John King - The Classical Ukulele is a collection of 19 classical and traditional works ingeniously arranged for ukulele by John King. While this book is ideal for more experienced players, all of the arrangements are written in tablature so that anyone can play without having to read music. Most amazing is how well these famous pieces by J. S. Bach, Mozart, Chopin, Joplin and others translate to the ukulele. Works include "Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring," "Fur Elise," "Chop Sticks," "Greensleeves," "Danny Boy" and "The Entertainer." Also included is a CD of all of the arrangements magnificently performed by John King himself. All works are arranged for GCEA tuned ukuleles.
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"Charming and far more sophisticated than you might expect." -- Michael Simmons, Acoustic Guitar, June 2005
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
31 of 32 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
And tell Tchaikovsky the news: The Classical Ukulele turns the popular perception of this little, four-string instrument as a toy or musikalischer spass on its head. This book/CD collection presents serious music for the perennially whimsical ukulele and the promise of some serious fun for those players looking to stretch their abilities and fulfill their latent musical talent. The music is presented in both standard notation and tablature so it's not necessary to read music to learn these beautiful classics. All the pieces - from Bach and Beethoven to Scott Joplin - are supplied with generous fingering instructions as well as historical notes and helpful tips. The recording, done with a bottom-of-the-line production ukulele (you won't need a vintage Martin to sound great), is absotutely faithful to every note and rest in the written score. The recording - both the performance and technical apparatus - is first rate and I often find myself just listening to the recording for the sheer pleasure of it. Mr. King is a musician first and I seldom think about the instrument he is playing when I have the CD on in the background. But the music flows forth unstintingly in freshets of rippling, shimmering notes. I like this set because it delivers 64 pages of well-loved, professionally engraved pieces in a graphic format that is easy to comprehend and will challenge the skill and intellect of the player. Now all we have to do is convince Mr. King to do a book of Chuck Berry transcriptions for an encore!
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Being new to the ukulele I thought I would find John Kings book hard but quite the opposite. Unlike the guitar where I could read the music when playing here I needed to use the symbols. After a while it becomes really easy with the symbols. He has a good selection in this book and the arrangements are carefully designed to lie under the fingers. I would recommend this book as an antedote to anyone who thinks that the ukulele is simply a 'strumming' instrument.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is a wonderful value for any ukulele player. Not only does it contain John King's transcriptions of these great pieces in both musical notation and string and fret numerical notation, it comes with a CD of him playing these pieces.
The notation on the pieces is easy enough that a rank beginner like myself can follow them. What a thrill it was to receive the package and be able to begin playing Bach, Chopin, and the traditional Japanese song 'Sakura' right away.
The CD is also very beautiful to listen to.
Overall a great package for any ukulele player interested in expanding their playing horizons.
The notation on the pieces is easy enough that a rank beginner like myself can follow them. What a thrill it was to receive the package and be able to begin playing Bach, Chopin, and the traditional Japanese song 'Sakura' right away.
The CD is also very beautiful to listen to.
Overall a great package for any ukulele player interested in expanding their playing horizons.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
The Best Uke book that I've found
I LOVE this book/CD package. Here's why:
1. Advanced material but excellent tabs that make it accessible to many levels of players.
2. a KILLER CD. Read more
1. Advanced material but excellent tabs that make it accessible to many levels of players.
2. a KILLER CD. Read more
Published 5 days ago by George R. Wilmot
ukelele mama
The item was requested by my son. He loves the idea of classical ukelele and the challenge of learning a new way of playing. And he was appreciative. Read more
Published 4 months ago by rascal
Jumpin' Jim's Flash!
This is a great book for playing classical music on the Ukelele! - although it is thought for more experienced/advanced players -. Read more
Published 8 months ago by John
Worth every penny
Excellent book. Not easy but with practice you will be well rewarded. As a casual player, playing these technical pieces has my highlighted my sloppy finger placement among other... Read more
Published 22 months ago by SD_strummer
Pure Gold
John King was a genius and this book (with CD) is a fine example of his virtuosity. A beginner can master these arrangements, provided he/she is willing to practice. Read more
Published on September 7, 2009 by Anthony Dack
Well done!
This is a treasured collection of some of John King's classical and traditional pieces arranged for ukulele. Sadly, John recently passed away. Read more
Published on June 5, 2009 by Terre Roche
Intermediate Ukulele Player
This is a great product for the intermediate to advanced ukulele player. John King's compositions of classical songs are very easy to read and challenging but not impossible to... Read more
Published on May 29, 2007 by B. Baron
Astounding
John King plays ukulele like a virtuoso violinist plays a violin, and the result is pretty much the same. Wonderful music. Read more
Published on October 11, 2006 by John Oconnor
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