Ukulele Online

I’ve seen Christofer Drew Ingle of nevershoutnever! (I always want to write Never Shout Never) playing a few different ukuleles, most of them seem to be tenor ukuleles.

His most common brand seems to be Kala ukuleles. He’s using one in the photo in this video and in the video above he’s using a rather fetching Kala Archtop ukulele.

I got interviewed for a piece on the Guardian Music Blog recently. Only two sentences made it into the final piece. So, rather than let it go to waste, I’ve stuck it up here.

What is it you love about the ukulele?

I love how the ukulele forces you to be creative. It’s very restricted when it comes to range, so you have to be more inventive with rhythm and harmony.

And it’s a very handy instrument. You can carry it and play it anywhere.

Have you seen its popularity growing recently? If so, why do you think that is?

It’s grown massively in the last twelve months or so. It seems to be everywhere at the moment. There are ukulele clubs springing up all over the country. It’s been used by acts from Portishead to Van Morrison to Florence and the Machine. Frank Skinner and Lee Evans both close their acts with a ukulele song. From my own experience, my website is getting four times the traffic it was getting this time last year.

I think there are two main reasons behind it. The first is the internet. Niche interests spread much faster on the internet - so many more people are hearing the ukulele being played. Before the net it was hard to find learning materials for the ukulele, now there’s a wealth of information online.

The other reason is the availability. China has been pumping out playable, entry-level ukuleles by the boatload. They’re cheap enough for people to buy on a whim and it makes them a viable option for teaching in schools.

Do you think it can evoke all the emotion of a guitar, or do you find it a bit limiting ultimately?

Every instrument has its limitations. If you try to play the ukulele like a guitar, you will be limited.

It has a sound and feel of its own. When you play the ukulele on its own terms you’ll have ideas that you’d never have on any other instrument.

Do you have any particular favourite ukulele-based songs?

Loads. Here are a few that come to mind:

Rod Thomas’s Same Old Lines which was voted last year’s ukulele video of the year.

James Hill - Down Rideau Canal

Sophie Madeleine - The Stars

The Bobby McGee’s - A Dog at All Things

There’s no doubt that the biggest ukulele hit of last year was Noah and the Whale’s 5 Years Time. So it’s not surprising I’ve had a few people asking which ukulele Charlie from the band plays.

In that video he’s playing a soprano ukulele made by Vintage.

I’ve also, more recently, seen him playing a spruce top concert ukulele (such as in this picture). My first thought was that it was a Kala. But if that was the case you’d expect to see the Kala logo at the top. So I’m stumped on that one.

There are four main ukulele sizes: soprano, concert, tenor and baritone. These can be loosely catagorised by their scale length (i.e. the distance between the nut and the bridge - the part of the strings that you play).

Soprano Size: 33 cm / 13 inches
Concert Size: 38 cm / 15 inches
Tenor Size: 43 cm / 17 inches
Baritone Size: 48 com / 19 inches

The total length of the ukulele varies depending on the construction.

There are very few dedicated ukulele shops around, so most people find they have to buy a ukulele online. There is a massive selection of ukuleles for sale online, so it can be very difficult to make a choice and be confident in your selection.

Finding the Right Ukulele

Before you buy a ukulele, it’s well worth doing a bit of research first. Look at the ukuleles in your price range and make a short list to check out. There’s an increasing amount of information online about various brands of ukulele. I have written a ukulele buyer’s guide with reviews submitted by readers.

Search for the ukulele on YouTube: As well as finding reviews, you’ll also get a good idea of the sound and the popularity of the instrument.

Look on ukulele forums: There are endless discussions on forums about the the qualities of various ukuleles. If you can’t find anyone talking about the uke you’re interested in, ask and you’ll most likely find someone who has played that ukulele before.

Buying on eBay

There’s no doubt that the biggest selection of ukuleles for sale online is to be found on eBay. That includes both new and vintage ukuleles. Some people are wary of buying on eBay, but there’s really no need to be. The important thing is to check the reputation of the particular seller. The most respected ukulele sellers on eBay are musicguymic and ukulele4u.

One thing to check when you’re buying on eBay is whether the seller provides setup. A big advantage of a specialised ukulele seller is their expertise. For a beginner in particular, having a ukulele professionally set up can be the difference between getting a ukulele that’s a pleasure to play and one that’s so frustrating you give up.

Buying on Musicians Friend and Guitar Center

There are high-street retailers who sell ukuleles online Musicians Friend and Guitar Center in particular. Their selection isn’t as wide as eBay and they don’t have the same expertise, but they do have a reasonable selection and there are advantages. You do have the reassurance of real, physical stores that, if required, you can go to with problems and return the ukulele if you’re not satisfied. The sites are also useful in that they usually have a number of reviews of each ukulele.

The internet is a great place to get a ukulele - all my ukes except my first were bought online. So if you have to buy a ukulele online, don’t feel you’re settling for second best.

There are no shortage of ukulele chord charts around, but there aren’t that many that also show you what fingers you should be using when you are fretting these chords. But this one from Kiwi Ukulele does:

Indispensible Chord Chart(PDF)

It’s a very well laid out chord chart and even though it isn’t exhaustive, it does have pretty much every first position chord you’ll want. And the layout of it, going from chords you’ll use all the time to chords you hardly ever see, is a much better way of doing it than the standard way of grouping all the A based chords, then the B chords etc.

Scrubs is one of my favourite comedy shows and it just went up even further in my estimation now that they’ve recruited a ukulele girl to be Ted’s sweetheart in the episode

Who was the ukulele girl on Scrubs?

The character of Stephanie Gooch (the Scrubs ukulele girl) is played by Kate Micucci. She’s been a comedy actor for a number of years having appeared in small roles in Malcolm in the Middle, How I Met Your Mother and Four Kings.

She’s also the ukulele half of the duo Garfunkel and Oates with fellow comedy actress Riki Lindhome (Pushing Daisies, Life is Short).

It’s great to see Kate - and the ukulele - getting exposure on Scrubs. Let’s hope it’s the start of big things for her.

It seems like more and more people are buying ukuleles these days -the New York Times certainly seems to think so - and there are sure to be plenty of ukuleles on Christmas lists this year. But buying your first ukulele can be a tricky task. Unlike buying a guitar, your local music shop isn’t likely to have a big range of ukuleles for you to try. You will get a much better selection online - particuarly on eBay. But that does mean you won’t be able to try before you buy. So here are a few pointers to help you decide which ukulele to buy.

Visit Buy a Ukulele

On my other site, I have a section on my other site with ukulele reviews, descriptions and videos of all the most common ukuleles around (both new and vintage). There’s also some general uke buying advice on this site: Buy a Ukulele. Continue reading “Buy a Ukulele: What’s Best for a Beginner?”

Israel Kamakawiwo’ole (or IZ for short) is one of the most popular and most recognisable ukulele player. His version of Somewhere Over the Rainbow has become on of the songs most associated with the ukulele. With him inspiring so many people to pick up the uke, many people are wondering which ukulele he played.

Israel Kamakawiwoole’s main ukulele was a Martin Tenor. You can see him using it in the famous video for Over the Rainbow. He had this ukulele strung with Low G strings.

Where Can I Buy A Tenor Martin Ukulele?

It’s not that easy, or that cheap. Martin don’t make tenor ukuleles any more, so you’ll have to try to buy one second hand. You can usually find one or two Martin Tenor ukuleles on eBay. You can expect to pay around $1,000 for one in good condition.

If you’re wondering how to re-string a ukulele, Aldrine has made a video walking you through the process. Continue reading “How to String A Ukulele Video”