44

Published by - Ashley Entertainment Corpashleyentertainmentcorp.com/Downloads/Manuals/AIL_211U_Ukulele... · Published by Ashley Entertainment Corporation 7370 Eastgate Rd., Bldg

Embed Size (px)

Citation preview

Published byAshley Entertainment Corporation 7370 Eastgate Rd., Bldg M, Suite 155, Henderson, Nevada 89011

Under license fromMusic Sales Corporation 275 Park Avenue South, New York, NY10010.

T

Published in 2011 by Ashley Entertainment Corporation under license from Music Sales Corp. All Rights reserved. International Copyright SecuredNo part of this book may be reproduced in any formor by any electronic or mechanical means , including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher.

his book Copyright © 2008 Amsco Publications,A Division of Music Sales Corporation, New York

Unauthorized reproduction of any part of this publicationby any means including photocopying is an infringementof copyright.

Written by Steven SproatEdited by Ann BarkwayMusic processed by Paul Ewers Music DesignCover and book design by Samantha Marshall & Kay Leung Photography by Matthew Ward and Geoff GreenPrinted in the China

Images courtesy of:Henry Diltz/Corbis (Tiny Tim), page 5Hal Roach/MGM/The Kobal Collection (Laurel and Hardy,

from Sons of the Desert), page 5Getty Images (George Formby), page 5Gab Archives/Redferns (Cliff “Ukulele Ike” Edwards), page 31LFI (Joe Brown), page 31

Your Guarantee of Quality:As publishers, we strive to produce every book to the highest commercial standards.

The music has been freshly engraved and the book has been carefully designed to minimize awkward page turns and to make playing from it a real pleasure.

Throughout, the printing and binding have been plannedto ensure a sturdy, attractive publication which should give years of enjoyment.

If your copy fails to meet our high standards, please inform us and we will gladly replace it.

www.ashleyentertainmentcorp.com

AB Ukulele Book

3

More chords 22

3-String technique 23

My Bonnie Lies Over The Ocean 24

Molly Malone 25

Fingerpicking 26

Speed it up 27

My Bonnie Lies Over The Ocean 28

Adding color 30

Familiar tunes 31

Yellow Rose Of Texas 32

My Grandfather’s Clock 34

Mama Don’t ’Low 36

Happy strumming! 37

Chord dictionary 38

CD track listing 40

Introduction 4

History of the ukulele 5

Which instrument? 6

Shopping around 7

Parts of the ukulele 8

Tuning 9

Holding your instrument 10

Playing chords 11

First five chords 12

Strumming 14

Downstrokes & Upstrokes 15

Counting beats 17

Let’s play! 18

Rivers Of Babylon 19

Nobody Knows The Trouble I’ve Seen 20

Contents

AB Ukulele Book v.7:AB Guitar Book 06/07/2011 13:37 Page 3

4 IntroductionWelcome to Absolute Beginners Ukulele. The ukulelehas been around for more than 100 years but hasbeen enjoying a 21st-century worldwide revival! Thisoften misunderstood instrument will open up a wholenew world to you as you explore its history, charmand versatility. The “uke” is stylish, portable andloveable... so read on!

Easy-to-follow instructions will guide you through:

History of the ukulele

Tuning

Parts of the ukulele

First chords

Strumming

Fingerpicking

Listen to the CD several times to get the hang ofhow the chords and exercises sound. Once you’ve gotthem in your head, playing is so much easier.

Practice is very important: little and often is best. Ifyou can practice for just 15 minutes every day, thatwill make you a better uke player than practicing fortwo hours just once a week. Your fingers need toadjust and get used to stretching, especially forchanging chords. This might be the first-everinstrument that you’ve wanted to learn and it will taketime and patience – but it gets easier.

Get to know the names of the chords and how theyare positioned. This will help build up your speedwhen you learn new songs, as you will start torecognize familiar chords.

