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Entries in Ukulele (8)

Saturday
Nov262011

Create a Family Band for $100 (Musical Instruments for Families)

If you've read this site for any length of time, you know that I just as interested in making music yourself as I am in finding excellent and cool music for kids. Singing hymns, singing in other groups, playing ukulele, getting ukulele lessons from Dan Zanes -- yeah, it's all a part of a musical life.

So with holidays associated with gift-giving coming up, I've decided to put together a list of instruments that would cost you roughly $100 and allow a family of all ages and sizes to make music together. Now, don't get me wrong, it's perfectly OK to make your own instrument -- I've been known to make my own drum set -- but over time I've noticed that our kids (or we adults) don't tend to use those paper-plate shakers. It's a useful process to know how to make those sorts of things when you're 3 years old, but I also think it's important to have high-quality instruments.

What have I excluded in putting together this list?
1) A place to store all this stuff: We have a couple of big, lined wicker baskets we got from Target that, if I recall correctly, probably cost around $10 each.
2) Accessories: Depending on what you get, you may need (or want) to get tuners, mallets, or bags.
3) Songbooks: This topic deserves a whole separate post on its own. You don't need a songbook, but there are times -- more often than you think -- when you will realize you know exactly one line of a song and that's all. Or need chords to go along with the words.
4) Books on making music: I'd recommend Nerissa & Katryna Nields' All Together Singing in the Kitchen, particularly if you've not made music before yourself, but there are obviously many ways to learn how to play just about any instrument.
Loog_Records.jpg5) Large, expensive instruments: Pianos are great, but even the cheapest piano on Craigslist will spend your entire budget. Full-sized guitars or Loog guitars will also generally exceed the $100 limit. My goal with this list is to get your family enough musical diversity to get y'all to the point where you want to learn to play the piano or guitar or violin or drum set.

To make my $100 limit more practical, I aimed for a $90 list of instruments on Amazon, giving you room, therefore, for shipping costs, pricing variability, or, should you decide to shop at your local music store (also a good bet), sales tax and local pricing variability. If you want more than the Basics, I've made a few suggestions for Extra instruments should your interest or budget allow.

Ready? Good, let's begin.
Let's start out with rhythm instruments, which you can almost not have enough of. They'll probably be the first instruments infants and toddlers gravitate to -- what is a baby rattle but a simple shaker? -- and even the person who considers themselves most out of musical practice can handle these.

** Shakers ** ($12)
Basics
Egg shakers: 2 @ $2 each -- high quality plastic ones are fine. We've got one of the more expensive wood ones and find them to be way too quiet and mellow.
Animal shakers: Set of 3 for $8 -- You don't strictly need these, but we love the way they look. They look like toys but feel comfortable in the hand and make a satisfying sound.
Extras
Maracas: $5 for a mini-pair (essentially egg shakers on a stick) or $7 for a bigger pair.
Rain sticks: You can spend anywhere from $5 for a very small one to more than $50 for one that will be taller than your kids. Stand them up straight, and let the beans or rice inside float down and make a soothing rain-like sound. They're not for making symphonies, but they're pleasant to listen to

** Bells ** ($7)
Basics
Jingle (cluster) bells: $7 -- gives you the jingly sound
Extras
Wrist jingle bells: $3 -- toddlers too young to carry around cluster bells for an extended period of time will probably like these, which wrap around a wrist and fasten with velcro.
Tambourines: I've never been a big tambourine fan, but they make a jangly sound that can be popular with some kids. We have a Jambourine that is a bit small for adult hands, but just right for kids.

