Ukulele For Dummies (3 page)
Read Ukulele For Dummies Online
Authors: Alistair Wood
Part V: Buying and Looking After Your Ukulele
The point of Part V is to save you money (or help you spend it wisely, depending on how you look at things). I give you advice on buying a ukulele (in Chapter 17), what accessories you may need (Chapter 18) and how to look after your ukulele when you own it (Chapter 19).
Part VI: The Part of Tens
No
For Dummies
book would be complete without a Part of Tens giving you a rundown of essential information. Chapter 20 introduces you to ten ukulele players to inspire your playing; Chapter 21 contains ways to get involved in the ukulele scene; and Chapter 22 reveals some invaluable tips for making your practising fun and rewarding.
Part VII: Appendixes
The appendixes gather together loads of useful reference material that you
'
ll be dipping into for many years to come: Appendix A gives you chord charts for the most commonly used chords on the ukulele; Appendix B is an introduction to reading music in standard notation; and Appendix C provides you with a guide to the audio tracks that accompany the book.
Icons Used in This Book
This book uses the following icons to call your attention to information that you may find helpful in particular ways.
The information marked by this icon is important and worth remembering. This icon allows you to spot the info easily when you refer back to a chapter later.
This icon indicates extra-helpful information that can save you time or make something easier.
This icon marks places where technical matters are discussed. You can skip over this more technical material if you prefer because the book is designed to let you do so without missing out on anything essential.
Paragraphs marked with this icon call attention to common pitfalls that you may encounter or prepare you for techniques that may turn out to be difficult to master.
This icon indicates an audio track that demonstrates an exercise or tune.
Where to Go From Here
As with all
For Dummies
books, the chapters in
Ukulele For Dummies
are written to be as self-contained as possible. In this way you can devise and follow your own personal course through the book depending on your interests and skill level.
To help you plot your journey, here are a few pointers:
If you don't have a ukulele yet, jump straight to Chapter 17 before you prise open your wallet. The sections contain lots of advice to ensure that you don't waste your cash.
If you're a beginner eager to get playing, head to Chapter 2 to tune up your uke.
If you're the proud owner of a shiny new uke, check out Chapter 19 for how to keep it in tiptop playing condition.
If you're a little more advanced and are comfortable with chords, go straight to the single-note playing chapters in Part III.
Part I
Introducing Ukulele Basics
In this part . . .
I provide all the background information you need to kick-start your ukulele playing. You find a brief overview of the worldwide development of the ukulele and a look at what you can expect to discover in this book. If you want to get to grips with ukulele terms, tune up your uke or know how to position your hands ready to play, Part I is for you!
Chapter 1
Exploring the Ukulele
In This Chapter
Appreciating the advantages of the ukulele
Looking at different sizes
Getting to know the ukulele
Discovering what you can play on the uke
U
kulele virtuoso Jake Shimabukuro says something that makes a lot of sense to many ukulele players: âOne of the things I love about being a ukulele player is that no matter where I go in the world to play, the audience has such low expectations.' And it's very true. Many people think of the ukulele as a toy and are unaware of the great music that can be made with it. People are often stunned that you can make real music on a ukulele at all. But the uke is very much a real instrument with a rich musical history, and it's quite capable of producing everything from light melodies to riotous strumming.
This chapter fills you in on why the uke's such a fantastic instrument, describes some of the global musical styles you can expect to play on it and, I hope, inspires you to make some great music with your new best friend!
Understanding the Uke's Advantages
Why would you want to play ukulele when you could play another exotic instrument such as a saz, shenai or sackbut? Well, as this section reveals, you can get certain things from a uke that other instruments simply can't supply.
Loving the sound
The best reason for picking up the ukulele is its captivating, unique sound. Whether it's a lilting Hawaiian song or some riotous jazzy strumming, no other instrument sounds quite like the uke.
The unusual arrangement of the strings gives you close harmony chords and harp-like tones that simply aren't available on most fretted instruments.
Joining a vibrant community
A special community surrounds ukulele players, one that you rarely get with other instruments. You'd struggle to find a group of bass guitar players getting together to form a bass guitar orchestra, but all over the globe groups of uke players regularly get together to uke-out on a few tunes.
Don't worry about being too old or too young for joining the ukulele community. Most ukulele groups have members ranging in age from teenagers up to pensioners as well as a good gender balance. Most groups welcome beginners and some larger ones have a specific group for people just starting on the uke. No matter who you are, you'll get a warm welcome.
If you're looking to get involved in the ukulele social scene, check out Chapter 21.
Appreciating the uke's practicality
I live in a small flat. There's not enough room to swing a cat (I tested, but Tiddles is just about fine now). So the fact that I play the ukulele rather than the church organ is fortunate. The uke's diminutiveness makes it a favourite instrument among travellers.
And don't forget the price. Ukuleles are relatively cheap and you can get a decent beginner ukulele for under £30, or around $45. Read Chapter 17 for a full guide to buying a uke, Chapter 18 for stocking up on accessories and Chapter 19 for maintaining your prized possession.
Getting started quickly
Have you ever heard someone just starting out on the violin? It's not very pleasant (sounds a bit like the noise Tiddles made as he helped me test the size of my flat!). You have to put in a great deal of practice before you can make a musical sound on the violin.
Not so with the ukulele. With a bit of knowledge and a smidge of practice you can start making a reasonable sound on the uke within a few minutes. Before long â in fact after learning just two chords (C and F, as described in Chapter 4) â you can be playing your first song. This fast-start aspect is very encouraging and a big motivator to keep you practising.
Origins of the word
ukulele
Ukulele
is a Hawaiian word, and as such it presents some spelling and pronunciation issues for English speakers.
Exactly how the ukulele got its name is lost in the mists of time, but that doesn't mean that people haven't made some interesting guesses. In Hawaiian
uku
means flea and
lele
means jumping, and so the most common explanation is that it was called the âjumping flea' because of the movement of the player's fingers.
Another convincing explanation is that the name developed from a traditional Hawaiian instrument called the
ukeke
. But my favourite is the suggestion offered by Queen Liliâoukalani, who translated ukulele as âgift that comes from afar'.
I'd be willing to wager that ukulele is probably the most misspelled musical instrument in existence. Even the English poet Rupert Brooke â in his poem âWaikiki' â couldn't manage it and came up with âeukaleli'.
The widely accepted spelling, and the one used in this book, is ukulele, which is also the spelling in most dictionaries. But the true Hawaiian spelling is
âukulele
with an âokina (the apostrophe) at the beginning. Using the anglicised version without the âokina is perfectly acceptable, but many people like to use it to pay respect to the ukulele's Hawaiian roots.
Similar problems exist with the pronunciation. Most people go with the anglicised
you-ka-LAY-lee
, although the Hawaiian pronunciation is
oo-koo-lay-lay
. Outside of ukulele-playing circles, you're probably best to stick with
you-ka-LAY-lee
so that people know what you're talking about!
Enjoying a long-term challenge
If you spend more than five minutes on the Internet, you're sure to see a gaudy ad saying, âYou can GET RICH/LOSE WEIGHT in only five days with no effort. Just send us £99.' Similarly, you may meet people who tell you that mastering the uke is easy so they can sell you something. Don't believe them.
Although getting started is easy and satisfying, I love the ukulele because it's such a challenge to play really well. The uke simply has so much less to it than most instruments â fewer strings, fewer frets, less volume â that these restrictions force you to be creative with rhythms and harmonies. As a result you can come up with ideas you'd never have on another instrument.