I just wish that the different steel guitar organizations could learn something from the recent world wide interest in ukulele and somehow figure out how to take advantage of it to help promote the steel guitar. I go to steel guitar festivals and ukulele festivals and the uke festivals are kicking our ass!!!
Even if it takes piggy-backing on some of the larger uke fests, why not? The Cerritos Uke Fest in CA does just that and it’s great to see the curious uker wander into a steel guitar seminar to check it out.
Uke
Moderator: Brad Bechtel
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Garry Vanderlinde
- Posts: 1500
- Joined: 14 Nov 2002 1:01 am
- Location: CA
Our friend Bobbe Seymour sent out this a few months ago and I hope it shuts Alan up 
"Hello fellow players,
I have been asked, as have many players, what got me started being a musician. Well, I have the answer. It's not just an answer, but also a recommendation. It is to find a very simple instrument to play, like ukulele or a four string guitar, better known as a tenor guitar.
Show your four year old son or daughter three or four chords on it and teach them a simple song using these chords and then keeping this instrument within arm's reach of the kids at all times.
There are many songs that three to five year old kids can memorize. Songs like Row, Row, Row Your Boat, Farmer In The Dell and so on. Probably the best strategy here is to watch the kiddie shows that they watch on TV and let them pick their favorite songs to learn.
What actually got me started playing as a three year old was a ukulele my father sent me at three years old when he was in the Hawaiian Islands fighting to keep the USA safe.
I remember when this instrument came in to my life. My Uncle immediately showed me four chords and several songs which I had heard him play on regular guitar. Within a week I was playing I'm My Own Grandpa, When My New Moon Turns To Blue Again, Little Lisa Jane, Mary Had A Little Lamb and some other very simple songs.
It wasn't but a couple weeks before I could play or at least put chords to most songs that I could sing or hum.
The reason I'm boring you with all these personal facts is if you should see fit to ruin some little kids life by letting them make a musician out of themselves, this is a wonderful way to do it, because not too long into my great ukulele career, I was learning how to play Merle Travis and Chet Atkins style rhythm.
All it took was the ukulele itself and my Uncle leaving some Travis and Atkins records laying around and a little bit of encouragement in the right direction. Possibly it was discouragement because at that age, I was determined to do just the opposite of what anybody told me to do musically.
I kept finding opportunities to slip over onto my Uncle's Multi-Kord and learn the latest Bud Isaacs licks. Pretty soon I was playing everything that Bud Isaacs had recorded as an instrumental or with Webb Pierce.
So when people ask me how I learned to play steel guitar and what do I recommend for them, I always tell them in good faith to get an instrument that you love and get some songs that you love and play them over and over and over until they are deeply embedded in your subconscious.
When you get it in your subconscious, look for it on your instrument and make it sound just the same as what you have embedded in your mind. This is called playing by ear. This is very important if you're going to be playing professionally. Any great teacher would tell you that this is great ear training. Ear training is very important.
Actually for many instruments for a professional player, ear training may be the most important thing you can do. I know at this stage of the game on steel guitar, there are many things that I can play by ear that I couldn't even think of playing by reading notes or trying to learn with tablature.
Tablature is a good way to learn a song, teaching you to play the right notes and you will tend to memorize them as you play them. Tablature, like notes, are like training wheels on a bike. They are great for learning, but eventually you will learn to ride without them. This is why I make tablature available for most of my albums.
What I have done in this letter so far is tell you how I myself and many players that are playing for a living today, started learning the craft of guitar, both steel and standard. I hope you find some encouragement in my story.
What's really interesting here is when you go into a recording session in Nashville, almost all methods of teaching you the new song that you're going to be recording is the same way I learned songs as a little kid on my ukulele.
They either hand me a CD or MP3 for me to listen to and learn or for me to listen to and write the chords down using the Nashville number system. Usually the producer or session leader will play the song just one time.
When he plays this for us, we'll just write down the chords using the number system, then we'll all look at each other and make decisions like what instrument will fill where, who will take the intro and any predominant fills, work on an ending and so on.
Usually it takes less than ten minutes to have a song ready to record. Remember, this is like I learned to play the instrument when I was three to four years old.
With any inborn talent at all, you should be able to learn your instrument parts, licks, fills etc by just hearing a song. Expose yourself to anything enough times and you're going to be able to duplicate it. This is the same way we learn to speak English at two to five years of age. This is also the way they teach you to speak foreign languages when you get older like you see advertised on television.
Even today, if I want to copy somebody's lick on a certain song, I'll get a copy of the song with them on it and play it over and over until I know it. This has been the way I've done it my entire life and I'm still standing behind this technique.
