Ukulele for Guitarists Contents History of the Ukulele * Ukulele Anatomy Tuning Strumming Techniques Basic Chord Structures Key Transposing Group Exercise Reference: Ukulele Makers * Reference: Ukulele Players * 0. Reference: Ukulele Resources * SLE PNPARONS * Hand out only http:/Avww.roundbackguitarforum.com 18-May-2007History Of The Ukulele Taken from http:/www.ukes.com/ukelele_history.htm! In 1879, the Portuguese master craftsman and instrument maker Manuel Nunes arrived in the Hawaiian Islands with Joao Fernandes and Augustine Dias. They were immigrants who came to work in the sugar cane fields. Together they invented and developed the ukulele taking basic designs of instruments from their native home. Hawaiians were not only impressed with the beautiful sounds these instruments could make, but also with the speed these musicians' fingers flew on the fingerboard. It is said, they in turn began calling this instrument the Ukulele, which roughly translates as "Jumping Fleas". No matter what the real story behind the uke is, it became Hawaii's most popular musical instrument and much is attributed to the above mentioned Portuguese master craftsmen. The ukulele received royal acclaim with nobles such as King Kalakaua, Queen Emma and Queen Lili'uokalani playing this wonderful instrument. Which in turn may have made it more accepted by the people of Hawaii. All who learned the art of the ukulele loved it, from fisherman and taro farmers to Kings and Queens. It was around 1915 that the ukulele's popularity migrated to the mainland. A Hawaiian music craze had hit starting in San Francisco and made its way across the country causing ukulele sales to raise. The craze even swept across the ocean to the UK. The great demand for ukuleles in turn lead to a demand for uke manufacturing. Of the three original Portuguese ukulele makers, only Manuel Nunes remained and by 1910, orders were so numerous that he could not keep up with the demand. A young Samuel Kaialiilii Kamaka began his apprenticeship under Manuel Nunes. New competitors entered the field sometimes bringing unique design differences, tonal qualities and innovations. One of the competitors, Kumalae, had a new factory that could turn out around 300 instruments a month. Despite all the competition, there seemed to be plenty of business to go around as orders flooded in from all over. ( continued)(Continued from previous page) Competition took a new turn as mainland guitar manufacturers entered the ukulele market around 1915. Hawaiian reaction was dismay and even anger. Mainland companies were stamping their ukuleles with the legend marker reading "Made in Hawaii". Hawaiians fought back by creating a distinctive trademark, which they had protected by legislation. Hawaii uke makers received authority to place "Made in Hawaii, U.S.A." and made it a misdemeanor to use the new legend marker on any ukuleles not made in the Hawaiian Islands. In the 20s, mainland manufacturers such as Gibson, Harmony, Regal, National, Dobro and Martin (one of the most popular and successful maker, were mass- producing ukuleles by the thousands. Martin produced their first uke in 1916 based ‘on the Nunes design. Many Hawaiians prize their Martin ukes, and have been heard to speak of its special tonal qualities to this day. At Bounty Music, we have been lucky enough to see a few of these beautiful old ukuleles. In the 40s and 50s, the British music hall great George Formby and the American Arthur Godfrey kept the little instrument in the mainstream. Great players like Roy Smeck and Eddie Karnae kept playing fabulous music with the uke. But even with the arrival of Tiny Tim in the late 60s the popularity of the uke seemed to recede into people's closets and by the early 70s, Kamaka was the world's only high end manufacturer of ukuleles. Today we are seeing resurgence in popularity of Hawaiian Music and the wonderful ukulele. Hawaii is home to several luthiers who have turned their talented hands and eyes to the ukulele. Standing up