STRUMMERS GUESTMAIL ARCHIVES PAGE SEVEN

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Mahalo to all of you who have taken the time to sign my book.

10-29-04,Peeps
Clint
Thanks so much for the Uke info. I just put together my first whole song with my music teacher.
"Me and Julio down by the school yard".
Go figure? I got locked into it and had to play it. Teacher is cool, said if I transposed it OK we would get it bar by bar. Uhh, it just leads to better things. I used your Transposition Page, thanks. Now we keep building putting more breaks and different strums. I stopped playing the other day and just started to laugh and laugh. We were soooo playing music. Just a crack up I tell ya. I buried the lead I am 41 and just picked up the UKULELE. Don't know a thing about music. Now I love learning the Blues.
I love your site, it is the best I have seen. Even better than the books. You are kind to share all that hard work with us.
Greatful, Peeps.
By the way, going to Maui and taking my Ukulele. Maybe I will find someone to play with

10-29-04,Clint
Mahalo for your nice words about my site, glad you usin' it. When you get to Maui, no be shy and take your ukulele down the beach and jam it, no worry, you gonna find someone to play with.
Enjoy cuz
Mahalo

10-27-04,Mark Fair
Aloha
This is Mark Fair. I think I am about 42. You may remember me from the ukulele classes I took from you back in 2000 or 2001 (?)
I completed the beginner class and had started the intermediate class but had to head back to Michigan in the middle of the term. Anyhow, I really appreciate your site! Thank You!!
I live on Kauai now so here goes...
I continue to progress and have added some ukes to the hut. I like hand down da beach and work on da solo kine with da low G. I takin some class with Hal Kineman. He get em. hard work dat, but fingas building up to the challenge. I stoked to review and study da kine "Instrumental" you have posted. Also will be pimpin my ride with the decals off da web site you offer. I picked up un Risa Uke Stick for to practice with so not to piss off da neighbors in the condo I live at. Lot more ta say but I keep em short fo more time ta practice.
Aloha, Mark

10-27-04,Clint
Eh, Mark, Howzit? I rememba brah. You da one doin' all dat wood workin' stuffs at da Brudda Daves house, yeah? Dem shelves da kine too, cuz.
Now you livin in Kauai all da sudden, (It no take you too long to pick up on da local speak). Man, you soundin' like you one local haole livin' on dat black sand. No cry to me cuz, I no gonna feel sorry you hafta stay dea, wid all da Napali, waftin' palms and beautiful brown skinned wahines. Whateva brah, do what you gonna do, (sheesh ... jus no cry about it, yeah?)
Glad you diggin da site, and da Instrumental Pages, too. Simple stuffs brah, if you got da patience...
Good luck Mark, we talk story soon

10-22-04,Burt Goldman
I live in Rancho Mirage, near Palm Springs. Is there anyone here that you know of who offers lessons on the Ukulele. In lieu of that are there any graphics that show where the left fingers go on the frets. I figured out C, F and G easily enough, although G is still difficult to get automatically, (baby stuff, huh? but I am a neophite after all).
Thanks in advance
Burt Goldman
burtgoldman.com

10-22-04,Clint
I hate tellin people to buy a chord book for da fingerings after I put those 750 chords on my chord pages, but if you lookin for pictures of da fingerings now...
I would put the pictures on my site too if it didn't eat away at my webspace. Pictures take alot of room, brah
I gonna email you about the lessons. You may wanna sign da Network. We talk
Mahalo for signin

10-22-04,Tonya Dale
Clint
Well, it's a couple weeks after the SCUF, but I hope it's not too late to tell you how much I enjoyed your workshop on tablature. I was already playing tablature, quite slowly usually, but your method of "thinking" in the number patterns and translating that to a shape helped me take what I was doing to a new level.
I know it was a beginning class, but I really appreciated your enthusiasm, your handouts and your teaching.
I'm interested in your songbook that you use, if its available. How much, including shipping and handling, up here to Northern California?
Thank you, again!
Tonya

10-22-04,Clint
I gonna put your email in da guestbook really, really big, sistah!
Many Mahalos for da kind words. I like teaching da beginning classes at the festival. Da people really have a good time, and dig my classes too. I gonna email you 'bout gettin your very own Playbook.
Again, Many Mahalos for all da nice things you said.
I email you laterz and we talk story...

