UKELELE!!

[operative451]

Just had one arrive off ebay... Weird, the low string is high! Odd. Might stick a fatter nylon string on and tune it down. Or just get used to it.

Feels a bit odd after the bass though! But i think its going to be fun.

[Len_derby]

Congratulations!
Not a player myself, I'm a banjo man (or Banjoid) for a bit of fun. But we all need a bit of fun in our music.

If you've never heard of them, check out The Reentrants for what you can do with a uke'
They're friends of mine and their gigs are a real blast.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9qttFMGbfE

[iamtheelvy]

The different tunings is a bit of a mind bend, but good exercise if nothing else! I play around on a mandolin at home, which is tuned EADG... but that's high to low! :-s

[tonyquipment]

I have a uke. It's fun but a bit annoying lol

[operative451]

The real problem is, it arrived at work so its sitting on my desk looking at me and its just too tempting! This is why i had to take the nerf gun home!

[dlloyd]

What did you get? I have three ukes, A soprano cheapy, a Fluke tenor and a fairly expensive Kala baritone that is awesome, solid acacia. The photo is still on the Southern Ukulele store website:

[operative451]

A 'mahalo' off eBay... 20 quid including postage... it's fun actually! worked out some chords and have been playing judas priest on it.

[Beer of the Bass]

I used to have a beautiful 1920s Kumalae Uke, which I'd found at a furniture auction. Unfortunately, I ended up selling it to a fanatical uke collector on eBay a couple of years ago (for something like £300!) when I needed to pay some bills. It was flamed Koa, and sounded really sweet. Fortunately, I've just found a funky little banjo uke in a charity shop that just needs a bridge and some strings, so I'll have a uke again shortly...

[SlapbassSteve]

[quote name='operative451' timestamp='1375358756' post='2160191']
Just had one arrive off ebay... Weird, the low string is high! Odd. Might stick a fatter nylon string on and tune it down. Or just get used to it.

Feels a bit odd after the bass though! But i think its going to be fun.
[/quote]

I actually started on ukulele because the 15 year old me thought 'only four strings, so it's basically a small bass then? Smart, moved on since luckily! They're great instruments and you get used to the high G pretty quickly- it's done like that to make strumming sound more even. However it's worth noting some string manufacturers do a 'low G' set- Aquila are great for this, it makes playing lead lines a bit easier



...I feel I should bung in a cheeky plug for my band here, Ukebox ...not many videos up at the moment but it's really going places, four ukuleles and meself on bass [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uugtJrbufk"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uugtJrbufk[/url]

[4-string-thing]

I have a Brunswick baritone uke, its tuned the same as the top four strings of a guitar, so chords are quite easy!

[operative451]

Here it is with it's big sis.

[ras52]

For strumming chords I just pretend that the bottom string is an octave lower than it is, then it all makes sense. The penny dropped when I realised that the intervals are the same as those of the top four strings of a guitar, so all the guitar-chord shapes "work" - all that remains then is to treat is as transposing instrument that's a 4th/5th out!

[Apprenti L'Artisan]

You can get low G-string sets. I'm not sure if they're available on sopranos though.

[MiltyG565]

[quote name='operative451' timestamp='1375358756' post='2160191']
Just had one arrive off ebay... Weird, the low string is high! Odd. Might stick a fatter nylon string on and tune it down. Or just get used to it.

Feels a bit odd after the bass though! But i think its going to be fun.
[/quote]

It is odd, ain't it? I wouldn't think sticking a thicker string on would be a good idea. I reckon the reason the G strings isn't an octave lower is because the scale length isn't long enough and you would need a fairly hefty string for it, but that's just my guess.

If you can play guitar, imagine putting a capo on the 5th fret, and ignoring the 2 bass strings (E and A). That's a ukulele.

I've currently got a £130 Lag concert ukulele in to glue the neck back on. Lovely little uke. You should check them out if you are ever playing a bit more seriously. Any of you uke players should check them out.

[operative451]

I've been fiddly diddling away with it and am getting used to it now... My band-mate keeps tuning my guitar to drop D so i'm getting used to ignoring the string closest to me anyway!

[Leon Transaxle]

[quote name='4-string-thing' timestamp='1375642990' post='2163840']
I have a Brunswick baritone uke, its tuned the same as the top four strings of a guitar, so chords are quite easy!
[/quote]
I got a baritone for this reason, then decided to tune it to DGAD instead!

[quote name='iamtheelvy' timestamp='1375362012' post='2160264']
The different tunings is a bit of a mind bend, but good exercise if nothing else! I play around on a mandolin at home, which is tuned EADG... but that's high to low! :-s
[/quote]
I have also got a Mandola which is marginally bigger than a Mondolin (so better for fat fingers) and tuned ADGC high to low, which means most chord shapes for songs in C are really easy.

[discreet]

[font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][size=4][pedant] Ukulele. [/pedant][/size][/font]

[font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][size=4]Factoid: In Hawaii, the name roughly translates as 'jumping flea'.[/size][/font]

[font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][size=4]Another factoid, contradicting the first one: According to Queen Liliʻuokalani - the last Hawaiian monarch - the name means 'the gift that came here', from the Hawaiian words [i]uku[/i] (gift or reward) and [i]lele[/i] (to come).[/size][/font]

Edited September 17, 2013 by discreet

[ras52]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1379377953' post='2212038']
[font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][size=4][pedant] Ukulele. [/pedant][/size][/font]

[font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][size=4]Factoid: In Hawaii, the name roughly translates as 'jumping flea'.[/size][/font]

[font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][size=4]Another factoid, contradicting the first one: According to Queen Liliʻuokalani - the last Hawaiian monarch - the name means 'the gift that came here', from the Hawaiian words [i]uku[/i] (gift or reward) and [i]lele[/i] (to come).[/size][/font]
[/quote]

Ouch, contradicting factoids.... can I get cream for that?

[discreet]

[quote name='ras52' timestamp='1379400097' post='2212085']
Ouch, contradicting factoids.... can I get cream for that?
[/quote]

Just butch it out and use aftershave. Stings a bit, but makes 'em comply really quick.

[fretmeister]

Get stuck in!!

Bo Rap on a uku..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PB3RbO7updc


and the Shaft theme!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlMT-oEIQuo

Edited March 24, 2014 by icastle
Link fixed.

[BigBassBob]

I love me some uke! Currently have some toy ukulele after my cheap soprano died at a house party. I've also got a nice Kala baritone with mango laminate. Doesn't get played as much as it should though

[gilmour]

I run 22 piece ukulele band and TBH I play it a lot more than my bass these days. So much fun. Feels weird going to a gig with just the uke though, as opposed to bass, pedal board, amp, cab, leads box... I like it

And of course the band plug, www.facebook.com/thesmallstrings

[operative451]

In its intended use, it will play a 'fiddly diddly' line which then goes onto fuzz bass. I may need a double neck!

[fretmeister]

[quote name='operative451' timestamp='1375615217' post='2163412']
A 'mahalo' off eBay... 20 quid including postage... it's fun actually! worked out some chords and have been playing judas priest on it.
[/quote]

My daughter has one of them! Great fun.

Have you seen the Uke version of Shaft?

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlMT-oEIQuo"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlMT-oEIQuo[/url]


Awesome!

[Mornats]

[quote name='fretmeister' timestamp='1379958461' post='2218772']
Bo Rap on a uku..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PB3RbO7updc
[/quote]

That is fifty shades of awesome.

Edited March 24, 2014 by icastle
Link fixed.