to the tests of time and now a part of the ukuleles history, Kamaka has endured. In a way, their popularity may be reflected by their 12-month back-order (customs like the Ohta-San are even longer). "My Dog Has Fleas" is being heard by yet another generation throughout Hawaii There is The Ukulele Festival here in Hawaii, which features many of the world's finest players, there are schools such as Roy Sakuma's Ukulele school with over 400 students and Mainland events from all over including Northern California's Ukulele Festival and the Uke Expo in Massachusetts. New young players such as Abe Lagrimas, Jake Shimabukuro and Jack Johnson are brining new life into the use of ukulele as a modern day instrument as well as recently released videos of George Harrison and Paul McCartney of the Beatles.Ukulele Anatomy HEAD » He LD THING HEADS FRET MARKINGS SouND Hote B00y Roser ~ SADDLE Saas orice SOUNDBOARD -~ generally spruce, mahogany or koa BRACING -— very light, usually 5 braces BACK/SIDES — Usually mahogany or koa BRIDGE - tie, pin bridge or string through NECK — 12 or 14 fret, usually does not have truss rod FRETBOARD - usually flat and made of rosewood TUNERS - friction tuners or geared tuners STRINGS — nylon, sometimes wound, usually tie end ELECTRONICS - Fishman, Shadow, Ovation (Continued)(Continued from previous page) Typical ukulele dimensions (C.F. Martin) Total Body Body Scale Length Length Width Length ‘Soprano a1" 9 7/16" 63/8" 13 5/8" Concert 23: 1/4" 1" 75/8 * 14 3/4" Tenor 26 1/4" 12 116" " 47° Baritone 30 11/16" 14" 20 1/8“ lid A WORD ABOUT STRINGS Naming convention — the “highest” string is closest to the floor, “lowest” is closest to your face Strings are numbered 1, 2, 3 and 4. 1 is the highest position, 4 is the lowest position. The choice of ukulele strings makes a HUGE difference. My personal favorites are Aquila, GHS and Guadapule strings 1. Soprano and Concert generally use the same strings 2. Tenor usually uses a Tenor-specific strings. Sometimes the 3" string is wound. Sometimes the 3 and 4" strings are wound. 3. Baritone usually uses Baritone-specific strings. Usually the 3° and 4" are woundTuning Rule of thumb for guitarists: 1 ie 3. Take your guitar and remove the two lowest stings (E and A) Capo it at the 5" fret Tune your lowest sting (used to be your D) ‘one octave high — reentrant tuning Now you've got a UKULELE (sort of) G-C-E-A (low to high) My-Dog-Has-Fleas My dog has fleas ‘Tunings CourseNo. | Soprano | Concert | Tenor Baritone | Classical Guitar First String | A (440) A (440) A440) E296) 29.6) Second String | £G29.6) | BG296) | G2.) |B 246.9) | BASSI) Third Suing [C616 [C@s16 |C@e16 [4.1196 G(196) Fourth String | G (392) G92) 692/196) | D468) | D.(146.8) Fifth String A(it0y Sixth String E624) Variations: 1. Piccolo Soprano Tuning A-D-F#-B 2. Low G Tenor Tuning — No reentrant (2 haif steps higher then Soprano) G (exactly like a guitar capo'd at 5! fret 3. Tenor String Baritone — Special strings allow G-C-E-A tuning on a Baritone Three Step Tuning Check: 9 9 9 =) = Unison Octave Unison “Guitar” Type Tuning Check: 9 = 5 Unison Unison Unison 2x0Strumming Techniques Strum between soundhole and 12" fret «— Textbook perfect technique! STRAPS -— most players do not use straps, or perhaps use a sax strap PICKS — some players use felt or rubber picks, most use bare flesh and nails TECHNIQUE #1 — “Thumb Strum” Down strum = flesh of thumb Up strum = back of thumb nail TECHNIQUE #2 - “Nail Strum” Down strum = back of all fingers Up strum = back of thumb nail TECHNIQUE #3 - “Finger Strum” Down strum = back of index finger nail Up strum = flesh of index finger FINGER STRUM is the most versatile and can be easily combined with Thumb strums, Nail strums, and fingerpicking FINGERPICKING - Similar to guitar technique, it is done using either the flesh of the fingers or by plucking using the fingernailsBasic Ukulele Chord Structures "Pa Mele O Hokulea Ukulele Academy" STUDENT UKULELE CHORD CHART cr “gcea” Standard Tuning Gm Gm? dim = Cougs C8? mal? co Het ‘a Db7 bm = Obm7—Dbdim bag be OT Dé Omaj? D8 ¢ a 1 Ebe Ebay LB ‘@Michola Kibo, Ukulele tnstuctor (821) 478-4810 UkaladyARerurto.com Edim Eaug «= «EG Emaj?