that's probably what they would say. And that music is super unexpected. That they never thought that I'd be doing this. So that's probably what they would say. So when you grew up, were you singing around the house? Did your siblings know you could sing? Ricky Somborn: No! Haha! I could have just been not talking the entire time. I never really showed any interest in singing. My grandmother was opera singer so I would hear her, but I would never, you know, join in. I was more into basketball and that kind of stuff growing up. Then I was in the corporate world, and not really being creative at all. I think that's when I was just like I need to do something. Be more creative. Whether that be taking up pottery or drawing. But in the end I got into music. I just wanted to do something that wasn't analyzing numbers. So what was the craziest thing you've ever done? Ricky Somborn: I don't really do that many crazy things. My brother was always the person that would always push the limits. For me I was mostly hanging out friends. I was part of the student government. I would just stay in my lane in terms of like not getting in trouble with the parents, but I would also have fun with my friends. Very low key. But YouTube is pretty crazy, right? Ricky Somborn: Well yeah! I mean this now my whole career. I think my family's still doesn't truly understand that you can make a little bit of income and make a living off of the internet. I try to explain it to them the best I can. You know, it's like when your parents are trying to figure out what an iPhone is, there's only so much you can do before you get frustrated. So for me we have these conversations and we have them quite often. I'm like, you know there's people that watch the content and there's people that you know, that watch the content. And that's how I grow! And then it goes over their heads and I'm just like, you know what, just know that I'm making an income. Haha! So I have some really funny closing questions. So you have two teleportation devices. Ricky, do you walk through this door and you can exit to the other door? Okay, where would you place these two teleportation devices? Ricky Somborn: Um, I think one would be where I am now. I always want to come back to family. A second one would probably go to Switzerland. I really I love Switzerland, and then my other side of the family's there as well. So I'd probably go back and forth between Switzerland and Florida. If your house was burning and you could only save one thing, what would that one thing be? Ricky Somborn: Probably save my Kumu ukulele. It’s one of my favorite ukuleles. I'd probably take that but if I had that on me already, I would say my laptop or camera. If you had a ‘do over’ button, and you could press it. And you would be transported and go back in time. What would you change? Ricky Somborn: I would probably start getting more interested in music earlier on. I was thinking about this earlier, where would I have been if I started playing music 5 or 10 years ago. But I mean, obviously I can't really think about that too much. But I'm always thinking about what could have happened. Where would I be today if I had made that change. I’m sure this is same with many people and their passions. But you know what, your never too late to start. If today is that day, then today is that day. What is something that you used to believe that you no longer believe? Ricky Somborn: One of them is that perfection doesn't exist. And for me striving for perfection was hindering my productivity. I was the type of person that wanted everything to be perfect and clearly when I stayed up until nine in the morning filming and editing that Billie Eilish video I was like I don't even think I want to post it because I didn't like it. But I posted it anyways and it was one of my most successful videos! That taught me that you're never going to be perfect. I let that go and adopted a new mentality of just do the work and if it's good just post it. Nobody expects everything to be 100% all the time. Even the people that do this, artists on billboard or hot 100 or whatever it's called are taking multiple takes and getting produced to sound the way that they do. How can you compete against that. Literally it's just me recording this entire song in one take. If I screw up, have to do everything over again. If I knew I could just take like every slice, every perfect piece of the song and merge them into the perfect version, then of coure it's going to sound amazing! So I had to get my mind over that and realize that getting something done is better than striving for perfection but not finishing. Ricky, great answer! Before we sign off I have a 5 question lightning round. You have a few seconds to answer. Got it? Here we go... Favorite ice cream flavor? Ahhh, chocolate. Coffee or tea? Coffee. Harry Potter or The Lord of the Rings? Harry Potter. Christmas or Halloween? Oooooh.... Christmas. Last question, tacos or sushi? Tacos! Ricky Somborn is a 32 year old self taught ukulele player and singer from Florida who started playing the ukulele in the summer of 2018. Since uploading his first covers on Instagram in March of last year, his social media following has grown to 55,000+ followers on Instagram and 30,000+ subscribers on YouTube. Check out his videos on YouTube here . And follow him on Instagram at @rickysomborn. I want to personally give a huge mahalo to Ricky for agreeing to do this interview and for sending these personal photos. Mahalo nui loa!
