Abe's Ukulele Podcast

Roy and Kathy Sakuma Note: This episode was recorded before the main event of Ukulele Festival Hawaii held on July 18th, 2021. Hey there again everyone! I had the incredible honor to hang out virtually with Roy and Kathy Sakuma before the Ukulele Festival Hawaii and talk about the festival and everything that goes into it. Festival website https://www.ukulelefesthawaii.org Ukulele Festival Hawaii on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/user/RoySakumaProductions Craig and Sarah's website http://craigandsarah.com Intro and outro music is by Blue Dot Sessions You can support the podcast through the tip jar. Or by Buying Me A Coffee Find out more at http://ukepodcast.com Send us your feedback online: https://pinecast.com/feedback/abes-ukulele-podcast/2e797442-e779-461d-90aa-0a5331a0f952

Karlie G Note: This episode was recorded before the main event of Ukulele Festival Hawaii held on July 18th, 2021. Hello everyone! I had the great honor of sitting down and talking story with Karlie G before the Ukulele Festival Hawaii. Karlie's website https://karliegoya.com Karlie G on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/c/Karli3G/featured Festival website https://www.ukulelefesthawaii.org Ukulele Festival Hawaii on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/user/RoySakumaProductions Craig and Sarah's website http://craigandsarah.com Intro and outro music is by Blue Dot Sessions You can support the podcast through the tip jar. Or by Buying Me A Coffee Find out more at http://ukepodcast.com Send us your feedback online: https://pinecast.com/feedback/abes-ukulele-podcast/43a102a2-2892-486b-a9d3-d63398cdaf72

Joe and Kristen Souza Note: This episode was recorded before the main event of Ukulele Festival Hawaii held on July 18th, 2021. Aloha friends! Here's a wonderful conversation I had with Joe and Kristen Souza from Kanile'a Ukulele before the Ukulele Festival Hawaii. We talked about ukuleles, of course, but lots of other things, like trees and forest bathing. Reforest Hawaii https://reforesthawaii.org Kanilea Ukulele  https://www.kanileaukulele.com Festival website https://www.ukulelefesthawaii.org Ukulele Festival Hawaii on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/user/RoySakumaProductions Craig and Sarah's website http://craigandsarah.com Intro and outro music is by Blue Dot Sessions You can support the podcast through the tip jar. Or by Buying Me A Coffee Find out more at http://ukepodcast.com Send us your feedback online: https://pinecast.com/feedback/abes-ukulele-podcast/db8428b3-279c-4d95-9bb6-847c61ef681b

Jodi and Honoka in Kaimuki Wayyyyyy back in July 2019 I got to sit down with these two fantastic ukulele players at Jodi's school, Ukulele Hale. We talked about the awesome things their doing with their students, as well as Jodi and Honoka's personal music paths. Learn more about Ukulele Hale and Team Hale. Check out Honoka's music here. Ukulele Hale on Instagram Honoka on Instagram Intro and outro music is by Blue Dot Sessions You can support the podcast through the tip jar Or by Buying Me A Coffee Find out more at http://ukepodcast.com Send us your feedback online: https://pinecast.com/feedback/abes-ukulele-podcast/e282b98c-6d79-456a-897d-5a987505c71d

Mika Kane Mika is an exceptional player from Maui. UkeLogic strings Those strings in action. Mika and Corey play an incredible arrangement of One Summer's Day and talk about tons of other stuff Find Mika's site and music here. The Ukulele Magazine article with Mika. Intro and outro music is by Blue Dot Sessions You can support the podcast through the tip jar Or by Buying Me A Coffee Send us your feedback online: https://pinecast.com/feedback/abes-ukulele-podcast/f23d854d-ad93-4d88-9ce1-a2b94808fe8c

Chris Kamaka at Kamaka Chris is currently the Production Manager at Kamaka Ukulele. Kamaka Ukulele Craig and Sarah's Mini Uke Fest Intro and outro music is by Blue Dot Sessions You can support the podcast through the tip jar Or by Buying Me A Coffee Send us your feedback online: https://pinecast.com/feedback/abes-ukulele-podcast/9b67ba9a-17b7-48af-970f-ae03a1c4edf5

Joe Souza I sat down with Joe at one of the busiest events of the year, Ukulele Festival Hawaii. This was from July, 2019.He's a great player and teacher, but he also makes a great ukulele. We talked about all sorts of things from the beginning of Kanile'a to the different ways ukuleles react to different strings.Kanile'a UkuleleThe Mini Ukulele Festival on April 11Me on TwitterMe on FacebookIntro and outro music is by Blue Dot SessionsSupport the podcast through the tip jarOr Buy Me A CoffeeSend us your feedback online: https://pinecast.com/feedback/abes-ukulele-podcast/036ac8f8-75cf-43ba-9182-ff0bf9c69918