_— ED ay ¢ cian al Fm? Fdim_ = Foug =F Fema? FO $ t & T +H Looe Co im} chtBasic Ukulele Chord Structures Gbdim Gbaug Gb6_—_ Gbmay7 le e C Gdim Gaug = G6 Gmal7 Abaug = Ab6— Abmaj7 Bb Bb7 Bbm = Bbm7 —Bbdim B By Bm Bm? Bdim a @Michetle Kiba, Ukulele Instructor (831) 476-4819 Ukalady@peruzio.comMany “Shapes” for a Given Chord Some examples: mater > : os - - for} - tom ° oc lee ee eee th “Ce emajor >[ll} >| lo i ~ 1? | : > [ole le ‘Ose Also note that the reentrant tuning also helps to bring out some very interesting voicings in chord shapes A very good on-line tool is : hitp:/www.ezfolk.com/uke/chords/C_Major/¢_major.html aoGeneric Chord Forms for Ukulele Chord “SHAPES” - Anchor at the appropriate fret position UKULELE CHORD FORMS A thesaurus of chord forrns, usable for all ulmlele sizes. Top of diagrams oriented Lowards tuning head. Move bottom fret of chord forms down to nut for open chords, Numbers beneath diagram indicate each sting’s finction within the chord (R= roctnote). Major Diminished __ oe e o\¢ . ot te ¢ oie 6 Tats rseR ey Sowes [E S zea 18 Ble Minor. At ted _ é e eo ¢ e ¢¢ e 6 ¢ Rb3 5R e b3 5 Rb3| R345 R +e, Bash bis Se aS é é ¢ ca 2 fre] ¢ e b7.3°5 R 5 R 357 @ e e e @ @ e R573 S37 RS Sh73 5 Rawk @ o/\e | @ Ro@b72 5.2.3 67 n73 52 |RbS6R RS OM ah o¢ eeoee eT] @@ FRI6 eee [eee ele ¢ @[@|sRis0 obs R R3 GR 63 5R R563 11Chord Shapes Hint - It's EXACTLY like a GUITAR ! RE & z B minor Dom 7 7 Major 7 Major 6 Soo sis swe wires 73s oR se 12Key Transposing UkuleleTuning: G-C-E-A Guitar Tuning : D-G-B-E = Difference is 2-1/2 steps Basically as a guitarist playing the ukulele you have two options: 1. Relearn the fretboard and releam all chord names 2. Pretend you are playing a guitar with a capo on 5'" fret In other words get really good at transposing down 2-1/2 steps (5 frets) Don't get hung up on ukulele chord actual “names” just keep asking yourself what chord SHAPE would you play on a 5" fret capo’d guitar to play along with non capo’d guitars. It's actually quite easy . Guitar plays G chord Guitar plays Dm chord @ Transpose Down 5 Frets ‘Transpose Down > Uke plays D shape 9 Uke plays ‘Am shape 5 Frets Remember: Looks Like - Sounds Like Sounds Like — Looks Like For example — Your guitar friends are going to play “Let It Be” in the key of C Guitar chord progressions C G Am FC G FC. To play along on ukulele, just transpose down 5 frets which is ... key of G Ukulele chord shape progression G D Em C GDC G 1 1 1 1 ' I ' ' ' ' 1 13Group Excercise 1. Strum Pattern: a2a3a4a YOU’VE GOT A FRIEND 1 1a2a3a4a A ie ys tis ge te pe Ly { Eases ti ae 2. Chord Shapes: Am e7 Dm c G ee] ett ane | a G7 C7 F Bb Am | ¢ eel) 3. Try these alternative voicings: E7 - 0434 (D7 shape, slide it up 2 frets) G - 5433 G7 - 3433 4. Introduction and transitions: G F - 0787 (Dshape, at 7" fret) - 0565 (slide the G down 2 frets) Em - 0453 (Dmshape, at 3° fret) Dm - 0231 (slide the Em down 2 frets)Intro: Verse: Chorus: Verse: Break: Chorus: YOU'VE GOTA FRIEND - CHORD SHAPES ! G F Em Dm Am E7 Am Dm Am When you're down and troubled and you need a helping hand Dm c G G7 and nothing, whoa, nothing is going right. Am E7 Am Close your eyes and think of me and soon I will be there Dm c GF Em Dm to brighten up even your darkest nights. c F Dm You just call out my name, and you know where ever | am c Am Dm GF Em Dm I'l come running to see you again. c C7 FE Dm c Winter, spring, summer, or fall, all you have to do is call and I'll be there, yeah, yeah, GaGr you've got a friend, If the sky above you should tum dark and full of clouds and that old north wind should begin to blow, keep your head together and call my name out loud. Soon | will be knocking upon your door. You just call out my name, and you know where ever | am Hil come running to see you again. Winter, spring, summer, or fall, all you have to do is call and I'l be there. Bb F c c7 Hey, ain't it good to know that you've got a friend? People can be so cold. F Dm Am FE They'll hurt you and desert you. Well, they'll take your soul if you let them, G oF Em Dm oh yeah, but don't you let them. You just call out my name, and you know where ever | am I'l. come running to see you again. Winter, spring, summer, or fall, all you have to do is call, I'lbe there, yeah, yeah, you've got a friend. You've got a friend, ‘Ain't it good to know you've got a friend. Ain't it good to know you've got a friend. Oh, yeah, yeah, you've got a friend. 