Alternate Tunings
Alternate tunings occur when the open strings of the guitar are tuned to notes different from the standard tuning. Guitarists use alternate tunings all the time so why not use […]
Tag Archives: PhD
#93 Beau Hannam Stauffer-lele
Thoughts on commissioning a new soprano ukulele from luthier Beau Hannam. Oh the photos! The lovely photos! Shiny, pretty, freckly grain, blonde tops, elegant bouts, swirls and curves, mother of […]
El Noi de la Mare for Ukulele Ensemble
El Noi de la Mare is beautiful Christmas song from the northeast region of Spain, Catalonia. In English the title means The Mother of the Child. The guitarist Andres Segovia […]
Songs Without Words
Many of you will already be familiar with the composer Loretta Notareschi. A professional composer and musician, Loretta is also a keen ukulele player. She is dedicated to creating new […]
What Is Classical Ukulele?
People often ask: what is classical ukulele? To be honest I’ve been a bit wary about defining classical ukulele in case it creates a box for myself, or for others. […]
Campanella Style
John King pioneered classical ukulele with his performances, recordings and arrangements of works by composers including Bach, Mozart and Beethoven. A defining moment in his ukulele journey was the discovery of […]
The Machete of Madeira
In July 2018 Lara Taylor and I travelled to Madeira to record a CD of music for machete and guitar. Lara’s mother, Josie came along as moral support, and, being […]
Five Etudes by Loretta Notareschi
Five Etudes for solo ukulele is an exciting new release for classical ukulele by composer Loretta Notareschi. The Five Etudes reflect the craftsmanship of an experienced composer and the intimate knowledge of […]
21 Studies for Ukulele
21 Studies for Ukulele After a hectic few weeks of teaching at festivals and events in June and July I retreated to Spain for August. Floating around the pool gave […]
Summer Roundup
4 Degrees Celcius I woke up this morning to a light frost and the not-so-subtle reminder that summer has come and gone! I also realised that I hadn’t written a […]