Cynthia Kinnunen It was great to finally sit down and chat with Cynthia. She does a lot in the ukulele world.Cynthia's websiteThe Mini Ukulele Festival on April 11In case you are new here, JHUISome of the music Cynthia mentionedUkulele Orchestra of Great BritainJames Hill and Anne JanelleVampire WeekendSufjan StevensIntro and outro music is by Blue Dot SessionsSupport the podcast through the tip jarOr Buy Me A CoffeeSend us your feedback online: https://pinecast.com/feedback/abes-ukulele-podcast/575c0e29-af80-45eb-aed5-eda40bf88afb

COVID 19 and the ukulele world In this episode I talk with some people in the ukulele world about the impact COVID 19 has had on them.I hope everyone's staying safe and healthy.Here are some relevant links.http://ukulelesoiree.comhttps://gaithersburgukefest.comhttps://www.kevincarroll.nethttps://www.mimsukes.com/pages/onlinelessonshttps://www.thetinman.coHere's the Mini Uke Fest that Craig and Sarah are putting together.It's gonna be awesome!http://www.cheemaisel.com/minifestLet's do what we can to support our friends in need. Mim's page is a great place to start, but don't forget those closest to you.Support the podcast through the tip jarOr Buy Me A CoffeeSend us your feedback online: https://pinecast.com/feedback/abes-ukulele-podcast/2d2e3977-a837-40d7-ab54-794681b6206e

Dr. Byron Yasui In July of 2019, I sat down with an uke master to talk about all the things he's been building in the ukulele world. We talk about repertoire and the future of the ukulele.Here's the article I mention in the episode.Here is another written by Dr. Yasui about chords, transitions, and notation.You can reach him at byasui@hawaii.eduIntro and outro music is by Blue Dot SessionsSupport the podcast through the tip jarOr Buy Me A CoffeeSend us your feedback online: https://pinecast.com/feedback/abes-ukulele-podcast/f621ef9d-4bfd-4c6c-bb1f-89890d82c06b

Kimo Hussey I finally got to meet this ukulele hero of mine. Kimo is a mighty fine player and teacher. We sat down in Manoa in July and talked story about moveable chord shapes, expensive ukes, baritones vs tenors, and plenty more.A few builders mentionedLichtyDevineHere are some videos of Kimo playing and teaching.Intro and outro music is by Blue Dot SessionsSupport the podcast through the tip jarOr Buy Me A CoffeeSend us your feedback online: https://pinecast.com/feedback/abes-ukulele-podcast/0d6fcf5e-9721-4844-ba75-6dd7058c7751

Jake Shimabukuro Caught up with Jake on his tour through Hartford, CT.We chatted about all sorts of stuff, like songwriting, practice, his favorite artists, and tons of other stuff.Here are some things/artists that were mentionedTube dreamer pedalDearling is Dave Preston's other bandPink FloydJacob CollierChris ThileBela FleckEdgar MyerVictor WootenPaco de LuciaAl Di MeolaCarlos MontoyaAndres SegoviaWinnipeg Folk Festival is when Jake and James played togetherBenny ChongAbe LagrimasBryan TolentinoMika KaneByron YasuiBritni PaivaTaimaneHonokaHerb Ohta Jr.Intro and outro music is by Blue Dot SessionsSupport the podcast through the tip jarOr Buy Me A CoffeeSend us your feedback online: https://pinecast.com/feedback/abes-ukulele-podcast/2627ad8c-b7d4-45c2-96f1-fd503a53fd6c

Craig and Sarah in San Diego I caught up with Craig and Sarah after their busy year.This episode is really dense with ukulele advice, so buckle up.They just released a holiday album. Check it out at http://www.cheemaisel.com/store/christmas-islandCraig and Sarah teach online here https://artistworks.com/ukulele-lessons-craig-sarahAt the time of posting, there's a 50% off sale on 1 year memberships.There's a lot of related links today

Paul Okami of KoAloha Paul Okami is the Mini Boss, or Vice President of KoAloha Ukulele.I got to sit and chat with him back in July when I visited Oahu.https://www.koaloha.comIntro and outro music is by Blue Dot SessionsSupport the podcast through the tip jarOr use the Buy Me A Coffee pageSend us your feedback online: https://pinecast.com/feedback/abes-ukulele-podcast/7eab7b19-f0a8-4840-9a3f-89aa4a92488c

Brad Bordessa from the Big Island In my first semi-high-tech remote interview, my guest was Brad Bordessa, an ukulele teacher and player located on the Big Island of Hawaii.We talked about strings, baritones, performing, and more.We also talked about how to pronounce ukulele.

Jenny Peters Back in July I got to chat with Jenny Peters, teacher and author of many great ukulele books.We talked about classroom teaching, teaching challenges, pedagogy, and more.You can find more about Jenny at her site hereGift for listeners of the showIntro and outro music is by Blue Dot SessionsBecome a supporter of the podcast hereSend us your feedback online: https://pinecast.com/feedback/abes-ukulele-podcast/7b856c7b-8392-4c02-9b06-11906cbd55bf

