Typical Hawaiian uke vamps?

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Knit-wit
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When I first started with the uke a year ago, I took a how-to-play-uke DVD out of the public library. The teacher was a Hawaiian lady whose name I can't recall. She taught a couple of easy, 3 or 4 chord Hawaiian "vamps" (this is what she called them). She also taught basic chords and some Hawaiian songs.

My interest now is in those vamps. They were easy to play, and sounded very authentically Hawaiian to me. Can anyone help me remember what they may have been? They used simple, open position chords, and were simple to strum.

A similar type of thing can be heard in MGM's many ukulele sound clips.

If you UU folks can't help, I'll go back to the library and check the DVD out again....
 
Key of G - A7-D7-G
Key of F - G7-C7-F
Key of C - D7-G7-C
The chord progression is called a 2-5-1. A chord built on the 2nd note of the scale, the 5th note of the scale and the first note.
Regards,
Ray
 
Way I learned my first vamp in 4th grade was G7, C7, F as a rule I stick with this one.
 
Way I learned my first vamp in 4th grade was G7, C7, F as a rule I stick with this one.

LOL! Sounds like we were in the same class. Kaneohe Playground uke classes, about 1969-1970 or so. G7 C7 F. I've evolved to the C vamp too along with the occasional D vamp! I throw in some Kaholos too just for fun!
 
We had Hawaiiana class in 4th grade and learned 'ukulele at that time this being at Enchanted Lake Elementary School in Kailua. The lessons must have been standardized back then. Speaking of Kaneohe Park I had my Uncle and Auntie living in first lane past the park heading mauka. Also I attended Aikido classes at the dojo right across the street from the park. Remember the old Kaneohe Theater that showed Kung Fu movies? Remember King Richards Drive-In? My Dad kept his boat at He'eia Kea in the 60s, early 70s. We used to stop at Nanko Fishing supply on the way to the harbor, good memories. Sorry for the flashback hijack.
 
Key of G - A7-D7-G
Key of F - G7-C7-F
Key of C - D7-G7-C
The chord progression is called a 2-5-1. A chord built on the 2nd note of the scale, the 5th note of the scale and the first note.
Regards,
Ray
In addition to these there are:
D: E7, A7, D
A: B7, E7, A
C,D,F,G,&A are the most commonly used vamps.
 
Here's a slightly fancier vamp for the key of F:

G9 (4210), C13 (3000), F (2010), and

for the key of C: (sorry I don't know the names)

(5657), (4547), (0453)


You can also END the vamp at the end of the song in the key of F
with a barre on the 3rd fret, 4th fret and 5th fret, one strum each.

Have fun with these.

If you want to hear them check out my MP3's. The following link to
Uncle Rod's Lament will showcase the extended vamp for the key of C
at the very end:

http://www.4shared.com/file/126325725/6ef2d760/Uncle_Rods_Lament.html

Here's a sample of the vamp in F:

http://www.4shared.com/file/130290810/1ac11033/2My_Yellow_Ginger_Lei.html
 
Cut out and tape this small chart to the top of your uke. It will
help you through songs in different keys. Included in the chart
are the common chords used in each key:

Key_Chord Progression.......................Key_Vamp

C - ..C.....C7....F....Fm....G7....C...........C -...D7...G7...C....

F - ..F......F7....Bb..Bbm..C7....F............F -...G7...C7...F....

A - ..A.....A7....D....Dm...E7.....A...........A -...B7....E7...A...

G - ..G....G7....C....Cm...D7....G...........G -...A7...D7...G...

D - ..D....D7....G....Gm...A7....D............D -...E7...A7...D...
 
We had Hawaiiana class in 4th grade and learned 'ukulele at that time this being at Enchanted Lake Elementary School in Kailua. The lessons must have been standardized back then. Speaking of Kaneohe Park I had my Uncle and Auntie living in first lane past the park heading mauka. Also I attended Aikido classes at the dojo right across the street from the park. Remember the old Kaneohe Theater that showed Kung Fu movies? Remember King Richards Drive-In? My Dad kept his boat at He'eia Kea in the 60s, early 70s. We used to stop at Nanko Fishing supply on the way to the harbor, good memories. Sorry for the flashback hijack.

Hey I took Aikido at that dojo too. I was taught by Noguchi Sensei. King Richard's, wow, that's a blast from the past. We used to hang out at Nanko's since my high school friends worked there.
 
Here's a slightly fancier vamp for the key of F:
G9 (4210), C13 (3000), F (2010), and
for the key of C: (sorry I don't know the names)
(5657), (4547), (0453)
You can also END the vamp at the end of the song in the key of F
with a barre on the 3rd fret, 4th fret and 5th fret, one strum each.
Have fun with these.

Thanks for sharing these Uncle Rod.

Regards,
Ray
 
Oh, those are pretty! I knew the basic II(7), V(7), I but that's just cool. :D
 
YAY. I had been looking for something like this for a long time, THANKS

WHOO HOO!!!

Sorry, haha. I get excited. But I'd been feeling that I'd been playing too much pop music and not enough Hawaii'an music.

SWEET.
 
If you know the circle of fifths (or have a diagram of it), then you've got every "Hawaiian vamp" there is. :)

Just start with the chord you want to wind up on (usually the key of the song), then move up a fifth twice. There's your first chord.

Move back down a fifth. There's your second chord.

Move down a fifth again. There's your last chord, and it should be the chord you started with.

JJ
 
man every time I ask for help on this one its like the black plague.....the thread goes cold...haha
 
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