Ukulele

[ardcarp]

Right at the end of Radio 4's World at One was an item about the ukelele. Someone (from Leeds?) had apparently moaned about its being so widespread in schools as 'the classroom instrument', saying it was 'a rootless, limited instrument with no music of its own'.

Well I suppose we can all have a shudder at the thought of thirty 7-year-olds strumming away, probably under the tutelage of a teacher lacking in...well anything. But hang on. It had Portuguese origins (so some roots after all) and became popular in Hawaii and with George Formby, so definitely had some repertoire, even if mainly as an accompanying instrument. In the hands of an expert strummer (with syncopations and cross-rhythms) it can be quite spectacular, and can even do a bit of melodic stuff too. There was a pretty nifty player on the programme..who in fact played it out.

A story. (Groan if you will.) A little girl of five, who was an elective mute, was taught some basic chords on the uke by me, and amazingly she sang things such as My Bonny Lies over the Ocean and Way down upon the Swanee River (very un-PC) accompanying herself....and changing the chord at the right time without being shown. So it is a very good instrument for understanding basic harmony. She also began talking to people again.

So I don't dismiss the ukelele.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m00120w8

A few minutes from the end.

[Joseph K]

Saw a Slayer cover on ukelele the other day...

[Dave2002]

I didn't realise there were different types/sizes of ukulele.

See

https://content.westmusic.com/blog-choose-the-right-ukulele/

[Joseph K]

Ardcarp, we both misspelt 'ukulele'.

[RichardB]

There's also the composer/performer Donald Bousted

https://donaldbousted.com/ukulele/

who since 2017 has released two CDs of contemporary music for ukelele(s).

[ardcarp]

Ardcarp, we both misspelt 'ukulele'.

Thanks for the correction. To think I've been playing (well, toying with) an instrument all my life that I couldn't spell!

These days, a 'standard' ukulele tuning (from top to bottom) is G down a fifth to C up a third to E and up a fourth to A. And modern ukulele music uses
guitar-like chord instructions such as G, A7, etc. However in the 1920s, 30s and 40s, many song-books were published with tablature, that is a grid representing the strings and frets, and black dots showing where to put your fingers. And at the top of each song it suggeested tuning the uke to suit the range of the song, eg 'tune ukulele to ADF#B'. Both systems can be seen (just about) here....

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=ukulele+music+sheet&sxsrf=AOaemvJlsO2LiIf6JcQNis7RZIREauAtlQ:1638312199972&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=Dcp7fCX903iBMM%252Cvf7JYBhiZsALPM%252C_%253B8qim6NeBePj6OM%252CyoklRgf8BsDv8M%252C_%253BKhxa0yYMorL1cM%252CD1gB8ksD26-fBM%252C_%253BqhRsp5xwNrRtdM%252CetagPk0FHQyL4M%252C_%253BUzkz25Q6PCDJ-M%252CGXbijkBtAZW7AM%252C_%253Bjdpdu36sLqGBbM%252CYjyP5t8wjIm_YM%252C_%253B6MZZDBpU6qtANM%252CPfkea9qQo0tbSM%252C_%253BZfe9gtRLSvtHxM%252ChGW44Ji0ViDzEM%252C_%253BprvsdtbEAHCdeM%252CJOZX1TWDte_yXM%252C_%253BCtVsff2yIHq6YM%252Ci4iGFteFeluhQM%252C_%253BAYgQ5IiOGliCuM%252ChGW44Ji0ViDzEM%252C_%253BaAxNDakOsFY9WM%252CtVRMoUQ8lLQofM%252C_%253BVJrkGtk0KbVBAM%252C93BVn-6Rbd8goM%252C_%253Bd36JKsd8lZatvM%252C6kv2b1MDgUzPaM%252C_%253Bf_0lwtwz0iZVKM%252C5Zi6j_L72vB2HM%252C_%253B_N0VTzN-ku9JAM%252CDRgG5J3-mIEPgM%252C_%253BMjoHgV1ddUscrM%252ChGW44Ji0ViDzEM%252C_%253BFFI02DCnPLUtmM%252C9tI2_q1HsQndYM%252C_%253BUmWW6JDR__aqqM%252CWKNrZDqOU1pbEM%252C_%253BJ9pmijhlWX8hSM%252CVkgihn7E8h75FM%252C_%253BfA0eGCHlFttUKM%252C6ONvlBiImb0HQM%252C_%253BwTZ51kDpeOiB4M%252C6AmNw5z8Np_OqM%252C_&vet=1&usg=AI4_-kS3TsN34nTQdmphkqMfg1AR2XEMNA&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi4gNfFlMH0AhUyoVwKHROyBZoQ9QF6BAgGEAE#imgrc=Uzkz25Q6PCDJ-M

[Ein Heldenleben]

Right at the end of Radio 4's World at One was an item about the ukelele. Someone (from Leeds?) had apparently moaned about its being so widespread in schools as 'the classroom instrument', saying it was 'a rootless, limited instrument with no music of its own'.

Well I suppose we can all have a shudder at the thought of thirty 7-year-olds strumming away, probably under the tutelage of a teacher lacking in...well anything. But hang on. It had Portuguese origins (so some roots after all) and became popular in Hawaii and with George Formby, so definitely had some repertoire, even if mainly as an accompanying instrument. In the hands of an expert strummer (with syncopations and cross-rhythms) it can be quite spectacular, and can even do a bit of melodic stuff too. There was a pretty nifty player on the programme..who in fact played it out.

