Dick’s Improved Ukulele Method
I obtained a copy of Dick’s Improved Ukulele Method as part of a bundle that included a 1920’s C.F. Martin Style 1 Ukulele, which you can read about here. This 1924 publication is the second of three books on playing the ukulele that I am aware of that were written by Richard W. Konter. The first book was Dick’s Ukulele Method and the third was Dick’s Ukulele System. Konter became well known in the 20’s for his participation in the Byrd’s Expeditions that flew over the North and South Poles. On Byrd’s flight over the North Pole, Konter smuggled an ukulele into the plane, which is now on display at the C.F. Martin Museum. You can see pictures and read more in the recent Ukulele Magazine article A Historic Martin Ukulele Visits The Arctic. The book was issued in a large format 9″ by 12″ in size. It has 44…
Midwest Uke Camp – 2017 Review
I had so much fun at the 1st Midwest Uke & Harmonica Camp that there was no question I was going to attend again this year! Ben Hassenger and Stan Werbin have once again planned a terrific weekend for music with an amazing array of instructors. Held on the beautiful campus of Olivet College, this can be a very relaxing, even though busy, weekend. Located just off Highway 69, it is easily reached from any direction. The campus is very picturesque with an array of architecture from the 1800’s to the modern looking cafeteria. The main road through town cuts across the middle of the campus, but has very limited traffic. This year’s instructor line up included the return of many instructors as well as new ones. Steven Espaniola, Cathy Fink, Stuart Fuchs, Rachel Manke, Marcie Marxer, Dave Passant, and Sandy Weltman arrived for the first time. Jim Beloff,…
Ukulele Heroes – The Golden Age
Ukulele Heroes – The Golden Age Ian Whitcomb Published by Hal Leonard Softcover – 166 Pages Audience – All levels Rating – Ukulele pictured – Unknown Maker (Harmony?) – circ. 1950 – Strung with vintage gut strings. Ian Whitcomb has spent his life in the music industry. Growing up in Great Britain, he encountered the ukulele early in his life. And ‘ukie’ has been traveling with him for much of it. His Martin joined him onstage with Johnny Carson and has been used in his performances across the country. In the process he encountered the stories and music of his ukulele heroes, which he shares with us in his book. He has also issued a terrific 2 CD set of Tin Pan Alley songs on the ukulele (review in the future). Profusely illustrated with vintage sheet music and photographs many provided by Flea Market Music (Jim and Liz Beloff), a…
Ukulele Chord Charts from BestMusicStuff.com
Five Ukulele Rating! I’m not sure which feed brought it up, it was probably Amazon, and it linked to the Creative Guitar Poster. I poked around and tried to find an ukulele version, but was unsuccessful. So I asked the question. The response was pretty quick, within a couple hours, and provided a link to the ukulele version. It looked like something that would help when I was teaching and had lots of features, including being Dry-Erase with room to circle and make notes. I responded with a thank you and ordered one. I got a message on The Ukulele Dude’s Facebook page indicating that they had added one of their Ukulele Reference Posters at no charge, and would I consider providing a review of the two charts. So here we go! The Ukulele Reference Poster is great! I’ve got several different chord books, fold out charts, and one page…
C.F. Martin – Style 1 Ukulele
Okay, I took a risk. It wasn’t a big risk, but it was a risk. How good was the new Facebook Marketplace? Someone on one of the ukulele forums on Facebook had shared a For Sale posting. It was listed as a 1920s C.F. Martin & Co. Soprano Ukulele Style 0 with an instruction book. Lots of pictures showing the condition issues and problems. The first thing I realized, without even checking the books, was that the double fret marker at 7 indicated it was a Style 1, not a Style 0. So after a conversation over Facebook, and a couple of actual phone calls, I transferred the money and got a tracking number. The only thing left was to wait for the arrival of the package. Two days later it arrived. Very well packaged and exactly what I was expecting to see, down to all the scratches and dings.…
Mighty Uke Day 7
Mighty Uke Day VII is coming upon us quickly! Taking place over on May 13th (unlucky for some!) it is bookended by events on Friday and Sunday. The line ups are getting larger and larger with more opportunities for all. There is a full schedule of free events, open mic, featured stage and free workshops in addition to paid concerts and workshops. You can find all the details at the Mighty Uke Day 7 web site. Gearing up for the event Ben Hassenger held the Mighty Uke Day 7 Fundraiser at The Avenue earlier this month. Cathy, my wife, went with me and we had a great time listening to all the great musicians and strumming along with the crowd! Shady Grove was one of my open mic songs. On the way home, a car pulled around us, got in front of us and immediately slowed down. Cathy immediately…
Jake Shimabukuro at Hill Auditorium
Jake was at Hill Auditorium in Ann Arbor on November 16th. I last saw him two years ago a Hill on a cold snowy day. It took my two hours to travel the 50 miles from home to A2. This year it only took me an hour, and I had time to investigate the large group of students outside Angel Hall, and see Jessie Jackson speaking. I went to a nearby restaurant and had dinner and then sat outside and noodled around a bit. Getting some smiles from kids and a gentleman who I discovered was going to the concert as well as having been at the Michigan Philharmonic concert, Uke Can’t Be Serious!, the week before, an event I had also attended. Arriving well before the concert started, I chatted with a number of ukulele folks I had met at previous ukulele events. When I purchased my ticket, all…