5 Tips to Learn to Play Ukulele Faster
I have a question for you. Have you ever felt stuck while learning to play the ukulele? Then this is the perfect time we go over the ultimate guide to learning how to play the ukulele faster. Take it from me and from personal experience the most difficult part is getting stuck and showing little to no signs of progress. If you’ve ever felt like there is a stumbling block in your way or a barrier holding you back then this guide is for you! In this guide I’m going to show you 5 tips to help you get over these blocks and barriers. These blocks and barriers are in the form of bad habits and incorrect routines. Once these are out the way, just imagine how fast you will see progress and breakthrough in your ukulele adventure. This is like someone learning how to run. They lace up and start running and before they hit a quarter mile they are already gasping for air with their leg muscles tightening. They give up and start walking. “I’m done”, they say to themselves, heart pounding in their chest. Its over before it even began! What that person needed was a guide in helping them start their running journey correctly. Down to the picking out the right shoes, to engaging in proper stretching. Learning proper running form, and setting a reasonable pace. This would have greatly helped that poor soul, doomed to a life of couch potatoey, decaying into an atrophy of poor health. I know sooooo dark! Haha! This takes us to our first tip that you absolutely do not want to miss if you want to make effective and quick progress. Tip #1 Always Tune Your Ukulele Playing a ukulele that is out of tune is a frustrating experience! Especially when your just starting out and attempting to learn new chords and songs. You’ll find the notes you strum don’t quite match what you’re listening to. Learning the chords to a song while your ukulele is out of tune will put a stop to your progress. In the end you may know where to place your fingers on the fingerboard but without hearing the correct chord, you will not make the connection. This is like watching a foreign movie without subtitles! You’ll be lost. For this reason, before you start playing, make sure the first thing you do is tune up your ukulele. Do this every time! To learn the new and easiest methods on how to tune your ukulele check them out here! Tip #2 Keep Proper Form (even when it hurts) Holding the ukulele correctly is one of the most important things to get right out the gate. It’s hard to unlearn bad habits so its important to not create them in the first place. Practicing in uncomfortable positions will hinder the learning process, putting unnecessary strain on certain parts of your body. Since you want to have fun while learning the ukulele, it would be no fun to feel strain in your muscles and joints. If you’re sitting down while playing the uke, make sure to sit upright with your shoulders pulled back. This will allow the body to fall into proper ukulele form. The ukulele body will cradle gently in the bend of your elbow, with your strumming finger landing above the soundhole. Educating your body to hold this position will allow you to play at ease for many years! If you play standing up the same things apply. Stand with your back straight and your shoulders pulled back. This may be uncomfortable at first and even hurt. Don’t give in and don’t give up! Having proper form will benefit your health and aid in playing the ukulele properly. Tip #3 Learn the Right Chords First There are many chords you can learn to play on the ukulele. Not only that, but every chord can be played in multiple different ways. This complicates things as you can lose your way down the “Chord Black Hoooooooooooole”. But have no fear! Most songs can be played using simple chords. And these chords are popular and found in many of your favorite songs! These chords are C, G, A, F, D, E, B, Am, Em, Dm, Gm, and Bm. If your counting there are 12 chords. 12! That’s it! If you want to learn how to play these chords check them out here . I recommend that you learn these chords first. Practice them over and over again until you play them from memory. After you’ve mastered these popular chords, then you can move on and learn the rest. Learning these chords have the added benefit of building finger dexterity. So win, win! Tip #4 The Air Strumming Technique If learning chords for you is easy then perhaps strumming will be your kryptonite! Who would have thought that strumming can be HARD! Like chord complexity there is also strum complexity. For example Hawaiians have a particular style of strumming that in my humble opinion is almost an illusion. Its beautiful to listen to and is hard to figure out. It took me months to get it down... and I’m Hawaiian. Iv’e heard this strumming pattern my whole life! If you are curious to hear what it sounds like check out this v ideo . And here’s another video with intermediate techniques on how to strum it. There is also the ‘Triple Strum’ and ‘Fan Strum’ that take their cues from flamenco style guitar. To practice strum patterns I recommend practicing without the ukulele. This simplifies things helping you focus on just the strum. This is what I call the “Air Strumming Technique”. First, search YouTube for ukulele strumming videos. Follow along with these online instructors playing the patterns in the air, or better yet, on your knee. Then when your confident in the strum pattern get your ukulele and practice them with chords. Tip #5 Don’t Sing-A-Long, but Hum-A-Long One of the most enjoyable things to do while playing the ukulele is singing your favorite songs. If you tried this, you may have found it challenging. It can feel as though you would need two brains in order to sing and play the ukulele simultaneously. Plus you will gain huge respect for John Mayer for playing lead guitar while singing deep lyrics into your soul. If you find singing and playing ukulele at the same time to be challenging then here is my tip: don’t sing-a-long, but hum-a-long Singing lyrics and doing vocal acrobatics can derail your focus while playing the ukulele. This is why I recommend you hum while you play instead of singing the words. This will give your brain time to meld these two facets together. This melding process can take a while so be patient and continue humming along. As confidence in your playing grows, adding the lyrics and vocal melody should feel more natural. Like learning to ride a bike on two wheels, once you get it, you keep it for life! So this is worth mastering. Stay Calm and Hum Along! This sums up the best learning tips that will help you learn to play the ukulele faster. Here is a recap starting from the top: Always Tune Your Ukulele Keep Proper Form (even when it hurts) Learn the Right Chords First The Air Strumming Technique (strum pattern hack) Don’t Sing-A-Long, but Hum-A-Long (melding your voice and ukulele) Hopefully these tips help you out on your ukulele journey. Be sure to share this post with your friends if they are new to the ukulele. Godspeed!
