A Bluegrass Reel - for ukulele

[KenMiddletonUkulele]

@brainstillloading Why not download the free tab from my website?

[brainstillloading]

@KenMiddletonUkulele Good idea! Thank you kindly. :D

[StudentvsMaster]

A really Calming piece :D! Simple and just Great!

[KenMiddletonUkulele]

Thank you.

[philipearlwilliams]

a very lovely tune.

played very well on that beautiful sounding ukulele.

5/5

great work !!

[KenMiddletonUkulele]

Thanks for the kind comment 2 weeks ago. Sorry, I missed it.

[drummerattic]

hey great!

im am a beg. at ukulele. i have a few quetions: is that a baritone uku or like a tenor?

if tenor i was wondering if you played with a low g

oh! and what company

thanks alot:)

[KenMiddletonUkulele]

Thanks. It is an Ohana TK35G tenor. I almost never play with a low G except in some jazz pieces.

[refinnej5461]

i downloaded the tab for your song, and so far, its pretty easy to learn. it definitely is a lot easier to learn than it sounds

[KenMiddletonUkulele]

That's what I wanted.

[lizziegove]

hi ken, that is a lovely tune!

i'm new to ukulele and am learning as i go along. Some time ago I broke the little finger on my right hand- it has no power and is painful to rest weight onto. So far I have been using just my thumb and forefinger to pluck the strings and I can play your brilliant arrangement of Soldiers Joy quite successfully this way. But is it ok to play like that? Somehow I feel like I am cheating. What do you recommend?

[KenMiddletonUkulele]

It is perfectly fine to play that way. I tend to play the uke like a spanish guitar and that works for me. Sometimes I play using thumb and first 3 fingers and don't rest my 4th finger on the soundboard. Other times I rest it there and use thumb and first 2 fingers.

I'd love to hear you play Soldier's Joy. What about a video?

[lizziegove]

Thanks for the advice. A video may well be on its way...as soon as I can get hold of a camera!

[KenMiddletonUkulele]

Do you have a digital still camera? Most have a videos setting. It is what I always use.

[stringjamgirl]

That is a very pretty song!

[KenMiddletonUkulele]

Thank you Melissa.

[philtheuke]

Hi Ken

Once again, you've transformed the uku into a folk instrument, well done, very nice arrangement, I'm going to have a go at the tune.

[KenMiddletonUkulele]

I would love to hear it if you record it, Phil.

[redsedge123]

Thank you for your generous spirit for tabbing this out. You're a real incentive for me to keep practising and improving. I hope you put together your bluegrass tab book. I would love to have that.

[KenMiddletonUkulele]

I worked on it yesterday and I shall be doing some more today. Finding someone to publish it (physically) is another matter.

[redsedge123]

Maybe Woodshed on ukehunt would be interested in it as an e-book? I'd buy.

[mctrmt]

Sounds great. You are the master, Ken.

[KenMiddletonUkulele]

Thanks Mary-Anne, I'm really pleased with this one.

[tori8984]

You really captured the feel of the old moutain music. Also I enjoy the camera work showing your hands. The scenic shot at the end is very nice, I am glad you had to include it.

[KenMiddletonUkulele]

Thanks very much for the comment.

[easyukulele]

YEEEEEEHAAAAA!! Tear it up Ken!!

[KenMiddletonUkulele]

Thanks, Kainoa.

[LStrachey]

a well rounded piece -- sounds great on the ukulele

[KenMiddletonUkulele]

Thanks very much.

[degcon]

Very nice Ken!

[KenMiddletonUkulele]

Thanks very much.

[stodd32]

Ken you are a true talent Thanks for all the wonderful videos

[KenMiddletonUkulele]

Thanks so much for that comment.

[waterdog226]

The film inclusion of the ancient bridge was quite striking. The music and the video were very complimentary,

[KenMiddletonUkulele]

I originally put another piece of music with this film. I'll send you the link.

[waterdog226]

I prefer this version. It sounds brighter and more current. After all, the bridge is still in use today I gather. The earlier version somehow conveyed a heavier sense of times past. The new music conveys that what was ancient is both utilitarian and beautiful.

[KenMiddletonUkulele]

Thanks for taking the time to look. I appreciate it.

[waterdog226]

Beautifully played. A nice bright sound to it. There are parts that seem almost a little too classical for a true bluegrass label, but I am probably a just too ignorant of music to know for certain. The reels I heard as a child in Nova Scotia were very lively. This piece seemed more Bluegrass in the early parts. Bluegrass was very popular in my youth and I can recall listening to it on late night radio from Nashville, and some of the local celtic bands dabbled in it for fun.

[KenMiddletonUkulele]

I suppose it is a little classical. I wrote it as a piece of music in the form of a reel with a bluegrass feel to it. Just a title really. I shall be writing more.

[bluesuke]

That was fantastic !

[KenMiddletonUkulele]

Thanks.

[theBradlands]

Beautiful composition Ken. So light and airy.

Terrific nature scenes too.

[KenMiddletonUkulele]

Thanks Brad. This ancient bridge really is a magical place.

[KenMiddletonUkulele]

Thank you, Adelle. This is actually is easier than it sounds.

[phillipsderek]

Absolutely wonderful!

[KenMiddletonUkulele]

Thanks Derek. Have you tried this one yet?

[phillipsderek]

Not yet Ken, but I'll definitely be learning it.