10-19-04,Earl
Aloha,
My name is Earl and I'm just learning to play the ukulele. I just purchased a tenor ukulele from Lehua on the Big Island and am very pleased with the sound.
I came accross your website and really like how helpful you are with the information that you give out.
I also purchased a chromatic tuner from Easy Music Center which really helped me with tuning the ukulele.
You said I could get a playbook if I emailed you, but you didn't say how. How much does it cost - and the mailing address. I'm in my early fifties but like I keep hearing, it is never too late to learn
Mahalo, Earl

10-19-04,Clint
Eh Earl, I gonna email you wid all my information, yeah? You gonna be jammin real quick to da tunes in my Playbook.
Many Mahalos for checkin and usin my website too.

10-18-04,Terry Karrow
Name is Terry Karrow and I live in Sandstone MN. This is the wife's email so if ya write to this one I won't get it but mine knapper44@mail.com, eh? 60 years old and SEMI retired (meanin' I don't work as hard as I used to but I don't get a retirement check from no one either...
Jus got back from Guam couple weeks ago (went to meet my new grandson), passed through Honolulu on da way both ways and caught a bug or something cuz I live in Minnesota up north here on da big island they call Turtle Island (North America- long story) and never thought about a ukulele before....OK....
Well I been playing native flute here fo a few years, an a harmonica all my life (on and off) and foolin with a dijeridoo some and drums too and figured out howta make flutes outa pvc pipe so I could teach some kids how to do it and then started makin em outa wood and pretty nice they are. Those kids love makin em so I volunteer at one of the schools a couple weeks every year an we make flutes. Last year, got a wild hair I wanted a mountain dulcimer so I made a couple and then found plans for a LONG NECK mountain dulcimer (which looks a bit like a mandolin with a really long skinny neck but strung more like the dulcimer).
(http://home.centurytel.net/Dulciaddict/dulciaddict.htm)
Built a dozen or so of those and decided they would sound AWESOME if I made em with a resonator like a dobro so I did and I was right - just one of them so far, but gettin ready to do some more this winter.
OK bought a cheap ukulele on ebay and think I can make a MUCH better one so I am in the process. Pineapple shape body with 17 and a half inch scale (I think) using mostly maple cuz it' what I have...cedar top and birch back... I dunno about the fretboard-walnut maybe. I tends to design things my own way so how it sounds, we don't know yet-doin some different things with internal bracing and sound holes I learned when makin the long necks.
Always played by ear before but I'm gonna actually attempt to learn to read tabs and learn some chords at least
Aloha an all that...
Terry Karrow
Sandstone MN

10-18-04,Clint
Cool Terry. When you done makin' my Dulci-uke lemme kno and I give my mailin' address, cuz. Sounds like you found your artistic passion. Awesome you helpin da keeds too, yeah? Good for you. More people should be givin, brah.
Have fun learnin' da chords. Enjoy
Many Mahalos for signin my Guestmail.

10-17-04,Aaron Age 29
My name is Aaron
I picked up soprano uke about 5 months ago and haven't put it down since, much mahalo for all the cool things I got from your site....I'm trying to teach myself and picked up a few things from friends.
I read your story and what you said about the music!
What do I love about home? The music is what comes to mind everytime......Aloha.

10-17-04,Clint
Ya know I spent 6 years in the Corps, brah? I figured you were a military uke jammer 'cause you read the directions and put your age too. Everybody jus stop puttin da age, den comes a military bruddah, doin' the right thing and followin da directions and puttin da age too. Mahalo cuz! Glad you diggin da site and findin stuffs to use.
Enjoy, Aaron
Aloha

10-14-04, Ronald van den Nieuwenhof
Hi Clint!
Your website is Marvelous.
I just bought a Kamaka soprano about two months ago, mainly because of two Maui musicians I learned to know during my recent visits to Maui. I have been to the Islands about 8 times now and plan to retire to Maui in the very near future with the help of my dear friends of the islands. The uke is a marvelous little instrument and the info on your website really opened my eyes and senses and love to play the wonderful island music of IZ, the Makaha Sons, Kealii, Uluwehi and not to forget the slack key versions played by Ledward and Cyril. This just to name a few.

I do thank you for all the work you have put into your tutorials. They have given me a more complete picture of the effort I have to come in order to do a decent job while playing the FUN-UKE as I call it.

