Starting to gig with your uke

Hi there. I'm a seasoned pro when it comes to guitar, bass, banjo and trumpet. I've played in bands and I've played lots of solo gigs. I play covers and original material. Now.....I bought a couple ukes a few weeks ago and can't put them down! I've searched the web and downloaded lots of tunes to play. I have yet to actually use one live. I have not even gotten to a uke club yet. Playing with others sounds like fun so I do need to get out and try it there first I guess. When I first bought the ukes I envisioned a few ideas of where to play my gigs but after years of playing guitar the uke still sounds a little thin as a solo instrument. What I think I will do is throw in a few uke tunes in the middle of a set to see how it goes first as opposed to trying to do a whole show with just a uke or two. Is that how some of you guys got started? There are two ways I thought of using the uke - as a strummer and sing along AND as a solo chord/instrumental ala James Hill (OK I'll likely never sound that good but hey, you gotta start somewhere!)

Throwing the uke into the mix is the way to go. It lets your audience know you're multi-talented. It also demonstrates that you think about how a particular song might sound best.

I've gigged for ages as a bass player, and in college even did a few solo acoustic guitar/singing gigs doing British folk stuff along the lines of Fairport Convention. A pick-up band I played in last summer wanted me to use uke on something, so I learned "Breakdown" by Jack Johnson (the guitarist/vocalist knew the words already). The trumpet/keys player played my bass for that song. Not being a string player, he got a big kick out of that, and the audiences seemed to enjoy watching me go from a bass to some teeny tiny little thing. In October, my more steady band wanted me to use it too. We worked out a juggling act sort of thing where I have the bass on, and a uke on a soundhole hook type strap. I start the song on uke, and after a few verse/chorus sections there is a 4 count break where I have to tuck the uke under my arm and switch to bass. Luckily the bass section of the song is pretty short, because it is REALLY awkward holding the uke so it won't flip on that hook and fall onto the bass strings. I need to get some pics of myself doing that... If I am ever rich and famous, I want someone to make me a doubleneck bass/uke. The uke part would be in place of the upper cutaway of the bass. I can see it in my mind....
I would love to go out and do a few uke things somewhere, but need to get my song list and/or comping skills honed a bit more. There is an open mic thing at a bar here that I have never attended because it's the same night as band practice. But someday I'll have to go down, whip out the ol' Martin and blow everyone's mind!

Chris Tarman said:

....If I am ever rich and famous, I want someone to make me a doubleneck bass/uke.

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How about one of these babies!

I, too, came at the uke from a guitar background and am now in a line up where I play no guitar at all. It had been years since I had played guitar live in a group format, until a drummer friend, Greg, who'd I've been playing with on and off since high school asked if I'd perform with him in a children's music group. I played guitar and, on a few tunes, ukulele, because the low volume would allow for "competing" with the drums and bass, etc. We also had a steel drum player in the group, a good friend of Greg's. I loved the sound of the uke and steel drum together and envisioned a day when I could put a line up together with the two. So when Greg called again a year or so after the kid's thing to ask if would back him up on guitar while he played steel drum, which he had taken up, I said yes, but only if I could play uke and no guitar. We do a lot of calypso, soca, reggae and some pop tunes. We've been at it for a little over a year now and are starting to get more gigs - small venues, corporate parties, etc, using backing tracks in some cases with just the two of us, or bringing along an upright bassist and percussionist. This summer we're doing a regular thing at the San Diego Zoo. I can't make all the gigs, because of the long trip down there, work, family, etc, but there's a sub in the wings who's also a uker / guitarist to take the bulk of them for me.

You're right. It's hard to get a sizable volume within a band setting, but you can make it work. We actually get told to turn it down from time to time, which always makes my rocker heart smile.
:nana:

I've been making my living playing the guitar and singing since May of 1999. I got my first ukulele about 3 months ago and I instantly started adding it to my live shows. I just got done with 4 weeks on the road and I was up to about 10 ukulele songs per show, mostly originals by the time the tour was over.

I found that switching between the guitar and the ukulele is a great way to mix things up and add something new and fresh to the show. People really seemed to like it and I would always start my first ukulele song by telling folks that I just started playing it and everyone was really nice and supportive!

I also play harmonica and a Porchboard. A Porchboard is a low end instrument you tap with your foot. Here is the website:

http://porchboard.com/

My new Porchboard has a switch on it that allows me to go from a big, low thump that sounds great with my guitar to a bit higher frequency thump that is a great compliment to the ukulele. That really helps fill out the sound. I also just ordered a Boomerang looping pedal that I am excited to try with the ukulele.

If I were you I would book some solo gigs and when you book the shows, tell folks that you play the guitar and the ukulele!

Matt

open-road-matt said:

I also play harmonica and a Porchboard. A Porchboard is a low end instrument you tap with your foot. Here is the website:

http://porchboard.com/

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I've got a porchboard too. They are really good for adding a bottom to what you're doing especially when doing solo gigs. I use a looper occaisionally but my favorite toy is the Digitech Vocalist Live 4. You plug your mic and your guitar thru it and at the touch of a floor stud you have 2-4 part harmony IN YOUR OWN VOICE. It reads you guitar chords to determine the right harmonies to use. I haven't tried it yet but I'm wondering if it will work with my Kala electric uke too. All that pushed thru a Bose L1 Compact the smallest, lightest, clearest PA I've ever owned. It takes less than 5 minutes to set up. Total weight: 35lbs.

I've played guitar & drums in bands for years. I just got my first uke yesterday & next Saturday I'm using it to play songs at a community Easter egg hunt, accompanied by conga drum!

The verdict?

the52blues said:

Vocalist Live 4. You plug your mic and your guitar thru it and at the touch of a floor stud you have 2-4 part harmony IN YOUR OWN VOICE. It reads you guitar chords to determine the right harmonies to use. I haven't tried it yet but I'm wondering if it will work with my Kala electric uke too.

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I'm REALLLLY interested to know if the Vocalist Live 4 worked well with your uke....

boundless said:

I'm REALLLLY interested to know if the Vocalist Live 4 worked well with your uke....

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I've been lazy but I am going to make time this week to set it up and try it. I'll get back to you soon.