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Sellars
Aloha
Netherlands
30 Posts |
 Posted - 01/13/2006 : 12:51:22 AM
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Hi all,
I am an enthusiastic ukulele player, and hang around often at places like Fleamarketmusic and 4thpeg. Strange as it may seem, there is not a lot of hawaiian stuff going on there.
I was wondering whether there is a good introduction book to the hawaiian style of uke playing. I am thinking about strumming patterns, vamps, maybe fingerpicking etc.
any suggestions?
R
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I've always been crazy but that's kept me from going insane (W.J.)
Playing: Ukulele, Slack key guitar, Mandolin |
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Mika ele
Ha`aha`a
USA
1493 Posts |
Posted - 01/13/2006 : 06:33:20 AM
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| Heeday Kimurau has some rather "unorthodox" but fun instruction books that you can find online. The best msuic book still is "He Mele Aloha" which you can find at the WalMarts and Costcos all over the islands as well as online. |
E nana, e ho'olohe. E pa'a ka waha, e hana ka lima. |
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Tonya
Lokahi
USA
177 Posts |
Posted - 01/13/2006 : 06:45:05 AM
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Welcome! I'm sure you'll get lots of input from folks here who are far more ukulele and Hawaiian-knowledgable than I am, but here's my suggestion: The Hawaiian Uke Songbook, by Ken Eidson and Ross Cherednik, is published by Mel Bay. It includes a wealth of strums, tablature for basic fingerpicking and vamps--all to Hawaiian melodies. The book's authors also mention a cassette of the songs in the book so you can listen and play along; the cassette is no longer available but, even better, there's a CD! You can contact the son of one of the authors, Bill Eidson, at the website below to find out how to get the CD.
The accompanying CD:
http://www.geocities.com/weidsonengineer/keneidson/
The book (you can buy it many places, but here's the publisher's description):
http://www.melbay.com/product.asp?productid=93776
I'd also suggest the He Mele Aloha songbook. Its has the ukulele chords, Hawaiian lyrics and English translations. There is no standard musical notation, so you'd need to know the song's melody. But, you can go to this site and heare midi files of many of the songs in He Mele Aloha:
http://mele.home.att.net/list_HeMele_Ha.htm
I see you're in the Netherlands, so my suggestion of attending the Hayward Ukulele Festival in April (San Francisco Bay Area) won't work...
Anyone else have ideas? |
http://www.uketreasures.com
http://www.ukuleletonya.com |
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Fran Guidry
Ha`aha`a
USA
1579 Posts |
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sandman
Lokahi
USA
181 Posts |
Posted - 01/13/2006 : 6:29:21 PM
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Bill Eidson, Ken's son, is a joy to work with if you want (and you should) the cd to accompany his father's and Ross Cherednik's "Hawaiian Uke Songbook." Bill is very aware of his legacy and the cd is very down home. On some of the cuts you can even hear the birds in the background as the recording is being made.
Much aloha in the family.
Sandy |
Leap into the boundless and make it your home.
Zhuang-zi |
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Cliff
Aloha
USA
16 Posts |
Posted - 01/13/2006 : 9:31:24 PM
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I agree, I haven't seen many books on Hawaiian style ukulele playing that are accessible if you don't read music.
The best stuff I've seen on Hawaiian style is on VHS - Peter Moon's instructional ukulele video and IZ: Hot Hawaiian Nights are my favorites. I learned a lot just by watching them play over and over again. |
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Julie H
Ha`aha`a
USA
1206 Posts |
Posted - 01/13/2006 : 10:49:57 PM
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Goedenavond, mijnheer, of is het mevrouw Sellars...
Het beste is, natuurlijk, dat U meteen naar Hawai'i vliegt voor een lange vakantie. Daar kan U overal boeken kopen, an naar vele musikanten luisteren. En zeer voornaam, als U naar iemand kan kijken, en dan nadoen, dat is goed. Veel geluk! 
Julie
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Sellars
Aloha
Netherlands
30 Posts |
Posted - 01/15/2006 : 10:59:04 PM
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Hi all! Thanks for your replies, I am going to look out for this mel bay book, and order the accompanying CD! It looks like the book teaches an awful lot of songs, which is a pleasant surprise.
@ Julie: Hee wat leuk! Iemand die nederlands spreekt op het forum! :) Kom je oorspronkelijk uit nederland, of heb je er een speciale band mee?
groeten!
