• From: North Carolina
  • Registered: 2007-02-08
  • Posts: 1,912

Topic: New to Ukulele

OK so I've been wanting a Ukulele and today I go to the music shop. I look around at some Ukuleles and on the way out I'm talking to the old woman who runs the shop. I've known her and her husband for along time and used to stop in when I was young and help her husband around the store and just talk a couple of days a week. Before he passed away several years ago. Anyway I tell her that I was thinking of taking up the ukulele. She tells me to hold on for a minute and goes to the office and comes back with an old dusty case? She hands it to me and tells me it was her husbands pride and joy and if anyone else was ever going to own it, she'd like for it to be me... So of course I refuse and she insist (you know the way it goes) So I force her to take $200 bucks for it and she finally accepts. Anyway it's an old Martin baritone ukulele. Solid mahogany with tortoise shell binding. I've never even held a ukuleles before so I need some help here. Anyone know where I can find chord charts and music for the ukulele. I looked around and found out how to tune it. DGBE. Now I just need some direction on playing it. Any tips or links would be appreciated. I know I could have just asked for the tips but I'm so thrilled with the new addition to that I just  had to share the story behind it...:) Peace and thanks for the help!

[b][color=#FF0000]If your brain is part of the process, you're missing it. You should play like a drowning man, struggling to reach shore. If you can trap that feeling, then you have something.
[/color][/b]         [b]Peace of mind. That's my piece of mind...[/b]

Guitarpix's Website

  • upyerkilt
  • upyerkilt
  • Unofficial king of Scotland
  • Offline
  • From: Balloch, Scotland, UK, Earth
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 3,290

Re: New to Ukulele

Yer going to love this instrument!!

I know you will know it doesnt sound like the guitar but if you are not too sure of the sound, see it as the last intrument that can replace a guitar on the planet and learn it.
they are great for sitting strumming away at to any song, or mostly any song. I still pick mine up quite a few times a week. My wife hates it but I dont care, I love it and the sound. It is a very sort of basic prehistoric sound but it works for the music.

here are a few links
my uke is tuned GCEA a bit different from yours but hopefully these links will be of some use.

http://www.gootar.com/folder/ukulele.html

http://nfo.net/usa/uke2.html

and a really good one

http://www.alligatorboogaloo.com/uke/tabs.html


let us know how you are gettingon wit hit in a few weeks.


Ken

ye get some that are cut out for the job and others just get by from pretending
  • From: North Carolina
  • Registered: 2007-02-08
  • Posts: 1,912

Re: New to Ukulele

Thanks for the the tips Ken. From what I can gather so far the baritone ukulele plays pretty much like a guitar as far as fingerings for chords go. I think that's going to make the cross over fairly easy.  I'll be practicing Breakdown by Jack Johnson now. I've been wanting to play it but didn't have the uke...I'll post it in Chodians as soon as I get it down. Should be good for a laugh at least huh... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z50ZveXL-Ps Great song! Thanks again! Peace!

[b][color=#FF0000]If your brain is part of the process, you're missing it. You should play like a drowning man, struggling to reach shore. If you can trap that feeling, then you have something.
[/color][/b]         [b]Peace of mind. That's my piece of mind...[/b]

Guitarpix's Website

  • From: Chico, Ca.
  • Registered: 2007-09-08
  • Posts: 327

Re: New to Ukulele

Hey thanks Ken for alligatorboogaloo what a great source of good ol' songs....marcalan

I thought ; If I had one idea,
and took it from beginning to end.
I would try another.

marcalan's Website

  • From: Wisconsin
  • Registered: 2008-03-13
  • Posts: 1

Re: New to Ukulele

http://nwfolk.com/uketabs.html

This is a good site. it has a compilation of a bunch of ukulele music all over the web for free....
i want to try and find songs like.. the intro to The Light that Blinds, One, and Soy bomb... i have yet to find those...

if anyone has any help with those that would be nice.
like, there are some posts of it here on chordie, but none for the uke.. some songs do, some dont, but... not exactly helpful