3 Challenges New Ukulele Players Face
Being in the ukulele business for over a decade has taught me many things. Many of them amazing, like learning that the first ukulele was made in 1879 and that George Harrison, the guitarist for The Beatles was an avid fan and player. And in this time I’ve also learned many not so good things. That the E chord is infamously difficult to play (from experience) and that there are many more challenges that new ukulele players face. It always bring me joy guiding the curious to their first ukulele. To see their faces light up when they play their first C chord. The idea of playing the ukulele... on the beach... the trade winds wafting the scents of coconut and pineapple into the air... as the sun sets in the distance, setting the sky on fire in highlighter colors! AHHHHH!!! Then it comes. Reality smacks them awake! Doubt begins to rise. “Can I really do this?” The messages and emails of disillusionment follow. They tell me, ”Keli’i, I thought you said this was going to be easy!” Your right! I did...... here . But I never said that there wouldn’t be any challenges to overcome. And these challenges can be discouraging. It’s OKAY! It’s normal to feel discouraged when you’re just starting out. Just find comfort knowing that your not alone! To prove that you are not alone, see if you’re experiencing these 3 common challenges. Sore Hands Chances are playing the simplest chords is a struggle for you. You swear you have a grand command over you hands, you’ve used them you whole life, but now they seem that they are working against you. You practice chord formations and your fingers resemble tree branches in winter. Don’t ‘fret’ (see what I did there), everyone who’s ever played a stringed instrument has dealt with sore hands. Learning chords requires a whole new set of muscles which are underutilized. They lack in strength and dexterity. Just as an athletes train their bodies in the gym, so ukulele players must train their hands. This makes sense right? The best thing you can do when first learning to play ukulele is to commit to repetition , drills and regular practice . Over time your hands will adapt to holding complex chord formations with ease. With consistent practice, as little as half an hour a day, you can achieve this! If you want to know which chords to learn first, and see their chord formations click here . And for those of you with arthritis be sure to check with your doctor first before playing. Be encouraged to know that many with arthritis are able to play the ukulele. It may take more time and practice, even modifying your playing style, but it is highly achievable. Don‘t give up! And don’t forget to have fun! Burning Fingertips If you don’t know what burning fingertips are, you haven’t played long enough. When you do, you will have burning fingertips (unless you work in construction, arts and crafts, or live in the bush). Burning fingertips are caused by the constant pressure of the ukulele strings against the virgin skin on the pads of your fingertips. This pain is completely normal and will go away with continued practice. Why does it go away? One word... calluses! It takes the pads of your fingers a couple weeks of consistent, regular practice to build calluses up. But here is a warning, if you stop playing you will lose your calluses and will have to regrow them back. Rhythm Issues The ability to play your ukulele in time will make or break your playing. It is one of the most common frustrations for ukulele players of all styles, especially beginners. When you are just starting out, it will come as a surprise to learn that you may have an issue with tempo and timing. This can be a huge challenge to overcome when you sadly discover this! Far too often the focus is on what notes to play, rather than WHEN to play these notes. I equate it to a singer having a beautiful voice but not being able to stay in tune. We’ve all heard this and cringed! Playing the right notes and playing them at the right time are synergistic and of equal importance. In order to overcome this challenge you need to invest time practicing on your rhythm. To do this you wont actually need your ukulele. Check out this YouTube video and absorb this lesson! It’s less than 10 minutes long but will be clapping and singing your way to mastering rhythm. Check out Saher’s lesson here . There you have it! 3 challenges new ukulele players face. Personally for me I struggled with all 3. But no cliff hanger here I overcame them. With consistent practice and training you too can overcome these challenges as well. Now go grab your ukulele and...