** Drums/Sticks ** ($17)
Basics
Rhythm sticks: 2 pairs @ $2/pair = $4 -- In each pair there's one with ridges and one smooth. Use them together to make a guiro-like sound. Use the 2 smooth ones you'll have as drum sticks. (Or don't, depending on the rules of your household.)
Lollipop drum - Lollipop drum: $13 -- this makes a nice, satisfying sound, but not too loud of one. Unless it's repeated over and over and over. But, really, if you're going to have a drum, this is a nice, portable one to have.
Extras
FirstActBongos.jpgBongos: We really liked these First Act Bongos, but they appear to have been discontinued. These Remo bongos appear to be of similar quality and price, so they may be a useful substitute. We liked the sound that the First Act bongos made but the one drawback to any bongo (or just about any drum without a neck strap) is that you can't walk around the house with them. Which is why I went with the lollipop drum above.
Guiros: $9: You can get a plastic guiro, but I've never been totally pleased with the sound of those. Better to spend more on a wood or metal one, or a cute animal one. (We have this hedgehog guiro.)
Triangle: $4 -- They're OK. They make a nice clear sound. But you better be prepared to find replacement string to serve as a triangle holder or your kids will wail away at the triangle... while holding onto it with their fist. Tends not to work out so well that way.

Now that you've got a rhythmic base, let's get some melody in there. Well, in a lot of cases, it won't start out as melodic -- or at least practiced -- at all. But it's important to have some notes.

** Wind instruments ** ($14)
Basics
Harmonica: $5 -- you can get a kajillion different harmonicas anywhere, and just about any of them will do. I don't suggest getting a "kids" version of a harmonica (First Act has one, for example) -- just get 'em the real thing. Cheaper and better.
Recorder: $5 -- again, there are a lot of them out there. Here's a recorder that seems to have earned good ratings.
Kazoo: 2 @ $2 apiece -- Don't bother with cheap, plastic ones. Spend $2 (or $3) to get one (or two, actually to get one of slightly higher quality.
Extras
Slide whistle: $2 -- I find slide whistles somewhat annoying. But the kids like 'em a bunch. Definitely not required, and it'll be way beyond the ability of most kids to make anything remotely resembling a melody. But that's your (and my) problem, not theirs, 'cause to them, they're just making music.

The math wizards among you will see that we've spent $50 thus far for 13 instruments (assuming that a pair of drum sticks counts as one). We've got $40 left, and while I've got some suggestions, how you choose to spend these last $40 depends is dependent in part upon personal preference and your family situation. If you just have one child, you may find it easier to buy one nice musical instrument. Or you may want to be able to play with your child -- instead of getting one slightly nicer ukulele, you may choose to get two super-cheap ones. It's up to you. So consider these last suggestions mix-and-match.

** Other instruments** (Up to $40)
Basics
Ukulele: $38 -- Ukuleles are easy to hold. While I was favorably impressed with a First Act Discovery guitar (for the price, anyway), I find ukuleles easier to play, easier to hold, and just more friendly. We bought a Makala ukulele for Little Boy Blue earlier this year and he's played with it more than the guitar. It's no Dan Zanes ukulele or Loog guitar, quality-wise, but it's decent. If quality isn't an issue for you, you could instead buy two of these Mahalo ukuleles for a total of $44.
Accordion: $18: I know, the accordion sounds like a complicated instrument, but a dedicated elementary school student could master at least a few tunes fairly quickly. I really liked a First Act Discovery accordion, but it doesn't seem to be available anymore. You could try this Hohner toy accordion, but I offer no guarantees for its quality.
Xylophone/glockenspiel: There are so many ways you can go with this -- xylophones and mallets from Fisher-Price or Hohner, a xylophone/piano for toddlers from Little Tikes, or something a little more sturdy (and likely to be played by your kids after they've outgrown the brightly-colored plastic). In my experience, the wood ones are not nearly as bright-sounding, which may be a bonus for you.
Resonator blocks: We have an A and a D block, which sound pleasant played together or in sequence. Amazon only has a full set (for $55), but you should be able to find individual blocks for $10 to $15 apiece elsewhere.

Friday
Jul292011

The Ketchup Report, Vol. 11

It's time for another roundup of all things ketchup related... OK, not really, it's just a variety of stuff that caught my eye (and ear) since, well, the last Ketchup Report. This one is an all-video edition. Except for these words right here. And the ones below.

First off, this is how you do a promo for a kindie album. A very effective teaser for Alastair Moock's forthcoming album These Are My Friends featuring Moock and Annad Nyack. If there was a tagline for the teaser, it might be "It's just crazy enough to work!"


