Early Music

Well, Tootler, you’re correct. I have some old music with uke chords. No problem, everyone has a right to play whatever he/she likes. Let freedom ring. We are in agreement, and I am amused.

“All’s well that ends well.” :eek:ld:
 
Jamie Holding's tabs are still a favourite of mine. At least one of his e-books finds it's way onto my music stand every few weeks. His web-site is long gone, unfortunately, but a copy of it can be found on the "Archive Machine", with a link to a free e-book here, http://web.archive.org/web/20130607053401/http://www.classicalukulele.co.uk/free-ebook/ . Follow the menu links for other sample pages. Jamie was still answering e-mails and mailing pdf's of his other publications relatively recently.

A lot of music arranged for descant or tenor recorder will translate to the re-entrant ukulele directly, these recorders also having a lowest note of "C" and much early music is of relatively limited range ... that's not to say it's easy. Some of the timing changes can be quite the PITA to get to grips with, which is, of course, half the charm of it :)

Enjoy :music:
 
I think Down Up Dick does have an interesting point. You can play anything on your ukulele, and you should play anything on your ukulele, but don't just play anything on your ukulele.
Take some time to learn about the genre you are playing. Read some biographies, read some articles, work out what the music is about. Obviously in the first week you are just going to be reading the music and enjoying the noise, but as you keep going put in some time learning the background to the music. I think this is the way to get the most enjoyment and the emotion will feed back into your playing. Get to a point where you can talk about the arrangers and the history of the music's era and why you think it is still worthy of being played.

Bill1 has a good point here. It's about understanding the music you are playing and then making it work with the ukulele. In fact, I find it an interesting challenge to take a song written for a different genre/style of music and adapt it to the ukulele. If the song is well written in the first place, it will work with any instrument.

PS. DuD I'm also an old fogey but I hope not set in my ways :eek:ld:
 
Geoff, I’m not exactly sure what “set in my ways” means, but I like what I like.

I, too, once played recorders, and I mostly played Baroque music on ‘em. But, nowadays, I also sometimes play snatches of Bach on my ukes. I also play old standards once in a while. So I do get out of my box sometimes.

But I’m a believer in the rightness of things. I sorta like things to be the way they’re supposed to be. So, in that way I guess I am “set in my ways”. I think Sousa marches on an Ocarina and Brubeck’s “Take Five” on a tin whistle and Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” on a ukulele may all be playable, but I find those musical ideas . . . amusing.

But, as I said before, I am an ol’ fogey. :eek:ld:
 
Apologies Dick. I didn't mean to imply you were set in your ways but rather I was speaking about myself. I hope I'm capable of adapting to new ideas. I'm afraid I didn't think through properly how that statement could be taken.

I'm enjoying my musical journey and it takes me to interesting places and In that sense I'm not set in my ways but I'm not intending to imply that all older people are set in their ways (though too many are, sadly and they miss out on so much)

Old fart and proud of it :eek:ld:
 
Poor Iza wants to play Medieval/Renaissance music and wants info about it.

Maybe it’s time for me to be amused quietly to myself . . . :eek:ld:
 
Jamie Holding's tabs are still a favourite of mine. At least one of his e-books finds it's way onto my music stand every few weeks. His web-site is long gone, unfortunately, but a copy of it can be found on the "Archive Machine", with a link to a free e-book here, http://web.archive.org/web/20130607053401/http://www.classicalukulele.co.uk/free-ebook/ . Follow the menu links for other sample pages. Jamie was still answering e-mails and mailing pdf's of his other publications relatively recently.

A lot of music arranged for descant or tenor recorder will translate to the re-entrant ukulele directly, these recorders also having a lowest note of "C" and much early music is of relatively limited range ... that's not to say it's easy. Some of the timing changes can be quite the PITA to get to grips with, which is, of course, half the charm of it :)

Enjoy :music:

Thank you for this!
 
I’m a big fan of Tony Mizen’s Lute to Uke book. Beautiful arrangements. For me Renaissance music, besides its inherent beauty, shows where folk and rock have their roots.

