Ukulele For Dummies E-Book

Alistair Wood

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Geisteswissenschaft
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 308

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2011

Beschreibung

Learn everything ukulele—from chord progressions to playing pop, folk, and holiday favorites—and, yes, even Hawaiian music!

The ukulele is hot. The season one finale of Glee featured a ukulele. The recent hit song "Hey Soul Sister" by Train includes the dulcet tones of a uke. Not to mention the runaway success of the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain. For anyone wishing to master this fun, surprisingly versatile instrument, Ukulele For Dummies covers all the basics—from chords and strumming patterns to guidance on finger-picking.

• The print version of the book includes a CD with audio tracks of the entire musical notation in the book—creating a total musical instruction package
• Offers instruction in a variety of styles—including pop, folk, holiday favorites, and Hawaiian music
• Features a buying guide for the novice—with tips on purchasing a ukulele plus other necessary accessories

With its simple and clear instruction, and inspiration on every page, Ukulele For Dummies will have fans and first-time musicians making beautiful music—as they tiptoe through the tulips—in no time.

Note: CD files are available to download after purchasing the e-Book version

Leseprobe

Ukulele For Dummies®

Visit www.dummies.com/cheatsheet/ukuleleuk to view this book's cheat sheet.

Table of Contents

Introduction

About This Book

What You’re Not to Read

Conventions Used in This Book

Foolish Assumptions

How This Book Is Organised

Part I: Introducing Ukulele Basics

Part II: Starting Out With Chords and Strumming

Part III: Picking and Single-Note Playing

Part IV: Discovering Genres and Styles

Part V: Buying and Looking After Your Ukulele

Part VI: The Part of Tens

Part VII: Appendixes

Icons Used in This Book

Where to Go From Here

Part I: Introducing Ukulele Basics

Chapter 1: Exploring the Ukulele

Understanding the Uke’s Advantages

Loving the sound

Joining a vibrant community

Appreciating the uke’s practicality

Sizing Up the Ukulele

Meeting the family: Daddy uke, mummy uke and baby uke

Deciding which uke is best for you

Taking a Tour: The Anatomy of the Ukulele

Becoming a Well-Versed Ukulele Player

Strumming along to hula in Hawaii

Swinging and picking across the USA

Rockin’ and rollin’, and getting down with the blues

Diversifying into ever more styles

Chapter 2: Tuning Up to Sound Great

Knowing Some Musical Terms

Notes as letters

Half steps and whole steps

Chords and scales

Major and minor

Pitching Into Tuning Basics

Unravelling Tunings for Your Instrument

Exploring the most common tuning: gCEA

Using other tunings

Choosing a Tuning Method

Going hi-tech: Tuning with an electronic tuner

Listening and repeating: Tuning to the audio track

Stringing along: Tuning to a guitar

Seeing in black and white: Tuning to a piano or keyboard

Tuning your uke to itself

Chapter 3: Discovering How to Handle Your Ukulele

Holding On to Your Ukulele

Positioning yourself to play

Standing up

Sitting down

Holding your uke left-handed

Developing Your Strumming

Strumming in the right spot

Strumming in the right way

Refusing to use a pick!

Pressing On to Fretting

Positioning your fretting hand

Locating where to fret

Discovering how strongly to fret

Adjusting when things don’t sound right

Playing and pain

Part II: Starting Out With Chords and Strumming

Chapter 4: Playing Your First Ukulele Chords and Songs

Playing Music without Reading Music

Reading chord diagrams

Deciphering chord diagrams for lefties

Playing a Song Using Two Chords

Creating a C chord

Fingering an F chord

Starting your first song: ‘Li’l Liza Jane’

Developing Your First Strumming Patterns

Using strumming notation

Filling in with ups and downs

Finding an easy way to follow rhythms

Discovering Seven Chords

Getting to grips with G7

Adding the E7 chord

Taking off with your second song: ‘I’ll Fly Away’

