Folk music on a ukulele?

Would anyone have any suggestions? Or any obscure songs, for that matter?

If you Youtube James Hill, he has done LOTS of folk music. There is a good clip of he and Anne Davison doing two pieces from Nova Scotia. I think outside the US, folk music is quite popular on the ukulele.

I'm writing a jig at the moment, ironically. But it's still in the, "What do I do next?" stage.

One of the things I am discovering is just how much can be played on the uke. often people in UK seem to think only in terms of formby or hawaian type music. I have been trying lately to play a wide variety of songs, from traditional folk, sixties Dylan and Joan Baez, Guthrie, Simon and Garfunckel and early rock and roll. Most seem to work pretty well ( as long as you stay off things in the key of E) I tend to favour Country music and some of those work really well.
Actually it would be very interesting to see what others tend to play, especially as the members on this site seem to be from all parts of the world. So c'mon chaps lets hear what you play!!

My band plays bluegrass and Celtic folk, and I like the way the uke sounds with this kind of music (I also play the accordion, the mandolin, and the tin whistle). We've just done a version of "Across the Great Divide" with a uke in it. What sort of folk do you like? It's hard to give advice without knowing what kind of stuff you're looking for.

Here is a nice version of Blowing In The Wind, played by Melissa from UU.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gFhDl4hPKo

I really have been getting into bands such as Devendra Banhart, Bright Eyes, and Bishop Allen. Perhaps even Simon & Garfunkel.

I would not look for Ukulele folk music... rather folk music that you can transpose to the uke.
Mumford and Sons, Greg Holden, Tallest Man on Earth, and Bon Iver are just a few names I can think of off the top of my head

nickman2 said:

I would not look for Ukulele folk music... rather folk music that you can transpose to the uke.
Mumford and Sons, Greg Holden, Tallest Man on Earth, and Bon Iver are just a few names I can think of off the top of my head

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I've helped a boy at school arrange Winter Winds by Mumford & Sons to ukulele. It's a natural. My only complaint about it is that I play the accordion instead of my ukulele!

Interesting how "folk music" means something different to everybody! When I think of "folk music" I tend to think of this sort of thing.

janeray1940 said:

Interesting how "folk music" means something different to everybody! When I think of "folk music" I tend to think of this sort of thing.

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Your link was just the sort of thing I was looking for. Thank you.

Calebcat said:

Your link was just the sort of thing I was looking for. Thank you.

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You're welcome

I find that 50s-60s type popular folk (K-Trio, Dylan, PPM, Lightfoot, etc...) is what is what I lean toward playing 6 sting uke behind a baritone that my duo mate plays. Honestly, I think you can play about any type of music on Uke.

Papi said:

I find that 50s-60s type popular folk (K-Trio, Dylan, PPM, Lightfoot, etc...) is what is what I lean toward playing 6 sting uke behind a baritone that my duo mate plays. Honestly, I think you can play about any type of music on Uke.

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Death Metal? I'm not trying to mock you, okay I am but I'm evenly curious to see.

Hi Calebcat

Folk music as Janeray described is almost all I play, coupled with some of the old tin-pan alley songs, fiddle and bluegrass, novelty and childrens songs. Hard to know where to start. Google is a good option. If you type in "Old Time Folk Songs" I'm sure you'd get something...

Another place to try is with a Pete Seeger songbook. These are published by Oak Archives and still available through Amazon I'm pretty sure. Also look into buying a copy of "Rise Up Singing" a wonderful songbook with an emphasis on folk songs..

As far as artists go, you could buy some of Lil' Rev's recordings. he plays lots of old time stuff too.

And, if all that fails, email me here: jandfduncan@westnet.com.au and I'll send you some of my CD's with some chord and pickin' charts to go with them!!!

Hope this helps! eugene

Ooh, yes...Rise Up Singing is fantastic. The only problem with it is that it's all lyrics and chords and no melodies. I'm still curious as to how a lot of those songs actually sound. I would really like to see a version of Rise Up Singing done as a fake book (speaking of which...there are some good fake books out there, including some folk-themed ones).

