I think Rob MacKillop could be one of the most under rated uke arrangers on the planet. Seriously. I've had this book for awhile...as a classically trained guitarist during my teens,I have a hard wired love of Spanish guitar music. And I've played the tunes in this book. Well,it's sat on the shelf for awhile now,untouched. As I've gotten into playing charango,I wondered how these tunes would sound on it- but first,I thought,I'll learn them on ukulele.
I got my Kahua zebra wood concert uke out,opened the book,and started playing thru "Las Hachas". OMG what eloquent beauty. The tune is easy to play,and sounds so much more complicated than it is. The tab,I should mention,is in an easy to read size,to boot. I played thru this tune a few times,and proceeded to play "Paradetas". Again,nothing too complicated here- something a beginning-intermediate uke player could do.
I got my Kahua zebra wood concert uke out,opened the book,and started playing thru "Las Hachas". OMG what eloquent beauty. The tune is easy to play,and sounds so much more complicated than it is. The tab,I should mention,is in an easy to read size,to boot. I played thru this tune a few times,and proceeded to play "Paradetas". Again,nothing too complicated here- something a beginning-intermediate uke player could do.
What I find amazing is not only how easy the arrangements are,but how rich they sound. This isn't merely single string knocking around- there is single string picking,embellished with pinches and the occasional strum....as in the final measure of "La Minona de Cataluna".
Most of the pieces are easy,however there are some that are dandys as far as being a more complex arrangement. One example would be "Canarios" which also goes up the neck. "Pasacalle in Dm" would be another more complicated and longer piece to memorize. It'd be something else if a ukulele player and a classical guitarist got together to perform duets using the tunes in this book. If you have a love of Spanish guitar music,this book is a must for your library. I still have copies left with the CD in my online store. (Mel Bay has now went to online audio downloads and no longer offers CDs with their books) To grab a copy with the CD,merely click on the cover of the book above,and pick one up for yourself! It's also a fine way of introducing kids to Spanish baroque music.
Most of the pieces are easy,however there are some that are dandys as far as being a more complex arrangement. One example would be "Canarios" which also goes up the neck. "Pasacalle in Dm" would be another more complicated and longer piece to memorize. It'd be something else if a ukulele player and a classical guitarist got together to perform duets using the tunes in this book. If you have a love of Spanish guitar music,this book is a must for your library. I still have copies left with the CD in my online store. (Mel Bay has now went to online audio downloads and no longer offers CDs with their books) To grab a copy with the CD,merely click on the cover of the book above,and pick one up for yourself! It's also a fine way of introducing kids to Spanish baroque music.
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