Practising Minor Chords

Attempting A minor

Moving on to D minor

Majoring in E minor

Playing your first minor-chord song

Chapter 5: Drumming Up More Strumming Patterns

Pocketing the Ever-useful Swiss Army Strum

Adding Pep with Some Strumming Variations

Changing chords within bars

Strumming strongly and weakly

Introducing the time signature

Checking out chnks

Strumming for Various Genres

Getting down with blues strumming: The shuffle

Becoming upbeat about the reggae off-beat

Rocking without strumming

Rolling your strums

Deciding on an Appropriate Strumming Pattern

Chapter 6: Meeting the Chords and Their Families

Getting to Know Chord Families

Practising the Three-chord Trick: The I–IV–V Progression

Fingering Barre Chords

Going flat-out for B flat

Deciding to play D7

Playing B minor

Moving Chord Shapes

Budging up barre chords

Discovering new moveable chord shapes

Inviting Round More Chord Families

Geeing up the G chord family

Finding out about the F chord family

Playing according to the A chord family

Discovering the D chord family

Attempting More Complex Chords

Making melancholy minor 7 chords

Relaxing with major 7 chords

Getting cool with diminished chords

Remaining unresolved with suspended chords

Part III: Picking and Single-Note Playing

Chapter 7: Getting to Grips with Tabs and Notation

Tapping into Tabs

Stringing notes along in tabs

Fretting notes in tab

Sequencing notes in tab

Playing simultaneous notes in tab

Chording in tab

Strumming in tab

Reading Rhythms

Splitting into quarter notes

Holding on for half and whole notes

Dividing further: Eighth and sixteenth notes

Dotting and tying notes

Resting and Repeating

Taking a rest

Repeating . . . and repeating

Putting Everything Together

Starting with a simple tune

Moving up the neck

Shifting positions

Chapter 8: Discovering Fingerpicking Patterns

Introducing the Fingerpicking Technique

Picking Up Some Picking Patterns

Getting the lowdown on the up pattern

Rising and falling: The up and down pattern

Playing all together: The simultaneous picking pattern

Thumbing around: The alternate picking pattern

Chapter 9: Combining Melodies and Chords When Playing Solo

Strumming Melody and Chords Together

Thumb-strumming the melody

Using up strums

Strumming between the melody

Finger-strumming the melody

Picking Out Melodies and Chords

Faking a strum

Fingerpicking to combine melody and chords

Chapter 10: Picking Up Some Soloing Techniques

Getting Articulated on the Frets

Hammering-on

Pulling-off

Sliding between notes

Bending notes

Producing vibrato

Putting everything together

Picking Your Way to Great Solos

Being all fingers and thumbs (in a good way!)

Picking alternately: The running man

Using a pick

Strum blocking

Inventing Solos the Easy Way

Soloing using chord shapes

Playing all the chord shapes

Soloing with scales

Part IV: Discovering Genres and Styles

Chapter 11: Rocking Out With Your Uke

Rocking Out With Chords

Keeping it simple: Three-chord punk

Adding a fourth chord

Powering up with 5 chords

Building tension: Suspended chords

Strumming Rock and Punk Rhythms

Bo Diddling

Iggy Popping

Riffing Your Way to Rock Heaven

Working with chord riffs

Strengthening your single-note riffs

Combining chords and single notes

Discovering Rock Soloing Techniques

Double stopping

Shifting position with slides

Making Your Uke Talk: Soloing Tips

Phrasing like speaking

Articulating questions and answers

Moving up the fretboard for tension and release

Chapter 12: Playing the Blues to Lift Your Spirits

Playing Blues Chord Progressions

Performing a simple 12-bar blues

Varying the 12-bar blues

Shuffling the blues

Turning the Blues Around

Leading the Blues

Soloing with the Blues Scale

Discovering the first position blues scale

Using the second position blues scale

Scaling the heights with solos

Chapter 13: Saying ‘Aloha’ to the Hawaiian Style

Strumming in the Hawaiian Way

Turning Around, Hawaiian-style

Progressing to the Hawaiian turnaround

Soloing the Hawaiian turnaround

Stretching Out to Play ‘Alekoki’

