COME VISIT BEAUTIFUL TUSCANY with UKULELE MIKE
BELLA TOSCANA (BEAUTIFUL TUSCANY) – Original Solo for Ukulele by Michael Lynch
Here is an opportunity for you to learn a classical ukulele piece. It was performed on a Tenor ukulele with a Low G tuning but plays just fine on a ukulele with High G tuning as well.
BELLA TOSCANA is available for purchase $5.39 by paying thru the PayPal donate button on the Ukulele Mike Website: www.ukulelemikelynch.com If you purchase the newly “Expanded” edition of the SOLO INSTRUMENALS FOR UKULELE VOLUME 1, you’ll find it included in that ebook along with the Korean Folk Song “ARIRANG” The “Expanded” edition of the SOLO INSTRUMENTALS FOR UKULELE VOLUME 1. sells for $28.95. The “Expanded” edition includes a large collection of my originals songs and original tablature arrangements. Once purchased it will be emailed to you as a PDF file within the day. “HAPPY STRUMMING” – UKULELE MIKE
When I was about 4 years old my older brother, Dick, was serving in the U.S.Navy during the Korean war and was stationed at Sand Point Naval Air Station in Seattle, Washington. While there, he performed piano and clarinet in the Naval Base Swing Band that performed regularly at the officer’s club and elsewhere.
Often,when he would come to the house he would sit at the piano and play tunes that incorporated these intriguing set of notes that immediately caught my ear. Upon asking what they were, he told me he was playing Boogie Woogie. Of course being a 4 year old I immediately giggled at the very sound of those words BOOGIE WOOGIE!!!. . . So fun. . . I asked him if he would teach me how to play it on the piano. He showed me the typical left hand figure in the bass that we know of today as “8 To The Bar” since it was made up of 8 swinging 8th notes to every measure. . . Above that he would lay down a hooky right hand riff that went right along with that constant repetitive riff. From a very early age I had an instant capacity for music. It didn’t take me long to play the Boogie Woogie riff and play it up to tempo. When he would be away at the Navy Bass. . . I would sit at the piano alone with that left hand riff and play it endlessly until it became automatic. I didn’t know it at the time but I was programming my “muscle memory” into my left hand fingers. This is something I stress consistently with all of my ukulele and guitar students. Once I had that riff automatic then I could begin adding the hooky tune above. Quite often I’d just make it up. . . I had a good ear . . . . It was so fun. . . So here I have laid out in tablature form a simple Boogie Woogie riff in the Key of C major. . . . You can play this alone or . . . have another player do a swing shuffle with the chords to provide a nice accompaniment to your playing. Or, if you have an accomplished improviser they could improvise a catchy lead part above your “8 to the bar” riff. Hope you try this. . . it’s a lot of fun and it also builds your melody playing technique. I’ve scored this out in straight 8th note rhythms. . . Each note played equally the same length. I’d recommend playing it that way first then when you feel accomplished at it you can “swing” it by playing a dotted 8th 16th note rhythm. The video tutorial also explains how to most effectively use proper fingering regarding first, second, third, and 5th positions.
For many many years I’ve been a great fan of the music of the French composer Erik Satie. When I was in High School and studying classical piano my music teacher introduced me to the 3 Gymnopedies by Satie. So beautiful and yet so incredibly simple and complex all at the same time. It’s not so much the notes but how one phrases the notes in their slow melodic fashion that speaks from the heart. Other pieces have spoken to me in the very same way. I would include Traumerie and Clair de Lune in that category. Also Sibelius’ FINLANDIA which I’ve also done a ukulele arrangement of.