So get that little kid in your family a ukulele. It's a wonderful instrument to start on. Make sure it's a good one and teach him or her how to respect it and treat it with love. It could be feeding him or her someday not too far away"
"Hello fellow players,
I have been asked, as have many players, what got me started being a musician. Well, I have the answer. It's not just an answer, but also a recommendation. It is to find a very simple instrument to play, like ukulele or a four string guitar, better known as a tenor guitar.
Show your four year old son or daughter three or four chords on it and teach them a simple song using these chords and then keeping this instrument within arm's reach of the kids at all times.
There are many songs that three to five year old kids can memorize. Songs like Row, Row, Row Your Boat, Farmer In The Dell and so on. Probably the best strategy here is to watch the kiddie shows that they watch on TV and let them pick their favorite songs to learn.
What actually got me started playing as a three year old was a ukulele my father sent me at three years old when he was in the Hawaiian Islands fighting to keep the USA safe.
I remember when this instrument came in to my life. My Uncle immediately showed me four chords and several songs which I had heard him play on regular guitar. Within a week I was playing I'm My Own Grandpa, When My New Moon Turns To Blue Again, Little Lisa Jane, Mary Had A Little Lamb and some other very simple songs.
It wasn't but a couple weeks before I could play or at least put chords to most songs that I could sing or hum.
The reason I'm boring you with all these personal facts is if you should see fit to ruin some little kids life by letting them make a musician out of themselves, this is a wonderful way to do it, because not too long into my great ukulele career, I was learning how to play Merle Travis and Chet Atkins style rhythm.
All it took was the ukulele itself and my Uncle leaving some Travis and Atkins records laying around and a little bit of encouragement in the right direction. Possibly it was discouragement because at that age, I was determined to do just the opposite of what anybody told me to do musically.
I kept finding opportunities to slip over onto my Uncle's Multi-Kord and learn the latest Bud Isaacs licks. Pretty soon I was playing everything that Bud Isaacs had recorded as an instrumental or with Webb Pierce.
So when people ask me how I learned to play steel guitar and what do I recommend for them, I always tell them in good faith to get an instrument that you love and get some songs that you love and play them over and over and over until they are deeply embedded in your subconscious.
When you get it in your subconscious, look for it on your instrument and make it sound just the same as what you have embedded in your mind. This is called playing by ear. This is very important if you're going to be playing professionally. Any great teacher would tell you that this is great ear training. Ear training is very important.
Actually for many instruments for a professional player, ear training may be the most important thing you can do. I know at this stage of the game on steel guitar, there are many things that I can play by ear that I couldn't even think of playing by reading notes or trying to learn with tablature.
Tablature is a good way to learn a song, teaching you to play the right notes and you will tend to memorize them as you play them. Tablature, like notes, are like training wheels on a bike. They are great for learning, but eventually you will learn to ride without them. This is why I make tablature available for most of my albums.
What I have done in this letter so far is tell you how I myself and many players that are playing for a living today, started learning the craft of guitar, both steel and standard. I hope you find some encouragement in my story.
What's really interesting here is when you go into a recording session in Nashville, almost all methods of teaching you the new song that you're going to be recording is the same way I learned songs as a little kid on my ukulele.
They either hand me a CD or MP3 for me to listen to and learn or for me to listen to and write the chords down using the Nashville number system. Usually the producer or session leader will play the song just one time.
When he plays this for us, we'll just write down the chords using the number system, then we'll all look at each other and make decisions like what instrument will fill where, who will take the intro and any predominant fills, work on an ending and so on.
Usually it takes less than ten minutes to have a song ready to record. Remember, this is like I learned to play the instrument when I was three to four years old.
With any inborn talent at all, you should be able to learn your instrument parts, licks, fills etc by just hearing a song. Expose yourself to anything enough times and you're going to be able to duplicate it. This is the same way we learn to speak English at two to five years of age. This is also the way they teach you to speak foreign languages when you get older like you see advertised on television.
Even today, if I want to copy somebody's lick on a certain song, I'll get a copy of the song with them on it and play it over and over until I know it. This has been the way I've done it my entire life and I'm still standing behind this technique.
So get that little kid in your family a ukulele. It's a wonderful instrument to start on. Make sure it's a good one and teach him or her how to respect it and treat it with love. It could be feeding him or her someday not too far away"
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Tamara James
- Posts: 2241
- Joined: 14 Aug 2007 1:06 pm
The Uke is a great learning tool.
Actually, I think a Uke can help a beginner at any age. I got one just a few weeks ago and I can finally hear the difference between a D7 and a D9 cord. For those of you who this comes easy to, you won't understand the struggle some of us have to hear cords. The Uke is so easy to pick up and play along with the Wheeling Jamboree or some other streaming audio that I have made large advances in my ear training. As an older beginner I deeply appreciate the Uke for a learning tool. It's just fun to play.Garry Vanderlinde wrote:Our friend Bobbe Seymour sent out this a few months ago and I hope it shuts Alan up
So get that little kid in your family a ukulele. It's a wonderful instrument to start on. Make sure it's a good one and teach him or her how to respect it and treat it with love. It could be feeding him or her someday not too far away"
I still have a long way to go, but I am hearing cords on the steel guitar much better now.