Chapter 14: Jazzing Up Your Uke Playing

Turning Around, Jazz-Style

Using Hot Jazzy Chords

Extending your chords

Stretching chords even further

Altering your chords

Strumming in that Jazzy Way

Playing a ragtime tune

Hitting the split stroke

Faking a Jazz Solo

Chapter 15: Strumming Up the Jawaiian Style

Starting Up Some Jawaiian Strumming

Practising the touch strum

Drumming up the thumb ’n’ strum style

‘Jamming’ with Bob Marley

Going ‘One Step Beyond’: Skanking

Chapter 16: Getting Classy: Classical Masterpieces for Ukulele

Conjuring Chords for Classics

Strumming Up the Classics

Picking the Classics – Classical Guitar Pieces for Ukulele

Playing Campanella Style

Part V: Buying and Looking After Your Ukulele

Chapter 17: Weighing Up Your Options When Buying a Ukulele

Buying Your First Uke

Assessing how much to spend

Picking a size

Avoiding problems

Deciding Where to Buy

Buying from a shop

Purchasing online

Obtaining Your Second (and Third, Fourth, Fifth . . .) Ukulele

Thinking about solid versus laminated

Considering types of wood

Plugging In: Electric Ukuleles

Chapter 18: Splashing Out on Essentials and Accessories

Picking the Right Strings

Getting Hold of Optional Accessories

Clipping on a tuner

Bagging a case

Recording your performance

Leaving it standing up or hanging down?

Strapping on your uke

Capturing the right capo

Feeling for a pick – if you really must

Computing Your Way to Better Playing

Keeping time with a metronome

Recording tunes

Tuning up

Charting a way to uke chords

Producing chord sheets

Making tabs

Training by ear

Chapter 19: Restringing, Maintaining and Adjusting Your Uke

Restringing Your Ukulele

Deciding when to restring

Removing the strings

Tying the strings at the bridge

Looping the strings round the tuning pegs

Stretching the strings

Maintaining Your Ukulele

Cleaning after playing

Storing your ukulele

Tackling humidity

Diagnosing and Solving Uke Problems

Deciding that the strings are too high: Lowering the action

Fixing a buzzing sound: Raising the action

Fighting against out-of-tune strings high up the fretboard

Adjusting strings that go out of tune

Part VI: The Part of Tens

Chapter 20: Ten (Plus) Ukulele Players to Know

Ernest Ka‘ai (1881–1962)

May Singhi Breen (1895–1970)

Roy Smeck (1900–1994)

George Formby (1904–1961)

The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain (1985–)

Israel Kamakawiwo‘ole (1959–1997)

Jake Shimabukuro (1976–)

James Hill (1980–)

Zach Condon (1986–)

Julia Nunes (1989–)

Chapter 21: Ten Ways to Get Involved in the Ukulele Scene

Joining a Ukulele Club

Visiting a Ukulele Festival

Making a Video

Playing Live

Going Online

Spreading the Uke News

Entering a Contest

Teaching Someone

Writing Your Own Songs

Seeing a Show

Chapter 22: Ten (Or So) Tips for Improving Your Playing

Playing Very Slowly

Refusing to Rush Things

Recording Yourself

Playing With and For Others

Practising in Sections

Knowing When to Stop Practising

Stealing From Everyone

Varying Your Inversions and Verying Your Invarsions

Opening Your Ears

Enjoying Yourself

Busting a Rut

Part VII: Appendixes

Appendix A: Chord Charts

Appendix B: Reading Standard Musical Notation

Coming across accidentals: Sharps, flats and naturals

Understanding the key signature

Tying notes together

Dotting notes

Taking a rest

Cranking it up or bringing it down: Dynamics

Getting the speed right: Tempo

Following directions

Appendix C: Audio Tracks

Cheat Sheet

Download Additional Content

Ukulele For Dummies®

by Alistair Wood

Ukulele For Dummies®

Published byJohn Wiley & Sons, LtdThe AtriumSouthern GateChichesterWest SussexPO19 8SQEngland

E-mail (for orders and customer service enquires): [email protected]

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About the Author

Alistair Wood is a ukulele enthusiast, arranger, and writer. He first picked up a ukulele at the age of 16 and spent five years working out which way round the strings were supposed to go. Once that hurdle was leapt, he quickly became a devote and launched the website UkuleleHunt.com in 2007.

