Ukulele - A Traditional Baby Guitar From Hawaii

Recently, we saw the latest trending among guitar enthusiast is the "baby" guitar. It's small, easy to carry and hold, and easy for travel. But the true original "baby" guitar has been around with us for many years. We may saw it performed in the clubs or lounges but didn't pay much attention, it's called Ukulele.

Today, Ukelele is commonly associated with music from the Hawaiian islands due to its use in popular music originating there. According to Queen Lili'uokalani, the last Hawaiian Monarch, the name means "the gift that came here", from the Hawaiian words uku (gift or reward) and lele (to come).

In 1915, this exotic baby guitar gained popularity on the mainland of the United States beginning in San Francisco. This is due in part to the Panama Pacific International Exposition, which took place in San Francisco, where Ukulele prominently featured in exhibit. It is estimated having 17 million visitors. The popularity of this exhibit at the Expo launched a fad for Hawaiian-themed music, including Ukulele, on the mainland of the United States.

Ukulele has been played as a solo instrument for many years, but groups of Ukulele players are cropping up all over the world. Ukulele also played in orchestra and ensembles as well.

This amazing baby guitar commonly has four strings and is actually big on tone and sweet in sound. The sounds emanating from a Ukelele depends on its size and how it has been constructed. There are four common sizes of this instrument: Soprano, Concert, Tenor and Baritone.

Soprano, the smallest Ukelele, is the original size. In Hawaii, it is known as the "standard" Ukulele, extremely light and portable. Soprano is probably the most popular and widely owned and played of Ukulele. Soprano usually have around 15 frets, as the smallest, producing tiny sound most recognizably from Ukulele. As a result of its small size, kids generally easily holding it, so encourage them to learn how to play it. Many schools utilize Soprano size Ukuleles in their music classes.

Concert was introduced in 1920s, as an enhancement of Soprano. Concert Ukuleles are slightly larger than Soprano and usually have anywhere between 15 and 20 frets, producing deeper tones.

Tenor Ukuleles are slightly larger than Concert, producing more volume and deeper bass tone compare with Concert and usually have 15 or more frets. Concert is the choice size for most performing soloists.

Baritone is the largest size, was created in the 1940s, is the largest of Ukulele sizes. Baritone exhibits a much deeper sound than other ukulele sizes.

As for choosing the right size, the very best way to find the perfect Ukulele for you is to check out Ukuleles by yourself. How it sounds and feels to you is the most important thing when time has come to decide.

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Techniques For Singing Soulfully

'I don't know what happens to me on stage. Something else seems to take over.' These words of Maria Callas, the famous American soprano singer, reflects what many people feel when they sing from the heart or from the soul, an experience where they are uplifted from their everyday selves and get in touch with a deeper reality at the core of their being. In the words of Nobel Prize-winning poet and composer Rabindranath Tagore: 'Music is the purest form of art... therefore true poets, they who are seers, seek to express the universe in terms of music... The singer has everything within him. The notes come out from his very life. They are not materials gathered from outside.'

Here are some techniques for singing soulfully that singers can try.:

Have a moment or two of silence before singing, focusing on remaining centred in the heart rather than outside distractions. As the old Chinese proverb goes 'If I keep a green bough in my heart, then the singing-bird will come to sit on it.' The Indian musician and composer Sri Chinmoy, for example, suggests that in the silence one can try and invoke some fundamental qualities of singing - consciousness, soulfulness, confidence and oneness to name a few.
Singing powerfully and singing soulfully need not be contradictory - indeed one can help the other. One visualisation that might help you do is to imagine, whilst singing powerfully, that you are holding a bowl filled to the brim of water inside you and you don't want to spill any of it, you don't even want to cause ripples on the surface of the water. In this way you can feel the inner strength in which power and stillness come together.
When singing from the heart, it helps to draw the attention to the heart by putting one's hand to one's chest, especially for beginners. This enables one to feel first the physical vibration in the centre of the chest, then the spiritual feeling of being in the heart. In Hindu and Buddhist singing and chanting, a special hand position called the anjali mudra is often used, folding the hands in the centre of the chest so that the two thumbs are touching the centre of the chest - in the West, we are of course familiar with this as the prayer position.
When singing in groups, the primary quality to focus on is oneness between the group members. Try and not listen for the sound of your own voice in the chorus, but rather imagine that there is only one solid voice emanating from the chorus that all the individual voices have blended into, that the voice of the entire chorus is emanating from one's own being.