I admire those musicians who can play this instrument without knowing any notes or even reading the notes. They play while feeling the melody and fingering the chords during their singing the song. I would like to do just that. Like you have said...lot of patience and a lot of practice is needed. I will have a lot of time after I retire by the end of May 2005.
Mahalo nui loa

10-14-04,Clint
Mahalo, Ronald.
Make me feel good to kno dat people gonna appreciate da site, read da tutorials and print da songs too. Really cuz, dat make it all worth it. Mahalo, Ronald, for takin da time to let me know you dig da site.
I appreciate it.
(Eh cuz, dis gonna be da seventh archived page of real nice entries in a bit now, real cool like, eh?)
Peace and good luck in your retirement, enjoy da journey

10-7-04, d
Eh, for mainland boy like you, you talk just like you one local boy. And da website... da stuff is real cool...real user friendly. But man, da page wit all da chords...dat stay real complex, yeah. Hard for understand for simple minded people like me. Grew up on Oahu, small keed. Den wen leave when I grew wings yeah. Played uke for May Day program in the elementary, but when put da uke down for too many years. More years den you can count on all fingas and da toes and den some, you know. So, now dat I middle of da road age, yeah, I start to spark da interest to pick up da Kamaka, but da mind no can rememba small keed stuff about how for play. So, I go surf da web since I no stay on da island and da wing stay clipped so no can fly too many times back and forth and back and forth back home.
Your website stay way cool. I thought some island bruddah wen put da site together. It rate, man! So keep up da good work. Good you got music akamai background...dat must push you over da edge for playing, yeah. Eh, you rate if you like Li Hing Mui seeds... and dried octopus legs for eat fo snack food.
Mahalo nui loa,
Island Wahine in Pacific NW

10-7-04,Clint
Auwe sista, nice words from you. Mahalo. Email make me homesick for da islands...da beaches and brown skinned wahines, Hoooooooo!
No go knockin' da octopus, sista. Da crunchy snack Da Kine wid da Kikkoman Soyu, yeah?
Many Mahalos for signin'. Emails like dis make my day.

10-6-04,Starkey
Hey Clint
My nickname is Starkey - real- Peter Starkey Esq.
I do a bit of guitar round my area. Just getting into uke. Me 'n couple of buddies thinking of getting together w'ukes. Nice site. Chords useful.
Where can I play along with uke stuff (on web?).
Cheers from Stockport, England

10-6-04,Clint
Don't know. Think you would be better off just jammin' with your buddies, yeah?
You find that place on da web, lemme kno, brah.
Mahalos for signin'
Cheers

10-6-04,Jackie Keith
Your site is great. I am a HS librarian in a brand new HS in VA and I am trying to start a ukulele club with the kids. I am in the advanced beginner range - I took Joel Eckhaus' class this summer in WV and just went to the Uke Expo in the Poconos, PA.
I can strum comfortable (although I am working on a variety of strums), I know a lot of first position chords and can pick up tunes quickly. I play other instruments (trombone mainly). So my question is this - Do you have any suggestions of things I should consider when setting up how this club works? I was planning on using the Fleabag songbook of public domain tunes, I have most of the Beloff books and Alligator Boogaloo has some fun songs we will likely try. Thanks for any advice you may be able to offer.

10-6-04,Clint
Thanks for checkin' ou' my site, Jackie. There are a few things to consider when setting up the club, especially because you are going to work with children.
Spend a lot of time teaching them how to tune (so you don't have to).
Play a lot of tunes the kids know.
Play as many easy tunes as possible because just trying to get them all to strum together might be a job in itself.
Try to include some cool contemporary songs the kids know and like as well as the old goodies.
This is an important one - Charge them about one or two bucks a month to learn the instrument, pay for copies, pay for replacement strings and to help pay for that stiff drink you will need after every class. :)
(People may disagree with me on that one but I have learned over the years that if you don't give your classes value, people won't either). If they have to pay something, they will work harder.
Most of all have much, much patience with them.
They need to realize that the ukulele is not a toy and really beautiful music can be made on it with patience, time and practice.
See? You already knew all this stuff, yeah?
Good luck, Jackie.
(Given' 'em all one of my strummer shirts and caps might motivate them, too).
:)

10-5-04,Liane
Liane from San Diego - girl with the Mele uke - Concert - lower G.
Aloha Clint! Took your great workshop at the Cerritos Ukulele Festival this past weekend. Really enjoyed your sense of humor and love for the uke!
and...I think your site is mai kai!
Wish I could have shared some island stories with you while I was there - I'm a Portagee from the Big Island - with lots of aloha spirit! Looking forward to seeing you again on the circuit.
Much aloha and malama pono!

