Interested in the ukulele and want to learn how to play it? This is the book for you. This all-encompassing guide to the ukulele is written by Will Grove-White, one of the world-renowned Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain. Clearly written, beautifully designed, and chock-full of photos and illustrations, Get Plucky With the Ukulele is the perfect teach-yourself ukulele book for adults and children alike, and a must for anyone with an interest in the instrument. - No knowledge of music required - Clearly written and easy to understand - Full colour photographic illustrations - Chords to learn and songs to strum - Simple and advanced strumming techniques - Pull-out Chord Dictionary - Tips and tricks for writing your own songs - How to play in a group - Play along with the songs online Also includes: - A complete history of the ukulele - Biographies of great uke players from past and present - Ukulele revelations about Jimi Hendrix, Neil Armstrong, Elvis Presley and more... Reviews "Get Plucky With The Ukulele is just as much fun as taking a new uke out of its case, and even more informative." Philip Pullman "A jollier than usual teach yourself manual... also an encyclopaedia-cum-history of 'all things uke'" The Oldie "As someone who seems to spend all my waking hours immersed in the ukulele, I learned much from this book. Beautifully presented and illustrated throughout... Highly recommended." Got A Ukulele (Barry Maz) "Witty, informative and opinionated. I heartily recommend picking up a copy." Ukulele Hunt (Al Wood) "Definitely the best book on the ukulele I have ever read." Lynn Barber Book Description: A complete guide to the ukulele: learn how to play, history of the uke, songs to strum, beginner and advanced techniques, famous pluckers, pull-out chord dictionary and much, much more...

The ukulele: a noble little instrument, an irritating little instrument. Both views are valid, but for millions of people around the world, the ukulele is fast becoming the instrument of desire. The beauty of the ukulele is that it's quick to learn, inexpensive to buy, and one of the most portable instruments you can find (plus it makes a surprisingly acceptable ping pong bat). Designed to get you playing the uke without the tiresome bother of having to study too much, this light-hearted book includes tips on how to choose the right ukulele for you; how to hold, tune and play the thing; tunes to learn; a 'plucking hell' of warnings for ukulele players; and an array of other uke-related fun.

FROM THE REVIEWS OF THE 2008 STAGE PRODUCTION:". . . this show is this year's jewel in the crown . . . A fast 90 minutes . . . charms with ease, rightly wearing its limited ambitions as a badge of honor: to provide a little entertainment in a troubled world."Christopher Murray, Back Stage"It has been a very long time since I've had as much fun at a musical as I had at [Ukulele Land]. I was also unexpectedly touched. And I was thrilled . . . . we can't help but listen and, perhaps, become enlightened and enlarged . . The plot effectively reminds us of the need to be true to ourselves and to question any kind of arbitrary authority, without ever feeling polemical or hackneyed and certainly without resorting to either irony or scare tactics. The activist spirit . . . is strong and authentic, yet it is very gentle. . . . the sometimes pointed, sometimes poetic, always honest lyrics by Jackson, are charming and infectious."Martin Denton, nytheatre.com" The show is set against the backdrop of a pharmacological dystopia in which The Corporation mandates people take drugs for ailments like sexual desire and the Love Police hunt down illegal monogamous lovers. . . . The mash-up commentary on our overmedicated culture, corporate dominance and ignorance of love and art is a big mandate for the play. Lines like "If this ain't love, Jesse James was a girl" and "Chemical emancipation - that's the new gyration" punctuate its songs with a goofiness that relieves some of that burden. . . . the playful strumming and the endearing innocence of the characters, who dub sex with a loved one 'monogomation', left a mostly optimistic feeling . . . And damned if I wasn't whistling the kitschy, plucky refrain on my way out of the theater." "...take a blue bit of sky, put it in your pocket..." Emily Meredith, NYPress.com "Never has a musical been so infectiously delightful . . . with jazz legend and ragtime scholar Terry Waldo's amazing compositions, choreographer Celia Rowlson-Hall's campy moves and a cast and chorus that are irresistibly charming in each and every scene, the joy was contagious. . . A spoof on the music industry, our increasingly corporate culture . . . a camp tour-de-force that manages, somehow, to also be steeped in American roots music."Rayhané S. Sanders, Show Business Weekly"When drug companies take over the world , sex is illegal, so is failure to take your drugs. . . . retro romantic comedy of the future . . . nostalgically inspired lyrics by Jackson particularly "Good Music," "Ukulele Land" . . . it's a Hoot! . . . delightful . . ."Dan Kassell, Jazz Journalist Association, on nytimes.com "Finally, the poodle of the guitar world gets some respect when a plucky band of ukulele strummers defy the authorities in the music deprived, sexless future of Uke Jackson (book and lyrics) and composer Terry Waldo's dystopian musical comedy."Time Out NY