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Beginner Ukulele Chords Part 5 - How to Play an E Minor Chord

If you've been following our series of articles on beginner ukulele chords you'll already be able to play a number of chords: A minor, G, F and C. In this article we'll be giving you one more to add to your repertoire: E minor.

As you'll remember from our previous article on the A minor chord, all minor chords need to contain a note that is three frets above the chord note (also know as a minor third). With the chord note being E, the chord E minor must contain the note G.

There are two ways you can play the E chord on the ukulele in the first position and we'll be taking a look at how to play both of them.

E Minor: Option One

The first version of the E minor chord we'll look at is the most common one and requires three fingers to play. Third finger - C string - 4th fret. Second finger - E string - 3rd fret. First finger - A string - 2nd fret.

The remaining string (G) should remain open to give you the first way of playing the Em chord.

E Minor Chord: Alternative Version

As you might have noticed, the first way of playing the Em chord has two G notes in it: at the third fret of the E string and the open G string.

For any chord, you only need to hear each note that makes it up once. So you can do away with the one on the E string and let that string ring open too (since the note E is obviously part of the Em chord).

This might string you as being an easier way to play the chord - since it takes one less finger to play - but that is not true.

Taking your finger off the E string will increase its height. This makes it much more likely that you will accidentally mute it with your ring finger. That's why the first inversion we covered is the more popular.

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Ukulele Sizes - The Explanation

There are four main sizes of ukulele. Some manufacturers make variations on this and have completely different types like the kala pocket uke, but I won't go into them here.

The sizes are (from smallest to largest)
* Soprano
* Concert
* Tenor
* Baritone

Sopranos are the smallest and the original uke. Around 21" (53 cm) in length and usually having around 12 frets, it's the most common uke. All the toy ukes come in this size it's a good uke from a beginner to a professional.

Concert ukuleles are slightly larger, at about 23" (58 cm) with around 15 frets. They have a louder deeper sound and also a very common ukulele. I've got a Greg Bennett in this size and the range in frets allows you to play some solos that just aren't possible on a soprano.

Tenor ukuleles are bigger still, at roughly 26" (66 cm) and 17 or so frets. They are louder and deeper still. Used for a lot of jazz and blues, some are often tuned with a low G string (always makes me laugh) to give it more range and a different strumming sound. Jake shimabukuro often uses a tenor or concert when performing.

Baritone ukuleles are an odd one. The biggest uke, at around 30" (76 cm). they're the loudest and lowest uke. Strings are tuned like a bass guitar and used in a similar fashion. I might get one just for kicks.

So decide what you want to do with a uke before you get one, but if you're starting out, get a soprano, they're cheaper and great for strumming to your favourite karaoke songs.

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Where Can You Find Cheap Ukuleles for Sale?

Are you looking for cheap ukuleles for sale? You are certainly not the only one. Many people are fond of these wonderful Hawaiian guitars. They are great for kids (but not only for kids), producing big tone with a very sweet sound. I will write about where you can get them on discount price in a moment, first I would like to write a few words about the ukuleles themselves.

Ukuleles - the Hawaiian guitar

The ukulele is a small-sized guitar with 4 strings. The word Ukulele means in Hawaiian "jumping flea". The legend goes that there was an English army officer who was quite an expert in playing this instrument. Because he was small and sprightly, he was nicknamed "Ukulele", and that's how the ukulele got its name.

A different explanation is that the fingers of the ukulele accomplished player would be flying nimbly up and down the fretboard, so that their movement will be similar to that of jumping fleas.

The Ukuleles come in 4 sizes: The smallest is the Soprano, which is also referred to as the standard size. Then there are the Concert size, the Tenor and the Baritone. For a starter uke, it is usually recommended to get a soprano sized instrument. When you feel adept enough you can get your next bigger uke in one of the other sizes.

Get yourself also some good uke songs books, so you can enjoy the sweetness and richness of its sound.

Where can you find cheap ukuleles for sale?

You really don't have to spend too much money on a ukulele. For a very reasonable price you can get an amazing ukulele with a terrific sound. A good uke will usually not have to be tuned too often - you may have to tune it a few times in the first few days, but then it will keep tuned for a long time.

You don't have to travel to Hawaii to get a reasonably-priced uke. You can find very good and cheap ukuleles for sale online. You just have to make sure you are getting it from a trustworthy place, which will send you an original ukulele with a warranty. Before buying anything online you should always do some research and price-comparing, to be sure you have found a good buy. Always remember to check the credentials of the online shop you are buying from. This may require some additional effort, but this is well worth your time, otherwise you may feel cheated and disappointed.

You can also check my blog bellow to find out where you can get cheap ukes for sale in a good and trustworthy place.