About two years ago I made a visit to the beach near my home on Puget Sound. I was struck by the balmy summer air and the beautiful sight of the Olympic Mountains in the west. The people quietly lingering around the promenade as the ferry boat filled up with passengers eager to head off to the Olympic Peninsula. I had my uke in hand and started to casually run my fingers up and down the first string to create a simple melody. I liked what I heard and began to work on it a bit. Once the melody was pretty much in hand I began to include other notes of harmony within a simple repetive arpeggio finger picking pattern. Without knowing it I was being influenced by those French composers that I was introduced to in my youth: Satie, Debussy, Ravel and many others. . . Definitely a very impressionistic sound began to speak from my little ukulele and I was pleased. I must have sat there for over an hour playing my little piece over and over again. Nearly every time I played yet another new idea came to mind and in time it was firmly planted in my brain and my fingers. I surely didn’t want to lose this one! When I got home and sat down and proceded to lay out the notes in my Finale notation program on my computer to make extra sure I would not lose this piece. Once I had it all entered into the computer then I felt a sigh of relief. . . I didn’t come back to it again for several days. At that time my mind was fresh. . . I am now prepared to play it and ready to receive fresh ideas. Lo and behold some fresh ideas did come forth but they were minor . . . Indeed the main work had already been done. . . In subsequent months after that I purposely sat down to compose 2 companion pieces: Cherry Blossoms and River Of Dreams. . . The three became what I call THE DREAMSCAPE TRILOGY. This set of pieces are very attainable for fairly elementary ukulele players as the main melody simply plays off the first string with LOTS of open strings to fill out the accompaniment. . . . All three are found in my SOLO INSTRUMENTALS FOR THE UKULELE Volume 1 . . . It sells for $20.00 and can be purchased thru the paypal donate button on my website: www.ukulelemikelynch.com
Below are a number of tremendous video responses from other You Tube subscribers. . . Beginning at that warm summer day at the beach this simple peace has literally gone ’round the world. . . “HAPPY STRUMMING
Besides this primarily fingerpicking style collection, I also have a full library of Chord/Melody collections which can be purchased individually or all THREE for a discount.
Here is a link that explains the Chord/Melody Series
For information regarding any Ukulele resource please email:
TheUkuleleMan2012@hotmail.com
Look closely at the arrangement below and you’ll quickly see that in rendering this and any classic song into a jazz flavored piece it takes only a very few chord forms . . . properly placed at the right frets on the fingerboard and voila! You have a beautiful jazz arrangement.
Traditional chords are typically what are called TRIADS, meaning 3 note chords. For instance, the C major chord is made up of C, E, and G . . . The G major is made up of G, B, & D. These triadic chords are our basic primary color chords. . . Remember the days when you had your little 8 color Crayola box? You thought you had all the colors in the rainbow. . . but then came along the SIXTY FOUR color box and you were astounded by how many colors were possible. Every possible shade of Green, Blue, Purple, Green etc. Well, Jazz chords are kinda of like this. . . Jazz chords add one or two additional notes onto the simple TRIADS. . . It gives them character, complexity, interest and definitely a JAZZ FLAVOR. Jazz chords are typically minor 7ths , major 7ths, Diminished, Augmented, 6ths, 9ths etc. Because they have more then one note more then a simple TRIAD that means you need generally use all four strings for each chord. In many cases you need to use barring technique as in the case of the minor7ths and the minor6ths. Getting to know these chords is fairly simple. . . Getting them to sound clean and clear takes some time and practice, but the time spent is richly rewarding. If you don’t have barring skills yet then this is the time to start developing them. Takes time and patience but working this skill is also richly rewarding, not just for Jazz but for all music you’ll be playing down the road. I’ve posted a close up video of Somewhere Over The Rainbow on my facebook page and I invite you to go and friend me so you can have a look and listen. http://www.facebook.com/UKULELEMIKE?ref=tn_tnmn&__att=iframe#!/UKULELEMIKE
One thing you’ll notice in my performance of this song is that I’m basically doing 2 downstrokes per chord with my thumb. . . Ocassionally as I transition to a new chord I’ll add a single 8th note downstroke. I’m also using a technique where I slightly mute the chord between each chord change. It adds a nice percussive effect and also gives it a recognizable jazz sound. Once again THAT technique also takes time and patience. . . but it is also richly rewarding to your playing.
This arrangement is in my upcoming SONGS OF YESTERYEAR Volume 2 along with numerous other jazz flavored arrangements of old classic tunes.
OVER THE RAINBOW “DeCoded” by UKULELE MIKE -The essential importance of “DYNAMICS” in playing the ukulele
I can’t begin to tell you how many times people have asked me “How do you strum the Iz version of Somewhere Over The Rainbow. . . I’ve done 2 YouTube videos of it . . . even did one that attempted to more thoroughly explain the strum. . . I don’t think I’ve ever done it justice. . . So here I am again to try to explain what Iz was doing as he performed this classic iconic version of this classic iconic song.
