Musician "Mis" Communication - Which Way is UP?

Why can't ukulele players and musician communicate using, at a minimum, basic music terms?

I hear it all the time with ukulele video lessons online, in workshop and other players. It drives me nuts! They call the "higher" stings to bottom on a ukulele. The higher strings produce higher pitches and are on the top of the music staff in standard music notation and to top lines in TAB.

Learning an instrument is tough enough.

What is up, down, higher, lower, top, bottom, ascending, descending on a ukulele?. This ukulele lesson focuses on clearing up what these terms refer to and should refer too. Up, down, higher, lower, top, bottom, ascending, descending should refer to musical pitch and not be related to gravity as we know it. Up and higher refers to the raising of pitch and down and lower refer to the lowering of pitch. Top refers to the upper note of a chord voicing or musical phrase and bottom the lowest note.

The only gravity, up - down reference that is appropriate when communication musically is, when referencing to strumming or picking. Then the normal down and up that we know works.


Here is the definitive answer to Which Way is UP?

Online Lessons now organized by instrument and subject

Find lesson by dat, subject and instrument.

www.curtshelller.com/lessons/

New Members Area of CurtSheller.com Launched

Launching a new Members Only area on the main CurtSheller.com site. Benefits of membership include access to more lessons with expanded content, video examples and access to your private ukulele and guitar teacher - me, Curt Sheller, studio quality play-along tracks for practice, discounts on my books and a lot more as time goes on.

There is a FREE Basic Member Subscription available and a Premium Member Subscription at $9.95 for three months using PayPal.

A Premium Membership includes ALL the benefits of a basic membership plus access to me, Curt Sheller, premium play-along tracks and charts, books, lessons, TABS and more.

Premium Member lessons are what you might get if you studied with me. They draw on my 40 years of studying and playing experience and 20 years of teaching. The premium lessons are detailed and take a bit more production time to put together. Hence the small fee for the Premium Membership. Need to pay for this somehow. Your support is welcomed and appreciated.

A Premium Membership is only $9.95 for three months. Considering a private music lessons this is a great deal.

Over 50 Premium Play-along Backing Tracks are being made available as part of the Premium Membership.

Several of my books are being made available FREE as PDF eBooks for FREE Basic Members and Premium Members.

Download my Midnight at the Jazz Cafe CD for FREE.

Got to members.curtsheller.com for more information.

Jazz Guitar Solos

Jazz Guitar Solos:Today's blog will be very brief but important.

Jazz guitarists, as are many guitar players, obsessed with speed. Although speed is a good measurement of how much you've practiced, it's not a good measurement of how musical you are.

Today's advice is simple. Remember that whole notes , half notes, dotted half notes and quarter notes are not only permitted in guitar solos but are actually desirable.

Rhythmic variety is an important tool in making a guitar solo interesting.

To organize the topic of rhythm, visit www.modularphoneticrhythm.com or check out my site at www.ChuckAndersonGuitar.com

(Via ChuckAndersonGuitar.)

The Three Words

The Three Words:There are three words commonly used in music that should be avoided - or at least redefined.

These words are Practice, Play and Rules.

Practice - This implies boring repetition. It's uncreative and unproductive.

Play - This connotes casual fun - a frivolous, optional activity.

Rules -These are a rigid set of "laws" which must be followed.


I would suggest that the word Practice be replaced with the word Explore.

I would suggest that the word Play be replaced with the word Work.

I would suggest that the word Rules be replaced with the word Principles.

Why?

When you explore music, it becomes fun and exciting. To explore is to discover!

Work in the music business is not like work in any other field. Most musicians feel blessed to make music their career. So work in this context is joyful not tedious.

The Principles of music hold the key to the development of your potential. Within these principles, there is unlimited opportunity to expand your creativity.

(Via ChuckAndersonGuitar.)

THE BEATLES FOR UKULELE (book)

THE BEATLES FOR UKULELE
(book):


Ukulele players can strum, sing and pick along with 20 Beatles classics! "All You Need Is Love," "Eight Days a Week," "Good Day Sunshine," "Here, There and Everywhere," "Let It Be," "Love Me Do," "Penny Lane," "Yesterday," more. 72 pp. ($12.95)

(Via Elderly.com Latest - Ukulele.)

Pink Panther Solo Ukulele Arrangement

The Pink Panther Theme

Posted a very cool solo ukulele arrangement the Henry Mancini classic, the Pink Panther Theme.

This theme is just three (3) chords: Em, C7 and F7.

The Pink Panther - Solo Ukulele Arrangement

The Value of Formal Music Study

The Value of Formal Music Study:
Should you study music with a teacher or should you "wing" it on your own? This question always comes up in this type of discussion about music.

An objective assessment of the two alternative approaches leads me invariably towards the formal route. Why? Because without guidance, there is a tendency to go in circles, What do you practice, when do you move to the next topic? When are you doing something wrong? How do you practice what doesn't exist to you?

