STRUMMERS GUESTMAIL ARCHIVES PAGE SIX
Thanks for dropping by my View Guestmail Archives pages. I hope you have had the
opportunity to sign my Guestmail as well. Nuthin' to view until you sign,
yeah?
If you have any direct questions for me that you feel you don't want to actually post,
feel free to contact me through the Website Homepage Email.
Click here for the Archives of the Guestmail.
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The little grass shack will take you back to the Main Strummers Pages.
Mahalo to all of you who have taken
the time to sign my book.
8-31-04,Jim Birch
Just wanted to say thanks for the site, especially the All Positions Pages.
I've played guitar for yonks, and always regarded the uke as a bit primitive-odd
but recently saw the band "The Old Spice Boys" at a music festival. Azo, the
ukulele player is something else. I got interested, got a uke and now learning to play
in my own small way.
If you haven't heard them they have a site with a few mp3 downloads. You might like to
check it out-
www.oldspiceboys.com
Best wishes
Jim Birch, Perth, Australia
8-31-04,Clint
Jim, will do. Mahalo for sharing and signin'
8-31-04,James Pentico
I am on AOL and they say I cannot mail to an address of 16 letters. I don't remember how
I got this message to you. I wanted to tell you how much I like your web page. I am new to
the uke and really struggling. But let me tell you, that little instrument is bringing
me much joy. I will copy your address and see if that works for me. Best wishes.
HoHo
8-31-04,Clint
James, thanks for writing. Gotta love that AOL, yeah?
8-27-04,Tonya Dale
Clint
Great site-I return frequently to see what's new and what's up.
Being in Northern California (way north, as in five hours from the Bay Area),
I haven't been able to attend any Southern California events. But I will be at the October
2nd festival in Cerritos ( I grew up in Orange County and my folks still
live there-I'm bringing three generations of ukulele players to the event!)
and I'm wondering if you'll be there with any of your store products?
Also, do you sell books or items in addition to the stickers, pins and clothing
on the site?
Thanks
Tonya
8-27-04,Clint
I usually teach a few classes at the Festival each year and have a table on site promoting
my website and offering my products. I sell the Strummers Playbook as well
(see Playbook Pages) but you should email me for more info. on that.
Thanks for signin' Tonya and make sure you say hello at the Festival!
8-27-04,Mel Tajon
Aloha,
I stumbled onto your site not long ago. I'm a newbie at the ukulele and I'm lovin'
your site
I know that this is a long shot but by any chance do you have the solo tab for Stuck On You by
Ekolu? I've been trying hard to find it...but to no avail. Any help would be greatly
appreciated.
Anyways, thanks for your time.
Mel
8-27-04,Clint
What a great tune that is. Awesome CD through and through. I do not have this tune in tab
form but here is what you do. Take the sheet from my Songbook page and play along with the CD.
Start picking through your strings instead of strummin and try to hit just the right string.
If you finger the chords and pick the strings alot of the time the note you need will be
under your fingers already. Play around with it, patience, until you
come up with your own tab. Have fun with it, it will come.
I always talk about the journey...this is it.
Good luck and enjoy.
8-26-04,Lee Rizzo
First off, love your site. I have been playing the six string for five years now and fell
in love with the uke two years ago while in Kauai getting married. I am originally from a
small town in Indiana and now live in Las Vegas. My last email address used to be
easygoingriz, cause im laid back and easy going for sure. life is too short, so I enjoy
life, people, animals and family is number one. Dont sweat the small stuff ya know?
Been to Maui as well once and I swear Im Hawaiian at Heart you know! I love my little,
cheap uke so much. I learned some chords and play simple beautiful songs. Some of my own and
alot of IZ and Ka'au Craters stuff. One day I will get a really nice uke. Something for
more than 35 bucks. Any advice where to shop? And any advice to find some more songbooks
out there? Ive saved all of them on your site and play them all.
One more thing. Vacations? That is an easy one. Im taking my family to the Hawaiian
Islands every year. The minimum of once a year Im trying for two. We love the people,
land, sea, colors, music, flowers, etc. etc. etc.
Mahalo and Aloha
Lee Rizzo
8-26-04,Clint
Cuz! Lemme say Mahalo for signin da Network too. Along time ago you sign da Network and
now you finally signin da Guestbook. Why you wait?
It not really matter where you buy a good uke but just try to play it before you buy it.
Alot of good ukes out there, shoppin for one gonna be a good learning journey for you,
brah. You can play all the songs from all the guitar books you see in the store, no
forget that. You sound like a cool jammer so make sure you go checkem' ou'.
