instrument Archives

Mar282022 by Paul LinusNo Comments

Evolution of South African music: The 1980’s

Music

The 1980's saw a significant growth in the ever evolving South African music scene with an array of new artists and bands flourishing like never before. Bubblegum Music An unadulterated style of South African pop music, Bubblegum was uniquely based on vocals with overlapping call-and-response lyrics combined with the use of electronic keyboards and synthesizers. The first major bubblegum star was Dan Tshanda of the band Splash, followed closely in popularity by Chicco Twala whose claim to fame was his politically oriented lyrics and a collaboration with the famed Mzwakhe Mbuli. During the late 1980’s Yvonne Chaka Chaka rose to stardom with her 1984 hit ‘I’m in Love With a DJ’ being the first major bubblegum hit. Her popularity continued well into the 1990’s with her first n...

Jun192020 by Paul LinusNo Comments

Help kids choose band instruments based on level of challenge

Lifestyle

Before making a trip to the music store to choose band instruments, it is important for musicians to be very realistic about their amount of free time and their personal response to a challenge. An honest assessment can make the difference between buying musical instruments that bring a lifetime of enjoyment or musical instruments that collect dust in the closet, believes many musicians. Musical Instruments Offering Quick Results There are several instruments that promise immediate gratification. Drums, for example are fun to play from day one. On the other hand, a truly accomplished percussionist can deliver complicated rhythms most drummers only dream about. The uncommon bass ukulele, is another instrument that can take a week to learn and a lifetime to perfect. Woodwinds such a...

Mar312020 by Paul LinusNo Comments

Techniques for better pearly shells Ukulele playing

Entertainment

Pearly shells Ukulele - There are many things about playing the pearly shells Ukulele that seem obvious, but are neglected by many players: learning the notes of the chromatic scale at first position, knowing what notes make up standard chords and variants, and using warm-up routines are all examples. Warming-Up This is absolutely vital to good pearly shells Ukulele playing, yet so many ignore it. Take a few minutes to play up and down the neck at different positions in different scales, or do some simple practice drills starting off slowly and getting quicker as you warm up. Some good warm-up drills can be found on related pearly shells Ukulele websites. Pick a note at random, or one you find difficult to play. Move between that chord and another that sounds good with it. Pi...

Jan212020 by Paul LinusNo Comments

Kids learn 5 ukulele songs in the key of C

Music

These five new ukulele tunes are all in the key of C and stick to the chords C and G7. Just like the songs parents learned with their kids in the articles Parents and Kids Play Their First Ukulele Song and Play Ukulele Tunes With Two Chords: C and G7, these are great traditional campfire tunes everyone’s likely to know. They’re a little trickier though, because the chords change more than one time per song. If parents continue to strum on the downbeats with their child, it’ll make the increased amount of chord changes easier to handle. As in parts 3 and 4, the downbeats are noted by the syllables in all caps. In the next part of this article, provided parents and kids feel ready, they’ll get to throw in some strumming embellishments. Hush Little Baby (To find the first note, paren...

Dec292019 by Paul LinusNo Comments

Choosing the best ukulele for beginners

Entertainment

The ukulele is a great instrument to learn, for several reasons. It's fun, it's easy to learn, it can help the beginner learn skills that will transfer to the guitar, and starter ukuleles can be very cheap. But are the cheapest ukes worth buying? How much ukulele does a beginner need, anyway? There are 3 main factors that go into choosing a ukulele: size, materials and price. Below is a quick, simple rundown of what to look for in buying that first ukulele - and how to get the most ukulele for the money. Choosing a Ukulele Size Basically, there are 4 main sizes of ukulele to choose from: soprano (or standard), concert, tenor and baritone. Soprano ukulelesare the most common size of ukulele and the most likely to make the classic "plinky" ukulele sound that most people assoc...

Aug302019 by Paul LinusNo Comments

How to maintain your aNueNue Ukulele musical instrument

Music

Practice your aNueNue Ukulele every day, and of course you'll improve your intonation and technique. But playing, and time itself, brings wear and tear to your instrument. You should strive to keep your aNueNue Ukulele in a good state of repair. This makes for a better sounding instrument, which means it is more satisfying to play. It will also save you money, because caring for your aNueNue Ukulele means you won’t need to rely on a professional luthier for the maintenance you can easily do yourself. Store your aNueNue Ukulele properly and safely The first rule of thumb is to always store your aNueNue Ukulele properly in a hard case. Leaving your aNueNue Ukulele sitting out in the open is an invitation for serious damage caused by collisions, crashes, or exposure to rapid temperat...