15Famous Ukulele Makers Not a complete list — personal my opinion KAMAKA: Shortly after the tum of the century, Samuel Kaialilii Kamaka began crafting koa ukuleles from the basement of his Kaimuki, Hawaii home. In 1916, he formed his one-man shop, "Kamaka Ukulele and Guitar Works," and soon established a solid reputation for making only the highest quality ukuleles. In 1921, Kamaka Ukulele established a shop at 1814 South King Street. In the mid-20s, Sam Kamaka laid out a pattern for a new oval-shaped ukulele body. His friends remarked that it looked like a pineapple, so one of Sam's artist friends painted the front fo duplicate the tropical fruit, A few years later in 1928, Sam Kamaka patented the design. Thus began the original Pineapple Ukulele, which produced a resonant, mellow sound distinct from the traditional figure-eight. The Pineapple Ukulele became an instant success worldwide, and continues to be Kamaka's signature ukulele to this day. Samual During the 30s, Sam Sr, introduced his two sons, Samuel Jr. and Frederick, to the craft of ukulele-making, even though the boys were only in elementary school. In 1945, the business was reorganized as "Kamaka and Sons Enterprises." Sam Jr. and Fred Sr. were then drafted into the Army, and after serving in WWIII, both brothers attended college on the GI bill. After graduating from Washington State University, Fred Sr. began a career in the Army, while Sam Jr. earned a masters degree and went on to pursue a doctorate in entomology at Oregon State University. In 1952, due to illness, Sam Sr. went into semi-retirement and hauled his equipment to his Lualualei Homestead farm in Waianae. When he became seriously ill the following year, Sam Jr. abandoned his studies and moved back to Hawaii to care for his father. Sam Sr. died in December 1953, after hand-crafting koa ukuleles for over 40 years, immediately following Sam Sr.'s death, Sam Jr. put aside his personal career aspirations to continue the family business. Building on the knowledge he had picked up from his father, Sam Jr. restored the factory at the previous 1814 S. King Street location. Five years later in 1959, the company expanded to its current location at 550 South Street. Kamaka and Sons incorporated in 1968 and became "Kamaka Hawaii, Inc.” After retiring from the Amy in 1972, Fred Sr. joined the business as its general manager. Along the way, Sam Jr.'s sons, Chris and Casey, also got involved with the company as did Fred Sr.'s son, Fred Jr. The sons now play major roles at Kamaka Hawaii, Inc.’ Chris is the production manager, Casey crafts the custom orders, and Fred Jr. is the business manager. Other young family members are also helping with the business, caitying the Kamaka tradition into the fourth generation. As the Kamaka legacy moves forward, itis important to reflect on what has made the company endure. The guiding philosophy at Kamaka Hawaii has always been the candid, but sensible advice handed down from Sam Sr. to sons: If you make instruments and use the family name, don't make junk." 16C.F. MARTIN: Courtesy of Brudda Bu's Ukulele Heaven Established in 1833 by German emigre C.F. Martin, the Martin Guitar Company of Nazareth, Pennsylvania, soon became world renowned for making some of the world’s finest guitars. It was during the start of the ukulele craze in the early part of this century that Martin started making ukuleles. Today these ukes are without peer and are some of the