By the way, you buy one of my Strummer Playbooks yet? See the list of tunes on the
Playbook pages and den lemme kno.
Mahalo for signin, Lee.
8-25-04,Eulalia
This is the best Uke site I have ever found on the internet.
Eulalia...poeple call me ukulele for short.
8-25-04,Clint
Ukulele, thanks for checkin out my site and for thinkin iz the best. I really think
so too...but then I wrote it, yeah? I was jus thinkin dat they call you ukulele for
short but has da same numba letters dat your name has...
Mahalo for signin'
8-23-04,Simon Carroll
Dear Clint
Simon Carroll here from Australia. I recently added my name to
the Network and within a couple of weeks I've got people from here talking to me!
So I wanted to let you know your "Net" network works.
Keep up the good work, I love it.
8-23-04,Clint
Cool. You are the first person to let me know it actually works.
Mahalo Simon.
8-22-04,Geraldine
Hi from Australia.
Thought your name was Mahalo there for awhile. LOL.
You are obviously a very talented and clever person, good on you for sharing your knowledge
on your entertaining website. I have had the printer running hot. I have been trying
everywhere to get all the uke info.
I recently started researching ukes to buy and learn one. While I was waiting I picked up a
Mahalo soprano for $20 Australian, really cute. I've been learning the chords as
for the Baritone as that is what I was interested to get. So G is really C etc.
The Greg Bennett UK70BAR arrived but I couldn't reverse the strings lefthanded playing,
pretty devastating after all my trying. I think the people at the music shop will throttle me.
Will have to go back tomorrow. He also makes a concert size. I am not sure what to do.
The Soprano sounds so Hawaiian and the Baritone like a guitar. What does the tenor sound
like ? My fingers like the soprano size but could handle a bit bigger, but the G.B.
frets are too far apart as it turns out. AAAAH! So hard. Nothing seems to be
regulated, and asking for info over the phone does not work.
At least now, thanks to you, I can learn alot more! Just not sure which instrument
and therefore chord name to give the structures I am playing. A bit confusing.
Would the concert sound significantly different to the soprano? A lot of money if not.
Thank you for your time and web site again.
Geraldine
Australia
8-22-04,Clint
All the different sizes and makes sound different. That's the beauty of it all.
The Baritone uke sounds like a guitar because it is a guitar. Although, it is
always nice to have a baritone uke with you when you are camping bacause they burn
longer through the night.
Aaahh... the soft glow....
The uke you want to play is totally up to you Geraldine, it is all in how you learn to play
it that gives it that nice Hawaiian sound you are looking for.
Good luck in your searching, and Mahalo for signin da Guestbook
8-11-04,Kristof Age 23
Hi! I bought a ukulele a couple of days ago and this page has been an extremely great help
for me! Here
(in Belgium)
there is almost no info on ukuleles whatsoever and it
took me quite awhile to find a store where they sell them. I bought a richwood instrument
for about $100, It is pretty nice but they don't sell the more expensive and better
sounding instruments in Belgium. But I still have one question, how cna I know which
instrument I have? It's not a baritone (too little), but is it a tenor,
concert or soprano? How do I figure this out? I can't find any info about my
instrument on the internet and I'm taking it with me on vacation to France next
week, woohoo. Congratulations on your website my friend, it's superb!
8-11-04,Clint
Depending on the maker of the ukulele,
the soprano ukulele is about 21 inches long, the concert is about 23.5 inches
long and the tenor is about 26 inches long. The baritone runs about 32 to
34 inches long, again, depending on the maker.
Thanks for signin', from Belgium!
8-9-04,Fran Cornejo
Hi! I'm Francisco Cornejo from
Sevilla, Spain (Europe). A friend has gift me
recently an ukulele. I'm crazy for learn how to play it, but I have some troubles.
In my country I because I can't find strings, methods, music for ukulele.
I'm tuning it A D F# B. Do you know what guitar strings I can use (impossible
to get ukulele strings here)? Can you send me tabs, method's copys or
something?
You have a new friend in Spain, thanks a lot for your web-site.
8-9-04,Clint
Francisco
Go to my "Links" page and look for "Just Strings", you will be able to
find your strings there.
I recommend that you re-tune you ukulele down a step to G C E
and A. Most music of today is for that tuning. You'll use the same strings, just
a lower tuning. I will email you about the methods and tabs.
Mahalo for singin'
8-9-04,Dr. Leon Chang
Great Site
Just started playing the ukulele and did a search for ukulele chords and found
your site. Great info and thanks for the chords. I wish I was in SoCal so I can take
lessons from you.
