File Size: 65283 KB
Print Length: 48 pages
Publisher: Hal Leonard; Pap/Com edition (June 1, 2006)
Publication Date: June 1, 2006
Sold by: Digital Services LLC
Language: English
ASIN: B00G28UXR4
Text-to-Speech: Enabled
X-Ray: Not Enabled
Word Wise: Enabled
Lending: Not Enabled
Enhanced Typesetting: Not Enabled
Best Sellers Rank: #32,290 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store) #3 in Kindle Store > Kindle Short Reads > 90 minutes (44-64 pages) > Arts & Photography #3 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Arts & Photography > Music > Theory, Composition & Performance > Instruction & Study #15 in Books > Arts & Photography > Music > Instruments > Strings > Ukuleles
which is exactly what I was looking for. This book starts with the very beginning and covers the basics of music theory and ukulele playing. I think the book is pretty comprehensive and well-written, if very basic. I like the fact that it teaches you how to "tune the instrument to itself" (relative tuning)in the beginning. After preliminaries about the ukulele itself, the reader learns all the basic stuff that everyone has to learn who took band in school or had music lessons--musical notation, rhythm, and so on. This music theory basis is added upon as the student progresses. For example, you will learn what makes up a scale--both major and minor--and what music "keys" are.The strong point of this lesson book lies in it's teaching of the individual notes on the strings. To me, this is very important. You will learn not only how to play chords and strum and sing along, but you will be able to pick out melodies on the strings and read from regular sheet music. New chords are also introduced as the student progresses through learning the notes on the strings. For example, you will not only learn the "F chord", but how to find and play the individual note "F" on second string. I think this type of thorough-going note reading instruction will form a good foundation for finger-picking. After learning the two-to-four notes in the "first position" (ie, first four frets), there is a series of practice melodies. These exercises are can get monotonous, since they aren't actually tunes, just a bunch of notes. Listening to the enclosed CD (which consists of someone reading the book, and then playing the exercises) should help you know if what you play "sounds right".
So I got a ukulele. Saw the movie "The Might Uke" and couldn't stop smiling, and that is what the ukulele can be all about really. Impressive performances by some of the virtuosi on the instrument notwithstanding, it is a heck of a lot of just plain fun for lots of folks. I know I need lessons though, so I combed the webs for a good book. This one is one of the books I purchased, and my hands down favorite. It starts with a rundown of the instrument, how to hold it etc., and a bit of musical generalities that any musician needs to know. I have previous musical training on a few instruments and some passing acquaintance with the guitar, so I am not a rank beginner musically speaking, but certainly am on the ukulele. The best part of this method is that it DOES start with chords and little melodies while you learn to plink the chords. Yet there is a good foundation. My one problem with this book and with the others I have is that I think they should group the chords by the key in which they are found most commonly, which although they do, they don't make this clear by naming the key. I am going to have to do some transposing and I think that key identification is really pivotal. If I were a rank beginner at music I wouldn't have a clue about key. My Hal Leonard method lesson book starts with notes. You play notes. Now that is fine, but most people want to strum chords. Now, the best part of all - the CD. I find it easy to follow along, and the tuning track is great - I do that one each evening when I start practice. I love that you can suck the CD into your iTunes and play each track over and over as you need it. I think this was a super good deal as to price and a tremendous value and so much better than than the Hal Leonard book for starting out for me. I actually use both books.
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