We’ve just posted a free lesson on transitioning from guitar to ukulele on our new ukulele-videos.com site. In this video Guy will show you how to replicate the tuning of a ukulele on your guitar by using a capo at the fifth fret and only the top four strings. Guy will then cover some specific guitar principles that can also be used on the ukulele. Finally, you’ll learn a simple chord progression and strum pattern. You can view the chord charts here. Guy also has a new premium lesson available called Ukulele 101 that will teach you some popular and familiar chord progressions.
So let’s say that instead of using letters to define notes, you assigned a number to represent each degree of a scale. Then you used that method to play Pi or π to 31 decimal places at 157 bpm. Then made the song a round and used a piano, xylophone, organ, accordian, ukulele, guitjo and other instruments. Well you probably wouldn’t do that, but someone else did and made an excellent video.
Ever wondered what it would be like if the video you uploaded to Youtube went viral? That’s the dream when you film yourself covering a song right? Well this is a good article on Tally Deushane whose ukulele performances that were filmed in her dorm room became featured videos on the Youtube main page.
The video’s views skyrocketed and quickly climbed to more than 100,000.
“That was a crazy day,” Deushane said. “I came home to more than 700 e-mails.”
The posting eventually attracted about 230,000 views in its first month.
So after gaining a ton of views and fans, Tally had the opportunity to make a little money through ad revenue sharing with Youtube. But that’s probably insignificant. What’s really cool is where her music ended up getting featured:
Deushane has also attracted the attention of staff from the television show “How I Met Your Mother.” Staff from the show approached her about using a song she’d written about the show on the Season 5 boxset, she said. They’re planning to re-record the song and include it as part of an outtakes featurette on the set, Deushane said.
Youtube is littered with videos of stripped down ukulele covers of popular songs. These videos usually run the gamut from awful to kinda cool. I think this cover of the Black Eyed Peas’ “I Gotta Feeling” is a cut above anything else I’ve seen. Eva Walsh (background info) just graduated from Vandy with a Bachelor’s in Music and is a classical violinist. The normal ukulele cover would have Eva just singing the song while strumming, and that would be pleasant. But the extra dashes make this video special. The fiddle brings a great texture to the song, which is followed up by an organ and then layered vocals. The resulting product is an intriguing almost bluegrass take on a hip hop song that I can’t stop listening to. To check out more videos go to Eva’s youtube channel
We’re proud to announce a new combination Book and DVD designed for people who want to learn how to play the ukulele. This is not just a glorified songbook. This is an actual instructional product designed to teach you proper playing technique. You will learn the parts of the uke, proper playing position, a variety of strums, how to play chords, and more.
The Ukulele Primer starts off with the absolute basics like parts of the uke, tuning (G, C, E, A), left and right hand position, and how to strum. After covering the basics, you will learn how to play chords and different strum patterns in the context of fifteen popular songs. The fifty page book contains written instruction, music notation, helpful tips, chord charts, and detailed photographs. The 86 minute DVD provides video instruction for all of the techniques and songs covered in the book. The video uses split screens so you will be able to clearly see both hands and the music at all times.
Songs include: He’s Got the Whole World, Pay Me My Money Down, When the Saints Go Marching In, Streets of Laredo, Tom Dooley, Worried Man Blues, Banks of the Ohio, Jamaica Farewell, Amazing Grace, Swing Low Sweet Chariot, The Sloop John B, O Mary Don’t You Weep, Midnight Special
View the Ukulele Primer product page for sample pages, demo videos and more details