3 Ways to Learn to Play Ukulele
You have a ukulele. You were given one as a birthday gift, or found one at a thrift store. Maybe you inherited one from a relative or just plain bought one for yourself online or at your neighborhood music store. Awesome! Welcome to the world of the ukulele! But now what?! You stare at your ukulele in the corner not knowing what to do. Better yet, where do I even start. Here we are at an ukulele stand off. This could last minutes... hours... days... and even years! That feeling of learning an instrument for the first time is pure excitement. There’s nothing quite like it. However, that excitement can be met with the sinking feeling of being overwhelmed. “Where do I even begin?“ First, pick up your ukulele. Take a deep breath in... hold... and let it out. Good! You just completed the first step...hehe! Next tune it up. To find out about the new tuning methods check them out here . This may take a little while but when your ukulele is tuned up your ready to learn. Now here are 3 ways to learn to play ukulele. Method #1: Being Self Taught So you‘ve heard it a million times before. People who tell you that they were self taught. “Wow you can really play the piano, did you take lessons?” “Nope, I‘m self taught!” ”Your voice is amazing, did you have a vocal coach growing up?” ”No, just a natural!” If they can do it, could you teach yourself the ukulele? Of course you can! Taking the self-learning route consists primarily of reading books and searching online for free lessons. Google and YouTube searches are a great place to start. Even checking out ukulele blogs. Like this one where you can learn the 10 ukulele chords everyone should know (shameless plug) . The biggest benefit to the self-teaching method is that you set the pace and best of all it’s FREE! This takes off the pressure of instructors and saves you money as classes can be expensive. But being self taught comes with an investment of time and the added energy of sifting and sorting through the information yourself. Also the lack of accountability can cause you to lax in the practice department. Keeping yourself motivated to learn is critical in being self taught. Being self taught will encourage the development of your own playing style. You will have complete control of what and how you are learning. This is so liberating! Though if this is too intimidating and you don’t have the free time to teach yourself, method #2 may be right for you. Method #2 Classes and Private Lessons Attending classes and taking private lessons are some of the best ways to improve your skills in the shortest amount of time. It’s like having your own personal trainer or coach at the gym showing you exactly what to do. An ukulele coach! The best classes and private coaches/teachers will help in identifying specific learning goals and set sign posts for you to get there. For starters, many beginning ukulele players have the goal of fingerpicking a few simple solo pieces within a year. But a ukulele teacher will most likely say, “No, fingerpicking is too advanced. You should master strumming first.” The student may resist this musical wisdom at first, but its usually right. Pushing too fast is like building on a concrete foundation before it has had the proper time to set. Everything you build later will not be plum. So having teachers and private instructors will guide you on the right paths on your ukulele journey. Although the cost of private lessons can add up, taking classes or hiring a private teacher is worth it! You may not like being corrected or told to practice more but in the end this accountability will help with your ukulele proficiency. Be sure to search for the right teacher. Get references and check reviews when possible to find the right fit. A great teacher can bring greatness out of you. The opposite sadly is true as well. So search wisely for your Jedi.... I mean Ukulele master. But what if there are no ukulele masters near you? Lets check out method #3. Method #3 Online Ukulele Courses Nowadays, for many, online ukulele lesson courses make a lot of sense. There are many great ukulele teachers on the web. They bring the budding ukulele player these amazing benefits: -Go at your own pace in your own home (this alone is worth it) -Access archived lessons anytime, anywhere -Follow step-by-step, easy-to-follow practice plans -Watch the online teacher demonstrate a technique multiple times -Save time searching for free lessons and accurate chord charts -Pay less than the price of a single private lesson -Connect with a worldwide community of likeminded ukulele enthusiasts Not to mention, you have the support of an online teacher to help answer your questions and provide encouragement incase you get stuck along the way. Another bonus of taking online courses is that everything is flexible since you don’t have to set up appointments where you need to plan commuting to and fro. You can log on whenever to see archived classes, or check in at scheduled times for live classes. A seeming downside to taking online ukulele classes is you don’t have an in person teacher sitting in the room identifying your mistakes as you play. However, uploading online video has never been easier! Online teachers would love to seeing you play, offering their feedback and guidance. With online lessons, you have a dedicated space to improve your skills. If your interested in this approach, check out this amazing online resource here . I‘ve been a huge proponent of Ukulele Underground! They’ve been offering up great online resources for over a decade. So which way and method are you gonna choose? Can you combine methods together? Of course you can! In the end it’s your journey. Now stop reading this and get started! May the choice be with you!