Leon Chang
8-9-04,Clint
Thanks, Leon. Next time you come out to SoCal give me an email and we'll hook you up
wid a free lesson, yeah?
Mahalo.
8-8-04,George De Los Santos Age 29
Dude,
My Name is George De Los Santos (Last name means "of the saints").
I'm trying to work up to that status. 29 going on 30 on September 7th, which I'll
be in Kauai. I just picked up a uke at Sam Ash cause my boss plays and it looked like fun.
I was right, it is fun. It's cool that I can carry it anywhere-even the toilet.
I live in East Los Angeles. Go figure, a ukulele strumm'n chicano. It works for me.
Let's spread the love of the Ukulele.
Awesome site,
Gracias-Mahalo
8-8-04,Clint
George, Mahalo for signin', brah! It is nice to hear that the ukulele is
alive and well in East Los Angeles. I'm glad you found my site, I appreciate you
touchin' base.
Good luck with all your playin'
-Buena Suerta, cuz!
8-3-04,Mark Roberts
Aloha Clint
Love your web site. Full of a lot of great music. I visit it regularly, and it has been
a great source of information.
I got bit by the IZ and Uke bug at the same time. Heard IZ's music by accident and fell
in love with it. Felt like someone shot the horse out from under me, after buying three
of his albums, then learning that he had passed. That was a low...but the uke has brought
me back up.
I have been doing some search for some time for IZ's version of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
with the Chords or Tablature. Have you created a version of that song yet? If you have,
I would love to get it or find it on your site.
I got a Lanikai for my son since he loved the music, but fortunately for me he didn't
play too much and started lessons. Last instrument I played was the accordion back in
____, well never mind...it was a long time ago. I am really diggin the uke
now. I have bought a few and found what I liked and didn't. What I could afford, and
couldn't.
I settled on a Fluke...sort of. I did a custom tenor fluke of my design. I call it a
Flukoa or Ukoa, and I love it. I ordered some curly flamed koa from Hawaii for the
sound board, and cut it with a unique hibiscus flower for the sound hole. Built a classic
winged bridge out of ebony with Paua green abalone inlay dots, and a Corian ivory saddle.
Talked with Dale at Fluke about the custom build up with my parts and the remainder of his.
Got a walnut neck and a rosewood and nickle silver fretboard too. After I got it I replaced
all the white plastic fret dots with more Paua green abalone inlay dots and switched out
the Hilo strings for some Aquilas. She's a beauty...and my fingers are numb.
Anyway Clint, keep up the great work. Love the site.
Mahalo
Mark Roberts
8-3-04,Clint
Cool Brah.
:)
I'll send you my mailing address so you can ship me one Jammin
Ukoa, yeah?
Mahalo for signin', Mark. I will email you about IZ's "Ahi Wela".
8-2-04,Marie Anne
Aloha - I live in Kaneohe, Hawaii. My 8 year old grandson came to visit me last
week and I took him to the Ukulele Festival in Honolulu. WOW! What fun! He fell
in "love" and HE insisted on spending his vacation money to buy a Lanikai ukulele.
Now I am looking for lessons for him in the Eugene-Springfield, Oregon area. He will
go home next week with his new "love" and needs lessons to help keep the momentum going.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Mahalo-Marie Anne
(808) 728-4842
Email
8-2-04,Clint
My advice would be to call all da local music store around your grandsons living area, you
may find a local player. As you can see I have posted your request, hopefully someone
in the Oregon area will make contact with you.
Good luck
8-2-04,Linda Molinero
My name is Linda (Linaka) and unfortunately I had to leave the islands after 13
years, but for a good reason. My daughter, who I gave up for adoption in Hawaii
(Oahu) during the Vietnam in 1970, found me and her biological father, who
lives here in Chicago. I just moved out here from Hawaii to marry him. The wedding is
Aug 27th and I would love if you would be able to tell me how I could get the lyrics to
"Pahinui Aloha" by Hapa. I am playing it at our wedding, but cannot find
the lyrics. I love your website, but most of all, I love Hawaii. We will be back.
Aloha and Mahalo.
Linda
8-2-04,Clint
Linda, I will look around for it and let you know directly through your email.
If anybody else has it, lemme know.
Mahalo
8-1-04,Jorge Inglesias Mo
Congratulations for your page on the ukulele. I live in
Mendoza, Argentina
and I'm starting to work on this great instrument. Your help is good to me.
Cheers,
George
8-1-04,Clint
Mahalo for signin' Jorge. Good luck.
7-23-04,Keoni Age (Older than lava)
hey cuz, BIG mahalos atya for this site, too much fun. love the 5-0.