If I had grandchildren, they would all be getting one for Christmas.
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Alan Brookes
- Posts: 13218
- Joined: 29 Mar 2006 1:01 am
- Location: Brummy living in Southern California
Re: The Uke is a great learning tool.
As I said, I gave my daughter one and I'm happy that she's taking an interest in music.Tamara James wrote:...I think a Uke can help a beginner at any age...If I had grandchildren, they would all be getting one for Christmas.
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Ray Shakeshaft
- Posts: 236
- Joined: 24 Jan 2006 1:01 am
- Location: Kidderminster, Worcs, UK.
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James Inkster
- Posts: 82
- Joined: 22 Jul 2009 11:07 am
- Location: Ukee, BC
Mighty Uke: A documentary
If you get a chance to see 'Mighty Uke', do so.
It's a great entertaining and informative documentary about the resurgence of the uke... focusing especially on its use in the classroom as an accessible tool for students.
I don't play uke, and doubt I'll start, but it blew me away.
http://mightyukemovie.com/
It's a great entertaining and informative documentary about the resurgence of the uke... focusing especially on its use in the classroom as an accessible tool for students.
I don't play uke, and doubt I'll start, but it blew me away.
http://mightyukemovie.com/
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Gerald Ross
- Posts: 3205
- Joined: 4 Aug 1998 11:00 pm
- Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
- Contact:
Yes, see it. I am in it for 20 seconds playing the lap steel at the 2008 New York Uke Fest.If you get a chance to see 'Mighty Uke', do so.
Ya see guys, even though I play uke fests I also promote the steel.
Gerald Ross
'Northwest Ann Arbor, Michigan's King Of The Hawaiian Steel Guitar'
A UkeTone Recording Artist
CEO, CIO, CFO - UkeTone Records
Gerald's Hawaiian Steel Guitar/Ukulele Website
'Northwest Ann Arbor, Michigan's King Of The Hawaiian Steel Guitar'
A UkeTone Recording Artist
CEO, CIO, CFO - UkeTone Records
Gerald's Hawaiian Steel Guitar/Ukulele Website
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John Bushouse
- Posts: 704
- Joined: 6 Dec 2003 1:01 am
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Darrell Urbien
- Posts: 315
- Joined: 20 Oct 2006 12:01 am
- Location: Echo Park, California
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Alan Brookes
- Posts: 13218
- Joined: 29 Mar 2006 1:01 am
- Location: Brummy living in Southern California
It's not even a Harp Uke. It doesn't have any of the harp strings that a Harp Guitar has.
When is an ukulele not an ukulele ?
Ukes come in all sizes, as do guitars. Since they both have the same shape, at what stage does a small guitar become a large ukulele.
By the way, I'm not saying that the ukulele is a completely useless instrument; I use one myself for background rhythm on Hawaiian numbers; I'm just saying that it's a very restricted instrument.
When is an ukulele not an ukulele ?
Ukes come in all sizes, as do guitars. Since they both have the same shape, at what stage does a small guitar become a large ukulele.
By the way, I'm not saying that the ukulele is a completely useless instrument; I use one myself for background rhythm on Hawaiian numbers; I'm just saying that it's a very restricted instrument.
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Ray Shakeshaft
- Posts: 236
- Joined: 24 Jan 2006 1:01 am
- Location: Kidderminster, Worcs, UK.
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Bill McCloskey
- Posts: 6877
- Joined: 5 Jan 2005 1:01 am
- Location: Nanuet, NY
- Contact:
For those Uke fans in the New York area, you might like to attend this event which my friend Rick Bruner runs. Notice Peter Stampfel from the old Holy Modal Rounders (If you want to be a bird) will be playing. the date is the 21st of June :
Make Music NY and the NY Ukulele Salon strum in the summer solstice with a four-hour concert and play-along with some of the best performers on the NY uke scene.
Make Music NY celebrates its 4th year with more than 1,000 concerts around the city, along with similar events in hundreds of other cities. The "Mass Appeal" concerts feature lovers of specific instruments, and this year they've asked the NY Ukulele Salon to organize the uke gathering.
We have a great location: Union Square, as part of the Green Market (northeast corner of the park).
The event is a Monday, so it starts at 4pm and continues till dark. Fun for kids of all ages.
Each featured act gets 3 songs, including one for audience participation, so bring your ukes!
Please spread the word via Facebook, email, Twitter, spoken voice, etc.
