How much should you spend on a ukulele?
Thu, 12/15/2016 - 4:39pm
So you want to play ukulele. But how much should you spend on one? That is the question, and it all depends on how much money you have to spend of course.
As with most instruments, ukuleles can vary in cost from less than $100 to a thousand dollars or more for the most ornate instruments. If you are just starting out learning some ukulele basics, you'll want to budget for a quality instrument that offers a nice, warm sound without over or under spending. Here's some things to keep in mind as you shop around.
Traveling 'Ukuleles!
Tue, 09/27/2016 - 2:02pm
Craig and I thought we'd give you all an update on some of our travels! It's been quite a whirlwind this year. We have traveled all over the globe teaching and performing. What has made us so proud is meeting all of you on our travels! It's so wonderful to be at a festival and have folks come up and say "I'm one of your students!!!". Of course, we usually ask- "Wait- where are you VE's?" to those we don't recognize right away.... You know who you are! 
MidWest Uke Camp
Earlier this year we were at the MidWest Uke Camp! If you'd like to look at Craig's full album of the event, please click here. Here are just two photos from the trip- but the first is our favorite! One of our students who came by to say "Hello"!
How to Play Ukulele: Calypso Strum
Thu, 07/07/2016 - 2:57pm
Topics: sarah maisel, ukulele
When you think of ukulele, there's a certain strumming pattern that we often associate with sandy beaches and tropical islands. This is what we call the "Calypso Strum" - although it's often been called the "island strum", or sometimes the "rock strum". Whatever you know it as, once you learn to recognize calypso strumming, you'll notice it’s a very popular pattern for playing ukulele. For a classic example, check out "Jamaica Farewell" from Harry Belafonte:
Throughout the song we can hear the calypso strumming pattern, and it immediately gets us in the mood for a cool drink somewhere in the island sun. It has a great warm sound, and if you play ukulele you'd be wise to learn this classic technique since it can be used on so many great songs.
Sarah Maisel demonstrates how to play this classic strumming pattern in the video below. This just a sample from the ukulele lessons at ArtistWorks (which you can find more info about here):
Ukulele Tuning & the Different Sizes
Wed, 04/20/2016 - 4:59pm
Topics: sarah maisel, ukulele
Welcome to the wonderful world of ukulele. This tiny instrument has a fascinating history. Although most commonly associated with Hawaii, it was actually first invented in Madeira, a tropical island in the Atlantic southeast near Portugal. It later spread to Hawaii when many Madeirans came there to work in the late 1800s. The name itself comes from the Hawaiian words ‘uku, which means flea, and lele, which means jumping. To the locals, that’s what it looked like when they played: fingers moving like jumping fleas over the strings.
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