Many complain about time as a factor leading to the decision not to study. I would suggest that exactly the opposite is true. Those with less time need the efficiency of study. Without it, there's a tendency to "practice" what you're already good at. Study ensures that you will be working on your weaknesses. The results of self teaching are obvious. A player may get good at one thing but have blatant weaknesses in another.

If you use famous players in the past as your justification for not studying, you'd be wrong! Wes Montgomery was self taught - there's your justification. But is it? Wes was self taught because there were no teachers at that time. I don't mean no qualified teachers. I mean no teachers. Wes told me "Make sure you study. Don't do what I did."

All this, of course is premised on the presumption that you study with a qualified teacher. What makes a teacher qualified and how do find such a teacher? We'll save that one for the next installment.

(Via ChuckAndersonGuitar.)

Curt Sheller Publications Updates

Page Updates and Additions

Newest entries for CurtSheller.com (CS), JazzGuitarResources.com (JGR) and UkuleleClubs.com (UC). Most current listings are at top of list

• (CS 23-JUL-2008) Updated the UkuleleLessons Core Chords Level 1, Part 1.


• (CS 23-JUL-2008) Updated the UkuleleLessons Creating Intros and Turnarounds.


• (CS 22-JUL-2008) Yet another site redesign for Curt Sheller Publications at ChuckAndersonGuitar.com.


• (CS 18-JUL-2008) Total web site redesign for Chuck Anderson at ChuckAndersonGuitar.com. I through this together in just a couple of days. Turned out great.


• (CS 17-JUL-2008) updated the following pages with new information:
  Ukulele Festivals
  
• (CS 15-JUL-2008) New web site and book launched: UkuleleStrums.com and my new book A Guide to Ukulele Strums.


• (JGR 13-JUL-2008) added luthier Lubos Naprstek of Hamburg, NJ to the luthier pages.


• (CS 11-JUL-2008) updated the following pages with new information:
  D Major Chord Fingering Options ( ukulele ),
  Tiki,
  Super Mario Brothers Main Theme
  


• (CS 10-JUL-2008) added this really cook band, Friends of Dean Martinez out of Austin, Texas. I came across them while watching a new DVD I bought on the Salton Sea titled Plagues & Pleasures on the Salton Sea. A great documentary by Tilapia Film.


• (JGR 09-JUL-2008) added violinist Kailin Yong to the musicians page.

New Ukulele Strums Book and Site Released by Curt Sheller Publications

July 15, 2008

Curt Sheller Publications today announced the release of a new book for ukulele players titled "A Guide to Ukulele Strums" by Curt Sheller. One of the first skills a ukulele player learns is the art and craft of strumming, playing rhythm. This refers to an accompaniment technique suitable for the singer, singer-songwriter or someone who plays a support role for another instrument.

Strumming requires a specific set of skills. They are: 1) Memorization of chords 2) The ability to switch chords smoothly and 3) The ability to choose and execute a suitable rhythmic strum. It is this 3rd skill that is the focus in "A Guide to Ukulele Strums".

If your goal is to expand your strum vocabulary, Then "A Guide to Ukulele Strums" is your answer.

For more information, visit their web site at www.curtsheller.com.

There is also a companion site for A Guide to Ukulele Strums (www.UkuleleStrums.com) that will add and expand on the principles and strums explored in the book.

Curt Sheller Publications Update and Additions

New pages and updates the Curt Sheller Publications main site

New Pages

• Fonts

  Love really cool and well designed fonts. Be sure to check out the House Industries listing

• All Tiings Tiki

  Seems the tiki and ukulele go hand-in-hand. Or tiki and tiki culture is just cool!!!

• Ukulele Videos

  Some cool videos that are a nice introduction on what is possible on the ukulele.

• Ukulele Festivals


• Ukulele Care

Updates and New Information

• (CS 08-JUL-2008) updated the following pages with new information:
  Lessons - Repertoire
  


• (CS 08-JUL-2008) added My Favorite Things to the Repertoire page. Includes a PDF of the melody and play-along MP3 file


• (CS 06-JUL-2008) added a new page on Fonts.

  As a graphic designer and artist fonts, icons and such have always intrigued me. I just havbe to watch that I don't fall into FAS ( Font Acquisition Syndrome )

• (CS 02-JUL-2008) updated the following pages with new information:
  Ukulele Tunings
  Tuners & Metronomes
  


• (CS 01-JUL-2008) In honor of the 4th of July in the USA I've updated my solo ukulele arrangement page for the national anthem The Star Spangled Banner


• (CS 01-JUL-2008) updated the following pages with new information:
  Ukulele Videos,
  Ukulele Musicians,
  Ukulele Books,
  Guitar & Ukulele Charts,
  My Personal Music Bio
  


• (CS 01-JUL-2008) added a new page on Tiki.

  I always liked tiki and the associated tiki culture, especially the art. I've worn a small tiki necklace for the past 30 plus years.