How To Pronounce Ukulele
Niche, mischievous, LaCroix, nuptial, caramel and poke (as in the raw fish dish). Stop and say these words out loud. Now think. What do these words have in common? If you said these words out loud you probably mispronounced 4 out of the 6 words. And if your from Hawaii and got the last one wrong, I’m gonna have to ‘poke‘ you in the eye! Hehe! Now here are the proper pronunciations of the words above. Niche: “neesh” not “nitch” , mischievous: “MIS-chiv-us,” not “mis-CHEEV-ee-us” , LaCroix: “La-CROY” not “La-CWAH” (simmer down my French speaking friends, this is how they say it in Wisconsin). Nuptial: is actually only two syllables, caramel: “CARA-mel” not ”carmel“ , and poke: see below... There is another word that people all over the world mispronounce. It’s ukulele! When I think about it people mispronounce ukulele 90% of the time. Like my name Keli’i: “KAY-Lee-Ee” it seems hard to figure out. So here is how not to pronounce ukulele. This is easily the number one way people mispronounce ukulele. In the Hawaiian language v owels can be long or short. Long vowels are usually written with a macron or in Hawaiian a kahako, (ā, ē, ī, ō, ū). But the word ukulele does not have this macron so the vowel is short. In Hawaiian the letter ’u’ is prounouced ’ooh’. Another mispronunciation is “ooh-coo-lei-lei” . Pronouncing lei as in flower lei. This is much closer but still not correct. The proper way to pronounce ukulele is “ ooh-coo-leh-leh” , where ‘leh’ is pronounced like ‘re’ in Do Re Mi. There are two stories on how the ukulele got it’s name. The first is famous and if you ever visited Hawaii you probably heard it. Ukulele is made up of two Hawaiian words, uku and lele . Uku meaning flea , and uku meaning to jump or fly . Put them together and you get ‘the jumping flea’. The story goes that when the Portuguese immigrants from Madeira and Cape Verde traveled to Hawaii they delighted the locals with their native instrument the cavaquinho. They preformed nightly after working longs days on the sugar plantations. The Hawaiians watched in amazement as these amazing cavaquinho players quickly picked notes up and down the fingerboard. To these locals their fingers jumped around like fleas, hence the name ukulele, ’jumping flea’. The other origin story is less known. According to historian Jim Beloff, t he last Hawaiian monarch Queen Liliuokalani has been recorded as explaining that the term ukulele in fact means 'the gift that came ' . She explained that a deep and poetic translation of the word uku is ‘gift’. She briefly ruled Hawaii in the early 1890’s after the death of her brother King Kalakaua. During his reign he opened Hawaii up to the world as the islands tropical climate had it’s agricultural advantages. This open door swung both ways introducing Hawaii to the ways of foreign merchants. Waves of immigrants voyaged on ships to Hawaii’s shore to work at the many plantations around the islands. This led to the arrival of Manuel Nunes, José do Espírito Santo, and Augusto Dias, the first ukulele builders in Hawaii. Before their arrival, Hawaiian music was played primarily with percussion instruments such as pohaku (drums), shells, puili (bamboo sticks), and the ipu (gourd). So adding the ukulele to the mix was ”a gift that came” from the Portuguese immigrants. What started out humbly on the plantations caught the ear of the royal family. Even the members of King Kalakaua’s royal service could play with exceptional skill! And by the time Queen Liliuokalani took the throne, the ukulele was already weaving its way into the culture. I agree with the Queen, the ukulele is the ‘gift that came’. Now say it with me, OOH-COO-LEH-LEH! Got it? Now whenever your out and about and hear someone say ‘yukaleilei’, kindly stop them and show them the light. And why we are at it, @google and have them change it on their search engine as well. With this tactic I feel we can all get it right by the year 2800! Now if we could just figure out how to pronounce GIF... Is it Giff? Jiff? Oh no!!!
10 Ukulele Chords Everyone Needs To Know
I’m just gonna keep this short and sweet... there are 10 ukulele chords everyone needs to know. They are Bu, Bah, Bi, Bo..... hahaha! Just kidding. Please don’t search for those “chords” on the internet. But if you are new to the ukulele here’s a pro tip. Please do not watch some one like Feng E and think you must have some godlike ability to play the ukulele. He makes it look easy! But if you want to really know if the ukulele is easy to learn, click here . And now here is the worlds greatest secret... you can play almost any song on the ukulele if you learn just 10 chords. There I said it! I hope the ukulele mafia doesn’t come after me now. But I don’t care, the world needs to know! The Majors The first chords everyone learns when they first pick up the ukulele are the majors. They are all relatively easy to learn. These chords are the C major, G major, A major, F major, and D major. The C major is very special! It’s the easiest chord to learn. One note, one finger. The ukulele‘s version of the middle C on a piano. So it‘s a great place to start. Here are the chords diagrams: C Major Place your ring finger on the1 string 3rd fret. Yup its that easy! Done. G Major I call this finger placement ”The Triangle”. Place your index finger on the 3rd string 2nd fret, ring finger on the 2nd string 3rd fret, and middle finger on the 1st string 2nd fret. Remember “The Triangle”, or “The Pizza”! A Major Place your index finger on the 3rd string 1st fret and your middle finger on the 4th string 2nd fret. F Major Place your index finger on the 2nd string 1st fret and middle finger on the 4th string 2nd fret. D Major Place your index finger on the 4th string 2nd fret, middle finger on the 3rd string 2nd fret, and ring finger on the 2nd string 2nd fret. This may take a little practice squeezing all your fingers together. The Minors Now you will need to add the “sad” chords to the quiver. If your making a salad, the majors are the veggies and the minors are the toppings. The minor chords add the flavor to a song. These chords are the A minor, E minor, D minor, G minor, and B minor. A Minor Place your middle finger on the 4th string 2nd fret. Like the C major chord, we start with an easy one. E Minor Place your index finger on the 1st string 2nd fret. Then place your middle finger on the 2nd string third fret and ring finger on the 3rd string 4th fret. I call this “The Stairs”. D Minor Place your index finger on the 2nd string 1st fret, middle finger on the 4th string 2nd fret, and your ring finger on the 3rd string 2nd fret. G Minor Place your index finger on the 1st string 1st fret, middle finger on the 3rd string 2nd fret, and your ring finger on the 2nd string 3rd fret. B Minor Here is the first bar chord. It can be tricky at first but with practice you will get it. Press down on all the strings on the 2nd fret with your index finger. And with your ring finger place it on the 4th string 4th fret. The secrets out! Now you know the 10 ukulele chords everyone needs to know. Practice these chords daily and put them into memory. And find your favorite songs and see if they have the chords shown above. Now of course there are other chords your gonna need to learn, but here’s the big 10. Now if you were like me in high school and needed extra credit (Trig class with Ms. Baldwin) here are two extra credit chords. One is infamously challenging to play. Try and you‘ll know. B Major Here’s another barred chord. With you index finger bar the 2nd fret. Middle finger on the 3rd string 3rd fret and your ring finger on the 4th string 4th fret. E Major Place your index finger on the 1st string 2nd fret, middle finger on the 4th string 4th fret, ring finger on the third string 4th fret, and your pinky on the 2nd string 4th fret. And if you see a car parked in front of your home with blacked out windows playing the song Bandito Tyler , grab your ukulele and RUN!