The Green River Festival has come and gone, and all we have to remember it by are tons of YouTube videos. (And maybe a t-shirt.) By "remember" I mean, "experience it vicariously from, like, 3,000 miles away." Here's Barbara Brousal playing "Rockabout My Saro Jane" at the Meltdown stage -- I'm highlighting it because a) it's good to see Brousal performing live again, b) she's heard on Dan Zanes' version of the song on his new album Little Nut Tree, and c) I like it. (That's sufficient, right?)

Barbara Brousal - "Rockabout My Saro Jane" [YouTube]

Speaking of Spare the Rock, Spoil the Child, it seems there may be another compilation album in the works, a follow-up to Many Hands: Family Music for Haiti. I have no idea if this new Deedle Deedle Dees song performed by the Dees' Lloyd Miller will be on it, but it's worth a spin:

Lloyd Miller - "Marie Curie" [YouTube]

This one's just for the aspiring uke newbies. Left-hand fingering isn't my problem -- strumming is. Marcy Marxer, half of Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer, comes to the rescue. (Seriously, teaching chords in a book is easy, but how to strum? Difficult.)

And finally, here's are a couple videos that are actually, like, videos. First one is about a year old, but it's a catchy (and self-promotional) tune from the Raytones. (Not that there's anything wrong with that -- have you ever heard "They Might Be Giants" from They Might Be Giants? That one's good, too.) The animation si from the Planet Sunday folks that do videos for Debbie and Friends and the Hipwaders.

The Raytones - "Little Ray" [YouTube]

And here's Mister G with the most globe-trotting kids music video outside of (and probably including) a Putumayo video. It's for the mellow, funky tune "Gonna Take My Hat" off his new album Bugs. Maybe the video makes all those vacations tax deductible.

Mister G - "Gonna Take My Hat" [YouTube]

Monday
Jul252011

Concert Recap: Heidi Swedberg and the Sukey Jump Band (Phoenix, July 2011)

IMG_5748.jpgHeidi Swedberg and the Sukey Jump Band played their first concert at the Children's Museum of Phoenix this past weekend, and we had fun indeed. It was a wonderful little concert targeted to the mostly preschool-aged crowd in attendance, with Swedberg occasionally pulling out a silly voice, while the Phoenix version of the Sukey Jump Band (Daniel Ward on bass uke and Doug Nottingham on everything percussive) held down the low end. (I think the kids particularly liked Nottingham's Boomwhacker solo.) Swedberg and her band also played a few songs she picked up in her recent trip to Haiti. I've embedded a couple of the songs below -- "Tonton Bouki," the Creole version of "Frere Jacques," along with a Haitian lullaby. They also did a Haitian call-and-response. I'm really only appreciating now how lucky we were to catch the gig in such a small space.

IMG_5760.jpgWhile Swedberg didn't pull out her crate of ukes for kiddos at the show (though Little Boy Blue brought his new uke, as did another one or two kids), she did have lots of them for use at a workshop she hosted for 12-15 folks on Sunday afternoon in downtown Phoenix. While you can give ukes to preschoolers, kids have to be a little bit older to grasp the bare rudiments of musical theory you need to play the uke (or to have the patience to sit through the tiny little lessons). A lot was second nature to me, but Miss Mary Mack joined me, and it was definitely right at her skill level. (And while the notes/chords part wasn't new to me, getting guidance on strumming and finger-picking was a big help.)

Swedberg's not the only ukulele evangelist, but she's doing the one-on-one work that'll make this resurgence more than a fad. She's coming back to town in January, and I think it'll be a big deal. (Also, attention Austin City Limits Festival 2011: -- if you don't have ukes for sale during her performances, you people are nuts.)

Heidi Swedberg and the Sukey Jump Band - "Tonton Bouki (Frere Jacques)" (Live at the Children's Museum of Phoenix) [YouTube]


Heidi Swedberg and the Sukey Jump Band - Haitian Lullaby (Live at the Children's Museum of Phoenix) [YouTube]

Heidi Swedberg and the Sukey Jump Band - "Mama Don't Allow" (Live at the Children's Museum of Phoenix) [YouTube]

By the way, if you want to be kept in the loop on all the Arizona-based kids music stuff going on, sign up for the e-mail newsletter below, and be sure to click on the Arizona-related box...






