So I'm going to take a risk here...

Vroom

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Well, I guess you could call this a risk, because I am only going to be getting my ukulele on wednesday (approximately) and I have until the 29th to practice and rehearse.

My friend (Justin) and I are going to be performing "somewhere over the rainbow/Wonderful world" by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole. He is going to be playing the guitar and I will be on the ukulele, and we both will be singing. He's good at guitar and I have a pretty decent voice.. i think. not sure about him, but my only experience with a uke was a few weeks ago with someone I met on my tour trip in costa rica, but i played it a lot and i caught on really quickly, and learned banana pancakes and bubbly toes.

I am shooting kind of high here i guess, haha, but it is also just for fun so if i don't do that well I won't be disappointed. but, I figure I will have nearly 2 weeks to practice and learn, so that gives me tons of time.

Also, we will be getting someone to videotape it, it might be with a crappy camera, but regardless, I will be posting it afterwards so you guys can all see how brutal it is haha!

just thought i'd share that with you. Right now i'm pretty nervous but i'm sure i'll feel better about it after some practice.

Tell me what you guys think, I'd love to hear some comments and/or advice or tips if you have any for me it would be greatly appreciated!

-Vroom
 
Best advice I could give you is try to make the song your own. Not that anyone could, but dont try to sound like Brudda IZ, it'll come off bad. Good luck with the practice, I can't wait to see your vid.
 
:)ain't nothin' to it, but to do it! 2 weeks seems completely reasonable since you picked it up so quickly in costa rica.

i look forward to your video. and just remember, it's all about having fun.

good luck!

p.s. wednesday seems like a thousand years away huh? :)
 
That is cool. Do your best and have fun. As for gauging your success, it is all a matter of degree. I guess if you don't fully screw up the chords or forget the words or throw up on stage, you have succeeded.

It is fair to say that from one perspective playing the uke can be kind of simple--strum some easy chords on the little four-string sucker. On the other hand, it is an amazingly complex and endlessly versatile instrument. I've been in bands and have played fingerstyle and rock guitar for more than 30 years. In fact, I taught banjo and guitar for a couple of years. Still, it initially took me more than two years of heavy playing and practicing and recording to really feel like I was beginning to understand the uke and to connect with it in the way that I wanted. So keep in mind that as your move ahead with your playing, your standards may well continue to rise.

Good luck.
 
Just play the tune like it's yours. I agree with everyone else in saying don't necessarily try it in someone else's style just because (e.g. Iz). Of course, learning to do it that way would be very educational, but ultimately (in my opinion) you should play the tune, and any tune, in your style.

My friend and I play Over the Rainbow whenever I have my ukulele at a coffee shop gig, and we do our own thing, somewhat faithful to the original arrangement (as opposed to Iz's).

Just enjoy playing the song and have fun with it.
 
Thanks guys. Yeah, I wasn't planning on singing exactly as it is, i find thats too stressful and actually, too hard to just do exactly as is and copy because you are constantly worried that you don't sound exactly like the original.. I find it relaxing and easier when i add my own thing, or just when i make it my own. im referring to piano and singing. again thanks, i am hoping that 2 weeks is long enough, it should be. I will probably call in sick to work a couple days haha.

p.s. wednesday DOES feel like forever. and if it comes late i'll probably have a fit. lol.
 
That is cool. Do your best and have fun. As for gauging your success, it is all a matter of degree. I guess if you don't fully screw up the chords or forget the words or throw up on stage, you have succeeded.

It is fair to say that from one perspective playing the uke can be kind of simple--strum some easy chords on the little four-string sucker. On the other hand, it is an amazingly complex and endlessly versatile instrument. I've been in bands and have played fingerstyle and rock guitar for more than 30 years. In fact, I taught banjo and guitar for a couple of years. Still, it initially took me more than two years of heavy playing and practicing and recording to really feel like I was beginning to understand the uke and to connect with it in the way that I wanted. So keep in mind that as your move ahead with your playing, your standards may well continue to rise.

Good luck.

Of course, there's also the benefit of low expectations-- one thing I think is kinda cool about the ukulele. At least where I've lived, on the East Coast and the midwest, there just aren't many ukulele players, but everyone and his brother plays guitar.

If you wanna impress people on the guitar, you have to be amazing. If you wanna impress people on the ukulele, really, all you have to do is not be Tiny Tim.
 
Um, I'm from Kailua Hi, living in Brooklyn NY and I can say from first hand experience, there are alot of uke players in this city (but you are right, most probably played guitar first, so tend to be very good uke players as well). And the fact that the NYC Ukefest is so well attended stands to prove the ukes popularity in this city, ON THE EAST COAST. lol
 
I agree with all that advice of making the song your own. If you've already played then you're further along than the likes of me. I cannot strum and sing that song at the same time.

I guess you've heard the original - so now erase it from your mind. :D
 
Um, I'm from Kailua Hi, living in Brooklyn NY and I can say from first hand experience, there are alot of uke players in this city (but you are right, most probably played guitar first, so tend to be very good uke players as well). And the fact that the NYC Ukefest is so well attended stands to prove the ukes popularity in this city, ON THE EAST COAST. lol

As with many things, NYC is not exactly representative of the rest of the east coast. There's a few players in Boston, where I lived last, but it's hardly common-- if you walk into a bar, you can find a guitarist, pretty much guaranteed. A ukulele player? Might take some looking.