How To Tune A Ukulele
“My...dog... has... fleas!” YUCK! If I had a quarter for every time someone asked me how to tune a ukulele, I’d be on the maiden voyage to Mars with Elon Musk! This is the critical question everyone has after getting their first ukulele. It makes sense. You need to able to tune the ukulele in order to play. With the ukulele being over 100 years old, there are many methods to do this. You have the piano method, tuning fork, and pitch pipe. Does any one still use a pitch pipe? Do you even know what that is? Here it is... These methods still work perfectly today but I am a millennial. We are all about modernity and lovers of tech. We took coffee and avocado to whole new level! So keeping with modernity, I’m gonna go over the newest methods of tuning the ukulele. I remember in the early 2000’s you still had to tune the old fashioned way. I remember being in my high school guitar class having to tune with a pitch pipe. For me it was strange because we were tuning to what sounded like a harmonica. Though I did have a friend who brought his mic tuner to class. This type of tuner could pick up the frequency of a note and move a tiny needle on a screen. This allowed you to follow the needle till it lined up with the right note, tuning the string. It worked great......... until class started. As soon as my classmates tuned up their guitars, the needle on our tuner would pick up all the sounds in the room and ping pong erratically. I remember having to go out and tune in a quiet hallway. It wasn’t until 2005 that I first used my first electronic tuner. You ever of heard of having a religious experience? I guess you could say that with this tuner I was born-again! Using a chromatic, or electronic tuner is the easiest way to tune your ukulele. It is also the most accurate. All you have to do is clip the tuner onto the headstock and pluck the strings. The tuner picks up the frequency and displays the note on the digital screen. Then you simply tune the tuners (keys) and follow the prompts on the screen. It’s that simple! Unlike the mic tuner, this tuner uses vibration to find the note. This allows you to tune the ukulele in noisy environments! Some tuners use a system of lights (for example, red and yellow for too high/too low, and green for being in tune). Make sure you know which note you’re tuning to. Ukulele are usually tuned to the notes G, C, E, and A. With the G string being closest to you. You can find many of these tuners online and in your local music shop. They are affordable and will make your life a whole lot easier. Make sure to check if it is made to tune ukulele or is a chromatic tuner. You can get one here . Now what if I told you, you could tune your ukulele with your phone. Would you believe me? Of course you would. Our phones can almost do everything! They can search the web, take amazing photos and videos, give directions, stream countless hours of entertainment, be an artist’s canvas, a gamer’s obsession, a library full of books, an actual phone, and now an ukulele tuner. Yes, the phone in you pocket can tune your ukulele. This is the method I now use the most. If you are recording music or playing at live events, an electronic tuner is still recommended since it’s more accurate. But if you do not fall into these categories a phone tuner is all you need. There are many free apps out there. Just search the App Store on your device and type in ‘ukulele tuner’ and a bunch of them should show up. Many of these are free to use. I recommend GuitarTuna. You can download it here . These tuner apps work the same a mic tuner. They use the microphone in your device to listen to the sound being played. It will then translate these sounds into notes and show them on your phone screen. Then like the electronic tuner, adjust the tuner keys on your ukulele until you tune the string to the note. The only downside of this tuning method is you tune in a quiet place in order for the mic to ‘hear’ your ukulele. Other than that, this method of tuning is the most convenient of all the methods. You don’t have to buy anything. If you have a phone you got a tuner! And it’s super easy. You can master it in minutes. So there you have it, “The Millennial’s Guide to Ukulele Tuning!” Hehe! (Sorry I had to represent my generation. Sorry not sorry)! I hope this answers the question on how to tune a ukulele. Be strong... be courageous... and go tune your ukulele!
Is the Ukulele Easy to Learn?