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Great Moments In Opera, "Non So Piu Cosa Son, Cosa Faccio" From Mozart's Opera "Figaro"

The aria "Non So Piu Cosa Son, Cosa Faccio" is heard in the first act of Mozart's opera "Figaro". Its title being "I Don't Know Anymore What I Am, What Am Doing" when translated in to English. This being a rather strange aria in the sense that it is performed by a female mezzo-soprano, who in fact is playing the part of a young man by the name of "Cherubino". Cherubino, an oversexed young man who is turned on by just about every woman whose beauty goes by his gaze. It being in this aria in which he confesses he desires of how every woman he sees causes him to palpitate and change color to the point that he finds self control almost impossible to come by.

"Non So Piu Cosa Son, Cosa Faccio" in my opinon is an aria which manages not only to capture the hopes and dreams of a young man inspired by all the women about him but his desires for love; as his voice expresses all the lustful passion of the early stage of his life. Cherubino claiming a fire burns inside him which he simply can not quench no matter how much he tries; for he is one who speaks of love all the time. As for the music, it is in this piece in which Mozart has created music which truly represents the passion felt by the young man, who is simply overjoyed with his freedom to go about chasing as many young ladies as meet his fancy. The melody in fact exploding as he reaches points of almost complete ecstasy in his wishes to conquer all the women that be in and out of the palace, where he serves as page.

For my part, I would like say that it is this particular aria which in its light merry melody portrays the sentiments of many a young man who is discovering the opposite gender and all the ways of beauty and mystery held by all its members. This being what Cherubino praises as he sings with all enthusiasm of his youth. As for myself, I would like to point out this aria to my Joannuszka Slisznuszka; for the beauty it contains along with the harmonies to be heard. It in fact being one of Mozart's most famous arias.

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Have You Got Saxuality?

Having been a professional female musician for over ten years I have realized it's not only down to how well you can play your instrument it's also got a lot to do with what you look like! Men are dominant in the music industry in terms of performance, management and production, despite the increasing presence of women as performers and middle managers therefore have come to appreciate that it is important for me to be aware of how I am perceived by the people around me and what I can do to influence that perception.

The saxophone is an ambiguous instrument in terms of gender stereotypes. It is classed as a woodwind instrument, and woodwind instruments are gender stereotyped as being female. However, saxophones are commonly played by both sexes, with famous saxophonists being largely male. The saxophone is unlike other instruments, such as the guitar and the bass, in terms of the fact that it does not require a manly stance and is not strenuous on the fingers, unlike playing the guitar. Many female saxophonists, such as Candy Dulfer, play the lighter in weight and smaller in size alto and soprano saxophones. I differ from the norm as I play the heavier and perceived as more masculine tenor and baritone saxophones. This instrument choice has taken a physical toll, however, as I suffer from neck and back strains.

The instruments I choose to play were designed for the male physique - taller, heavier with broader shoulders. When reflecting on my choice of instrument I have come to realize that I consciously made the decision to be different from my female peers and enter into a male dominated world, facing its challenges head on. The semiology of the saxophone is linked to a curvy brass tube, which has more feminine connotations than male. However the size and the sometimes harsh sounds have male connotations. The sexiness of the instrument itself can be picked up by the image of both male and female players. It is important for the artist to match their persona with that of the instrument. The actual action of blowing to make the saxophone sound cannot be classed as a sexy, feminine look; the face contorts as the lips close on the mouthpiece. However, blowing, especially in the case of a female, can be associated with oral sex connotations.

Candy Dulfer has had a long successful career in the music industry as a solo instrumentalist; her first solo album was released in 1990. Compact disk insert pictures are evidence that Candy's attractive blonde female image was exploited and used for marketing purpose in the early stage of her popular music career. It is questionable whether she would have received the same exposure had she not had some of her physical attributes. Early photographic poses on CD inserts highlight and exploit long blonde hair, exposed long legs and chest cleavage. Later cover poses move to angelic, less sexual images, and ten years after the start of her career, with less youthful looks, Candy's appearance is deemphasized and then on her latest album cover her physical image does not appear at all.

As a female saxophone player in a function band, I have noticed that a large amount of people both men and women will approach me after a performance and comment on how much they love the saxophone and how they have always wanted to learn to play. I am positive that the reason many people wish to play this instrument is due to the sexiness of both the sound and the look of the instrument. I feel that I must try to live up to the persona of my instrument by looking good, having a good figure and dressing well, sometimes a little risky! It's always nice to know that I can my femininity if and when necessary by having it in my musician's toolkit!

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