James Hill at Ashokan In May of 2019, I got to catch up with James Hill at the Ashokan Ukulele Festival in New York. We talked about his new album, technology, throat singing, playing without monitors, and plenty of other interesting things.James Hill's websiteJames and Anne's new albumInuit throat singingnot to be confused withMongolian throat singingRadiolab episode on bit flippingTip jar subscribers get early access and bonus episodes. You'll also be supporting an independent creatorLink to this show on RadioPublicCheck out Uketropolis if you're looking for more uke learning resources.Intro and outro music is by Blue Dot SessionsBecome a supporter of the podcast hereWhat have you been working on? What do you think of the show? https://pinecast.com/feedback/abes-ukulele-podcast/d9c44fe2-6f58-4692-8e5c-8f87c20f63a0

Casey MacGill in Ashokan My guest today is Casey MacGill. Casey is from Southern California and I caught up with him at the Ashokan Uke Fest. This is the second episode from my Ashokan series.Ashokan Uke FestCasey's websiteWatch Casey play a song with his uke in his [Ukulele Magazine article (https://www.ukulelemag.com/stories/for-casey-macgill-the-swing-is-the-thing).Intro and outro music is by Blue Dot SessionsThe podcast does cost me time and money to make. If you'd like to chip in, any amount helps.Support the podcast by donating to the tip jarIf you have any questions or feedback, I'd love to hear from you. https://pinecast.com/feedback/abes-ukulele-podcast/3764c39b-5b39-4efb-a280-bafe752eefc9

Ukulele Underground Crossover part 1 I visited Kauai and hung out with the Ukulele Underground crew for a day. We did two podcast episodes and this is the first one. We talked about playing, performing, chickens, and more.Note on Kauai: it is the oldest out of the main Hawaiian islands.Video version is here: https://youtu.be/9VVAlZZwRQ0Part 2 is here : https://ukuleleunderground.com/2019/07/tll-podcast-68-ukulele-aloha/Some things we mentioned in the show:Niihau (mentioned in the show) is the westernmost island of Hawaii, and is not open to the public.Jim Beloff episodeMy short Blackbird coverBandito Tyler by Aldrine GuerreroUkulele UndergroundI can't find the James Hill album online T_TDragon by Jake ShimabukuroSay Anything's first albumKa'au Crater BoysWe Are OneRump ShakerPure Heart 2Panic at the DiscoJim Croce's greatest hitsKate RusbyThe WildernessIntro and outro music is by Blue Dot SessionsJoin the conversation on Reddit.Join the official pod club on Patreon or PodFanAn easy way to support the show and get bonus episodes is the Tip JarSend us your feedback online: https://pinecast.com/feedback/abes-ukulele-podcast/48d5780f-1cae-4c11-9c5f-49e6581f54f4

Bryan Tolentino at the Magic Fluke Co. Back in May, I travelled up to the Magic Fluke Co. in Sheffield, MA to chat with Bryan Tolentino.He was doing a little workshop/concert tour through the Northeast USA.Find Bryan's website hereLive stream with Craig Chee and Sarah MaiselHere are some of the artists mentioned in the show.Roy SmeckOhta SanPeter MoonByron YasuiJake Shimabukuro... do you really need a link?

Gerald Ross in Ashokan I had the wonderful opportunity to spend a day at the Ashokan Uke Fest in Olivebridge, NY.It was a beautiful place filled with lots of wonderful music-making. This episode is one of a few that I will release featuring instructors from the Ashokan Uke Fest.Every time I attend a festival, I plan to wander and talk to as many people as possible. But every time I get too nervous and want to just relax and go with the flow. So in these episodes it's just chats with great players/teachers. There's tons of great insight in these here episodes.Here are the relevant linksGerald's websiteAshokan Uke FestHive ukulelesFremont polished low GHere's another polished wound string I love to use, but it's for C on tenor.Planet Waves Ukulele CapoPersonally, I love Sarah Maisel's straps. Hug straps are pretty cool, too. There are a lot to choose from. Abe's Ukulele Podcast on RadioPublicHere’s where you can find my musicIntro and outro music is by Blue Dot SessionsLeave a review on iTunesJoin the conversation on Reddit.Support the podcast by donating to the tip jarSend us your feedback online: https://pinecast.com/feedback/abes-ukulele-podcast/c1f98191-6d7b-4329-9976-71a731515269

Banjolele or firewood?

The Ukes of Mim Allegheny Ukulele Soiree Special number 2.Mim sells and sets up ukuleles in Floyd, Virginia, USA.She's also a great entertainer and puts a lot of thought into the way an ukulele feels when you play it.I think that's the biggest factor in deciding which uke to buy.Mim's website is here: https://www.mimsukes.comLearn more about the Soiree and the club that runs it here:http://alleghenyukes.comhttp://ukulelesoiree.comLeaving a review on iTunes.Intro and outro music is by Blue Dot SessionsJoin the conversation on Reddit.Support the podcast by donating to the tip jarSend us your feedback online: https://pinecast.com/feedback/abes-ukulele-podcast/1a7a88bc-57fe-4e7a-a653-77d119f70681

