Choosing your first ukulele

If you chose to play an instrument and your choice was the ukulele, you made a good selection. The ukulele is an easy instrument to learn, it’s unique and fun to play. The ukulele looks like a miniature guitar with 4 strings. It takes practice like any other instrument but it’s a lot easier to learn then most instruments with strings. Smaller in size, it’s easy to carry around where ever you go. Because of its size children have an easier time handling the ukulele while learning how to play. A lot of people would like to learn how to play the guitar so they learn to play the ukulele and transition into playing the guitar.

There is a wide variety of ukulele’s to choose from; to start out you should just buy a standard good sounding ukulele. You could find a lot on eBay or even Costco or Sams for under a $100. I purchased my first ukulele at Sams and it came with a carrying case, extra strings and a electronic tuner for under a hundred bucks, actually it was $99 plus tax. The ukulele was made in China but was nicely finished, good quality and had a nice sound. These are probably mass produced but it was really nice! You should take your time and research before buying your first ukulele. Once you learn how to play then you could buy a nice custom made ukulele.

I would advise you not to buy those cheap $50 ukuleles; you’ll get what you pay for as they say. If you do walk into a music store to look for a ukulele, ask the store clerk if he’s able to answer your questions about choosing a uke. They should be knowledgeable enough to help you decide what would work for you. Determine the amount you’re willing to pay and stick within that range. If you’re lucky enough to get a clerk that knows how to play, then you hit the jackpot. Ask him if the uke is tuned and if he could play a few chords. Listen to the sound, you’ll be able to hear the sound of the instrument and tell if the sound is good or bad. Normally a music shop will not carry any cheap plastic ukulele’s, they carry good quality instruments.

Now you have a decision to make. Choose wisely, your choice will make a difference if you stick with it or not. A good music center will give you good advice if they want a repeat customer. If you still have questions make sure to ask, so that you’ll be able to make the right choice. Remember, no cheap plastic uke’s and make sure it has a good sound when strumming. Good Luck!

Here are a few started pack Ukuleles  from eBay;

New Kala KA-S Mahogany Soprano Ukulele STARTER PACK US $114.99 Auction Ends: Wednesday Mar-10-2010 9:58:18 PST   | Watch this Item

KA-KT KALA KOA TENOR UKULELE dlx STARTER PACK US $279.00 Auction Ends: Wednesday Mar-10-2010 15:13:35 PST   | Watch this Item

MAKALA TENOR UKULELE STARTER PACK W/ CASE AND CHORDBOOK US $117.95 Auction Ends: Thursday Mar-11-2010 9:35:31 PST   | Watch this Item

Basic Baked Tofu

1 block firm or super-firm tofu
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon Bragg’s Liquid Aminos or soy sauce (optional)

This recipe makes a basic baked tofu that you can then flavor with any of your favorite sauces for a source of healthy protein with an unlimited amount of taste variations. You can refrigerate the baked tofu and pull it out later in the week to add to stir fry and hot stews. Baked tofu is also a great protein addition to cold sandwiches or as a snack.

Preheat the oven to 350º. Remove the tofu from its package and place in a colander to drain for a few minutes or press the tofu block firmly between paper towels. Slice into strips lengthwise and drain the tofu again by placing the strips between a few layers of paper towels and patting to remove excess water. Cut the strips into medium bite-sized pieces and place them on an oiled baking pan. Drizzle a little more olive oil over the tofu pieces and toss to coat them well. Space the tofu pieces evenly and bake for about 20 minutes or until tofu is lightly browned. If you want, remove the tofu from the oven after 15 minutes and sprinkle with soy sauce or Bragg’s, then bake another 5 minutes. Do not over bake the tofu or it will become chewy. Check the tofu during baking time and if the pieces begin to swell up, that is a sign to take them out immediately. Let cool and enjoy with your favorite flavoring!