I play my Lanikai Tenor uke almost everyday. keeps me going. been too many years since
been to da island. funny ting, we have lotsa ohana here in the desert of Nevada.
who'd a thunk? got everything but the shaved ice, ya HAVE to be on the island
for that.
funny ting, couple years ago took family down to Disneyland (Cal). going back
to the hotel to hand on the lanai, i look across the street and what i see?
no kiddin, a...freakin ABD store! i LMAO, and drag family over there, just
like being back in Honolulu, lot.
Mahalo cuz
Keoni
7-23-04,Clint
Dese stores all ova now brah...ABC and Hilo Hattie poppin up all ova da coast of CA. Nice
I think. Reminds me when I go there. More expensive tho, too. You gotta pay to
remember all that beautiful Hawaiian memories, yeah?
Mahalo for usin da site, signin' and diggin my 5-0 from Nevada.
7-22-04,Carson
I'm just learning, and this site has been great. I mean really, really great.
Just wanted to say Mahalo and that I'll try to return the favor by sending over some
songsheets and stuff when I got some.
7-22-04,Clint
Awesome Carson. Mahalo for the really nice words, I appreciate that brah.
Many Mahalos for usin da site.
7-22-04,Vaughan
Hi
I have just bought my first ukulele. I am finding it very difficult to find any ukulele books
in the U.K.
I am just getting it in tune. Where can I find uke music?
Regards, Vaughan
7-22-04,Clint
Not too many ukulele books are being published today. Most of the good books and methods are
from long, long ago.
Jim Beloff has published a very nice
selection of books through Hal Leonard, (go to "Flea Market Music" on my
Links Page), I have a ukulele playbook, (see my Uke Playbook page) and
there is always Ebay.
Good Luck.
7-22-04,Bill Bird
Hi Clint
I have just finished reading your "About Me" page on your website and have really
enjoyed it. I have also read several other pages and find them very well written and very
helpful. I've been playing the uke, both soprano and baritone for about 50 years
for my own entertainment and have finally decided to try to advance myself in playing
ability so I bought a video by Ralph Shaw. The tape is very good in demonstrating and
teaching the soprano and I'm sure that some of the techniques will work on the
baritone too. However, I don't seem to be able to find anything beyond beginning
stuff for the baritone. Can you direct me to a site or place where I can find some advanced
stuff, or would you suggest that I try guitar instructional info. since the first 4
strings are tuned the same?
Thank you
Bill Bird
Grayling, MI.
7-22-04,Clint
In the years I have been playing uke, the baritone has always been the
"different" instrument of the ukulele family. (Like the ugly
sister you hide under the stairs and only let out at night, yeah?).
Usually people use guitar methods and information to better themselves on the
baritone, then, they move into guitar. (It is just an easier way to get
started on guitar). I know Howlin Hobbit has a site and a section on baritone,
but I am not sure how detailed it is, (maybe only chords),
Check it out.
(Howlinhobbit.com)
If that does not help, I believe you may have to move into the
guitar instructional information. But know dis, all ukulele technique you'll
find anywhere applies to the baritone too.
Mahalo for checkin' out my site and for signin' Bill. Good luck.
7-21-04,Stephen
Just checked out your site
Ho, Brah! You do realize that you are nuts...right? Well, if you are then
so am I!
I too am haole and was turned on to uke and Hawaiian music about 5 years ago. My wife's
parents are from Hawaii and in 1991 we went on vacation there. I got
hooked on the culture, the food, music, the beauty of the place! I have been
to all the islands since except Niihau and Lanai. I am stuck here in Chicago where there is
NOTHING going on except a few nerds playing hapa haole stuffs. I have a Hawaiian friend
who played the uke and upright bass in a group on the islands 3-4 gigs a week
til his real job with the Airlines brought him here. That's about it brah. I drove
6 hours one way just to see Jake Shimabukuro play in Ann Arbor, MI.
In fact, I have been going through some inner struggles because I feel like such a freak
around all of these guitarists. I bought a guitar and tried to learn it but it is tough on
the fingers and fore arms (steel strings makin' hamburger outa my fingers!).
My heart is really in the uke, I just sometimes loose perspective on things and start to
think I am not playin a real instrument. I play a Kamaka tenor tuned low G, by the way.
I play everything from Hawaiian Mele to John Mayer to the Beatles.
Anyway, sorry to ramble on. I loved all the info on your site, you really throw
yourself into things you like, same as me only a lot more. I wonder if you can help me
out with some blues-rock scales? Also, I am much stronger with picking and
arpeggios than strumming. I have a good sense of rhythm but just have trouble striking the
strings squarely and forcefully. My friend says I play a little to softly. So I wondered if you
have any tips for strengthening the hands, especially the strumming hand?