Catching up with Mike Allegheny Ukulele Soiree Special number 1.This was a short chat I had with Mike Holzer. It was early Sunday morning, the last day of the festival.We sat down with my phone between us since we didn't have much time, hence the not-as-great audio.The Soiree is great festival.Learn more about the Soiree and the club that runs it here:http://alleghenyukes.comhttp://ukulelesoiree.comIntro and outro music is by Blue Dot SessionsJoin the conversation on Reddit.Support the podcast by donating to the tip jarDoes anyone read these show notes? If yes, blink once.I'm working on getting transcripts for the show. If that would be helpful to you, blink twice.Send us your feedback online: https://pinecast.com/feedback/abes-ukulele-podcast/a3ea6ad7-6d03-426b-a20f-f40815908e54

Kiku or Guitarlele with Terry Today's episode is all about ukulele, as usual, but also guitarlele, or the kīkū, not as usual.Terry Carter was my guest. He's a great teacher and performer from California, USA.Terry's got a brand new course on the guitarlele. You should definitely check it out if you're interested in this sweet new instrument.For 20% off any course or membership at Uke Like the Pros, use the coupon SPECIAL20.He's got a baritone ukulele course coming out soon!ukelikethepros.com/coursesThe paddle boarding ukulele class I mentioned is Paddle and StrumTerry's 5 common ukulele mistakes videoI hope you enjoyed this show.Hear more at ukepodcast.comIntro and outro music is by Blue Dot SessionsJoin the conversation on Reddit.Support the podcast by donating to the tip jarYou'll get bonus audio content straight to your podcast feed.Send us your feedback online: https://pinecast.com/feedback/abes-ukulele-podcast/94efb496-3704-4403-8aa0-51084c436574

Goldilocks Jazz with Paul Hemmings Abe's Ukulele Podcast on RadioPublichttps://ukepodcast.com is the official podcast website.https://ukuleleabe.com to hear my music.Paul Hemmings' website is here.Duke on UkePaul's Bach Cello Suite arrangementThe Sgt. Peppers album can be heard here.Paul's latest albumPlay jazz, kids.

Jack and the Vox Note: I'm so sorry if the music is too loud! I'm having too much fun listening to my new intro music.

Ukulele wishlist This is officially December's episode.It's more of a personal resolution as well as a challenge to all uke playersHere's my uke wishlist More Kanikapila Learn songs better so you can teach better Try some new (or old) strings Be aware of humidity Be a good uke friend I'd love to hear from you! What's on your uke wishlist?You can leave a review on iTunes here.Blue Dot SessionsMy youtube channelFollow me on twitteror Facebook or InstagramJoin the conversation on Reddit.Support the podcast by donating to the tip jarSend us your feedback online: https://pinecast.com/feedback/abes-ukulele-podcast/fba29707-8908-448c-a32d-a08657e278ed

Effects pedals for ukulele With the hope of new gear on the horizon for many ukulele players, I wanted to take this chance to cover some pedals that every player should know about.I go over what I think are the essential pedals to be aware of.Do you use any pedals? Let me know which ones are your favorites!Reverb is my first stop when looking for new gear to buyHere’s the video of Jake Shimabukuro breaking down his pedalboardEquipboard is where you can see what famous players are using on their pedalboards.The LR Baggs preamp pedal is popular with ukulele players because of it’s versatility and functionality.Fishman also makes a similar pedal.Just in case you need to see a bunch of tuners, here ya go.For some extra info on preamps, pickups, and effects loops, check out this blog postSweetwater article on compressor pedalsThe Ernie Ball MVP is a solid volume pedal.A few overdrive/distortion/fuzz pedals worth looking atEHX Soul Food Boss DS-1 ZVEX Fuzz FactoryThe Boss DD-3 and TC Electronic Hall of Fame are really solid pedals for reverb and delay.The Ditto Looper is a great, simple starter looper. Something like the JamMan Stereo or the RC-300 are more elaborate and give you a lot more power.Lehle Acouswitch Junior is a preamp and switcher, as well as the Radial ToneboneThe Play Acoustic is a good multi-effects pedal, and includes vocal effects like harmonies. It’s got reverb, delay, chorus, and a looper built-in.Leaving a review on Apple PodcastsOn PodchaserJoin the conversation on Reddit.Support the podcast by donating to the tip jarSend us your feedback online: https://pinecast.com/feedback/abes-ukulele-podcast/248b8d86-9eaf-4f04-81de-daba2c6f6f38

James Hill and 8-note uke chords I caught up with James Hill again in August. We talked about the new Ukulele Hot Springs he put together and tons of other uke things.Uncle Zac's chord charts can be found hereJames Hill's website for musicand for all of his teaching initiatives.Ukulele Hot SpringsHere's an Ukulele Magazine article on the Hot Springs.James Hill playing Jimi Hendrix on the ukeJames' newest book "Duets for One"Leaving a review on iTunes helps others find the show.Join the conversation on Reddit.Support the podcast by donating to the tip jarSend us your feedback online: https://pinecast.com/feedback/abes-ukulele-podcast/861b4209-d21f-4752-8f49-259bad91c967