10-5-04,Clint
Yeah, over all I tink was really good festival too. I enjoy teaching all the beginning level classes there cause the new people to da uke carry no stress wid dem. Its all about da fun. Makes it lotta fun for me too.
Glad you dig my site...(I kinda dig it too, sista).
Mahalos for touchin base and checkin ou my site. Keep in touch, one day we gonna talk some story.
Mahalos

10-2-04,Bret Vigil
Native Californian
Been to the Islands lots of times-May 2004 was on Oahu, April 2003 was on Maui, January 2002 was on da Big Island...I love the Big Island-so beautiful, lots of nature, great hiking and snorkeling etc. Prior to all of this I have been to the Big Island once before and also to Maui and Kauai.

10-2-04,Clint
I know what you mean, all da Islands real cool like, yeah?
Mahalo for signin'

9-30-04,Marilyn
Hi Clint
I've emailed before. I can't tell you how much I appreciate the chords you have online. I have been taking lessons from Bill Tapia for about a year and a half and he doesn't know that I figure out the chords to use from your chord selections you have online. He seems to take it for granted that I know the chords to use.
Somehow I lost the book I had made and had to look frantically for your website again so I could print out the chords again.
Love it, thank you so much!

9-30-04,Clint
You're welcome! Glad you have found my site to be very helpful. That's what it is all about, yeah?
No need to look frantically the next time you lose your book, I'll be here sistah.
Hope to see you at the festival.

9-24-04,Russ Stillwell
Have enjoyed thoroughly your site. I've been trying to play my Kamaka for a few years now and hope to meet someone in my area (San Clemente) who plays. Keep up the good work.
Russ

9-24-04,Clint
Will Network you and hopefully a jammer will make a connection
Thanks for signin and usin my site
Mahalo

9-24-04,Pat Halloran
I am a relative new uke player (about a year). I just came across your web page yesterday and I must say it is awesome. Great info about a lot of things I need to know! I live in the Chicago area and though I have searched high and low, have never been able to find a teacher, so I have been teaching myself. I did download a couple of the IZ songs from your site and they sound really nice. The Crater Boys tunes are really cool. I am working my way through Honolulu Baby now.
I would be very interested in getting a copy of the Playbook you are using. Could you please send me info on how I may purchase a copy. There looks like a lot of great old songs in there! I really enjoy playing some of the old standards.
Mahalo
Pat Halloran
P.S...I know what you mean about Hawaii...I went there with my wife last year (Maui and Oahu) and we loved it so much we are going back next year to Kauai and Maui. Hawaii is where I got hooked on the ukulele.

9-24-04,Clint
Aahh...Hawaii. What can be said?
Glad you find my site helpful, there is a lot of info there so take your time and let it soak in.
Good in your face info and all the FREE chords you'll EVER need.
I will email you about da Playbook
Mahalo for signin', brah

9-19-04,Ken
Aloha bra
I'm originally from Kauai, born 1951. I had 2 Kamaka ukuleles given to me by my parents at age 10. Where they are now nobody knows! I miss them terribly. I played for years on one of them. My family lives on the Big Island now. I am now 53 and living in Tasmania , an island off Australia. Got a house on the beach here so Hawaii is sort of still in sight? Been here 18 years now and just thought of picking up the uke again last month. Just bought 2 baritone ukes off Ebay this month. One just arrived, the other one is on the way. No ukuleles here to go out and buy! They are both mahogany from the 1930-1950 age. Looking forward to reading your site time to time as it is such a work from the heart, bra. Thanks for the dedication as it has really inspired me to start up the uke again!
Aloha and Mahalo, Clint
Tassie Ken

9-19-04,Clint
I like getting these guestbook entries from other parts of the Earth. Very cool. Glad you find my site helpful. Bummer about those lost Kamakas.
Bummer.
Don't hesitate again, pick up that uke, brah.
Good luck Ken

9-17-04,Collin
Just wanted to drop a note to thank you for a great site. I just started playing the uke in my band in the past 5 months and your chord and scale charts have been invaluable.
Thanks again
Collin