With regard to ukes being used for more than Hawaiian music one might read the article about Ledward Kāāpānā in the new issue of Ukulele magazine. In it he speaks of how he and other Hawaiians were early on listening to Roy Smeck and Lyle Ritz as well as Eddie Kamae. It is stereotyping Hawaiians to think that they only listen to Hawaiian music. There are many kinds of music that are popular in Hawaii. Hawaiians like music, all kinds. Hawaii is a gathering place of many cultures. I live in Hawaii. Tonight I can hear Hawaiian, punk, reggae, rock, jazz and classical, and probably some trance music at the clubs in Chinatown.

The uke comes from Madeira. Perhaps we should only use it to accompany Portuguese lyrics, but then again it all goes back to the oud, and then we should sing in Arabic. The word lute it derived from l’oud.

It’s a big mixed up world.
 
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I think renaissance music works very well on the ukulele. Listen to some renaissance lute music then listen to some renaissance music played on a ukulele and you will find the sound is not that different, especially with a tenor uke which has a bit more sustain than a soprano. The timbre of both lute and ukulele are not really all that different.
 
Hello,

For those who can read french tablature, I strongly recommend this little-known but fantastic ressource : http://www.verseandsong.com/song/renaissance-guitar/

Mr Stephen Ardnt transcribed a huge selection of recorder music by Jacob Van Eyck, with many divisions in the late renaissance style.

Regards,
Gilles
 
I have the Lute to Uke Book. I like the songs and they way they sound. BTW, I play them on y tenor not my lute-a-lelee.
 
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Hello,

This might be of some interest for the more advanced players ; I recently stumbled upon a huge collection of music for alto recorder : "the solo baroque book/ The essential 18th century unaccompanied repertoire for alto recorder" edited by Bernard Thomas, Dolce editions. The range of alto recorder makes it quite "uke friendly" and a big part of the works listed here never venture below the middle "g", which may open some opportunities for the re-entrant tuning. Quite a bit of work, spiced with some imagination, allows the intermediate/advanced player to enjoy a whole new repertoire for the uke... Strongly recommended!

regards,
Gilles
 
As a recorder player, I would just sound a note of caution.

The range of an alto recorder is from F4 - G6, just over two octaves and the baroque repertoire makes use of that full range.

A GCEA reentrant tuned Ukulele has a range C4 - A6 with 12 frets or with 15 frets, common on a concert you can get to C6, a full two octaves and with 17 frets, common on a tenor you can get to D6 which happens to give you the same range as a tenor recorder. (A soprano recorder is an octave higher)

My point is that while there will be many pieces in that baroque solos book which are playable on a GCEA tuned Ukulele, you will find a significant number of pieces where a ukulele will not be able to play the top notes.

A ukulele tuned DGBE will definitely let you play everything in that book but an octave down which actually might sound rather good with the more mellow tone.

If you're interested in music by the likes of Bach, Telemann and others from that era, then it's worthwhile but be aware that you may not be able to access everything but there will certainly be enough available to to keep you busy for a very long time.

Of course, you can always transpose those pieces that need the higher notes into a key that makes them accessible. A lot of classical guitar music involves transpositions of music originally written for other instruments.
 
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A slight waver on/off topic.
Have a search for Lutes and Ukes, a collaboration between UOGB and Theatre of the Ayre.
https://vimeo.com/66684600
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This was really cool! Hearing George Hinchcliffe play with them was "amusing".
Dick, I guess if it wasn't amusing, some of us wouldn't bother with it.
I just found a piece of sheet music from the early days called "La Volta", it is very fun to play, and when I learn it, maybe I'll post it!
 
I'm another fan of Tony Mizen's "From Lute to Uke" book. I've only just bought it but so far it's going well. :)
 
Dear Geoff Walker,

You are absolutely right and the infos you give are very useful, because I'm not a recorder player and I'm used to think everything in terms of "relative pitch" — so to me the lowest note on an alto recorder score is a "c", even if I know that it's actually an "f". And I agree with you, many pieces in that collection feature notes far too high for any uke. That said, many others fit nicely on four strings, even if they are all quite challenging.
regards,
Gilles
 
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