Teaching with percussive uke My guest today is Bryan LaPlante.News The uke contest winners were decided. The cutest video of my kids picking out the winners can be found here The CT Ukulele Festival is happening on Sept 29th! ctukulelefestival.com Bryan has a great story of his musical upbringing and how he met the ukulele.He is a student of the James Hill Ukulele Initiative and uses percussive techniques in his classroom.You can find Bryan's website hereSome of the musicians Bryan mentioned are Natalie McMaster and the Leahy FamilyHui, according to Mirriam-Webster, means partnership, syndicate club, association community gathering JHUI is the abbreviation for the James Hill Ukulele Initiative. The new thing is that we call it JaHUI (jahooey). It's nice that it has a deeper meaning other than a silly pronunciation.Join the conversation on Reddit.Support the podcast by donating to the tip jarSend us your feedback online: https://pinecast.com/feedback/abes-ukulele-podcast/3b808e4f-fed5-48a3-acc8-bef857157501

An uke giveaway! and more Thanks for your patience in getting this episode out this month!I'm doing an ukulele giveaway with Uke Life Co!Head over to my Instagram page for details. Listen to the episode for extra chances at winning for podcast listeners!The First CT Uke Fest is happening on Sept 29th in Norwalk, CT!I talked about why you should consider practicing songs more slowly from time to time to check your technique.Craig Chee & Sarah Maisel's music can be found here. There are also digital albums available.Brad Bordessa's MusicBrad's teaching website is called Live Ukulele.The Ukulele Underground Podcast is full of great ukulele tips, tricks, and info.The Habitat by Gimlet Media.Listening to Abe's Ukulele Podcast on Radio Public earns me money. It's also a pretty decent podcast app, for Apple and Android, that's easy to use and makes reccomendations for you based on your listening.Join the conversation on Reddit.Support the podcast by donating to the tip jarSend us your feedback online: https://pinecast.com/feedback/abes-ukulele-podcast/19ba111c-7560-447d-88eb-5fb7589f8152

My songwriting Today’s episode is a commentary on my first studio album, which came out earlier this year. It’s not a super in-depth breakdown of each song, but a brief discussion in real time on different aspects of the album and the artistic decisions/considerations that went into everything.My hope is that you can gain some insights and inspirations for your own songwriting. I structured it this way to keep it simple and fun.This is my first ever real-time album review. How do you like it?Let me know what you’re doing while listening to the podcast. I’d love to hear what you think of it so far, too. My goal for the podcast is to be a resource to help players and teachers hone their craft, so it helps to know how I’m doing in reaching that.You can reach me at podcast@ukuleleabe.comTo hear the album alone go to ukuleleabe.comThe new riff rundown series I’m doing can be found on Instagram and Facebook. So far I’ve done In My Life by The Beatles and Is This Love by Bob Marley.I got a new mic (was borrowing one) and a new podcast host. I’m happy with it so far.

Allegheny Ukulele Soiree Special: Mike Holzer For the final episode in this special series, I sat down and talked to Mike Holzer, the chief ukulele evangelist of the Allegheny Ukulele Kollective and Festival Director of the Allegheny Ukulele Soiree. Make sure you get your tickets soon for next year’s. They’ll go on sale around October.The Mighty Uke was a movie that they screened at a Soiree in the past.Fusion Bags is a company who’s cases I’ve been seeing more and more. They are known for holding two ukes.Mim from Mim’s Ukes was one of the vendors. She brought many ukes and did set ups all weekend.Some other vendors there this year were Dewdrop Ukuleles, Mainland Ukes, Leis & Things by Debi, The Hug Strap, and the Adaptive Ukulele System.How to Start and Grow an Ukulele Club is the book I mentioned.The Quiet American is one of the teacher/performers scheduled for next year’s Soiree.Is Pono a K-brand? It’s made by Ko’olau. You can support this podcast by sharing it with a friend, rating it/subscribing on iTunes or Google Podcasts. Join the conversation on Reddit.Support the podcast by donating to the tip jarSend us your feedback online: https://pinecast.com/feedback/abes-ukulele-podcast/6e33cd8a-13d9-4e77-8a7b-a0fc973f9ee9

Allegheny Ukulele Soiree Special: Amber Rozel AUSS no. 4 features a Steel City Ukes native! Amber Rozel is a teacher and performer that you may not have heard of, unless you’re from Pittsburg, PA. She’s also a classmate of mine from the James Hill Ukulele Initiative in Toronto. She may be the least famous guest I’ve had on the show, but it’s definitely one of my favorite conversations!We talked about teaching tips, playing past the 3rd fret, practice schedules, and so much more. The saddle we were talking about is called a compensated saddle.You can learn more about the Suzuki method here.In case you’re curious, you can read more about musical counting systems here.More information about the James Hill ukulele program is here.Yes the 8th fret on the 1st string is F, unless you aren’t playing a C6 tuned ukulele.A great teaching tip is a chart: 2 great things and 1 thing to improve for the next week. Use gold stars, too! It’s called 2 stars and a wish.There’s only one more episode from the Allegheny Ukulele Soiree after this, and it just might be the best one yet!As always, you can find me and my music at ukuleleabe.com.Join the conversation on Reddit.Support the podcast by donating to the tip jarSend us your feedback online: https://pinecast.com/feedback/abes-ukulele-podcast/4b7f8731-6419-4309-be2d-f7ede0b8394c