Here's the lineup of performers:
4PM
Rick Bruner
D'yan Forrest
Ken "Bari" Murray
Sarah King
Les Chauds Lapins
5PM
Bliss Blood
Dana McCoy
Leslie Chase & David Sands
Jon Braman
Amity Rose
6PM
Josh Bisker
Evy Mayer
The Ukemen
Carlos Molina
The Suaverinos
7PM
Uncle Zac
John & Ellen Monten
Roger Greenawalt
Peter Stampfel
The Edukated Fleas
Jamie Scandal
Make Music NY and the NY Ukulele Salon strum in the summer solstice with a four-hour concert and play-along with some of the best performers on the NY uke scene.
Make Music NY celebrates its 4th year with more than 1,000 concerts around the city, along with similar events in hundreds of other cities. The "Mass Appeal" concerts feature lovers of specific instruments, and this year they've asked the NY Ukulele Salon to organize the uke gathering.
We have a great location: Union Square, as part of the Green Market (northeast corner of the park).
The event is a Monday, so it starts at 4pm and continues till dark. Fun for kids of all ages.
Each featured act gets 3 songs, including one for audience participation, so bring your ukes!
Please spread the word via Facebook, email, Twitter, spoken voice, etc.
Here's the lineup of performers:
4PM
Rick Bruner
D'yan Forrest
Ken "Bari" Murray
Sarah King
Les Chauds Lapins
5PM
Bliss Blood
Dana McCoy
Leslie Chase & David Sands
Jon Braman
Amity Rose
6PM
Josh Bisker
Evy Mayer
The Ukemen
Carlos Molina
The Suaverinos
7PM
Uncle Zac
John & Ellen Monten
Roger Greenawalt
Peter Stampfel
The Edukated Fleas
Jamie Scandal
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Alan Brookes
- Posts: 13218
- Joined: 29 Mar 2006 1:01 am
- Location: Brummy living in Southern California
No, it will always be a pretty useless instrument, but not completely useless.Ray Shakeshaft wrote:Alan 8th June.Alan 11th June.It's a pretty useless instrument.I feel he is softening slowlyI'm not saying that the ukulele is a completely useless instrument;
I rate it about the same as the jawsharp, the didgeridoo or the bull-roarer. All good instruments in their place.
Now if you want to start a whole new trend, this is the instrument for you, the Tromba Marina. Stands five feet tall; you play it with a bow. No fingerboard; you sound the harmonics with the tip of your fingers. While the one melody string is sounding, the drone strings make a buzzing noise created by a pin inserted by the side of the bridge, which just makes contact with no pressure.
Great for backpacking, and a wonderful conversational piece. Just imagine a group of you sat around the campfire harmonizing with the buzzing and having a great time.
Believe it or not, during the 1700s it was so popular that classical pieces were written for it, and you could go into town for such delights as a duet for tromba marina and tambor.
I built this fine example about 15 years ago. I have to admit I don't play it every day.
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George Piburn
- Posts: 2045
- Joined: 1 Jul 2003 12:01 am
- Location: The Land of Enchantment New Mexico
- Contact:
Lap Steel Resurgance -- You Betcha->
I feel certain there is a huge resurgence of Lap Steel.
MR.Boards
MR.Boards
Last edited by George Piburn on 12 Jun 2010 5:55 pm, edited 1 time in total.
GeorgeBoards S8 Non Pedal Steel Guitar Instruments
Maker of One of a Kind Works of Art that play music too.
Instructional DVDs
YouTube Channel
Maker of One of a Kind Works of Art that play music too.
Instructional DVDs
YouTube Channel
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Darrell Urbien
- Posts: 315
- Joined: 20 Oct 2006 12:01 am
- Location: Echo Park, California
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Alan Brookes
- Posts: 13218
- Joined: 29 Mar 2006 1:01 am
- Location: Brummy living in Southern California
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Darrell Urbien
- Posts: 315
- Joined: 20 Oct 2006 12:01 am
- Location: Echo Park, California
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Alan Brookes
- Posts: 13218
- Joined: 29 Mar 2006 1:01 am
- Location: Brummy living in Southern California
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Darrell Urbien
- Posts: 315
- Joined: 20 Oct 2006 12:01 am
- Location: Echo Park, California
Alan, you were supposed to actually LOOK (and the first part of that is getting past your own preconceptions). Here, let me help you. Even the most basic internet search would've brought up this:Alan Brookes wrote:A harp ukulele would be a small version of this.
Harp Ukuleles
Note the lack of sub-bass strings on ALL original Knutsen harp-ukes found to date. The Dunns John and I are talking about are made in Knutsen's style. Are there modern harp-ukes with subs that look like Dyer harp guitars? Sure. But there are also harp-taropatches, bandurrias, mandolins, mandolas, mandocellos, and guitars made by a variety of manufacturers that do not have extra strings, just hollow arms. While these may not fit your definition of a harp instrument, they are recognized as such by just about everyone else, including the period makers, catalogs, ads, etc.
But then, your definitions seem a little shaky these days..