Sacred Music on Uke

Tsani · Jun 5, 2009

Does anybody in here play "church music" - hymns - on ukulele? That is what I am mostly working on. I am not doing strumming/singing. I am picking in what I think of as a semi-classical style. I might strum and sing if I could walk and chew gum - or if I had any rhythm - which I don't.

Yeah, I know. No videos yet. Someday soon, when I quit making mistakes. :wallbash:

Its a funny little corner of the uke universe, but that's where I'm at.

Just wondering. The world of sacred music is a big world. There is a lot of very passionate music in it from Bach, to Handel, to simple country and folk tunes. I'm sure many of you have done "Amazing Grace" at some time. It is a tune most people try to play on whatever instrument they play at some time.

If I can ever get off the ground, I would like to do something like "Uke Church" where music of this kind could be posted and shared.

russ_buss · Jun 5, 2009

check in with Ken Middleton. he's "the dude" when it comes to such things.

http://www.youtube.com/kenmiddletonsongs

Tsani · Jun 5, 2009

Thanks, russ buss! I saw Ken Middleton's post about his new book, and I browsed around his website a bit. I will get in touch with him.

haolejohn · Jun 5, 2009

John, I play church music. I mainly play modern worship but I dig the ancient hymns as well. We'll ahve to get together and work on some hymns.

drjond56 · Jun 6, 2009

I am a fingerstylist and have worked on a number of arrangements of sacred music for uke. I am coming at most of this from fingerstyle guitar arrangements that I adapt for just 4 strings. Some are in a more classical vein, though some of the spirituals and gospel tunes have a jazz or blues flair. I play both baritone and tenor, though in playing with others I am more partial to the baritone.

And I should be up front in that I don't have a regular public gig where I have used the ukulele, but that is going to happen. Until a few months ago I never performed on guitar in public, but was drafted into a guitar duo for a couple of special events. My partner and I have continued to work up various tunes and will resume playing in the fall, at which point the uke will appear. I am sure this has been said before, but it is somewhat of a head-turner. You pull out the uke and people think it is some sort of joke, until you really play something musical and it gives them a pause to consider.

Thanks for bringing this topic up for discussion.

Jon

griemers · Jun 6, 2009

You might have everything you need in your hymnal already, but if not, you might want to check this out:

http://hymnchords.net/

--G.R.

ichadwick · Jun 6, 2009

I'm on the lookout for Buddhist chants/songs on the uke... I have several Thai CDs of them, but can't write out the lyrics well since I don't speak Thai. And they're really not arranged for a ukulele, but I have fun trying to figure them out anyway.

Choboy · Jun 7, 2009

griemers said:
You might have everything you need in your hymnal already, but if not, you might want to check this out:

http://hymnchords.net/

--G.R.

i already know a few christian websites but i like this one. thanks for posting!

Tsani · Jun 8, 2009

drjond56 said:
I am a fingerstylist and have worked on a number of arrangements of sacred music for uke. I am coming at most of this from fingerstyle guitar arrangements that I adapt for just 4 strings. Some are in a more classical vein, though some of the spirituals and gospel tunes have a jazz or blues flair. I play both baritone and tenor, though in playing with others I am more partial to the baritone.

And I should be up front in that I don't have a regular public gig where I have used the ukulele, but that is going to happen. Until a few months ago I never performed on guitar in public, but was drafted into a guitar duo for a couple of special events. My partner and I have continued to work up various tunes and will resume playing in the fall, at which point the uke will appear. I am sure this has been said before, but it is somewhat of a head-turner. You pull out the uke and people think it is some sort of joke, until you really play something musical and it gives them a pause to consider.

Thanks for bringing this topic up for discussion.

Jon

Hey Jon, I would like to hear what you are doing. It sounds like we are working on the same kind of material. I had been playing a Favilla Baritone until a few months ago when I got my Marca Aquila and switched over to concentrating on soprano. When I was doing baritone I was working on a medley of "O Sacred Head Now Wounded" (Johan Heerman/ J.S. Bach), "O Dearest Jesus" (Heerman/Bach), and "Old Rugged Cross" (George Bennard).

On my Marca Aquila soprano I have been working on "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing", "Like a River Glorious", and "There is a Fountain Filled with Blood".

My son has a P'mico soprano that sounds almost like a banjo. Very folksy or early American. I have been working on "Brethren We Have Met to Worship" and "Blest Be the Tie that Binds" on that one.

RevWill · Jun 8, 2009

Some good resources are How Sweet the Sound, a guitar-oriented hymn and chorus book published by Abingdon; The Faith We Sing guitar edition - a supplement to the United Methodist Hymnal, and (of course) Jumpin' Jim's Ukulele Spirit.

George Kahumoko, Jr. and Daniel Ho have two "Hymns of Hawaii" CDs available through iTunes, but I haven't bought either of them.

Sacred Music on Uke

Tsani

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russ_buss

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Tsani

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haolejohn

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drjond56

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griemers

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Tsani

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