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Learn to read standard music notation. At least well enough so that you can work your way through a piece of simple sheet music.

Don’t hold chords with your thumb curled around or on top of the neck. Instead, place your thumb on the top half the neck-back. If you can get used to playing like this, it makes all of your playing easier. You can also stretch to more frets.

When figuring out a song, find what key it is in first, by noodling around to find what major or minor scale works. From there you can find the chords relative to that key, and use the notes that are in the scale to figure out the majority or all of the song.

Buy a string winder, it will make changing strings much easier.

Harmonize with yourself by playing the melody and the bass note of the current chord. (It helps to hold the chord and play the melody around it.)

When you are performing a song, don’t stop. Even if you forget the song or make a mistake, don’t stop. If you don’t stop, only musicians will know you goofed when you do. If you stop, everyone will.

When you are playing plugged-in at home, be sure to close your bedroom door so family members don’t go insane. ~Hippie Mom

Remember that music is fun. If you aren’t having fun playing, sell your ‘ukulele(s).

Learn songs by ear as well as learning them from tabs.

Be sure to keep your fingers arched over the fretboard instead of pushing down at an angle. Everything you play will sound cleaner.

Using lots of effects all the time does not make you cool. (In my eyes)

Using lots of effects all the time doesn’t make you better at the ‘ukulele.

The more fingers you can use for picking, the easier it will be to play.

Don’t give up (unless you aren’t having fun - see above) ~Hippie Dad

On sheet music tremolo looks like this:

To create tremolo with your index finger or thumb, first anchor any number of your right hand fingers to the soundboard below the sound hole. Use these fingers as a pivot point. Place your thumb(nail) or index finger on the string (you can brace your thumb with your index finger and vice-versa) and then pick down. Do this without bending your thumb or index finger - instead rock your whole hand forward on the “pivot fingers”. Picking up is just opposite. Practice picking down and up consistently, speeding up, slowing down, changing strings.

A more advanced way to produce tremolo is with a roll of your fingers. Start by picking up with your middle finger,and then with your index. Follow those two with a down stroke of your thumb. This technique is hard to do on any string but the bottom. Start slowly and as you get the hang of it speed up. Bryan Tolentino uses this kind of tremolo in “G minor fleas” that he did with Herb Ohta Jr.

Sand Castles is the first song off of Herb’s new album ‘Ukulele Journey. It is sweet and simple, so even beginners should give it a look. Some of the chord voicings are probably the most difficult part of this song, so beware.

Sand Castles tab

Thanks Uncle Herb,

~Hippie Guy

DOB: November 12, 1980

Hometown: Honolulu

‘Ukulele: Koaloha Custom Tenor w/Cut-away

Strings: Worth Clear Heavy Polymer Low-G

Pickup: Fishman Prefix Pro Onboard

(Effects: Boss DD-6)

Playing Since: age 15

Album: Pa’ani (2004)

David Kamakahi entered the world of music in kind of an odd way; when he first started teaching himself ‘ukulele he hid the fact from his dad (Rev. Dennis Kamakahi). He kept practicing in secret for about five months, then one day Uncle Dennis needed an ‘ukulele player for one of his gigs. David got the job, and he ripped it up. Now years later, David is one accomplished guy. He has been recorded on numerous albums and was featured on the movie “Lilo & Stitch 2″ in the song “Always”. He is also a 1st Dan black belt and a member of the International Karate Federation.

I have seen people play octaves in three different shapes:

1. 2X5X
2. X2X5
3. 5XX3

I find that it is easiest to play the first two shapes with the index and pinky fingers of my left hand. The third seems to work best with the index and ring fingers of my left hand. The two strings that don’t sound are muted by any fingers you can use. Then you can strum just like you were playing a chord. Or you can just pick the two notes in a pincer movement with the thumb and index finger of your right hand.

Both notes are the root, so just move the shape around until you land on the note you are looking for. So a C octave would be X0X3 or 5X8X or 5XX3. A G octave would be 0X3X or X7X10 or 12XX10. (Etc.)

Try playing Jake’s Europa break. (In octaves): D E F E F A G F E E (or something close to that. Watch the video for the whole idea).

~Hippie Guy

The strum is just a simple DU pattern, but I like to hammer-on and pull-off as many of the chords as I can to give everything a smoother feel.

• Better Together song sheet

~Hippie Guy

Pick up your ‘ukulele and play a note. Did you just make that note count, or did you play that note just because I told you to? Play that note again, and this time let your heart flow into that note. Add whatever you need to add to make that note express your soul. Playing notes is fine, but to make music that counts you must play with feeling. Not many people are going to remember “the guy who played a bunch of notes”. Your music should be special.

• Listen to a song by Jake, maybe “Dragon“. What feelings do you hear?
• Listen to a song or even just a solo by Carlos Santana, maybe “Love of my Life“. What feelings do you hear?

This whole idea might be lost to a beginner. That’s okay, they are learning the basic chords and focusing on implementing them in songs. They are not thinking about making each note count. More advanced players however should think about playing with feeling (a lot). I know too many players who are pretty good, but are just worried about playing fast like Jake. It is not important to them to play with feeling.

Playing with soul is not something that can be taught. I believe that it is a destination that you arrive at after lots of soul searching and self discovery. May the force be with you…

~Hippie Guy

Message in a Bottle tab

~Hippie Guy

We will be visiting and moving for the next week, so you probably will not see any new posts for a while. …But coming up is a “Message in a Bottle” tab, two interviews, and an ‘ukulele building page.

~Hippie Guy