Cao Zhen caozhen0806@126.com ONE of the great joys of being in Shenzhen is that it has passionate music lovers. Have you ever thought of learning an instrument? Did you think it might be too difficult? Well, in Shenzhen a growing number of people are learning to play a simple instrument that has warm sweet tones like a summer breeze. What is it you ask? It’s the ukulele, and playing it is both simple and fun. “After learning the ukulele for one hour or less, a beginner can play a song,” said Anthony White, who has been playing the ukulele for 11 years. White is a Canadian living in Shenzhen who teaches history and academic writing in a middle school. “The most amazing thing about the ukulele is that it’s a magical instrument. You start playing and people smile,” said White, who has collected 20 ukuleles over the past decade. The ukulele is a four-string guitar-like instrument but is usually tuned five half-steps above the guitar. With a smaller body, the sound of ukulele is lighter and softer. Ukuleles commonly come in four sizes: soprano (53cm in total length), concert (58cm), tenor (66cm) and baritone (76cm). The ukulele is a descendant of the machete, which the Portuguese brought to Hawaii in the 19th century. The name means “jumping flea,” perhaps because of the movements the player’s fingers make. The ukulele was popular in Britain in the 1930s, when pop singer and comedian George Formby became the United Kingdom’s most famous ukulele player. From 1915 until the ’60s, the ukulele became increasingly popular in America’s country and jazz music. Now the instrument can be heard in indie-rock songs used by the likes of Beirut band and Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam. The ukulele has been in China for about 10 years, but is still a niche instrument. Few schools offer ukulele lessons because many people don’t regard it as a real instrument. However, thousands of instructional and entertaining videos on the Internet are doing a good job of raising the ukulele’s profile. They’ve exerted a large influence on the popularity of the ukulele among music lovers. “Now it’s easy to find beautiful ukuleles in Shenzhen, but 10 years ago, impossible,” said White who has posted more than 600 videos of himself playing the ukulele on Youtube and Youku (search “sirant”). Among his 20 ukuleles, some were bought off taobao.com, some in Canada and some at instrument stores in Shenzhen. White even made a banjo ukulele with a small drum as a banjo resonator body and a broken ukulele’s neck. The ukulele’s great advantages are that it’s easy-to-learn, portable and affordable. It’s said to be almost impossible to play badly, even when slightly off key. “I have had a desire to learn an instrument for a long time. In my first lesson, I found the ukulele was easy to play and many songs can be re-arranged for it,” said Yvonne Huang, a young IELTS marketing specialist who has taken five lessons. “I often bring my ukulele on trips and to friends’ gatherings.” Huang said after five lessons beginners can play a difficult song. The ukulele is a strumming rhythmic instrument although it can also be played as a melodic lead instrument. “There are basic chord patterns for the ukulele. If you know the standard tuning of G, D, C you can play hundreds of songs. Eighty percent of Bob Dylan’s songs are in G, D, C, once you know G, D, C, you can play almost any Bob Dylan song,” said White. He cautioned that further learning gets more difficult, for instance a three-finger chord can be awkward for the fingers and needs practice. White often plays the ukulele with friends at bars and hopes more people join him. “On my trip to Hawaii in 2003, a local ukulele player and singer named Cousin Benny said to me ‘Spread aloha!’ Aloha in Hawaiian means hello, goodbye, love, peace, many things. But most of all he wanted me to spread Hawaiian tradition and music wherever I went, including China,” said White. Where to buy Musical Heaven (Metro: Science Museum Station) is the biggest instrument shop in Shenzhen. It is behind New City Plaza. Shenzhen Book City’s outlets in Luohu (Metro: Grand Theater Station) and Futian (Metro: Children’s Palace Station) also have various instrument stores. You can also buy ukuleles online, at taobao.com, jd.com or ebay.com. Buying tips 1. Buying an instrument at brick-and-mortar stores is better than purchasing online because you can try it before you pay. 2. Quality of the wood and strings makes a difference to the sound. Ukuleles with nylon strings are cheaper than gut strings. Cheaper ukuleles are generally made from ply or laminate woods. More expensive ukuleles are made of solid hardwoods such as mahogany or spruce. Some of the most expensive ukuleles are made from koa, a Hawaiian wood. 3. When picking a ukulele, look at the hole on its body to check whether the wood is solid or multi-layered. Layered means the makers have inserted cheap wood inside. 4. If you don’t know how to examine the ukulele, try famous brands such as Anuenue, Mainland, Mahalo and Kala. 5. For a starter, one priced 300-500 yuan is fine. Below 300 yuan it’s usually of bad quality, has a bent neck or cannot be tuned. 6. Fancy colored or plastic ukuleles are attractive but their quality isn’t guaranteed because makers don’t want you to pay attention to the construction quality. Salons, lessons Roof Bar and Tanker offer free salons, where you can show off your skills and make friends. Eson and The Doors offer lessons for starters. Roof Bar Time: 7:30 p.m., Saturdays Reservations: 6188-8199 Add: Phase III, Arts and Crafts Center, Meiyuan Road, Luohu District (罗湖区梅园路艺展中心三期屋顶咖啡) Tanker Time: 2 p.m., every Sunday Reservations: Sina Weibo @Tanker弹客 Add: B27, Futong Tianjun Garden, Longhua New Area (龙华新区富通天骏花园B27号弹客) Metro: Longhua Station, Exit D Eson Time: 4 p.m., every day Reservations: 2266-4475 Add: 8H, Block 1, Fuyuan Building, Caitian Road, Futian District (福田区彩田路福源大厦1栋8H易盛音乐) Metro: Gangxia Station, Exit D The Doors Time: 10 a.m., Sundays Reservations: Sina Weibo @大门音乐部落 Add: No. 441, North Zone, 4/F, Musical Heaven, Shangbu Road South, Futian District (福田区上步南路深圳乐器城四楼北区441大门音乐部落) Metro: Science Museum Station, Exit D Useful websites Chinese: http://ukulele.cn, http://ukulelecn.com English: www.chordie.com, www.ukulelehunt.com, www.easyukulele.com, www.ukulele123.com | 