There's not much of a scene here in DC at all.



...Also, the NYC ukefest attracts people from all over-- I mean, there's people coming from Japan and Hawaii, even. So it's hardly representative of the number of players within the city itself.

There's people who play ukulele everywhere-- you could probably say the same about accordion. Although just because there's an accordion festival here in DC doesn't mean that it's a commonly-played instrument in the area.

Although you're right, it seems to be the only city on the East Coast that seems to have a respectable-sized number of ukesters.



My main point in saying "on the east coast" was to differentiate between Hawaii, where a lot of people's family members play, and it's not uncommon to play from childhood, or the West Coast, which has a much higher population of Pacific Islanders than the rest of the mainland US.
 
your right, your right, but you want to hear something wild. I live on a quaint little block in brooklyn, lots of young families, tons of musicians and film industry types, graphic artists... In the last 4 months I can tell you that atleast 5 new ukuleles have either been recieved as gifts or were purchased out right. In addition, there are a couple of local bars that have open mic nights, one specifically for ukes. Pretty cool here in brooklyn...
 
your right, your right, but you want to hear something wild. I live on a quaint little block in brooklyn, lots of young families, tons of musicians and film industry types, graphic artists... In the last 4 months I can tell you that atleast 5 new ukuleles have either been recieved as gifts or were purchased out right. In addition, there are a couple of local bars that have open mic nights, one specifically for ukes. Pretty cool here in brooklyn...

That does sound cool-- what neighborhood are you in? (I'm guessing it's one of the ones that people moved on to after getting priced outta Williamsburg? Happened to a lot of my friends from college...)
 
your right, your right, but you want to hear something wild. I live on a quaint little block in brooklyn, lots of young families, tons of musicians and film industry types, graphic artists... In the last 4 months I can tell you that atleast 5 new ukuleles have either been recieved as gifts or were purchased out right. In addition, there are a couple of local bars that have open mic nights, one specifically for ukes. Pretty cool here in brooklyn...

an open mic night just for ukes? that's sweet!
 
I live just south of Park Slope in an area called Windsor Terrace. Because we can't afford to live in Park Slope (full of brownstones), but are wannabees, we tell everyone we live in 'South Slope', which doesn't exist on any map, lol. Its a cool neighborhood, on our block we have a block party that closes down the street for the whole day, no cars on the block...just open it up for the kids with rides, sprinklers, games, food and beer. Then at some point we have what we call a hootenanny, or you hawaiians would call it, kanikapila, and have a singalong with the whole block. Ofcourse, Im the sole uke representer!!
 
Aldrine has a video lesson of this song on the website IAMHAWAII.COM

He gives an easy strum and the advanced strum. There is even a printable sheet with the chords to print.
 
I live just south of Park Slope in an area called Windsor Terrace. Because we can't afford to live in Park Slope (full of brownstones), but are wannabees, we tell everyone we live in 'South Slope', which doesn't exist on any map, lol. Its a cool neighborhood, on our block we have a block party that closes down the street for the whole day, no cars on the block...just open it up for the kids with rides, sprinklers, games, food and beer. Then at some point we have what we call a hootenanny, or you hawaiians would call it, kanikapila, and have a singalong with the whole block. Ofcourse, Im the sole uke representer!!

That's a good neighborhood-- a buddy of mine used to live there!

Your post makes me jealous... being a grad student has forced me to live in the burbs. I miss living in the city, innovative local music, street festivals, decent public transit, etc. The local music scene here is way too metal for my taste-- I can't imagine a ukulele open mic...

The only nice thing about living in the city that we still have here is an obscene number of small international restaurants (and awesome giant Asian supermarkets...)




(Also, to the original poster-- sorry for the threadjack, here...)
 
(Also, to the original poster-- sorry for the threadjack, here...)

Yeah.... i was just looking through this... and i'm like... oh..oh.. I SEE HOW IT IS! haha jk no problem ;)
 
Of course, there's also the benefit of low expectations-- one thing I think is kinda cool about the ukulele. At least where I've lived, on the East Coast and the midwest, there just aren't many ukulele players, but everyone and his brother plays guitar.

If you wanna impress people on the guitar, you have to be amazing. If you wanna impress people on the ukulele, really, all you have to do is not be Tiny Tim.
Actually Tiny Tim was a very accomplished uke player, he did much more than Tiptoe Through The Tulips......and that voice WAS annoying.
 
Actually Tiny Tim was a very accomplished uke player, he did much more than Tiptoe Through The Tulips......and that voice WAS annoying.

And "Tiptoe" is, from what I've heard, a pretty difficult song. AND the falsetto was actually appropriate to the era and genre of that song.

Nevertheless, if you're not a creepy-looking guy with a somewhat grating voice singing treacle-y songs about flowers, I think people are automatically having their expectations defied.
 
I didn't know who tiny tim was so i looked him up and ... wow, all i can say is just... wow, what the heck?

but yeah, so my friend is using an electric guitar for it, and he says its sounding good and were goign to get together soon to practice as soon as i get my uke... but... he has an amp and I don't have anything to make my uke louder, do you think this will affect the performance of the uke in a negative way? or do you think people will still hear the uke. were both using microphones do you think it would pick up the sound of the uke at all?
 
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