Is the ukulele easy to learn? Now this is a great question! Working in the ukulele business going on 11 years and this is a question I often get asked. Whether your a parent of a potty training toddler, a budding middle school indie pop singer, or a recently retired periodontist, this is a burning question. Before I answer it I must go back to my own upbringing to when I learned my first instrument. And if you were in elementary in the United States from the 1940’s till about the early 2000’s you probably already know what instrument this is. Have you already guessed it? It was none other than the Flutophone! If you remember walking around elementary schools during this time period you may recall hearing “Hot Crossed Buns“ or “Mary Had a Little Lamb” blaring through the air. And thats it, those 2 songs. Don’t get me wrong. I remember looking forward to receiving mine in first grade, just to be let down when I realized my vision of me rocking out didn’t match with reality. Hehe! I digress. Just trying to process those repressed adolescent memories. Just like the memory of receiving a green JanSport backpack from Santa when my older brother got a bike... I digress again, sorry! Back to the question up top. The Flutophone is an easy instrument to learn. But it wasn’t versatile. And it wasn’t fun. You were left playing nursery rhymes and that was it. Then the came the break through in my musical journey! When I was in the fourth grade I got the opportunity to learn the ukulele. It was a part of a new initiative to rekindle the passion of the performing arts in Hawaii‘s youth. So instead of the Flutophone, students were handed ukulele. Did it work? I sure think so since it spawned a new generation of incredible ukulele players. These would include Kalei Gamiao, Taimane Gardner, and Jake Shimabukuro. This was due to the fact that the ukulele is the perfect instrument for beginners. All of that to say this... YES the ukulele is easy to learn! Now heres why... First, the ukulele is not intimidating. Unlike it’s guitar counterpart the ukulele has only 4 strings. It’s also a lot smaller with the soprano size ukulele being only 21 inches long (533mm) and weighing less than a pound (.5kg). This makes the ukulele easy to hold and carry around. Anyone over the age of 3 can carry a ukulele. Try carrying around a piano! Secondly, ukulele exclusively use non metal strings. These strings are softer and easier to press. Acoustic guitars, being larger and utilizing longer scale lengths require more finger pressure to play notes on it’s steel strings. This can dishearten beginners as they struggle to hold down chords. On the other hand, learning and playing chords on an ukulele is easy! In fact, I’m teaching my 7 year old son how to play ukulele and in his first half an hour lesson he learned how to play 5 chords! He can find them on the fretboard, press the strings, and strum through them. (Proud dad here, I know, I know!) And when I meet with people who‘ve never touched a ukulele before and want to learn, they can start playing chords in less than 5 minutes. 5 minutes! They laugh and chuckle at how simple and fun it is. With a little more practice they should be able to play simple songs in a matter of days. Many songs are composed with 3-5 chords. If that’s not encouraging, I don’t know what is. Lastly, the ukulele is easy to learn because of the vast library of online resources available. Ukulele instructors and and enthusiasts upload free tutorials and play alongs daily on all the main digital platforms. Chances are your favorites songs are already online and ready to learn! These online resources allow you to learn the ukulele in the privacy of your home, at no cost, and no shame. Haha! Ricky Somborn, seen in the picture above started playing ukulele almost two years ago. He even has a IG post and YouTube video showing the progress of his skills over the years. Its incredible to see where he started to where he is today. Watch his progress video here . Get ready to be amazed! Hopefully I‘ve convinced you to pick up this small, simple, and amazing instrument. It really is an easy instrument to learn and play. I know, I know , easy is relative. But seriously... it is easy to learn. Now if your interested in getting your first ukulele, check out my post on the subject here . Easy peasy, lemon squeezy!
The Feather Model
“What is the Leolani/KUMU Feather model?“ Great question! It’s a question we always get asked along the follow up, “So what is the difference between the Feather and full bodied models?” Zing! So lets talk about it. But before we start lets go back to the beginning. In 2010 we at Leolani began to see a trend in the guitar biz of guitars shrinking down to travel size. Some even being able to be brought on a plane as a carry on! Seeing this spurred us to design the perfect travel ukulele. It had to be thin enough to fit in a backpack while having superb sound. We accepted the challenge and got to work. Though we would soon find out we weren’t the only ones figuring out this new idea. As we were in the design process a travel sized ukulele hit the market. This version of the travel ukulele had a very thin body, almost to the point of looking like a paddle. And being honest, it also had a “thin” sound. We on the other hand decided that our version needed to retain the sound attributes of a full bodied ukulele as well maintaining a high standard to aesthetic design. We wanted to make it difficult to choose between the two versions as it meant the new design held up to tradition. After months of designing and mulling over several prototypes, the Feather model was born. Given the name for the ukulele being “light as a feather .” Many Leolani and KUMU ukulele come in both versions, Feather and Full. We currently offer them in both tenor and concert sizes seeing that the soprano size is already compact and perfect for travel. So lets dig in! There are two major differences between the models. This being the depth of the body (upper and lower bouts), and the weight. The full bodied tenor model has a depth 3.2 inches, or 81mm while the Feather tenor has a body depth of 2.12 inches, or 54mm. This is a difference of a little more than an inch, or 33%! For the weight, there is a 2 ounce difference. This equates to a 10% difference. These two differences have made the Feather model more comfortable to play for younger/smaller players since it plays closer to the body. Keep this in mind when deciding between the two. Other than that, everything else is identical. Identical length, scale, and width. As well as having the same adornments. And as I mentioned earlier, they are also the same price! We didn’t want a price difference to be the deciding factor between the two. “But what about the sound?” Great question! There indeed is a difference in the sound profile between the two models. The thinner body of the Feather focuses the sound. It is bright, ‘punchy’, and has great note separation. The perfect model for finger style playing. On the other hand the full bodied model has a deeper, warmer sound profile. Sporting a larger body allows for more sustain. If the Feather ukulele is the jazz piano, then full bodied ukulele is the grand piano. Perfect for strumming and playing rhythm. So there you have it! These are the differences and similarities between the Feather and full bodied Leolani/KUMU models. Check them out on our website at leolaniukulele.com. Now to the only question that really matters.... which model do you prefer? Good luck!