AB Ukulele Book v.7:AB Guitar Book 06/07/2011 13:37 Page 4

5History of the ukuleleThe ukulele has its origins in both Portugal andHawaii. According to various sources, back in the1890s some Portuguese travelers made a long voyageto Hawaii, taking with them their native instrumentsincluding the braguinha and the cavaquinho. Thelocal islanders were enchanted with the self-accompaniment that these instruments allowed andthe ukulele was developed and made popular.It was nicknamed “dancing flea” or “jumping flea.”

In the 1920s and 1930s the ukulele had hugepopularity in the United States and Europe with mostsheet music showing ukulele chord boxes. The greatLaurel & Hardy even used the instrument in Sons OfThe Desert (below).

In the UK, the comic singer George Formby (left)played the ukulele in his

developing career butbecame more widelyknown for playing a“banjo uke” or ukulelebanjo – a standard ukulelewith the body of a banjo.

The ukulele waned in popularity during the 1950swhen rock ’n’ roll was emerging. However, variousartists, including Tiny Tim (above), brought it backinto the limelight in the 1960s, and the UkuleleOrchestra Of Great Britain (below) has helpedestablish the ukulele throughout the past two decadesby showing how versatile an instrument it can be andhow much fun can be had with it.

The late George Harrison was a big uke fan and PaulMcCartney, along with Brian May, Joe Brown andElvis Costello, have all been pictured with theinstrument.

There are now other young fine exponents of theukulele who have taken the instrument to its limits(see page 37), proving that this is an instrument worthlearning.

AB Ukulele Book v.7:AB Guitar Book 06/07/2011 13:37 Page 5

6 Which instrument?There are actually four members of the ukulele family(five if you count the ukulele banjo). They are:

SopranoConcertTenorBaritone

The most popular type is the soprano or standard sizeukulele – it’s the smallest and has a higher pitchcompared to the others in the family. It is usuallytuned to G–C–E–A.

The next size up is the concert, which has a biggerbody and extended fingerboard. It is tuned in thesame way as a regular ukulele but is usually a littlelouder and more mellow.

The tenor size is often used when playingcomplicated classical or jazz pieces where“solo” chord playing and individual strings areplucked. Precision players such as Lyle Ritz, EliasSibley, James Hill and Jake Shimabukuro tend toprefer tenor instruments.

Lastly and perhaps the least popularare baritone ukes. These are almostlike a guitar in size but with anarrow fingerboard, and can betuned in several ways.

The ukulele banjo (or banjo uke)As popularized by the late GeorgeFormby in the 1930s and 1940s, thebanjo uke has a much louder, harshersound compared to the lilt of a standardukulele.

There are several tunings forthis instrument. Generallythe playing style is thesame but certainstrumming techniqueswork better with a banjouke than a standardukulele and vice versa.

SopranoConcert

Tenor

Baritone

AB Ukulele Book AB Guitar Book 6/7/11 13:38 Page 6

7Shopping aroundBuying a ukuleleThese days, because of the popularity of the ukuleleand cheap imports, it is possible to own a reasonablygood instrument.

Try to check out a music shop that has several modelsto look at, and be inquisitive. Compare what you’regetting (or not getting) for your money. Avoid thevery cheap models, which are often brightly colored,and be prepared to move up a model or two! Thisensures that your uke will have decent tuning pegsand be reasonably set up and ready to play.

Old or “vintage” instruments are extremely soughtafter and cost thousands of dollars, but once you’vedeveloped your playing you might wish to considerbuying an old one – but do seek advice.

There are also some fine luthiers making excellentukuleles too: Phil Davidson, Phil Cartwright andPete Howlett are just a few makers producing high-quality ukes.

Looking after your instrumentAvoid any extremes of temperature and don’t betempted to leave your ukulele in a car on a hot sunnyday or overnight in the trunk on a frosty day. Investin a decent hard case for your instrument (bags orzipped cases don’t offer enough protection fromweather or knocks).