Kem said:

Ooh, yes...Rise Up Singing is fantastic. The only problem with it is that it's all lyrics and chords and no melodies. I'm still curious as to how a lot of those songs actually sound. I would really like to see a version of Rise Up Singing done as a fake book (speaking of which...there are some good fake books out there, including some folk-themed ones).

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hi Kem

you can buy copies of the 20 accompanying CD's with the book, where they give you sample verse and chorus of every single song in the collection. A little expensive, but probably worth it if you wanted to become a real student of the songs

Just remembered too Caleb, you could look up "The Old Time School of Folk Music"...they have a 4-disc set of their students and teachers and some well known names doing versions of many great folk standards. Well worth buying!!!

eugene ukulele said:

hi Kem

you can buy copies of the 20 accompanying CD's with the book, where they give you sample verse and chorus of every single song in the collection. A little expensive, but probably worth it if you wanted to become a real student of the songs

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Huh...thanks. I didn't know about that. I got my copy quite a long time ago, and there were no CDs in sight at the time. I'm not surprised there are so many CDs in the collection; that book has a lot of songs in it.

This is a great resource for old folk tunes:
http://toneway.com/

Calebcat said:

Would anyone have any suggestions? Or any obscure songs, for that matter?

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By "folk" I assume you mean the predominantly (but not always) acoustic music of performers and groups like Bob Dylan, Arlo Guthrie, Tom Paxton, Joan Baez, Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell, Dave Van Ronk, Eric Von Schmidt, Gordon Lightfoot, Leo Kottke, Kingston Trio, Valdy, Chad Mitchell Trio, Pete Seeger, Judy Collins, Ian and Sylvia, Donovan, Pentangle, John Renbourn, Simon & Garfunkel, New Christy Minstrels, Odetta, Phil Ochs, James Taylor, Burl Ives, Ralph McTell, Fairport Convention, Pentangle, Alan Stivell, The Byrds, Tom Rush, The Fugs, Smothers Brothers, Tim Buckley, Fred Neil, Neil Young, Bert Jansch, New Lost City Ramblers, Richard Thompson, Richard and Mimi Farina, Incredible String Band, John Fahey, John Denver, Ramblin' Jack Elliot, John Prine, Stan Rogers, Josh White, the McGarrigle Sisters, Loreena McKennitt, Loudon Wainwright III, Buffy Ste Marie, Bruce Cockburn, Eva Cassidy, Richie Havens. Maddy Prior, Joan Armatrading, John Martyn, Harry Chapin, the Highwaymen, Malvina Reynolds, Tracy Chapman, Crosby Stills & Nash, the Weavers, Jim Kweskin Jug Band, Maria Muldaur, the Mamas & the Papas, the Lovin Spoonful, Buffalo Springfield, The Four Freshmen, The Sandpipers, Peter Paul & Mary, Peter & Gordon, Steve Goodman, Cat Stevens... and many others I've forgotten. But there should be enough there for you to start on - search on YouTube for them.

Obscure? Depends on how far back your memory goes. I think I still have a Chad Mitchell Trio LP from around 62 or 63, and can probably sing along with most of the songs. I heard Woody around then, too, but don't have any vinyl of his left. I think I wore all my early Dylan LPs out from over-playing.

Some of the above were considered "folk rock" but mostly by the virtue of having amplification for the same style of music as their acoustic brethren. Folk can also mean cultural music, and you can easily add Mexican, Ecuadorian, Peruvian (recall El Condor Pasa?) and other Latin American musicians to the list.

Check the thread in the general section on favourite non-ukulele music videos. I've posted a few links of folk musicians there, too.

Black is the Color of my True Love's Hair and Wayfaring Stranger are some of my favorite songs to do on the uke and are fairly simple. Google around for guitar chords and they work just find for them - they're both pretty old folkies.

Also if you're into clawhammer on the uke you can do some banjo tunes (tuning GCEG).