I wanted to create this blog as a place where I can store and retrieve information for future reference. I chose the name Humble Uker Ramblings because I have started out strumming my father's 1950's painted Harmony ukulele. I think that the greatest appeal of the ukulele as "the people's instrument" is it's humble simplicity. My contact email is HumbleUker@gmail.com. I have also been working on a blog for the Baritone Ukulele called Humble Baritonics.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Ukulele from Belgium... UKU-LELE-ZAZA!!!
On the streets of Belgium (some Slack Key Ukulele)
GREAT TECHNIQUE!
http://www.youtube.com/user/ukulelezaza
Friday, October 30, 2009
MOANA CHIMES slack key style || Mark Nelson
http://ukulelehunt.com/ukertabs/2009/10/20/moana-chimes-slack-key-style/
MOVIES || Japanese Sandman || Debra Paget
This YT video mixes snapshots with Beachboys music and segments of the movie. There's an extended ukulele scene. Suekulele said in her comment on the the Ukulele Movies post, "A beautiful scene of Debra Paget and Hoagy Carmichael doing "Japanese Sandman". He appears to play a soprano uke while she dances and sings.".
Ms Paget was quite a dancer. I came across this video of a Fritz Lang's INDIAN EPIC a German Film. This clip is quite intense and will likely only appeal to those with higher levels of testosterone and exotic dancers. Sorry there's no ukulele in this clip.
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Uke, Ubu, Uke found another great NPR video...
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The trumpeter also plays a baritone ukulele on portions of some songs. This group reminds me of the many band collaborations that occurs at the Ukulele Club of Santa Cruz -- As I usually say, it's a celebration of the ukulele, but it is really a celebration of music and therefore life. The eye contact and interaction between the singers and musicians is joyful.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
HEIN OVERBEEK || The Sequel
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
UKULELE SODOKU || www.ukulelehunt.com
http://ukulelehunt.com/2009/10/27/rage-against-the-machine-riff-tab/
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HEIN OVERBEEK || Simply Ukulele from the Netherlands
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Here's a little ukulele and saxophone. Reminds me a bit of Andy Andrews wailing away.
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Sunday, October 25, 2009
GETTING TOGETHER WITH FRIENDS
Friday, October 23, 2009
Traditional Spanish Guitar Techniques on Ukulele
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I have only watched one and was quite impressed. Matt's YT page is appropriately named,
http://www.youtube.com/user/thejumpingflea
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Wednesday, October 21, 2009
TERRY C. Shares UKE IKE on BIKE
YIKES, MORE UKES, EH? (Jean E.)
Hi Uke Fans,
Yikes or yippee ukes are everywhere!
Have you noticed the new (I think) TV ad for Subaru Outback with ukulele music and female vocalist?? Well I just tracked it down! Basia Bulat is a Canadian singer and the song is Before I Knew".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01HuLocFFNA&feature=related
http://www.basiabulat.com/news.htm
Tonite the Subaru ad was immediately followed by an ad for cookies which was accompanied by - you guessed it - ukulele music (no vocals).
We also watch a Japanese program "Out and About" which uses a very short Hawaiian animation and uke music as one of its between segment separators. Tuesdays around 6:30am on 60-2, second part of NHK World hour.
Last Wed at Berkeley Uke Club Susan led us in the song "Sway". So what did we hear tonite? A re-mix of Dean Martin singing Sway for Chrysler commercial. Yeah, I know, no ukulele in the ad but still a connection to BUC...
Jean E. ARE ( = ace research assistant )
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
GLEN ROSE UKULELE JAZZ VIDEOS
I really enjoy Glen's enthusiasm for the history of music and his storytellin' while performing on stage with piano, guitar, ukulele and tap shoes. Glen has many YouTube videos posted of his performance and his recent jazzy ukulele technigues. He plays jazz on a uke tuned with a LOW G string to give it a full jazzy feel. Glen's tautological style is very clear and straightforward. Enjoy it! HU
Here's a link to Glen Rose's Jazz Ukulele You Tube page...
http://www.youtube.com/user/glenrosejazz
Rhan Wilson's Altared Christmas Show 2009
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Don't miss it.
For more stupendous info...
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Fledgling Blogger Uke, Ubu, Uke! has an NPR interview posted of Zee Avi and her ukulele
http://ukeubuuke.blogspot.com/search/label/All%20Things%20Considered
Thanks Marcus UUU
HU
1920's HISTORICAL
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Here's a YT video (below) that's a lot like an old silent movie. It talks about the 1920's as an era of prosperity, prohibition and fashion. It also has a great soundtrack. I always wondered where the term "flappers" came from and now I know thanks to this production by Sandra. Music by Duke Ellington and the Dixieland Jazz Band.