Allegheny Ukulele Soiree Special: Danielle Ate the Sandwich Here’s 3 of 5 from the Allegheny Ukulele Soiree! Today’s episode is with Danielle Ate the Sandwich. More info on the Soiree can be found here. The club that puts it together can be found here.There are many ways to listen to this podcast and be notified of new episodes. Pocket Casts is my preferred way. You can also listen through Apple Podcasts, the Google Play Store. There are many other apps and services, like player.fm, podcast fanatic, podcast addict, overcast, and many more. I’d love to hear how you’re listening to this.You can contact me at podcast@ukuleleabe.com. Don’t forget about the free strings! I’ve got two sets I’m giving away. They’re not available in stores and they’re a gorgeous blue and red (each one color). All you have to do is leave a review on iTunes and send me and email once you’re done.You can support me and the at patreon.com/ukuleleabe  or  ukuleleabe.com.You can find Danielle’s website at danielleatthesandwich.com and all of her music can be found here.The documentary “Packed in a Trunk: The Lost Art of Edith Lake Wilkinson” can be found here. Danielle wrote the sound track for that.Join the conversation on Reddit.Support the podcast by donating to the tip jarSend us your feedback online: https://pinecast.com/feedback/abes-ukulele-podcast/48ead818-43f1-4e55-8772-f34cb6b416cc

Allegheny Ukulele Soiree Special This is the second installment of a special uke fest series I’m putting out as quickly as I can. These episodes were all recorded on April 21, 2018 in Altoona, PA. In today’s episode I sat down with Craig Chee and Sarah Maisel.*audio note: there is a workshop going on in the next room, so the audio quality is not quite perfect, but I think it adds to the overall feeling of the seriesCraig and Sarah’s website, as well as all of their music, lesson info, and touring schedule can be found at cheemaisel.com. Here’s the video of Craig and Sarah that I mentioned: Sarah Maisel w/ Craig Chee – “Hawaiian Way”I know I’ve mentioned it before on the show, but it’s just so good. Another recent great video of them can be found here: “On the Sunny Side of the Street” – Craig Chee and Sarah Maisel. Their online ukulele school can be found here.The 5-string instrument I mentioned is a Mexican Vihuela.Campanella is a playing style. A great resource to start can be found at Ukulele Hunt. My album can be heard at ukuleleabe.com. The first song, “Find,” is what I discuss in the episode.As I’ve mentioned before, Ka’au Crater Boys are a great source of inspiration for playing uke.Israel Kamakawiwo’ole is essential ukulele listening. For more great ukulele songs, check out my Spotify playlist. I regularly update it, so be sure to save songs you love. I try to focus on unique and beautiful representations of the ukulele’s potential.Benny Chong is another great player to watch.To win a set a Soprano Crystal Colored strings, leave a review on iTunes (Apple Podcasts) and send me an email at podcast@ukuleleabe.com. It’s important to email me so that I can connect with you to get your prize to you. Thanks for listening and talk to you soon! Aloha!Join the conversation on Reddit.Support the podcast by donating to the tip jarSend us your feedback online: https://pinecast.com/feedback/abes-ukulele-podcast/24e26bcc-b117-468e-b78d-486bfc6d05dc

Here is part one of a special series I’m doing on the Allegheny Ukulele Soiree. I was invited to attend and had a wonderful time at this festival in Altoona, PA, USA. It was located in a giant lodge on the side of a mountain in the middle of a forest. With raised walkways through the trees and plenty of ukes to go around, it was a rejuvenating experience.The Soiree website can be found here: http://ukulelesoiree.comIn this first of the series I had a chance to sit down and chat with Jim D’Ville. He’s a wonderful teacher/performer that put on a bunch of great classes and a wildly entertaining set at the concert on Saturday night.You can find out more about Jim and everything he does at his website here: playukulelebyear.comThe chord charts mentioned can be found here.Deering banjo company makes a banjolele: https://www.deeringbanjos.com/products/goodtime-banjo-ukuleleAllegheny Ukulele Kollective (yes that’s how it’s spelled) is a great uke club doing amazing things, like putting on this awesome uke fest.Thank you to everyone for reaching out and letting me know what you think of the podcast so far!To enter to win a set of soprano Koaloha crystal colored strings, leave me a review on iTunes.*I forgot to mention in the recording that you also have to email me at podcast@ukuleleabe.com so that I can contact you if you are the winner. You have until June to enter to win.iTunes/Apple Podcasts link Stay tuned for the next episode in this series, coming out as soon as possible. Subscribe to the podcast to get updated when it’s released.Join the conversation on Reddit.Support the podcast by donating to the tip jarSend us your feedback online: https://pinecast.com/feedback/abes-ukulele-podcast/08abbf84-6621-4aec-811d-cb58f2b8d887