Luthier. Someone who makes or repairs stringedinstruments.The word “luthier” comes from the Frenchword for lute, luth.

Jargon Buster

When you’re at home, keep your uke away from radiatorsor from open windows, but by all means, keep it out of itscase and near your music stand – you’re more likely to play

it and practice it if it’s at the ready!

Tip

AB Ukulele Book v.7:AB Guitar Book 06/07/2011 13:38 Page 7

8 Parts of the ukuleleStringsGood quality strings can make a big difference to thesound of your instrument. It is good to experimentbetween brands and see which strings suit yourukulele the best.

Once you’re happy, you shouldn’t need to changeyour strings all that often (unlike a guitar). Someplayers keep the same ones for years!

There are clear nylon and black nylon strings, andrecently a company named Aquila has producedspecially developed white strings called “Nylgut.”These strings (along with black nylon) usuallyimprove the tone and give more volume on mostukuleles.

headstock

strings

tuning peg

rosette

saddle

soundhole

bridge

frets

nut

fingerboard(or fretboard)

fretmarker

fretwire

body

bout

neck

AB Ukulele Book v.7:AB Guitar Book 06/07/2011 13:38 Page 8

9Tuning

You can always refer to the CD and tune to theindividual strings that we play. Track 1

MetronomeA metronome acts as atime-keeper, and as theukulele is mainly arhythm instrument it iscrucial to learn thesecrets of keeping goodtime early on. There areelectronic metronomesas well as traditionalmanual types.

The ukulele can be tuned in several keys,but the most popular tuning is:

G C E A

These are the strings in order:

TunersThere are various tuning aids available to keep yourukulele in correct tuning. Years ago, players werelimited to pitch pipes or tuning forks but these dayselectronic guitar tuners are ideal. In particular, the“headstock” tuner (see below) is a neat, compactelectronic tuner that clamps onto the end of yourinstrument, making it possible to tune convenientlyand accurately.

The ukulele is unusual among string instrumentsin that the strings are not tuned in order of pitch.

Watch out for this!

Tip

E (2nd string)

A (1st string)

C (3rd string)

G (4th string)

AB Ukulele Book v.7:AB Guitar Book 06/07/2011 13:38 Page 9

10 Holding your instrumentSitting positionThis is probably the easiest way to start. Sitcomfortably on a stool or chair, and hold the uke justabove your hip (don’t allow the uke to sit on yourlap).

Your right forearm should be gently “clutching” theuke and lightly pressing into the side of your body.The left hand is offering support and balance. Itshould be quite relaxed, with just enough pressure tokeep the uke secure.

Standing positionThis is harder and needs more practice (especiallywith a banjo uke). The same principles apply asbefore, but practice rising out of your chair whileholding or playing your ukulele, and go fromsitting to standing until you feel comfortable with howyou hold your instrument. It is always better to playstanding up.

Why not try using a mirror to seehow your playing looks?

Tip

AB Ukulele Book v.7:AB Guitar Book 06/07/2011 13:38 Page 10

11Playing chordsAt first, holding down a chord will seem like achallenge. You have to be able to apply enoughpressure from your fingertips and also be pressinginto the fingerboard just behind the fret(not actually on the fret).

Your fingers will not be used to pressing downon the strings and so some chords will seem likea real effort and possibly make your fingertips alittle sore. Be encouraged that your fingertips willharden with regular playing, and your fingers will getused to stretching.

Chords that once looked near impossible become lesschallenging!

Sometimes it is okay to allow your thumb to appearto hang over the fretboard. On other chords youmight find that pressing your thumb into the middleof the back of the neck works better – it depends onyour fingers and the chord shape.

Try to keep the nails on your left hand quite short,but allow the nails on your right hand to grow longer

for strumming!

Tip

1st finger

2nd finger

3rd finger

4th finger

AB Ukulele Book v.7:AB Guitar Book 06/07/2011 13:38 Page 11