most highly sought after by collectors. Even Hawaiian musicians, especially the old timers, have a special place in their hearts for Martin ukuleles. As early as 1907, F.H. Martin was experimenting with the ukulele, the earliest one recorded was made on December 10th of that year. These first Martin ukes were not well received, they were made too much like a guitar, with a lot of bracing in the body. They had spruce tops and this wood did not produce the light, bouncy sound associated with the ukulele. There the matter rested for about 10 years until the mid-teens when the Hawaiian ukulele craze was starting to take over the nation. Martin's second attempt at the ukulele was much more successful. While the same dimensions were used as the earlier version, mahoganey was used for the top instead of spruce and this proved to make alll the difference. The wood was made much thinner then a guitar and much less bracing was used. The result was the Martin ukulele we know today as the best ukulele ever made. Martin ukuleles were so successfull that they doubled the work space and added employees to handle the demand. Guitar production in 1920 totaled 1,361 units and Christian Frederick Martin lll estimates that the company turned out nearly twice as many ukuleles as guitars during the '20s. In 1920, Martin started making ukuleles in Hawaiian koa wood. These instruments had a brighter, crisper sound, more like the Hawaiian made ukuleles. Martin continued making koa ukuleles until 1940, when World War II made it extremely difficult to get the wood from Hawaii. Today, Martin koa ukuleles sell for as much as $2000 for a 2K, $4000 for a 3K and $10,000 for the Holy Grail of ukuleles, the 5K. The Konter Ukulele - This was not an unusual ukulele, per se, just a Style 1K, a plain koa uke with rosewood binding. What makes this ukulele so different was where it went - The North Pole. The Konter Uke was the prized possession of Mr. Richard (Dick) Konter (1882-1979); American seaman, adventurer, explorer, uke player. Among his many adventures, in the late 1800's, he was shipwrecked in the South Seas and played Robinson Crusoe for several months. In 1926, Konter was a volunteer on Robert Byrd's first expedition to the North Pole. Konter wished to have his ukulele with him on the trip and introduce it to the eskimos, so he smuggled it on to the plane (without Byrd's knowledge, of course, who would have nixed the idea). It was not until they had reached Spitzbergen, the jumping off point for the flight, that Konter learned there would be no ‘eskimos where they were going. No matter, Konter's Martin ukulele became the first musical instrument to travel to the North Pole. 17 (Continued)(Continued from previous page) MARTIN UKULELE PRODUCTION Martin ukuleles were in highest production from 1916 to the 1930's (hitting their peak in 1926, with over 14,000 made), at which time Hawaiian music and Tin Pan Alley were extremely popular, and in the late 40s and 50s, as servicemen came back from Hawaii (almost 12,000 were made in 1950), They were manufactured in quantity through the mid 60s, but demand fell off sharply in the late 60s, Tiny Tim notwithstanding. By the mid 70s, Martin had stopped making ukuleles except by special order. Even today, you can special order a Martin ukulele, but a simple Style 0 will cost well over $1000, much higher then the price of a vintage instrument. Today, Martin makes the "Backpacker Uke"; a funny looking and certainly not up to old Martin standards, ukulele made in Mexico that sells for about $200 retail. They also make a modern version of the Style 0, also made at their factory in Mexico. But for a little more, you can find yourself an old Martin Style 0, a wonderful ukulele that will start you on your way to uke heaven. Martin ukuleles are considered by many to be the finest ever made for craftsmenship and sound and a close look at a Martin ukulele will show their attention to detail. Demand for older Martin ukes has increased dramatically in recent