(Embedding of the video was disabled)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SclJ94h2oyQ&feature=fvw
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A Lady Who Brings the Vintage Ukulele Era Naughtiness to Song...
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Sunday, October 18, 2009
WWW.UKETOOB.COM || CORKTOWN UKE JAM
http://www.uketoob.com/2009/10/18/jimmy-the-uke-monster-mash/
After checking this out I would check out the Toronto Ukes of Corktown:
http://www.youtube.com/user/torontoukes#p/c/EF681495ABE34D13
Here's a great rendition of the Glory of Love...
Swedish Engineering = Music Inspires Exercise
VINCE TUZZI || SANTA CRUZ ICON
http://humbleuker.blogspot.com/2009/06/ukulele-club-of-santa-cruz-61809.html
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BARON K || YOUTUBE || SVERIGE || SWEDISH
BaronK69 sings with his Soul. I was doing the Ukulele Hunt stroll through videos and found that he lives in Sweden, the birth place of my mother. I have studied and studied Swedish but get such rare opportunities to hear or listen to it. This song is extremely beautiful and heartfelt: Ängeln i Rummet translates to The Angel in the Room. (BaronK69 includes an English translation if you click on the 'more info' portion on YT)
Here he collaborates with the Canadian ukebabe, Ukulelezo! UZo sings from a deep spot inside too. Had to post this one. Baron' s YT page is http://www.youtube.com/baronk69 and Zo's is
http://www.youtube.com/ukulelezo
Swedepino? A Deach, Baron K connection...
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Thursday, October 15, 2009
TENDERNESS HAS TEETH
Sweet Soubrett & Kelli Rae Powell Duet.
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http://ukuleledisco.com/tenderduo
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It appears Ukulele Disco has performed a long-term disappearing act. Oh where or where has Jason gone?
UKULELE SCENES IN MOVIES
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Hello ukulele friends:
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50 First Dates (Adam Sandler)
Balloonatic 1923 Silent (Buster Keaton)
Blue Hawaii 1960 (Elvis)
Five Easy Pieces (Jack Nicholson)
Forgetting Sarah Marshall
The Jerk 1979 (Steve Martin, Lyle Ritz [not seen])
Joe Versus the Volcano (Tom Hanks)
GEORGE FORMBY [ALL of HIS MOVIES, this be a separate blog entry]
Glass Bottom Boat 1966 (Doris Day, Arthur Godfrey)
Pest from the West 1939 (Buster Keaton)
The Hudsucker Proxy (Charles Durning)
The Jumping Flea - Tales of the Modern Uke (Ukulele Documentary)
The Purple rose of Cairo (Mia Farrow)
Reds (Warren Beatty)
Rock That Uke 2007 (Documentary)
Seabiscuit (William H. Macy uke on his office wall, no playing)
Some Like It Hot (Marylin Monroe)
Sons of the Desert 1940 (Laurel & Hardy)
Stage Door 1937 (Ginger Rogers)
Stanley's Gig 2000 (William Sanderson, Ian Whitcomb's playing [not seen])
Stingray Sam (Cory McAbee)
Take a Chance 1933 (Cliff Edwards)
Waikiki Wedding 1937 (Bing Crosby & Martha Raye)
Walk Hard - The Dewey Cox Story
You, Me & Dupree (Owen Wilson)
TELEVISION & ANIMATION
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I Love Lucy "Little Ricky Gets Stage Fright"
Monday, October 12, 2009
Jay Holiday Travels Route 66
The BELOVED GEORGE FORMBY
What made him stand out, however, was his unique and often mimicked musical style. He sang comic songs, full of double entendre, to his own accompaniment on the banjolele, for which he developed a catchy musical syncopated style that became his trademark.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
IS YOU IS OR IS YOU AIN'T MA' BABY?
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http://www.midnitesun.co.uk/otherhtm/framset1.htm
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UKULELE HEADSTOCK DOODLE
There's an area of mathematics called Fractals that I never studied. I like to think of my triangular symbol as the beginning of a musical Mendelbrot fractal. Perhaps it is just a humble pictorial beginning but the my music keeps expanding in friendships, playing skills, singing skills, and confidence as I creep slowly towards my 10,000 hours of deliberate practice. HU
Here's some famous Mendelbrot fractal images for the inquiring minds....