[DominicFoundTheMoon]

you are so good... sometimes i dont watch your videos because it just frustrates me that i am not that good!

[scook3142]

I second that.

[KenMiddletonUkulele]

Don't forget, I have advantages. I have played lots of instruments for a long time, and I'm a music teacher. Keep practising.

[casetone2514]

Ken. What can I say - superb. I love it when you do this blugrass fingerpicking - actually, I love most of your styles. Really exciting composition. The melody flows and is not lost in the speed of the arrangement; and the piece goes somewhere which I always think is very important. Ever thought of putting together a CD of your compositions?

[KenMiddletonUkulele]

Thanks for that comment, Tony. I really appreciate it.

No, I won't be doing a CD for while, but I may put together a bluegrass TAB book in the near future.

[BaronK69]

Great playing and scenery Ken!

[KenMiddletonUkulele]

Thanks R.

[pschlehr]

Lovely piece, Ken. It seems to have some Irish/Celtic influence, which is some of the most enjoyable music to listen to. You composition has that wonderful combination of sweetness and sadness that is so characteristic of Celtic type music. Well done.

[KenMiddletonUkulele]

Thank you very much.

[lukuleles]

it sounds like a fun tune.

[KenMiddletonUkulele]

It is, I think.

[clanchiefca]

Thanks Ken, that's beautiful! I downloaded the tab for it but will save it for later, as I just got my uke yesterday in the mail. I have learned a bunch of chords and can play songs strumming chords fairly well already and I'm learning fingerpicking and clawhammer style playing (I've just about got Oh Susanna down). I have been playing acoustic guitar for many years, so learning the uke is not as difficult for me as it would have otherwise been. I look forward to more music from you!

( )o)===#

[KenMiddletonUkulele]

Thanks for the detailed comment. Learn ukulele tab as soon as you find time - it makes fingerpicking a tune so much easier. I played the guitar for 40 years, then discovered the ukulele ...

[lloydhywel]

Wonderful

[KenMiddletonUkulele]

Thanks Lloyd.

[unclejeff64]

nice one ken!

[KenMiddletonUkulele]

Thank you, Jeff.

[YoppyKyabetsu]

Nicely done.

[KenMiddletonUkulele]

Thank you.

[russbuss415]

great piece Ken! strange about your HQ situation.

[KenMiddletonHaiku]

Yes, I solved it though, Russ. I started a thread on UU about it.

[hoosierhiver]

Always a pleasure!

[KenMiddletonUkulele]

Thanks HH.

[SweepAndMopp]

By the way Ken, what software did you use to lay out the PDF? I'm thinking about buying Allegro, but if you've had good experience on another uke-friendly notation software I'd like to know which one. Thanks.

[KenMiddletonHaiku]

Sibelius is good but very expensive. I'm sure Allegro would do the the job. As would Finale or Cubase. Sibelius is best.

[jakewildwood]

Hot picking Ken!

[KenMiddletonGuitar]

Thanks Jake. Appreciate that.

[deach69]

Wow! Nice one Ken.

[KenMiddletonMusic]

Thank you, Deach.

[kristjanvalsson]

Ken,

Nice arrangement, fingering is logical and I like moving around the fretboard. Thanks.

[KenMiddletonMusic]

Thanks.

[scooterrev]

Wonderful Ken! I will download the TAB as soon as I get home.

[KenMiddletonUkulele]

Hi Darrell. Glad you enjoyed it.

[fourteentwelve]

That's a lovely piece Ken! I downloaded the tab and had a try, and it's a lot of fun to play.  I particularly liked that section of bar 17-24 (and again where it's repeated). That's a lot of fun to play and sounds so nice. Great song, and thank you for sharing it with everyone!

[KenMiddletonUkulele]

Thanks Michelle. How about recording it?

[fourteentwelve]

Maybe after some practice. I can't play it anywhere near the way you can, but I had fun trying it out. I'd definitely need practice before recording it though.

[KenMiddletonMusic]

Didn't mean to put pressure on you. Thanks Michelle.

[ukeshale]

this didn't show up in my subscription videos. that keeps happening to me. wonder if that happened to anyone else? really annoys me when i nearly miss a video cause of that.

Stunning video, as usual. Really top drawer. A room full of stars. That's beautiful footage of river barle.

[KenMiddletonUkulele]

Interesting that you should say that, Shane. this happened to me with my own video (Brothers in Arms) - it didn't show up on any of my other channels and it should have done. It could be because I kept it private until I was sure it was in high quality. And I uploaded several other versions of it too.

[ukeshale]

I think it's youtube getting slack. I've had space in my subs as i'd watched all but one of the recent videos it was displaying. Yet it only showed up a few minutes before I watched it.

[KenMiddletonUkulele]

Another serious problem is getting the video in high quality. I only use a little still camera, so the quality needs to be good. This was originally less than 2 mins and I could not get it to play in high quality. I uploaded it 10 times. I had to extend the video. That worked.

[ukeshale]

I think we need to issue all these problems to youtube. I know it feels like one person wouldn't make a difference but if everybody had that attitude then nothing would get complained about and fixed!

[KenMiddletonGuitar]

Just written a thread on UU about this problem.

[okvolleyball]

really nice job Ken lovely bluegrass .

[KenMiddletonUkulele]

Thanks Stephen. First to comment this time.