First off . . . One needs to have a good handle on what we call the “Swing Shuffle” or Syncopated 8ths strum. . . . Down up DOWN up Down up DOWN up. . . it can be played with the nail of the index finger going down and the flesh coming up or in another way you can use the thumb going down and the flesh of the finger coming up. . . . 2 elements that you need to keep in mind: (1) Notice that all of the “up” strums are in lower case. . . You have to make sure you pay attention to dynamics to make this strum work properly. . . Make sure the “up” strums are light. . . they are supposed to be in the background. . . . almost “ghost” strums. . . If you play them equally as heavy as any of the downs it will make the pattern seem stiff and clunky. . . You want it to be light, airy. . . lifting . . . (2) Second element is to make sure the 2nd DOWN of the strum which is in all caps is accented. . . made to be louder then the other downs. . . This is what we call the backbeat. This gives the strum a forward kind of energy. . . Moves it along . . . . Of course in doing the swing pattern make sure it syncopates with a skipping kind of fell. . . DO NOT play each beat equally as long . . the “ups” are a quick beat. . . this is what we call a “dotted 8th note 16th note” rhythmic pattern. . . The swing shuffle is probably the most popular strum in all of traditional Hawaiian music. . . . Now to the KEY to get it to sound more like IZ . . . I believe he may be using a LOW G string, but even if not. . . you can achieve a more IZ like sound if you do the following. . . On the very first “Down” strum dont strum all of the strings but rather take your thumb and hit either the 4th or th 3rd string then you can follow up by strumming all of the strings. . . so the pattern would look something like this: THUMB DOWN up down up DOWN up . Notice again the first DOWN is accented as well as the 2nd to the last DOWN . I submit that it’s all in the “DYNAMICS” that make this strum sound so cool. . . . I’ve taught ukulele for many years now and I think dynamics is probably the hardest thing to teach or to convey to my students. . . It can be alusive and it’s really something I encourage you to pay attention to. Listen closely to how you strum. Are all of your strums equal in loudness or do you actually vary the dynamics. Dyamics convey soul to your music so dont overlook them. . . . Now if this is a bit hard to do at first . . . that’s entirely normal. . . it takes time and daily practice and patience to get this strum. It means going from the single thumb stroke to using your index finger or thumb to strum all 4 strings. . . If you listen to the above video you will notice he jumps from the 4th string to the 3rd string for each of those thumb notes. . . To get that right it takes time and SLOW practice. . . . Dont get discouraged. .. If you take time every day to spend 5 or 10 mins to this technique it will pay off sooner then you think. . . The key to learning anything on the uke is DAILY DAILY practice. . . . Ok hope this helps some . . . Many thanks to Glenda Schill who inspired me to compose this blog. . .
“HAPPY STRUMMING”. . . .
Oh by the way . . if you are a beginner or interested in comfirming you technique check out my COMBO PAK. . . DVD plus companion book. . . Sells for $29.95 plus $3.50 shipping in the US. . . $7.00 outside the US. . . Payments made thru the paypal donate button on my website: www.ukulelemikelynch.com Once the payment is made you will be confirmed personally through an email . . . If you purchased the companion book that will be sent to you within the day and your DVD will be shipped right away.
Questions regarding any ukulele resources, please email: TheUkuleleMan2012@hotmail.com
UKULELE MIKE OFFICIAL WEBSITE . . . . Updated April, 2012
UKULELE MIKE OFFICIAL WEBSITE . . . . Updated April, 2012 www.ukulelemikelynch.com
Check out the STORE page on my website http://www.ukulelemikelynch.com/store.htm for available eBooks with clickable links to fully detailed YouTube videos. Also find clickable links to details on THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF THE UKULELE / UKULELE MIKE’S FAVORITES FOR BEGINNING UKULELE Combo Pak http://ukulelemikelynch.com/wonderful_world_dvd_vol_1.htm
Here are a few links found on the STORE page on my website that will take you to You Tube videos that will give you a peek at what’s inside each instructional book. Be sure to watch each video thoroughly to receive instructions regarding purchasing of product.
SOLO INSTRUMENTALS FOR THE UKULELE in Tablature format http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7TfOXZk5Qk
CHRISTMAS UKULELE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-r-qQNZ1po
MELODIES OF CHRISTMAS http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2STeTDZFYls
SONGS OF YESTERYEAR Vol.1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbDEcb__2Qw
“HAPPY STRUMMING” – UKULELE MIKE
PERFECT for Beginning Ukulele Players : UKULELE MIKE’S FAVORITES for Beginning Ukulele Songbook
Announcing the release of UKULELE MIKE’S FAVORITES for Beginning Ukulele Songbook – $15.95 and can be purchased at this time by paying directly thru the paypal donate button on the UKULELE MIKE website: www.ukulelemikelynch.com
I’ve selected and arranged these songs into the best possible Ukulele friendly keys along with multiple suggested strumming and fingerpicking patterns. I’ve also noted the beginning vocal note for singing. In some cases I’ve leaned out the chord progressions to allow for ease of playing for newbie players without harming the essence of each tune. In the back of the book I’ve added my “OFFICIAL” UKULELE MIKE chord chart. Some of these songs go a bit beyond the chords taught in the DVD so the chord chart will effectively help the player expand their chord knowledge.