years, with some older fancy models selling in the thousands of dollars. The Hawaiian koawood models are more collectible than mahogony models, as there were much fewer of them made. A quick look on Ebay will give you an idea of what they are going for. Martin made ukes in five different models: Style 0, Style 1, Style 2, Style 3 and Style 5. Nobody is quite sure what happened to Style 4, but apparently there never was one. You can see the difference in these models below. Styles 0, 1 and 2 were very similiar, but with more binding as the model had a higher number. Styles 3 and 5 were primarily for professional, with much more binding, fancy inlay in the neck and headstock, and a fret board that came all the way down to the soundhole. Koa ukuleles were also in the Martin production line and were very popular in the 20s and 30s. Koa is a native wood of Hawaii and was the regular wood for Hawaiian ukulele manufacturers The koa ukuleles were identical to the mahoganey ukuleles in size and trimmings, the only difference being the substitution of koa wood. Koa ukuleles were listed in Martin catalogues with aK added to the style. In 1920, Styles 1, 2 and 3 were added to the Martin line. The 5K, Martin's most expensive uke, was first made in 1922 (at $50 each, quiet an expense in those days). By the mid 30s, Martin had stopped making koa Styles 1, 2 and 3. At the outbreak of World War Il Martin dropped the 5K, probably because Koa wood was no longer easily obtainable. In 1941, Martin made a mahoganey version of the Style 5, but this was dropped from the Martin line by 1943, There are several ways to date your Martin ukulele. Martin put a stamp on the back of the peghead until 1933 and peghead decals first appeared in 1932, so occasionally you will find a ukulele with both the stamp and decal. Bar frets were generally used until 1934, afterwhich they used T-frets. There is a stamp on the inside of the body that, before 1962, reads "C.F. Martin & Co,, Nazareth, PA". In 1962, Martin added "Made in USA" to this stamp. Other ways to date them are the inlays on the fingerboard, with early fancy models having diamond shaped inlays and the newer models having small round dots. 18Some Ukulele Players Herb Ohta - http://www.geocities.com/ohtasan2020/ The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain - http//www.ukuleleorchestra.com/ Jake Shimabukuro - http:/Avww.jakeshimabukuro.com/ Abe Lagrimas - htto:/vww.abrahamlagrimasir.com/ Jack Johnson - http:/Avww.jackiohnsonmusic. com/ The Duke Of Uke - http://www.myspace.com/dukeofuke The King Blues - http://www.myspace.com/thekingblues The Old Spice Boys - http://www.oldspiceboys.com/ Sonic Uke - http://www.sonicuke.com/ Pineapple Princess - http://www.rockinvan.com/pineappleprincess/ Isreal Kamakawiwo - http:/Awww.geocities.com/~ukulele/iz.htm| Ukulele Ike - http:/Awww.redhotiazz.com/cliffedwards.html Tiny Tim - htto:/Awww.tinytim.org/Ukulele Resources The Ukulele ~ A Visual History, By Jim Beloff A great resource book on ukulele history http:/Awww. fleamarketmusic.com, Also has extensive selection of ukulele song books and a huge list of internet links DEALERS and ONLINE RESOURCES UKULELE WORLD, great source for accessories - http:/Avww.ukuleleworld.com/ UKULELE SUPPLY OF HAWAII - hito://ukulelesupply.tripod.com/index. htm! REALLY USEFUL MUSIC CO. - http:/stores.ebay.co.uk/THE-REALLY-USEFUL-MUSIC-COMPANY KALA UKULELES - http:/Avww.kalaukulele.com/ LOST ART VINTAGE INSTRUMENTS - http:/Avww.lostartvintage.com BUSHMAN UKULELE - hitp://umpingflea.com/ BOUNTY MUSIC - http://www.ukes.com/ UKULELIA - htto:/Ayww.ukulelia.com/ HANALIMA, source for parts and accessories - http:/www.hanalima.com/ FLEA MARKET MUSIC, extensive online store - http:/Avww.fleamarketmusic.com BEATLES UKULELE SITE - http://www.beatlesite. info/ POHAKU INSTRUMENTS - htto:/Awww.pohakuukulele.com/ukelele/pages/ VERY COOL CHORD TRANSPOSER - http://www.ring-quitars.co jp/uchord.htm| MY OWN LINK LIST - http:/iwww.ovationgallery.com/pagelinksuke.him 20