Jake Shimabukuro I’m so excited to share today’s episode with you! I was able to sit down with Jake Shimabukuro for an interview last month when he came through Fairfield, CT for a concert.Jake’s website can be found here. From there you can read more about him, hear his music, see where he’s playing next, and more. The song at the beginning and end of our conversation is “Missing Three” by Jake Shimabukuro from the album Grand Ukulele.Nashville Sessions is his most recent album. You can hear it on iTunes, Spotify, and Amazon among other shops.Life on Four Strings is a wonderful movie from 2013 that shows a bit of Jake’s life as a virtuoso and touring musician.Dave Preston is playing guitar with Jake on tour, and Nolan Verner is playing bass.We talked a bit about how to practice more and make it easier for you to improve.Ukulele Hale is a fantastic ukulele school in Honolulu, HI, founded by Jody Kamisato. Yes, Jake’s in the Guitar Player Magazine’s Hall of Fame! To see and find out more about Jake’s signature Kamaka, go here.When we were discussing it, I said at one point “if you haven’t seen it” while trying to address you, the listeners. I think Jake thought I was talking to him, which is when he pointed out that the uke he’s using now on his tour is that exact model. I thought it was kinda funny. Of course he’s seen the uke being made for him!I had a chance to play it a little. It’s truly an incredible instrument!We talked a bit about strings and the pedals he’s using, too. “Blue Roses Falling” can be heard on his albums “Live in Japan” and “Gently Weeps”. Email me at podcast@ukuleleabe.com You can leave a review for the show at Apple Podcasts (iTunes) here.For the contest, make sure you send me an email so that I know what your username is and so I can get the strings to you if you win. As always, thank you for listening! Support the podcast through the tip jarOr use the Buy Me A Coffee pageSend us your feedback online: https://pinecast.com/feedback/abes-ukulele-podcast/92bab00c-ca6b-4870-9508-ff561a1255b5

Inspiring people/players This episode I’m sharing a few of my favorite ukulele players to give you some inspiration. They all have a big presence on Instagram and I highly recommend checking them out on that platform.As you may know, I love hearing and discovering the uke in many different scenarios. All of these players do what I think is a great job at exploring what the uke can do. This is not some ultimate list, just me sharing with you what I think are great sources of learning and inspiration.First up is Destiny G, from the USA. She’s a music teacher and a fabulous singer. Her featured song is here, and you can find her instagram here.Next is Natasha Ghosh, from the Netherlands. She covers a lot of really neat arrangements. She does her own as well as arrangements from other people. Her featured cover is here, and you can find her instagram here.The next artist is Eat My Uke, from the UK. He also does a lot of really awesome arrangements. One I particularly love is here, and you can find his instagram here. He also plays uke in the band Bud Sugar, which you can listen to here.Lastly, you gotta check out Banjolele Tinman. He specializes in “dance music for the old at heart.” The track featured is from his upcoming album which you can pre-order here. His instagram is here and his website is here.My own inspiring way to play the uke was a cover of Cherry Wine by Hozier. You can here the full version here. And yes there are tabs here.Finally, a huge source of inspiration (I’ve mentioned before) for me is The Ukulele Site. My son won an ukulele from them and they have so many amazing sound samples so you can listen to tons of amazing ukes. It’s not just great for hearing different ukes, but lots of great little tunes from the players there. Check out their instagram here for future contests!I have two sets of KoAloha Crystal Colored Strings to giveaway! As far as I can tell, you can’t buy these anywhere. They’re soprano strings, and one set is red while the other is blue.To enter the contest, just leave me a review on iTunes and send me an email at podcast(at)ukuleleabe.com once you’re done. If you’ve already left one, you’re already done. You just have to send me an email.You can check out the strings I’m giving away here. I’ll be picking the winner at random and announcing it on a future episode.I’m heading to the Allegheny Ukulele Soiree, so if you’re there come say hi. I’d love to meet you!Join the conversation on Reddit.Support the podcast by donating to the tip jarSend us your feedback online: https://pinecast.com/feedback/abes-ukulele-podcast/78c33203-2602-4fec-86ad-8364093ff942

Always improving I’m back with another episode about practice and other ways to improve as a musician! I talk about listening to a diverse collection of music.Here is the Great ukulele songs playlist on Spotify.Bandcamp!Oddisee is a Brooklyn-based hip-hop artist. You can hear his music here.The Lone Bellow isn’t exactly country, but alt-country or Brooklyn country.Allen Stone is definitely an artist to check out.NPR Tiny Desk Concerts are here. There’s also a video and audio podcast version.The Rite of Spring is an essential piece of classical music to know.I also talk about getting stuck in a rut with your own music practice. It’s important to take a break when you need and not place too much stress on yourself about your progress.Here‘s a pic the Fmaj7 voicing that I like. As you can see, it’s a tough one. I talk about some things you can do when you’re trying to play or record something perfectly and you can’t quite get it right.One thing I didn’t mention in the podcast is the power of a teacher. Often if you’re really stuck, get a teacher or just a better player to spend some time with you watching and listening to you play. Many times they’ll be able to pick up one or two things you could change with your playing to make it easier.When looking at other players, use them as inspiration and learning, not as a measuring stick.The Ooktown podcast is a must-listen! (But seriously you probably already know about it)Thank you so much to everyone for listening and sharing the podcast. I’d love to hear what you think! Let me know about your own ukulele journey and what you’re working on.The best and completely free way to support the show is to share it with your friends and give me a rating on iTunes!You can check out my music and all other projects I’m working on at ukuleleabe.com Aloha!Join the conversation on Reddit.Support the podcast by donating to the tip jarSend us your feedback online: https://pinecast.com/feedback/abes-ukulele-podcast/f12a47a7-4aaf-4a07-bf0f-6ac4dacfb660