Roel |
I've always been crazy but that's kept me from going insane (W.J.)
Playing: Ukulele, Slack key guitar, Mandolin |
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dr. cookie
Lokahi
USA
299 Posts |
Posted - 01/16/2006 : 12:05:02 AM
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he he Roel en Julie! Echte hollands (of is dat typische hollands?!) voor mij is een gezellige "he he" als 't even stil is. Ook wel pannekoeken met spek, boerenkool met worst, patat met . . . en nog een pilsje! 'T is niet te geloven dat ik ooit een hollander met een ukulele zal vinden!
Beste!
Don |
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Curtis Takahashi
Akahai
USA
62 Posts |
Posted - 01/17/2006 : 11:57:40 AM
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Aloha, If you're just starting out. Auntie Kim Len has a book called "Na Mele Ha'ole". It's designed for beginners and it's got a cd that comes with it. Just plain 'ol time Hawaiian songs done singly. The link should be http://www.konakitty.com
Curtis |
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sandman
Lokahi
USA
181 Posts |
Posted - 01/17/2006 : 4:06:53 PM
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Just thought of another pretty good book which deals with basic technique. It is How to Play the Hawaiian Ukulele: 10 Easy Lessons. The authors are the Curriculum Research and Development Group of the University of Hawaii. I found it in my local library but I notice it is available from Amazon and I'm sure other places. Very basic but it brings you along pretty quickly. It is geared for the beginner and/or K-12 student. By the time you finish you be playing (and singing) songs Hawaiian kids do.
Sandy |
Leap into the boundless and make it your home.
Zhuang-zi |
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Sellars
Aloha
Netherlands
30 Posts |
Posted - 01/17/2006 : 10:41:04 PM
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Thanks again for all your suggestions.
dr. Cookie: I guess you would say: echt Nederlands (since holland is but a part of the netherlands)
Sandman: what is K-12 student?\
best!
Roel |
I've always been crazy but that's kept me from going insane (W.J.)
Playing: Ukulele, Slack key guitar, Mandolin |
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Pua Kai
Ha`aha`a
USA
1007 Posts |
Posted - 01/18/2006 : 06:22:04 AM
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Aloha again Roel!
When you order Keoki's DVD for slack key, order the one for ukuleles at the same time - |
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sandman
Lokahi
USA
181 Posts |
Posted - 01/18/2006 : 07:04:54 AM
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Sellars, a K-12 student is anyone from kindergarten to 12th grade. Actually, the book can be applied to anyone learning the uke.  It's just that I think the authors originally wrote it for the Hawaiian school system and it took off.
Sandy |
Leap into the boundless and make it your home.
Zhuang-zi |
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Julie H
Ha`aha`a
USA
1206 Posts |
Posted - 01/20/2006 : 8:59:19 PM
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So for the benefit of you dear friends who are wondering what we were talking about: I was telling Sellars in Dutch that the best way to learn these songs is to take a long vacation in Hawai'i, where you can buy all kinds of books and listen to performers. When you can watch someone and try to imitate, that's when you get a lot more info then when reading a book.
Roel and Don, I am (or was) a Dutch citizen. My parents were educators and symphony musicians on Java where I was born. Dutch is my first language. I don't often get a chance to speak it, so it's kind of fun when I can let loose. After living in California for 45 years, I finally became a citizen of the USA. And proud of it. For me, this is the best country I've ever lived in, and this is where I'll stay.
As for a Dutch person playing ukulele, it's not so strange. I started going to Hawai'i in the early 70's, and since it was so similar to the island where I was born, I took naturally to it. I grew up on mangoes and papayas, and my father played krontjong on guitar, a form of Indonesian folk music. It's not a far stretch to ukulele and slack key, my favorite style of music.
Aloha ahiahi e kakou, Julie
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dr. cookie
Lokahi
USA
299 Posts |
Posted - 01/20/2006 : 9:23:53 PM
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Thanks for the background, Julie! I'm just an American who spent a wonderful year in Holland many years ago (1969-70) . . . learned the language pretty well and never forgot it. Even met Queen Juliana and she couldn't tell I was an American! You're right about rare opportunities we ever get to speak Dutch . . . I couldn't resist joining in even though my Dutch is getting pretty "rusty."
Hm-m-m, maybe you and Roel and I should meet in Hawaii for some gezelligheid with aloha . . . and a lot of good music!
Don
PS: Please add rijstafel to my list of food I miss . . . :) |
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