Teriyaki Sauce

1/2 cup soy sauce or Bragg Liquid Aminos
1 tablespoon fresh ginger (grated or minced)
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon hot sauce (optional)
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup sweetener of your choice (sugar, honey, maple syrup, fructose, Splenda, etc.)
2 tablespoons corn starch or arrowroot powder
2 tablespoons water
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup chopped green onion
3 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

Heat the soy sauce and fresh ginger over medium heat in a skillet or saucepan. Stir in the garlic powder and turn the heat down to medium-low. Add a touch of your favorite hot sauce if you want a spicy teriyaki sauce. Add 3/4 cup water and the sweetener and stir until dissolved.

In a separate bowl, whisk the cornstarch (or other thickener) in an equal amount of water until completely dissolved, and then slowly add to the sauce while stirring continuously. Keep stirring over medium-low heat until the sauce starts to simmer and begins to thicken. Remove the pan from the heat and thoroughly mix the baked tofu pieces into the sauce. Garnish with chopped green onion and toasted sesame seeds.

http://www.tastyandmeatless.com/bakedtofuteriyaki.htm

Check out eBay for beautiful Hawaiian KOA Bowls

2 PACK HAWAIIAN KOA BOWL BLANKS ~ EXOTIC WOOD 9247 US $79.00 (0 Bid) Auction Ends: Wednesday Mar-10-2010 12:19:35 PST   | Watch this Item

Vintage Koa Wood Bowl Blair Hawaii Hawaiian US $19.99 (1 Bid) Auction Ends: Wednesday Mar-10-2010 16:33:25 PST   | Watch this Item

Netflix opened a warehouse in Halawa Valley to get an edge over its Hawaii competitors. They have 10 employees who stuffs envelopes and send orders out daily. An announcement made by Blockbusters today said that they will open a distribution center here in Hawaii as competition heats up. Their goal is to provide overnight service to its customers whenever possible and a distribution center will provide that for their customers. Opening a distribution center in Hawaii will give them 39 nationwide.

When Netflix opened their warehouse back in 2004 they saw a surge in business. The key to repeat business is its quick service in turning out DVD’s as quickly as possible. The 10 employees expedite the process of handling thousands of DVDs daily. The Halawa facility is just one out a hundred of Netflix shipping facilities. If you live in Hawaii and subscribe to Netflix, this is how they provide you with quick turnaround service.

Don’t forget that eBay has a wide variety of Portable DVD Players.

Insignia 8.5in 16:9 Widescreen LCD Portable DVD Player US $36.00 (10 Bids) Auction Ends: Wednesday Mar-10-2010 6:17:17 PST   | Watch this Item

AS-IS Toshiba SD-P91S 9-inch Portable DVD Player US $16.05 (3 Bids) Auction Ends: Wednesday Mar-10-2010 6:18:26 PST   | Watch this Item

Construction

Ukuleles are generally made of wood, although variants have been made composed partially or entirely of plastic. Cheaper ukuleles are generally made from ply or laminate woods, in some cases with a soundboard of an inexpensive but acoustically superior wood such as spruce. Other more expensive ukuleles are made of exotic hardwoods such as mahogany (Swietenia spp.). Some of the most valuable ukuleles, which may cost thousands of dollars, are made from koa (Acacia koa), a Hawaiian wood known for its fine tone and attractive color and figure.photo

Typically ukuleles have a figure-eight body shape similar to that of a small acoustic guitar. They are also often seen in non-standard shapes, such as an oval, usually called a “pineapple” ukulele, or a boat-paddle shape, invented by the Kamaka ukulele company, and occasionally a square shape, often made out of an old wooden cigar box.

These instruments may have just four strings; or some strings may be paired in courses, giving the instrument a total of six or eight strings.

Sizes

Four sizes of ukuleles are common: soprano, concert, tenor, and baritone. There are also less common sopranino and bass ukuleles at the extreme ends of the size spectrum.

The soprano, often called “standard” in Hawaii, is the smallest, and the original size ukulele. The concert size was developed in the 1920s as an enhanced soprano, slightly larger and louder with a deeper tone. Shortly thereafter, the tenor was created, having more volume and deeper bass tone. The largest size is the baritone, created in the 1940s.