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Saturday
Jun042011

Dan Zanes Teaches You All the Ukulele You Need

OK, well, you probably need more, but it's enough to get started with. Dan Zanes has continued to release videos on how to make music on a variety of instruments -- guitar, mandolin, spoons, even. I was apparently not the only person who requested ukulele lessons, as Zanes has now released a ten-minute video of (very) basic ukulele technique. (Note: I actually think Dan had this recorded for a while, so I take zero credit for this whatsoever.) He covers the first three chords almost everybody learns when they first pick up the uke -- C major, F major, and G7. You know those three, and you can play a heckuva lot of songs. By the end he throws in C7 and F7, and you've got yourself a party.

You also know a lot of lyrics to "Crawdad."

Tuesday
Apr052011

Interview: Rafael Atijas (Loog Guitars)

Loog_Records.jpgI'd stumbled across the Loog Guitar on Kickstarter within a day or two of its project being introduced on the site. Within another couple days after that, the project -- a three-string guitar with interchangeable parts that could be assembled with kids -- had already met its funding goal.

And why not? The combination of a kid- (not to mention adult-)friendly design and sustainable production was, unsurprisingly, a big hit. At this point, two weeks before its funding deadline, it's already reached more than $52,000 in pledges, 3 1/2 times its funding goal. Even musician nerds (and I mean that in the best way) like Chris Ballew expressed interest in the project.

The creator of the Loog, Rafael Atijas, answered a few questions about inspirations for the guitar, direct and indirect, why someone might one instead of a ukulele, and the source of its curious name.

Zooglobble: What are your musical memories growing up?
Rafael Atijas: I remember when I was 12 and I decided I wanted to be in a band. But I had no idea how to play guitar and this is what i thought: "I'm too old (:-))... it will take me forever to learn how to play guitar... I'd better pick up the bass, since it has less strings and should be easier/faster to learn." I guess that was really the beginning of Loog Guitars.
When did you first come up with the idea for the Loog Guitar? Was there a particular inspiration?
It was a little bit out of pressure: I had to come up with a business idea for my thesis (I was doing my Master's at New York University) and I knew it had to be something I really liked, because I was going to spend the next few months completely absorbed by it. I don't remember the exact moment when I put the whole idea together, but I guess I narrowed it to something that blended music and design (my two passions), incorporated a few trends I saw (the DIY movement, the value for natural, sustainable materials), and I really wanted to create a product that had a real benefit for those who use it. One product that did serve as inspiration is the LikeABike bicycles. In a way, one could say that what they did for children's bicycles, we are trying to do for children's guitars.

Loog_II_Apart.jpgHow long did it take you to refine the design to the point where you were ready to apply for the Uruguay Innovation Agency grant and to try Kickstarter?
I started working on this in my head in December 2009, and working on the actual design and business plan in January 2010. It took us about 9 months to refine the design (a lot of iterations, prototyping and testing), and by September 2010 I applied for the Uruguayan Innovation Agency grant. By that time, I also discovered Kickstarter and submitted the project (to be pre-approved by them).

Do you have any sense what percentage of the guitars are being bought by families (as opposed to adults for themselves)?
Not really, or not to the point of having percentages (we don't get access to our Kickstarter backers' information until after the campaign is over). But I wouldn't be surprised if 50% of all buyers are adults wanting the guitars for themselves. Even the short-scale model is a favorite among my grown-up friends.

Loog_Girl.jpgWhat advantages does the Loog have over a ukulele?
I wouldn't really know in which way the Loog Guitars are better than ukuleles. I love ukuleles too... but I guess a guitar is always a guitar, if you are into pop, rock, folk, blues, at least. My take would be: if you want a ukulele, then a ukulele is better; if what you want is a small guitar, then I guess ours is better, since it is actually a guitar (with guitar strings, etc.).

Where did the name "Loog" come from?
It's my subtle but very meaningful homage to Andrew Loog Oldham, the first manager and producer of The Rolling Stones (see here). I always found him to be a fascinating character (I'm a rock nerd, as you can see) and back when I had a band I had a chance to meet him and he was super kind to us.

Photos courtesy of Loog Guitars.