Since then, UkuleleHunt.com has gone on to be the most popular ukulele blog on the net, attracting over 6 million views and becoming the online hub of the ukulele scene. His expertise on the current ukulele boom has lead to his opinions being sought by The Guardian, The New York Times, and BBC News.

If you have any questions or comments about the book, or ukulele playing in general, you can contact Alistair at [email protected]>.

Dedication

For Trefor Wood (1940–2009).

Author’s Acknowledgments

If you find this book helpful, grammatically correct, and not at all offensive, that outcome is entirely due to the skill, patience, and hard work of the team at Wiley. I’d like to thank Mike Baker, Steve Edwards, Jen Bingham, and Rachael Chilvers for all their work. And thanks to Arch Larizza for ironing out the technical foul-ups.

I owe more thanks than I could possibly say to Mum, Dad, and Gaz, who’ve supported everything I’ve ever done – even my bright idea of packing in a steady job in favour of writing about ukuleles on the internet.

Huge thanks go to Jenny Sokol (who has been a rock of support) and to Armelle Aaserod, Lou Armer, and Lorraine Bow. I’d also like to thank my fellow ukulele bloggers Gary Peare and Craig Robertson at Ukulelia, Mike Dickison at Kiwi Ukulele, and Bertrand Saint-Guillain at Ukulele.fr for their help and encouragement when I started out. My thanks also go to everyone who has supported me with kind comments and emails.

Finally, thanks to all the musicians who’ve made the ukulele an instrument worth writing about.

Publisher’s Acknowledgements

We’re proud of this book; please send us your comments through our Dummies online registration form located at www.dummies.com/register/.

Some of the people who helped bring this book to market include the following:

Commissioning, Editorial, and Media Development

Project Editor: Steve Edwards

Commissioning Editor: Mike Baker

Assistant Editor: Ben Kemble

Development Editor: Andy Finch

Copy Editor: Kate O’Leary

Technical Editor: Arch Larizza

Proofreader: Charlie Wilson

Production Manager: Daniel Mersey

Cover Photos: © iStock/David Cannings-Bushell

Cartoons: Rich Tennant (www.the5thwave.com)

Composition Services

Project Coordinator: Kristie Rees

Layout and Graphics: Samantha K. Cherolis, Lavonne Roberts, Corrie Socolovitch

Indexer: Potomac Indexing, LLC

Special Art: Alistair Wood

Interior Photographer: Max Cisotti

Proofreader: Jessica Kramer

Special Help

Brand Reviewer: Jennifer Bingham

Publishing and Editorial for Consumer Dummies

Diane Graves Steele, Vice President and Publisher, Consumer Dummies

Kristin Ferguson-Wagstaffe, Product Development Director, Consumer Dummies

Ensley Eikenburg, Associate Publisher, Travel

Kelly Regan, Editorial Director, Travel

Publishing for Technology Dummies

Andy Cummings, Vice President and Publisher, Dummies Technology/General User

Composition Services

Debbie Stailey, Director of Composition Services

Introduction

I’d like to share with you the best piece of ukulele playing advice I ever read: ‘make a joyful noise . . . make a loud noise.’ The aim of this book is to help you do both these two things. (In fact, the quote comes from the Bible (Psalms 98:4, King James Version), which I think proves beyond doubt that God plays ukulele.)

Most people who pick up the ukulele don’t do so with dreams of rock-star fame or recognition as a virtuoso, but simply to have fun making music. This book doesn’t go deep into the theory or insist on you practising endless scales. Instead, you get the confidence and knowledge you need to start enjoying making music as quickly as possible.