This is perfect for beginning players as a stand alone book or as a supplement to THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF THE UKULELE Volume 1. Calling upon the techniques learned in the DVD it provides a large (45 tunes!) collection to expand your repertoire right away plus it gives more musical examples to confirm your Ukulele skills. . . $15.95 and can be purchased by paying directly thru the PayPal donate button on my website: http://www.ukulelemikelynch.com. . . When you purchase the DVD “THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF THE UKULELE” you can combine both for a total of $30.00 plus $3.00 shipping in the US . . . $7.00 outside the US. . . The eBook will be emailed to you within the day as a pdf file.
By the way, this eBook is fully compatible with Windows,Mac,IOS,Android,and all pdf readers. There is full instant navigation throughout the book so it is perfect on iPads or android tablets.
Here is what you’ll find inside:
AND HERE IS THE FULL TABLE OF CONTENTS . . .
For information regarding any ukulele product please email:
TheUkuleleMan2012@hotmail.com
Here is a link that details the Beginners DVD COMBO PAK . . .
2nd Annual WORLD UKULELE DAY – Feb. 2nd 2012 – Let’s CELEBRATE!!!
Yes, the 2nd Annual WORLD UKULELE DAY is just a few days away. . . So, plan on doing something special that day to celebrate the ukulele. . . Take a look at this video below.
I’m inviting everyone to tell us what youre going to do . . . Let us know on my FACEBOOK page. . . Better yet, do a YouTube video about it or do a YouTube performance. . . . Be creative, be fun and let’s CELEBRATE!!!!
HAPPY STRUMMING,
UKULELE MIKE
UKULELE BASICS DVD gets a NEW LOOK!!! – Now called “THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF THE UKULELE” VOL.1
I’ve been so pleased with the success of my UKULELE BASICS DVD . . . It’s now undergone a face lift with a BRAND NEW LOOK!!!
Same content inside designed specifically for beginning players for building good strong foundational skills. . . just the outside has changed. . . It’s now called THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF THE UKULELE Vol. 1 . . . It’s available for purchase $20.00 plus $3.00 shipping in the US – $7.00 outside the US.
Following up on Vol. 1 is THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF THE UKULELE Vol. 2 It is a logical progression from the basics taught in Vol 1 but with more advanced strumming and fingerpicking techniques along with Jazz chord elements, Reading and interpreting tablature. . . Lots of tips and songs to enable the student to add more professional touches to their playing. Look for it soon. . . Purchase price is $20.00 plus $3.00 shipping in the US – $7.00 outside the US. . .
Doing a little “soft shoe” with the Ukulele – Old Time Ukulele with “By The Light Of The Silvery Moon”
The popular song “By The Light Of The Silvery Moon” was written by Gus Edwards and the Lyrics by Edward Madden. The song was originally published in 1909 and it was first performed on stage by Lillian Lorraine. It was just one of a series of moon-related songs of the Tin Pan Alley era. The song has been used in a great many television shows and motion pictures. A film by the same title was released in 1953, starring Doris Day. It served as a sequel to yet another Doris Day film “On Moonlight Bay” In performing this arrangement we call to mind the days of Vaudevile and most primarily the popular dance style “Soft Shoe”. . . . In this audio example you will notice the light whimsical triplet patterns that I intersperse throughout the strum. This mirrors the very rhythm of the “soft shoe” The primary strum is simply Down Up Down Up Down Up Down Up but I frequently slip in the triplet rhythm Down Down Up Down Up Up Down Up
It’s important to practice these two strumming patterns independently at first many many times. . . then practice combining them. . . taking the first pattern for say 4 measures then go the second for 4 then whittle it down to 2 measures each. . . eventually achieving the skill of going directly from the first pattern to the triplet pattern and back. When this is smooth and comfortable then try adding the chords of the song. As always, repetitive practice is the key.
So here is the You Tube video of this song. . . Give it a listen and come join me as we travel back to 1909. . . a nostalgic time of yesteryear. . .
Make note that this is just one of 49 tunes found in the “SONGS OF YESTERYEAR” song collection. . . I can be purchased $22.95 by simply paying thru the paypal donate button on the Ukulele Mike website: www.ukulelemikelynch.com
HAPPY STRUMMING and HAPPY NEW YEAR – Mike Lynch
UKULELE MIKE LYNCH - All things UKULELE 