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://davis.wpi.edu/~matt/courses/fractals/mset.gif&imgrefurl=http://davis.wpi.edu/~matt/courses/fractals/mendel.html&h=300&w=300&sz=12&tbnid=D6G1jdLzIRRIyM:&tbnh=116&tbnw=116&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dmendelbrot&usg=__jX30CwlB22JAamDJlXVVUnGcxAE=&ei=y_TRSp3oJofysQPHtJTwCw&sa=X&oi=image_result&resnum=4&ct=image&ved=0CBQQ9QEwAw
Friday, October 9, 2009
Thursday, October 8, 2009
What an old Greek said about playing the ukulele...
We are what we repeatedly do.
Excellence, then, is not an act,
but a habit.
-- Aristotle
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
"College Love" Theater Lobby Poster
VITAPHONE VARIETIES
For those that love vintage stuff... you have to take a look!
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Observations On Film, Music & Imagery of the Past
http://vitaphone.blogspot.com/
More Food for Thought : OUTLIERS
Monday, October 5, 2009
WORLDLY THOUGHTS || Blue People || Good Old Days
"Try as you will, you get behind in the race, in spite of yourself. It's an incessant strain to keep pace… And still you lose ground. Science empties its discoveries on you so fast that you stagger beneath them in hopeless bewilderment… Everything is high pressure. Human nature can't endure much more."
--Atlantic Journal on June 16, 1833.
Good thing that we all have something as simple as the humble ukulele to share our joy, release our tensions, and socialize with good people. Today is a good ole day!
RED LIPS KISS MY BLUES AWAY (ORIG LYRICS + CHORDS) corrected
[8-C] I don’t worry when the blues come [8-D7] stealing
[6-G7] I know how to cure them [2-G+=0332] right [6-C] away [2-G7]
[8-C] Anytime I get that lonesome [4-G] feeling [4-E7]
[4-A7] I call up my [4-D7] sweetie and [8-G7] say:
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CHORUS:
[8-C] Red lips kiss my [8-D7] blues away
[8-G7] Red lips kiss the [8-C7] night to day
[6-F] Any old-time that [2-Fm] you come [2-C] cud-dl'- [1-C9] ing [5-A7] near
[8-D7] Isn’t strange that the way that the [8-G7] blues disappear?
[8-C] Red lips hold them [8-D7] close to mine
[4-G7] Sweetheart [4-C7] don’t de- [8-F] lay
[3-F] Come make a [5-Fm] dozen trips, [3-C] Let your red [5-A7] ruby lips,
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[8-C] All day long her telephone keeps [8-D7] ringing
[6-G7] Other boys have the blues just [2-G+] like my [6-C] own [2-G7]
[8-C] Here’s the song she always hears them [4-G] singing [4-E7]
[4-A7] Every time that [4-D7] she picks up the [8-G7] phone:
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CHORUS
Saturday, October 3, 2009
RED LIPS KISS MY BLUES AWAY || Lyric Variations
I have obtained a the original sheet music but unfortunately it doesn't match either of the YT videos attached below. That's quite frustrating since I've had so many hits and requests for the chords to this song on the blog and thought I had this one settled. But it appears that there are several versions. The top video has changed the lyrics and created a male/female duet and the bottom video just uses a portion of the song.
Here's another variation. This YT video has some historical info.
PLAY UKULELE by EAR || Jim D'Ville || Interview of Andy Andrews
http://playukulelebyear.blogspot.com/
The NIGHT OWLS MEDLEY || Bicycle & Ukulele Blog (Click here to see the blog post)
I really enjoy this song and Jim Gritt's soprano ukulele picking is great!
Friday, October 2, 2009
FINGER TEASER || RHAN WILSON = YODA
Help you I can, yes.- Yoda
We talked about several things and I wanted to record one exercise he showed me for future reference. Right now it is just a finger exercise. I created a diagram on my AutoCAD which is easier to read if you click to enlarge the jpg. This is a closed pattern that can be moved up and down the fretboard.
There are 8 notes. The idea is to play then in groups of 4 and to move up one step and play 4 more, etc. After that reverse it.
1--2--3--4--5--6--7--8 ___ 8--7--6--5--4--3--2--1
D--C--A--G--E--D--C--A ___ A--C--D--E--G--A--C--D
Try fingering... 1-2-3-4, 2-3-4-5, 3-4-5-6, 4-5-6-7, 5-6-7-8
And then... 8-7-6-5, 7-6-5-4, 6-5-4-3, 5-4-3-2, 4-3-2-1
BURNING UKE VII VIDEO SURFACES
(Accordians? Yeah! Them 2. I mean 2 of them.)