Hey, what's that sound: Ukulele

Guardian UK ^ | 17 August 2010 | David McNamee

[a fool in paradise]

What is it?...

Who uses it?...

The instrument's inherent comic potential means that it's still par for the course in musical comedy, too. Some of which, like the the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain, is mildly amusing, but most of it, frankly, is not...

How does it work? Ukuleles come in four flavours: soprano, concert, tenor and baritone. The most common tuning is C – so the strings are tuned G, C, E, A – although the slack-key open tunings particular to Hawaiian music are sometimes also used...

Where does it come from?...

Why is it classic?...

What is the best ever ukulele song? Tip Toe Thru the Tulips With Me by Tiny Tim is still great – but supposedly disliked enormously in serious ukulele circles.

Five facts and things...

1)...Jens Lekman later turned on the four-string, saying the ukulele had "become another beardo instrument" and insisting "if there's two things I will never do, it would be grow a beard and pick up the uke again".

2)...The name "ukulele" is a Hawaiian portmanteau that can translated as "jumping flea" or "the gift that came here".

3)...Paul McCartney, who later played pseudonymously credited ukulele on the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band's I'm the Urban Spaceman.

4)Although George Formby would refer to it as a ukulele, the instrument he mostly played was actually a banjolele – a kind of uke/banjo hybrid.

5)In 1960s Canada, a teacher named J Chalmers Doane implemented a new school programme that used the ukulele as the primary teaching instrument in music classes. Ukuleles were inexpensive, child-sized, and fairly easy to get to grips with – making them an equivalent to how recorders and glockenspiels were introduced into school music rooms in the UK.

[a fool in paradise]

PING!

[editor-surveyor]

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“Mrs. Brown you have a lovely daughter...”
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[massgopguy]

Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In was great.

[JoeProBono]

[RobRoy]

On our last trip to Kauai, I almost bought a five string Koa wood beauty.

I decided to expand to the mandolin instead. It’s a lot more interesting to play. Fits in with the bluegrass common to the area around my farm in Kentucky too.

[yefragetuwrabrumuy]

The Great Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain cover of the Sex Pistols’ “Anarchy in the UK”.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5oOoFw-T7Y8&feature=player_embedded

[Daffynition]

[rickomatic]

“Somewhere Over the Rainbow” by Israel Kamakawiwo`ole

[Daffynition]

[martin_fierro]

OUTSTANDING Jazz Ukelele!

[Daffynition]

[Daffynition]

[JoeProBono]

[Slings and Arrows]

Ukuleles sing...and shred!

[ocr1]

Ekolu

[a fool in paradise]

Got a picture of an Urkel-ele?

[a fool in paradise]

[a fool in paradise]

[a fool in paradise]