A story. (Groan if you will.) A little girl of five, who was an elective mute, was taught some basic chords on the uke by me, and amazingly she sang things such as My Bonny Lies over the Ocean and Way down upon the Swanee River (very un-PC) accompanying herself....and changing the chord at the right time without being shown. So it is a very good instrument for understanding basic harmony. She also began talking to people again.

So I don't dismiss the ukelele.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m00120w8

A few minutes from the end.

When I read the letter in the Times today (from a classical guitar teacher ) I initially agreed. Now I agree with you the ukulele is a good basic introduction to harmony - better than the recorder for that at least and without the intonation challenges. I learnt classical guitar for a few years. I found it much harder than the piano even though I could already read music when I started the guitar. I found the left hand position uncomfortable and as a terrible nail biter never got for the fingernails you need for the Segovia method/sound . I salute those who can play - it’s a very tricky instrument . As for solo jazz or flamenco I just don’t know how they do it…

[ardcarp]

Yes, a phenomenally difficult instrument to play. I personally thought Julian Bream to be fabulous though many think John Williams was (is) the tops. However, to learn a few basic guitar chords and to strum isn't so hard...but for a child with small hands it is certainly not an ideal classroom instrument....and who can afford 20 or 30 guitars? Whereas the ukulele is cheap and you can play a few chords just using one, two or three fingers without undue stretch.

My first ukulele was cheap and cheerful and was given to me by my father who taught me to play it. We visited Germany when I was six, and I remember sitting on a suitcase at Bonn station playing and singing The Tale of the Nancy Lee while waiting for a train. This wasn't long after the end of WW2, and I can remember my parents being touched by a small group of Germans who gathered around listening to 'zee liddle English boy'.

[oddoneout]

Yes, a phenomenally difficult instrument to play. I personally thought Julian Bream to be fabulous though many think John Williams was (is) the tops. However, to learn a few basic guitar chords and to strum isn't so hard...but for a child with small hands it is certainly not an ideal classroom instrument....and who can afford 20 or 30 guitars? Whereas the ukulele is cheap and you can play a few chords just using one, two or three fingers without undue stretch.

My first ukulele was cheap and cheerful and was given to me by my father who taught me to play it. We visited Germany when I was six, and I remember sitting on a suitcase at Bonn station playing and singing The Tale of the Nancy Lee while waiting for a train. This wasn't long after the end of WW2, and I can remember my parents being touched by a small group of Germans who gathered around listening to 'zee liddle English boy'.

Pick one up with the Aldi grocery shop https://www.aldi.co.uk/little-town-g...78403544448303
It's all very well for high minded folks, such as mentioned in the OP, to disparage the likes of the ukulele but given the dire state of music provision in schools I think it would be better to applaud and support those who manage against the odds to get pupils and instruments together.

[Dave2002]

Practice hard and join a band - and you might end up at the RAH or other places.

https://youtu.be/pLgJ7pk0X-s

Would cheap and cheerful from Aldi help? [msgs 8 and 9]

[RichardB]

without the intonation challenges

You say that, but most cheap ukUleles are so badly made they aren't even in tune with themselves! Having said that I do think it is indeed a good introduction to the skills involved in guitar playing, since children really don't have the strength in their left hands for the guitar.

[Ein Heldenleben]

You say that, but most cheap ukUleles are so badly made they aren't even in tune with themselves! Having said that I do think it is indeed a good introduction to the skills involved in guitar playing, since children really don't have the strength in their left hands for the guitar.

That is a very good point . One of the problems of other cheap instruments - e.g. violins and pianos - they lose tune more quickly than good ones

[Ein Heldenleben]

Yes, a phenomenally difficult instrument to play. I personally thought Julian Bream to be fabulous though many think John Williams was (is) the tops. However, to learn a few basic guitar chords and to strum isn't so hard...but for a child with small hands it is certainly not an ideal classroom instrument....and who can afford 20 or 30 guitars? Whereas the ukulele is cheap and you can play a few chords just using one, two or three fingers without undue stretch.

My first ukulele was cheap and cheerful and was given to me by my father who taught me to play it. We visited Germany when I was six, and I remember sitting on a suitcase at Bonn station playing and singing The Tale of the Nancy Lee while waiting for a train. This wasn't long after the end of WW2, and I can remember my parents being touched by a small group of Germans who gathered around listening to 'zee liddle English boy'.

Any one who can play a Bach fugue on a keyboard instrument gets respect , Any one who can play one on a violin or guitar gets my MASSIVE respect . Has anyone ever had a go at one on a Ukulele- or is it strum only?
Didn’t George Formby have a song about “zee little English Ukulele Boy “ ? if not he should have done…
Great story ….

[ardcarp]

One of the problems of other cheap instruments.........they lose tune more quickly than good ones

In the case of cheap ukuleles they can be tuned quite accurately, and though the strings will stretch a bit when new, they can be quite stable after a while provided they're kept at an even temperature and that the tuning pegs are tight. But they often don't play chords that are in tune so well. That is because the frets maybe set to protrude too far from the fingerboard, so when a finger is placed firmly between two frets, the string will stretch a bit sharp. Sorry. It's getting a bit technical......in a nerdy sort of way.

Loved the Ukulele Orchestra clip, Dave!

[RichardB]

they often don't play chords that are in tune so well. That is because the frets maybe set to protrude too far from the fingerboard, so when a finger is placed firmly between two frets, the string will stretch a bit sharp.

That's exactly what I meant!