Since its introduction to Hawai‘i in 1879, the ‘ukulele has been many things: a symbol of an island paradise; a tool of political protest; an instrument central to a rich musical culture; a musical joke; a highly sought-after collectible; a cheap airport souvenir; a lucrative industry; and the product of a remarkable synthesis of western and Pacific cultures. The ‘Ukulele: A History explores all of these facets, placing the instrument for the first time in a broad historical, cultural, and musical context. Drawing on a wealth of previously untapped sources, Jim Tranquada and John King tell the surprising story of how an obscure four-string folk guitar from Portugal became the national instrument of Hawai’i, of its subsequent rise and fall from international cultural phenomenon to “the Dangerfield of instruments,” and of the resurgence in popularity (and respect) it is currently enjoying among musicians from Thailand to Finland. The book shows how the technologies of successive generations (recorded music, radio, television, the Internet) have played critical roles in popularizing the ‘ukulele. Famous composers and entertainers (Queen Liliuokalani, Irving Berlin, Arthur Godfrey, Paul McCartney, SpongeBob SquarePants) and writers (Rudyard Kipling, Jack London, P. G. Wodehouse, Agatha Christie) wind their way through its history—as well as a host of outstanding Hawaiian musicians (Ernest Kaai, George Kia Nahaolelua, Samuel K. Kamakaia, Henry A. Peelua Bishaw). In telling the story of the ‘ukulele, Tranquada and King also present a sweeping history of modern Hawaiian music that spans more than two centuries, beginning with the introduction of western melody and harmony by missionaries to the Hawaiian music renaissance of the 1970s and 1980s.

(Fretted). The Hal Leonard Ukulele Method is designed for anyone just learning to play ukulele. This comprehensive and easy-to-use beginner's guide by acclaimed performer and uke master Lil' Rev includes many fun songs of different styles to learn and play. The accompanying CD contains 46 tracks of songs for demonstration and play along. Includes: types of ukuleles, tuning, music reading, melody playing, chords, strumming, scales, tremolo, music notation and tablature, a variety of music styles, ukulele history and much more.

(Book). The Ukulele A Visual History is a fun, photo-filled look at the ongoing story of this diminutive instrument. This revised edition includes a new chapter on recent pop-culture visibility, new photos, and updated information throughout. It features breathtaking color photographs of the finest and most unique ukuleles, the history of the ukulele, the greatest players, the great makers, and the uke in popular culture. Beautifully designed and presented in a deluxe hardcover edition ... uke can't go wrong with this book!

This is the definitive guide to the ukulele: learn how to play, the history of the uke, chords to learn, songs to strum, beginner and advanced techniques, famous pluckers and much, much more... This all-encompassing guide is written by Will Grove-White, a member of the world-renowned Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain. Clearly written, easy to understand and beautifully designed, chock-full of photos and illustrations, there is a pull- out chord dictionary as well as tips and tricks for writing your own songs, and how best to play in a group. There are even biographies of great uke players from past and present, and ukulele revelations about Jimi Hendrix, Neil Armstrong, Elvis Presley and more... Ukulele for Beginners is the perfect teach-yourself ukulele book for adults and children alike, and a must for anyone with an interest in the instrument.