... Over the last few months I have talked to two musicians that are also authors of music books published by major music book publishers. One of them comes from the ukulele world and the other comes from the guitar world. I own books from both authors and they both have extensive knowledge and a creative style -- they both are preparing to create books for the baritone ukulele.
I would surely like to see a book that leans more toward an intermediate player since I think that most bari-uke players have migrated up from the uke or down from the guitar and therefor are beyond the beginner mode.
The purpose of this post is for me to list what I'd like to see AND to offer YOU a place to leave comments, allowing you the opportunity to leave your suggestions too.
MY THOUGHTS to START the CONVERSATION
- I would like to see some of John King's great style of musical transribing continue. His Famous Solos and Duets for Ukulele book is a masterpiece for the GCEA world.
- I would like to see some blues using a slide. Those old style blues like Del Rey plays.
- I would like to see some fingerpicking and travis picking arrangements specifically created for the bari. And I would like to see an arrangement that moves between picking and strumming to increase skill and dexterity.
- I would like to see some flatpicking tunes arranged specifically for the bari. There are some amazing Americana classics that are quite fun to play.
- I know the DGBE bari is a treble instrument but when playing with GCEA players it would be nice to expose the deeper register some. I would like to see some bass runs for the baritone ukulele.
- Since the frets on the bari are wider, I would like to see some exploration into chord-triads and double stops since they will allow sound variations.
- I would like to see some chord melody arrangements for the bari. Rigk Sauer (RISA ukuleles) has an amazing book called. "The Ukulele Solo Recipe" which is an exceptional read for creating chord melodies but for the bari it would be nice to see some triads and double stops when the chord spread becomes unmanagable.
- I would like to see some scale exercises thru two octaves if possible.
- I would like to see some arrangements that make full use of the longer scale.
- To explore the world of scales, I would like to see something using a Japanese musical scale and a Middle Eastern sounding scale.
SOME OF MY FAVORITE BOOKS
- John King - Famous Solos & Duets for Ukulele (GCEA)
- Mark Nelson - Fingerstyle Solos for 'Ukulele (GCEA)
- Lil' Rev - 101 Ukulele Licks, and all of his beginner books (GCEA)
- Fred Sokolow -- Blues Ukulele & Bluegrass Ukulele (GCEA)
- Jim D'Ville & Bill Keith - The Natural Way to Music
- Ed Roseman - Music Theory for Practical People
- Flatpicking Guitar Magazine (some DGBE)
- Eric Thompson - Fancy Fiddle Tunes for Flatpicking Guitar (some DGBE)
- Eric Thompson - Irish Dance Tunes for Flatpicking Guitar (some DGBE)
- Wayne Erbsen - Flatpicking Guitar for the Complete Ignoramus (some DGBE and many good stories)
- Jack Tuttle - Bluegrass Guitar Collection (Vol.1) (some DGBE)
- Dick Bruce - Parking Lot Picker's Songbook (some DGBE)
- Bruce Emery - Travis-Style Guitar from Scratch (EADGBE)
- Roger Ruthen - pdf Minstel website for a nice collection of bari music (DBGE)
Related to bass runs, Jeff, how about an explanation of bass-note strums. You know, note chord, note chord, sort of thing. Flatpick style strumming, bluegrass/country
ReplyDeletestyle strumming. Then combine this with bass runs for nice arrangements.
I try it on my soprano but it sounds pretty high pitched. Given the guitar-like tuning and deeper pitch of the bari, this style would sound much better on it than on any other uke. I think, anyway.
Mind you, I've no intention of playing the big uke again, but I think this style would fit nicely on it. You just don't see this style played on uke much, perhaps because it's awkward for finger players, and more suited to pick users, and only a minority of us are pick users.
Have you tried it, Jeff? I saw a video of Peter Delaney just recently in which he played this style using his fingers on the song "Goodnight Irene." Now, the motions he made seeming were awkward and unusual for a finger player but he carried it off. Perhaps it's meant to be a pick style and not a finger style.
Maybe the writer from the guitar world could work this into that book.
Jeff I've been playing a uke since 2007, progressed slowly on soprano, tenor and concert got a real boost when I picked up Mark Nelson's fingerstyle solos for uke book and developed even more from his recent slack key uke buke which led me to David Heauklani's slack key tome. Had that book about three weeks and bought a baritone on the strength of it and have been playing the slack key tabs from David H's book and Mark Nelson's books.
ReplyDeleteI think you are right there is a gap in the market in respect to the baritone uke, here in England you can go into music shops and find scores of 'five steps to playing the ukulele' mostly just chord diagrams and strumming patterns for the soprano, concert and tenor ukes but nothing for the baritone or fingerstyles and picking patterns.
As a non musician finding his way with a lot of help from my friends with the fingerstyle books mentioned I've begun to piece together a kind of ramshackle musical knowledge and I agree that a baritone book for intermediate players is something that would be of interest, i call myself a novice though I manage to get the grasp of Mark Nelson and David H's tabs without falling over too many times.
I think Mark Nelson and David H's approach to teaching and sharing is spot on and I would love to have a book of baritone tabs that was not only tunes but also songs with some help to developing solos.
thanks for the list of stuff to check out, great blog this
Mike