Just bought 'Ukulele Fretboard Roadmaps'

Shady Wilbury

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Hi, guys.

I just wanted to share my latest purchase, which won't get here 'til mid-next month or after, but I won an Amazon.com giftcard as a thank you for a book review, and couldn't find the book on Amazon UK, so thought I'd grab it. I've already joined the group on here. What do you guys think of it?

Take care,

Casey
 
I have this book, and I like it so far. I haven't read/played through all of it, though. I really like the sections on moveable chords. If you want to really know your way around the fretboard, I think it's a great resource.

I didn't know there was a group for the book - I'll have to find that!
 
I just picked this up myself a couple of weeks ago. I haven't really explored it yet, I'm still working through his Fingerstyle Ukulele book first. I'm a bit unstructured about my learning path and tend to bounce around :(
There's a group here for this?
 
Having played guitar in the past, I've read things similar to this - all these books / courses that promise you 'unlock the fretboard' are teaching you something called the CAGED system. It means there are a set of chord shapes that when moved up the neck will give you the same chord. I mostly play ukulele by applying my knowledge of the chord shapes but pretending I'm starting at the 5th fret of the guitar. So the guitar / uke will share the same shapes, but they will sound differently.

So a 'D' shape on a guitar is really a G chord on the ukulele and a 'C' shape on the guitar is really a F chord on the ukulele. Everything is up a 4th (I think).

So guitar is CAGED -> ukulele is FDCAG.
 
Thanks Shady, didn't know there was a group. My aging brain can use all the help it can get observing fret board theory.
 
The author of the Roadmaps book has been one of my teachers for several years, and in the past he's done a few classes based on Roadmaps. And I have to say that even with the classes and hands-on instruction, there is SO MUCH information contained in that book that I find it overwhelming to approach in any linear way. But I mean that in a good way - rather than sitting down and trying to learn the whole book, I use it as a reference depending on what I am working on. I've got kind of a quirky learning style, and memorization isn't really one of my strong skills. So the basic premise of the book - memorizing patterns up the neck - hasn't really worked. However, the information about theory has been fantastic.

So my take on it is this: if you approach the book as if it's going to be a magic system that will turn you into a musician in ten easy steps, you're going to be disappointed (I've seen this happen, many times). But if you approach it as a reference that you will continually use to augment your knowledge as you grow as a musician, you'll find it really useful and unlike anything else out there.
 
I just picked this up myself a couple of weeks ago. I haven't really explored it yet, I'm still working through his Fingerstyle Ukulele book first. I'm a bit unstructured about my learning path and tend to bounce around :(
There's a group here for this?

Which fingerstyle book are you referring to? Is it this one?

I just joined the group and am going to Amazon to start looking....
 
...there is SO MUCH information contained in that book that I find it overwhelming to approach in any linear way. But I mean that in a good way - rather than sitting down and trying to learn the whole book, I use it as a reference depending on what I am working on. I've got kind of a quirky learning style, and memorization isn't really one of my strong skills. So the basic premise of the book - memorizing patterns up the neck - hasn't really worked. However, the information about theory has been fantastic.

So my take on it is this: if you approach the book as if it's going to be a magic system that will turn you into a musician in ten easy steps, you're going to be disappointed (I've seen this happen, many times). But if you approach it as a reference that you will continually use to augment your knowledge as you grow as a musician, you'll find it really useful and unlike anything else out there.

You are 100% correct!! This book, in my opinion, is a really good reference tool to use to help you learn about the moveable chords, especially if you want to play up the neck. It will not, however, make you a great ukulele player in 10 easy steps.
 
Yes, this is the one. I'm not very far in and I think 3/4 time will be the death of me (waiting for my fingers to protest, revolt and strangle me in my sleep). So I take it in bits and pieces. Since I'm unfamiliar with some of the songs I am trying to take the 3/4 time style and tried to apply it to other songs like Nights in White Satin. Always more fun when it's a song you enjoy. I do like the way "Take me out to the ballgame" sounds though.

The local shop recommended it and what sold me on the book is the variations in arrangement and approaches on the same song, chords, melody, accompaniment. I haven't got to that section yet because I'm trying to get my fingers through the basics of working independently. But I am looking forward to how you can take the same song through different approaches & techniques.

This one has a group too? Man, I must really not get how these boards work! :p If I can figure these things out maybe we can work on stuff together and be moral support for each other.

Wish I could give you a better review, but still just a newbie. :)

Hendrik

Which fingerstyle book are you referring to? Is it this one?

I just joined the group and am going to Amazon to start looking....
 
It will not, however, make you a great ukulele player in 10 easy steps.

And, for the record - nothing will :) Some of the best advice I've gotten from my other ukulele teacher is to avoid any workshop, book, etc. that promises "secrets to playing ukulele" or "quick steps to learning ukulele" or any other "magic bullet."

There are no secrets, there are no shortcuts. There is just... playing. A lot.
 
Forget the road map, I need a Fretboard GPS! :)
 
Perhaps the author is a Brit. They put the steering wheel on the right side and drive north in the left lane. I am married to a woman who graduated magna cum laude as a music major;our daughter has her Master's degree in piano performance and teaches at a well respected college. Many of our circle of friends and associates are what would be called professional grade. As I have shown them the book, they are impressed with his thorough progression to
understanding the Why as well as the How. Chapter 11,page 57 evokes a strong response. Politely, the responses are that it posterior previa. More often they exclaim that it ,"Ass backwards!" Of all of the theory books which have been pulled off the shelf, searched, and cited, there is agreement that sharps are on the right side and flats are on the left. This is the only thing in print that I have seen that puts sharps left and flats on the right.

If you think it doesn't matter, go to a site called Fretted Friends and read the comments about the order of the circle. Portland ,Oregon is proud of their bumper sticker which says KEEP PORTLAND WEIRD. Good on them, but let's not have that be connected with the ukulele and how different we are.
Avoid the derision of playing a Tiny Tim instrument by those who have been better instructed. We really do not run counterclockwise to the rest of the musical community.
 
I've had it for about a year and haven't even checked into it yet. I'm glad to see there is a group! I bought way too many books at one time.
 
Perhaps the author is a Brit.

Nope, he's a native Los Angeleno through and through. I'm guessing you're referring to the Circle diagram? It's been a point of confusion for me at times too - while most books and instructors I've encountered approach it as the circle of fifths, some approach it this way as the circle of fourths. I got curious about why one instead of the other, and found this on Wikipedia: "Reversing the direction of the circle of fifths gives the circle of fourths. Typically the "circle of fifths" is used in the analysis of classical music, whereas the "circle of fourths" is used in the analysis of Jazz music, but this distinction is not exclusive."
 
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