Our new publication, the Ukulele Guide Open Mic Song Book is now available at elderly.com!
The new song book is designed for performers and includes the notes, lyrics, ukulele chord diagrams and the names of the chords on the sheet music for 27 Tin Pan Alley Favorites. An audio CD of the author performing all the songs on his ukulele is also included. Check our uke news and our song books page for more information.
Pictured below is our first book the UKULELE PLAYERS GUIDE which has 209 pages in 19 chapters presenting essential information for the ukulele player who has moved beyond the elementary level and wishes to advance to play more interesting material. Included are chapters on buying and adjusting ukuleles and on simple repairs you can do yourself on inexpensive used instruments. A proper method for refinishing ukuleles is described. Techniques for changing keys and converting guitar chords to ukulele chords are explained as are the use of having several ukuleles tuned in different keys. This book is available from Elderly.com and fleamarketmusic.com as well as from Hastings in Amarillo at Wolflin and Georgia.
Many good ukulele songs are in the public domain in the US which means you can record and perform them without paying royalties. A list of many of these songs is included also in the book.
Ukulele Information and instruction can be found here as
well as free mp3 ukulele audio downloads. The ukulele is the
most satisfactory instrument for accompanying many types of
songs.The guitar has more strings which are under more tension.
Adding to the difficulty is the fact that many chords on the
guitar require that one or two of the strings be muffled or
not played--on the ukulele, all four strings are usually played
on all the chords. Ukuleles come in four sizes so that players
can find a suitable one whether they have large or small hands.
Check the article on this site outlining tips for beginners
for information about tenor ukuleles, one of best sizes for
beginners. This site will inform you about the instruments
and the music and songs you can play. These days "music"
seems to be mostly noise or wallpaper. The songs and tunes
that you can't get out of your head are referred to here but
are lost in the current entertainment meltdown. This site
will be frequently updated so keep checking in.
Ukuleles Pictured: Baritone, Tenor, Concert, Soprano. Compare
sizes.
In the decade of the twenties, the Martin Guitar Company
sold twice as many ukuleles as guitars (so I have read.) This
may have been because the hot music of that decade (the "jazz
age" remember) works so well on the ukulele. Since the
copyright on songs in the US published before 1923 has expired
it is now possible for me to play and sing some of them on
this site. I am strictly an amateur and I made the recordings
on a Sony cassette recorder but I think the effort is worth
your while because getting these on CD is not always easy
or cheap.
The book I have written, pictured on this site, details
how to find lp records and sheet music from this era and lists
public domain songs you can record without paying royalties.
I hope the music and articles on this site will get you started
so that you can have as much fun as I have had. I used to
play the guitar but I hardly ever play it any more except
when I have to play "Malaguena" by request of my
daughtors.
The songs I have recorded on this site are in MP3 format
and you can listen to them or download them and put them on
a CD. Look through your old song books for the sheet music.
A lot of those came with ukulele chord diagrams.
Taking Fun Music Seriously
There is now a resurgence of interest in an instrument which
has achieved wide popularity in the past. The instrument referred
to here is the ukulele.
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Currently in California, Colorado and on the East Coast
ukulele sales are reaching levels not approached in many
years. There also seems to be increased interest in Japan.
Ukuleles are appearing in TV commercials and movies... |
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Tiny
Tim is gone but his memory lingers on. His style was often irritating but he unearthed and recorded a great many forgotten songs from the early 20th century and when he sang as a baritone he rivaled many of the great crooners of that era. He was a lot better than people realised.
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