8 string soloists?

Ebonyks

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I've been playing the 8 string ukulele for about 9 months now after moving up from the traditional style for a few years and have been trying to experiment with new finger-picking styles. I have relatively little background in ukulele players, but i've been unable to find many musicians who use it as their solo instrument of choice, it's either used in accompaniment, or in the case of finding players on youtube, just about everything I can find are tech demos for the instrument.

Do many people take the 8 string seriously? If so, who? I'd love to hear some UU'ers ideas and styles to enhance my own comprehension of the instrument.
 
Here's a bump to find the 8 string pluckers of the world. I can't be the only one here!
 
Taimane Gardner tears it up on an 8 string. Plug that name into youtube and prepare to be awed, or alternatively you'll have your aspirations dashed :)

(Or do you mean the Tahitian ukulele?)
 
Taimane Gardner tears it up on an 8 string. Plug that name into youtube and prepare to be awed, or alternatively you'll have your aspirations dashed :)

(Or do you mean the Tahitian ukulele?)

!@#$%^ I just plugged her name into YouTube, because I'd never heard of her. Excuse me while I pick my aspirations out of the gutter :D

Seriously, she is awesome.
 
I like to jam 8 string and 4 string, when i play my 8 and go back to the 4 its so easy. I heard some say 8 string is for strumming but its solid picking our any style just got to get use to it.
 
Taimane Gardner tears it up on an 8 string. Plug that name into youtube and prepare to be awed, or alternatively you'll have your aspirations dashed :)

(Or do you mean the Tahitian ukulele?)
Actually on her custom Kamaka 8, the E and A strings are single instead of doubled. Other Taimane threads . . .
http://www.ukuleleunderground.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5125
http://www.ukuleleunderground.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2647
http://www.ukuleleunderground.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1856
http://www.ukuleleunderground.com/forum/showthread.php?t=656

Tahitian Ukulele, here's Ardijah from NZ (2:12 is where da solo starts)

 
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Actually on her custom Kamaka 8, the E and A strings are single instead of doubled

I stand corrected, and that would certainly make sense, especially with that level of tremolo. I'll put it this way, my dad used to mock me for playing the uke, it seems he went off and did his own research because a few months ago he admitted that he'd seen Taimane and that she'd turned his opinion around, specifically there's a video of her in a 60 second challenge (or something to that effect - can't link, youtube is blocked at work) that really impressed him. If she can turn my grumpy old dad's opinion around, then I think she needs all the attention she can get.

Him being a blues man, though, I can't wait to see his response to some Jason Arimoto :D
 
Wow. I've never heard of Taimane before - she is awesome. Wonder why she doesn't get that much attention. I bought an 8 string in an attempt to sound more like a mandolin. They have some similarities when played with a pick. I mostly use it now when trying to learn bluegrass tunes or trying to imitate Sam Bush or David Grisman (still working on trying to figure out Arabia).
 
Wow. I've never heard of Taimane before - she is awesome. Wonder why she doesn't get that much attention. I bought an 8 string in an attempt to sound more like a mandolin. They have some similarities when played with a pick. I mostly use it now when trying to learn bluegrass tunes or trying to imitate Sam Bush or David Grisman (still working on trying to figure out Arabia).

You can tune a uke like a mandolin, there are a few string sets out there.

I try to play my 8-String but the my fingers are just not fast enough on my left hand to make it sound good.
 
wow, just watched some of taimane's videos on youtube. i hang with several uke playing hawaiians here and no one has ever brought up her name. she's amazing!!!
 
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