9-17-04,Clint
Cool. I appreciate that.
Mahalo

9-17-04,Terri Petrey
Favorite instrument - oh come now, must we really ask this question? I play some piano, some recorder, some organ and I used to play clarinet, but the only one that makes me blissfully happy is the ukulele.
What do I love about the islands? I visited once or twice 30 years ago, but that isn't what moved me. What moved me was Pua Nani Deni Jonutz who gave me a hula class in her living room and convinced me to take it with my 9 year old daughter even though I was 8 months pregnant! I couldn't say no to Deni who had just heroically fought this battle to get out of a wheelchair and back on her feet following a severe case of lyme disease.
We kept dancing and when we moved to Washington our new teacher wanted my daughter to learn to play the uke. We bought one that has turned out to be a real dog soundwise and wound up stored for several years after we stopped dancing. About two years ago, while my youngest child was recovering from a severe injury requiring me to be at home, I dug out the uke and went in search of an instruction manual.
As it turns out, the local music store owner not only sells them, he plays them and collects them. He has hundreds of ukes he's collected hanging on the walls.
So I've been off and on ever since with the uke. I decided to buy another one a week ago to teach the youngest kid to play. Back to the music store. Turns out Boogie Man had just brought in some Mahalo ukes. I bought a bright orange one for the little guy, brought it home, and the sound is so much better than my old uke (yes, and it is in tune) that I can't put it down.
I found your site because I was "fretting" about the softness of my strum. Thanks for the encouragement and the reassurance. I'll keep playing it the way it sounds sweet to me and not to worry about the volume.
Daughter just went to the university of Hawaii on an archaeology scholarship. See where taking a hula class in a living room at the end of a dirt road in a pine tree forest in Placerville will lead you?
I forgot to mention all the hula instruments, ipu, illi illi and those silly black rocks (picked out of the Northern California riverbed - not the authentic ones - apologies to any purists that may think that only Hawaiian rocks are appropriate) which are actually pretty cool sounding when "played".
Mahalo
Terri Petrey
Ellensburg, Washington

9-17-04,Clint
Hope you continue down this path you've rediscovered. Glad you find use in my site. Good luck and thanks for signin'.

9-16-04,Ben Age 25
My name is Ben and I am 25 years old, just moved to San Diego and want to find some people to jam with and learn from. I was born in Nashville and grew up around country music, both my mother and father are musicians for a living. I have been fascinated by Hawaiian culture, surfing and ukulele since I was in high school. I taught myself to play the ukulele from Mel Bay chord books. My playing is somewhat limited and would really love to have someone show me some new stuff. I have a Gibson banjolele that is one of my most valued possessions. I hope you can help me out cause I am real interested. Some of my favorite musicians are Leon Redbone, Iz, Makapuu Sand Band, Buck Owens, Mel Tillis and J.J. Kale.
Your Friend, Ben

9-16-04,Clint
Welcome to my site, Ben.
If you are readin' this and live in the San Diego area, (and Ben has signed my Network Pages), connect up with this local ukulele jammer!
Good luck, Ben!

9-9-04,Stan Reed
My name is Stan Reed and I'm an old Arizona cowboy. I play the 5 string bluegrass banjo, Native American flute and guitar. I play mostly cowboy music. (not country - cowboy). In recent years I have been working on learning the Hawaiian slack key guitar style. I just picked up a concert uke to play rhythm and lead accompianment to the slack key tunes.
Would like to find some uke music of this style on CD, maybe even some sheet music and-or tab.
I just found your site and about to explore. Looks great so far. Looking forward to learning a unique uke style.
Thanks for listening
SR

9-9-04,Clint
Welcome to my site. Thanks for signin' da guestbook. Hope I can help you find what you are lookin for.
Good luck and enjoy, Stan.

9-8-04,Moani Gonzales
Aloha!
Thanks for all your info on your page.
Helpful, not too much overload of technical stuff and good fun!
Mahalo
Moani

9-8-04,Clint
Thanks, Moani
Sounds like it turned out to be the perfect ukulele site after all!
(If I do say so myself)
=)

9-1-04,Doug Brown
After 10 years as a concert lighting designer and having no interest in any type of musical instrument, artistically lighting could always say what I need to say, know what I mean? I was TOTALLY FLOORED by learning how to play the ukulele, all my musician friends think it is the most bizarre thing ever, but now I play everyday. I don't really understand it either, but who needs to understand every little thing when it makes you happy, right?
Your site rocks like a hurricane. Coming from a background where I have no musical knowledge, I can't even begin to tell you how cool it is to have sites like this and EZfolk to help keep me going. Thank you so much and if you ever come out Kansas City way, give me a shout.

9-1-04,Clint
Glad you find this site helpful, cuz. Enjoy your journey on this wonderful instrument. Mahalo for signin'