Jim Beloff This month I was honored with a chance to interview Jim Beloff. The background music for this episode is Jim’s own ukulele concerto “Uke Can’t Be Serious.” You can hear the full version of it, including a live version, here.You can find his music, books, and just plain awesome website for all things ukulele at Flea Market Music.Here are a few of the artists that were mentioned. We encourage you to check them out!Uke Mag has a great article on Lyle Ritz here. His album “How About Uke” is on Spotify.Jim Beloff’s recent album can also be heard on Spotify.Israel Kamakawiwo’ole’s album “Facing Future” has lots of incredible songs, including the most famous one Jim mentioned.You can also hear Herb Ohta’s music on Spotify. You can also see a live recording on Youtube here, although there’s some noise and he starts playing near 40% into the video.Roy Smeck can be seen here on Youtube. There’s also Joel Eckhaus and Marcy Marxer on Youtube.Brittni Paiva did a great cover on HiSessions. It’s on Youtube.Sara Maisel and Craig Chee do some lovely duets. Here’s one of my favorites on YouTube.James Hill and Jake Shimabukuro…. well I trust you know about these guys if you’re listening to this podcast. In case you need another instrument to buy here’s the Pono instrument I mentioned being demonstrated in two tunings.Can you tell I like Spotify? Should I include other links? Let me know!Great ukulele songs is a Spotify playlist I’m working on. It’ll be regularly updated to included all the greatest songs that I think show off the ukulele’s potential. Be sure to follow it if you can’t get enough uke, but save any songs you love since I can’t promise how long they’ll be on there!Thanks for listening and aloha! Join the conversation on Reddit.Support the podcast by donating to the tip jarSend us your feedback online: https://pinecast.com/feedback/abes-ukulele-podcast/9dcebec6-5ec6-49a7-8f3f-f3c5b029893c

Primer on Practice Hey everyone!It’s been a long time, but I’m back. This time I’m talking about practice, teaching, great new ukes, and some ideas for musicians to check out.Here‘s an article/video about effective practice by NPR and TED-Ed.The metronome app I use when I practice is Tempo. The Ukulele App is another nice app for practice/learning ukulele. Yousician is another app for learning uke. It also teaches piano, guitar, and bass. There are so many resources out there for learning! What are your favorites?Ukulele Fretboard Roadmaps is a book that helps makes sense of knowing the entire fretboard and how to play scales, chords, and melodies everywhere on the fretboard.Ledward Kaapana and Honoka and Azita are two artists I think you should check out if you haven’t.Ledward played a concert in July that you can see here. He’s also on Spotify here. Honoka and Azita are on Spotify as well.A great resource for hearing ukuleles if you can’t actually play them (great for buying too!) is The Ukulele Site. Another great place to hear ukes and read reviews on them as well is Got a Ukulele.The GHS baritone-tuned Tenor strings can be found here. Living Water Strings can be found here. There’s many more other special sets than I mentioned on the podcast. Thanks for checking it out. Let me know what you think of the podcast so far!Next month I’ll sit down with the great Jim Beloff to talk about ukulele and orchestras.Aloha!Join the conversation on Reddit.Support the podcast by donating to the tip jarSend us your feedback online: https://pinecast.com/feedback/abes-ukulele-podcast/3bf0a72a-2145-4b6e-b17c-7de84914c64b

Episode 2 Back in July I got a chance to sit down with James Hill and talk to him about the ukulele.We talked about teaching our own kids the uke, the future of the ukulele, and how to get started as an ukulele teacher.You can check out James Hill at https://jameshillmusic.com http://jhui.org and https://www.theukuleleway.comYou can learn more about me, including my recent studio album at ukuleleabe.comThanks everyone for listening! Let me know what you think and please keep in mind this is a work in progress. Aloha!Join the conversation on Reddit.Support the podcast by donating to the tip jarSend us your feedback online: https://pinecast.com/feedback/abes-ukulele-podcast/8c9c3c4c-9929-4ae8-925a-6c71295eec3e

Episode 1 Here’s the first episode of my ukulele podcast!It’s mostly just me rambling on about the ukulele. I introduce myself and cover a few topics from new instruments and just starting out as an ukulele teacher.My goal with this project is to learn more about the ukulele and share that knowledge with you. Of course that means having lot of fun.As I’ve never done this before and I’ll be learning as I go, it might be a little rough, so I ask for some patience as I perfect my techniques.I’m really excited to get this started, so check it out and let me know what you think!Join the conversation on Reddit.Support the podcast by donating to the tip jarSend us your feedback online: https://pinecast.com/feedback/abes-ukulele-podcast/f17a0c76-57da-42e9-9ae1-b1f4b61ffc59