You seemed so dedicated so I thought I might ask for help. Any help you can give will be
greatly appreciated. Well, I'm finally pau.
Aloha au moe,
Stephen
7-21-04,Clint
(Dis gonna be a long one brah).
Blues and rock scales, yeah? As a wind player (years ago) I buried myself in
a myriad of really cool jazz/rock/rhythm and blues books. The play along book and CD
recording sets written (and published by) Jamey Aebersold are the best books I have
ever seen in helping to guide young jazz players through endless scales,
rock/jazz/blues licks and endless musical progressions. He covers all these by
getting the student through great blues and jazz tunes by Coltrane, Davis, Rollins,
Adderly and Monk, just to name a few. Many of his books are based, throughout, on
blues scales and such. Perfect for you. Order these (inexpensive)
books through your local music store.
If you are having a hard time with your strumming or chording hand the first thing to check
would be the action of the ukulele. How high do the
strings sit above the fretboard at the first
fret? Is the instruments nut a bit too high? Getting the strings as close to the
fretboard as possible will improve the instruments overall action and make all your fingering
so much easier. Nothing about playing this fine instrument should be painful.
Next, and hear me here Stephen, You need to work on your soft strumming.
One can never really play the ukulele too softly.
I have always felt that it is harder for some people to play the ukulele softer because
playing the instrument softer requires
(1) a broader knowledge base about how the instrument itself
really works,
(2) more self control over your chording and strumming, and
(3) a firm understanding that no real music is ever forced.
I have seen so many people who have a weakness in their playing, and what do they do?
Yeah, they play louder to compensate, trying to hide their weakness.
You want to better your weakness? Work on your weakness.
You need to back up a bit, play softly and strum a lot of favorite tunes.
Play very simple tunes so you can focus on your strumming. If you really do have a
great sense of rhythm, a nice, steady, full strum will come easy and quick
for you. Check your technique when playing and holding the instrument. Make sure that you
keep your thumb low on the back of the neck (on the chording hand) and your
fingers remain very relaxed and free on the
strumming hand. Your strumming hand and fingers must always remain relaxed.
Make sure that your relaxed fingers are perpendicular to the strings as you
softly caress across all 4 strings evenly. Strum lightly with your finger tips only.
Playing very simple tunes (Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Clementine, etc.),
will allow you to focus on your relaxed, soft, strumming technique.
Anyone can play this awesome instrument loud and fast, the better musician one becomes,
the more control they have over their instrument...to play softly and slowly. Unafraid
to let everyone hear every single, exact note being played.
Whew! Now I pau too!
Hope this helps. Slow down and play soft, keep your strumming fingers relaxed,
finger tips only, listen to yourself. Focus on what you need
to fix and then fix it. Listen to yourself again and refix, adjust. Relax.
Patience.
Good luck, lemme kno how goes it.
7-19-04,Kevin Bergen
Just to let you know that your auto window stickers get attention...I'm Kevin in Torrance,
CA, and while waiting for my order at El Burrito, Jr. in Redondo Beach last night,
I noticed this guy's truck had a "www.ukulelestrummers.com" sticker on the back
window (why a Hawaiian uke player was ordering Mexican food isn't quite clear).
I struck up a conversation with the gentleman and learned about the fun you guys have on
Saturday mornings. I told him about the uke I inherited from my dad
(it's a circa 1945 Martin), and he said I should bring it down just to show
it off. Maybe I'll see you down at the Bartlett Center soon!
Kevin
7-19-04,Clint
Man, these ukulelestrummers stickas be gettin' worldwide, cuz!
1945 Martin? Nice playa. Hope you get da chance to swing on by the Bartlett wid
dat fine instrument and we can snag you in our web of Hawaiian-ness.
(Hope you enjoyed your burrito too brah)
Mahalo for signin'
7-16-04,Chuck Lindsey
Hello Clint
I just started playing the ukulele and was excited to find your site. It's incredible that
you spent so much time putting it together. I'm hoping to learn lots from it. Is it
possible to get a copy of the Strummers Playbook? I saw a lot of titles that I would like
to learn. I have some old guitar books but found that it doesn't always sound right.
I would really appreciate receiving a copy of the book you put together as it was put
together especially for the ukulele.
Please let me know.
Thanks, Chuck.
7-16-04,Clint
Chuck
Mahalo for usin my site, that's awesome. Yeah, you can get one of my Strummers
Playbooks. I'll email you with the info.
Thanks for signin'
Copyright© 2003 CF