How To Buy Your First Ukulele
So your thinking about buying your first ukulele? Where to start? First let me congratulate you on doing your homework. Doing research on this topic will make buying your first ukulele a memorable experience. I have personally sold over a thousand ukulele (in person) to customers from all over the world. Doing this that many times gave me a better understanding of the sort of questions customers were asking. These experiences helped to form four simple steps that will help you buy your first ukulele. The four steps to consider are Price, Sound, Looks, and Fit. 1. The Price The first piece of the puzzle is figuring out the right budget. If price is of no consequence go BIG. There are many masterclass builders building museum pieces. The price tag of these works of art are in the thousands. If this is not you there is still hope! There are many great affordable options out there. For your first ukulele you want to steer towards an ukulele that will inspire you to explore the instrument further. To unlock your and it's potential. This ukulele will be your first, and there's a lot of sentiment in that. So my advice is to stay away from ukulele that are in the bargain bin. These are ukulele in the $20-$50 range. These ukulele tend to be poorly made well and will give you a improper impression of the instrument. These types of ukulele are good for decoration and souvenirs. On the flip side you want to avoid breaking the bank. With practice you will hone your skills and find your musical preferences. With these preferences you can upgrade in the future. Maybe splurge on your dream ukulele (at whatever cost). But for your first ukulele, choose one that is affordable and playable. There are many amazing ukulele that can be found in the $100-$500 range. For your first, this is a great place to start. 2. The Sound Remember you are buying an instrument so sound is critical. Sound is subjective and ukulele manufacturers showcase their preferences in the sounds their ukulele produce. Differences in wood selection, ukulele size, body design, strings, and build construction can affect the tonal qualities of the instrument. When buying your first ukulele it is important that you find an ukulele that sounds best to your ears. Some people prefer the sound from company X, others from company Y. That is great but that is what they like. You need to find the ukulele that when strummed sends you to your happy place. If you live near a music store head down and strum on several ukulele. Tone, projection, bass response, and sustain are important things to think about when finding your personal sound preference. Take your time. Discovering your sound preferences is important. You may have to ask someone working at the store to play them for you to figure this out. If you aren’t able to visit your local music store, listen online to high quality sound clips. This will at least help you find your sound preferences. 3. The Looks Who said looks aren't important? We may tell ourselves that to give us a sense of virtue, but seriously looks really do matter. Ukulele come in all shapes and sizes not to mention cosmetic bling. These include body design, wood combinations, bindings, inlays, and finish. The finish can be a smooth satin, or a buffed out mirror gloss. The body may be adorned with shimmering abalone shell purfling (look it up). Or the grain of wood may have stunning patterns that look like ripples on a pond. Since beauty in is in the eye of the beholder look closely for the ukulele that catches your eye. Believe me you will need extra time looking over these beauties! 4. The Fit Fit is the area of decision least explored when someone chooses their first ukulele though it is a crucial element. Like trying on a pair of shoes, how it fits on your foot is important. You must ask yourself these questions when picking up the ukulele. "Does this ukulele feel comfortable against my body?" "Is it too big to hold?" Too small?" "Does it look right in proportion to my body when I hold it up in a mirror?" Believe it or not most people don't consider these questions when buying their first ukulele. Why is fit important? It's like asking why picking out the right size of shoe is important. It's comfort. If the ukulele isn't comfortable you will not pick it up and play. Concerning fit, follow Goldilocks. Make sure your first ukulele fits just right! Price, sound, looks, and fit. These four 'pillars' will guide you to the perfect first ukulele. If you are able head down to your local music store. This will give you a better idea trying on the fit of the ukulele as well hearing the actual sound of the ukulele. If you can't purchase your ukulele in person, head to online reviews and shops looking at hi-res photos and sound clips. There you go! May these steps guide you to the start of your ukulele journey, or at least to your first ukulele. Aloha!