Posted at Wikipedia.

You can find a large selection of Ukulele’s from eBay.

US Patent for KAMAKA's Pineapple UKULELE #115 US $5.95 Auction Ends: Thursday Mar-11-2010 17:33:07 PST   | Watch this Item

1966 KAMAKA PINEAPPLE UKULELE, EXCELLENT CONDITION! US $255.00 (9 Bids) Auction Ends: Saturday Mar-13-2010 20:18:16 PST   | Watch this Item

The ukulele is small, light and much easier to play then the guitar. Although it takes time to learn to play it, it has a beautiful sound once mastered. It does take practice to learn the different keys but it also takes a good ear to master the different ways to tune your uke. There are great musicians who offer classes to the public and there students range from 5 year olds to 60 year olds plus.

The ukulele is a very popular instrument not only in Hawaii but all over the world. There are master craftsmen who take pride in producing beautiful and great sounding instruments. Today there are different types of uke’s produced. The types are the concert, tenor, soprano and baritone. The soprano is more widely used but gaining in popularity is the concert uke.

The uke’s also varies in size. The concert uke which is my favorite is around 23 inches long; the soprano which is the smallest measures in at 21 inches, the tenor is 26 inches long and the baritone which is the largest of them all measures in at 30 inches.

The popular ukulele’s in the 60’s was the Kamaka ukuleles and the Martin uke’s. Both are still popular and very high quality. There are a lot of different craftsmen nowadays who produce custom uke’s that offer you different selections of woods from koa to mango. The custom uke varies in price range depending on what you require. You can select the wood and type of uke you want. Different craftsmen offer different shapes and finishes. You need to shop around for the type, shape, finish and sound quality that you want. Price range for good quality uke’s can run from $200 to $3000+ for your custom uke’s.

You can find a wide range of prices and types of uke’s on eBay.

NEW UKE ALOHA SHIRT KOA KAMAKA GUITAR UKULELE USA M US $40.00 Auction Ends: Monday Mar-15-2010 23:37:30 PDT   | Watch this Item

NEW HAWAIIAN ALOHA SHIRT KOA KAMAKA GUITAR UKULELE L US $40.00 Auction Ends: Monday Mar-15-2010 23:39:18 PDT   | Watch this Item

NEW UKE ALOHA SHIRT KOA KAMAKA GUITAR UKULELE USA XL US $45.00 Auction Ends: Saturday Apr-03-2010 23:59:52 PDT   | Watch this Item

This Hawaiian Man is Israel Kamakawio’ole.

His ever growing success, Israel Kamakawio’ole, is a true Hawaiian vocalist known to all as “Bradda IZ”. He has a lifelong success with his beautiful Hawaiian voice and gentle captivating music.

Bradda IZ will always be remembered as a True Talented Hawaiian Man with a Heart of Gold. He gave so much to the people of Hawaii with his beautiful music. At the young age of 38 Bradda IZ left us but will always be in our hearts. His music stretched across the ocean when his album Facing Future was released in 1993 with his medley “Somewhere Over The Rainbow” and “What a Wonderful World”, which was featured in several films, TV programs and commercials.

You will find a wide selection of Uke’s on eBay!

VINTAGE MARTIN STYLE 0 SOPRANO UKULELE UKE W/OSSC US $525.00 Auction Ends: Wednesday Mar-10-2010 16:18:16 PST   | Watch this Item

1923 MARTIN Style 3 Ukulele Mahogany NICE RARE ORIGINAL US $482.00 (10 Bids) Auction Ends: Thursday Mar-11-2010 9:15:09 PST   | Watch this Item

Vintage C.F. Martin SOPRANO UKULELE w/ HARD CASE $0.99 US $152.50 (8 Bids) Auction Ends: Thursday Mar-11-2010 19:00:56 PST   | Watch this Item

Ukulele Martin Style One 60's Era Saprano US $435.00 (10 Bids) Auction Ends: Friday Mar-12-2010 11:31:43 PST   | Watch this Item