h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Last week, I received a very unusual birthday gift: a ukulele. (My sister, the one who sends me all the 1920s sheet music.) There will be no ukulele videos until my fingertips stop hurting and I learn to change chords properly.

In the meantime, I wondered: what is there to play on this instrument, besides George Formby 'hits' (trust me, no American has ever heard of George Formby) and authentic Hawaiian numbers such as 'I'm Gonna Go Back to My Little Grass Shack in Kealakekua, Hawaii'?

Youtube, as always, was helpful. Noticing my interest in ukulele tutorials (there's a great beginner series by a very patient young Brit), the Tube presented me with this gem of a musical offering.

FWR, you WANT to see this. It's better than Heavy Leslie. The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain is rockin' it hard.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5-z1c-9QmE

Things to work toward. Now, if only I can get those callouses on my fingertips...



PS There's a tutorial series by a Hawaiian gentleman. He insists on pronouncing the name of the instrument correctly. It's 'oo-kulele', not 'you-kulele', so there.

Firstly, many happy returns, secondly I have just seen Slayer's Bloodline performed on those teenie geetars....something I shall never ever be able to understand, so, erm thanks!

What do you get if you cross George Formby with Eddie Murphy springs to mind!

I rather thought this subject would interest you...if only we could figure out how to hook a ukulele to a Leslie speaker.

I know a ukulele player with a YouTube channel

Though she's not posted in a minute and still hasn't even started with the trip footage, and has said she may not, because it doesn't fit with the direction the channel is going, even though that was why she got the camera for her birthday last July to begin with...

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCioqTi0nocfh__o35JOgMgg/videos

If you get bored playing it, you put a collar and lead on it or a reed and then it would be a strum-pet

I'll go get my coat

Oops Dmitri I forgot to wish you happy birthday! Happy birthday!

Thanks, Willem.

Birthday greetings, dear fellow. Late, but heartfelt.

So, you're learning the uke! How splendid!

Looking forward to the first video!!