Hey UUers!

So … we just got a shipment of NEW T-Shirts, and they’re looking pretty. freaking. sweet. Here’s the rundown on what’s fresh at the UU Store:

“Say Aloha” Tee ($23.00 + S/H) – This shirt design is a brand new one for us in the Underground. Small UU logo printed on the back. Charcoal is the first color out for this tee, so if you like the dark grey, be sure to pick it up ’cause we’re not printing any more!

UU Logo T-Shirts in TEAL! ($17.98 + S/H) – People have been asking for a nice blue (instead of the Navy) for awhile, so for the rest of summer we’re bustin’ out the UU Logo print on Teal (it’s actually close to turquoise).

UU Logo Baby Tees in PINK! ($19.98 + S/H) – The fitted women’s shirts are finally in stock again, with the addition of UU logo prints on pink. (Sorry to everyone who has been waiting for these girls’ shirts to come in – they are here!).

Oasis Ukulele Humidifier ($18.95 + S/H) – For all of you living in dry areas, an ukulele-sized humidifier to keep your uke from drying out and cracking. This one ships from the Mainland Ukes warehouse in Indiana, so it’ll get to you quick!

Also, we’re phasing out Kelly Green on all UU Logo tees, so if you can find your size in the store, you’re in luck. And if you were cool enough to pick one up, be sure to wear it proudly.

Have a great Wednesday everyone! Sorry no live lesson today (Aldrine is in Salt Lake City, UT this week). But we’ll get back into the swing of things next week!

Aloha,
-UU Staff

Hey UUers!

Are you ready, kids!? It’s time for another episode of Uke Minutes! This week, Aldrine delves into the musical nomenclature of the add9 chord. For this one, it’s helpful if you know what a Major Scale is, so if you need a refresher, click waaay back to Uke Minutes 8 – Major Scales to brush up on this. Now try out add9 chords for yourself and if you have questions, let us know!

Also, there are only two weeks left in the Eleuke “Uke Rock!” Contest – so be sure to head over to the OFFICIAL “Uke Rock!” Thread, and submit your video entry. We’re giving away 4 Eleuke Ukuleles this month, so you have 4 chances to win a new ukulele to shred on! Good luck & rock steady.

Hope you’re spending your summertime Saturday soaking up the sun and strumming away on your uke! Play on … play on.

Aloha,
-UU Staff

Hey UUers!

Last month on UU, we held the Kanile’a “Spread the Aloha” Video Contest where we asked UUers to submit videos that showed how they spread aloha with their ukulele! Up for grabs was a one-of-a-kind UU-branded Kanile’a Tenor Ukulele. (For pics of the uke & info on the contest, check out the Official Contest Thread).

After poring over all of the videos and much deliberation, the judges from both UU and Kanile’a finally came up with the winners. Check out the video above to find out who won (or watch the winning video HERE)!

Congratulations to all of the winners and THANK YOU to everyone who entered! A special thanks to Joe and Kristen and all of the hard working people over at Kanile’a Ukulele who made this contest possible.

Also, this month we’re giving away four ukuleles in the Eleuke “Uke Rock” Contest (Click Here for more details). So if you wouldn’t mind adding an electric uke to your arsenal, be sure to enter before the end of the month!

Hope your Saturday is amazing. And awesome. Hope your Saturday is amazosome.

Aloha,
-UU Staff

Go to the >>Official Contest Thread<<

Hey UUers!

July has been dubbed the “Month of Rock” here in the Underground, with the Eleuke “Uke Rock!” Contest going down in the Forum. Check out the Official Thread for the contest rules or to enter your video.

For more info on Eleukes and how to get one for yourself, check out www.eleukeusa.com.

Be creative, have fun and rock out!

Aloha,
-UU Staff

Got a question about this lesson? Post it here.
Jam this song with Aldrine & Russ on the PLAY-ALONG!!

Well hello there UUers!

Wow, July is here already! Can you believe it? In this month’s lesson, Aldrine breaks down “Rodeo Clowns” by Jack Johnson (with a play-along with UU’s very own russ_buss)!

This month UU is giving you another awesome opportunity to win free ukuleles! This time Eleuke USA gave us 4 ukuleles to give away to four lucky contestants to their Eleuke “Uke Rock!” Contest! For more information on how to enter the contest, check out the Official Eleuke “Uke Rock!” Contest Thread (or check back right here on the UU front page within the next few days for more info about the contest).

A special Thank You to all of the people who entered the Kanile’a Contest last month. We got a ton of amazing entries and the judges are still looking through all of the videos. The winner for that contest will be announced shortly so if you entered, sit tight, we will know the winner soon!

And if you need any inspiration or encouragement to submit a video and possibly WIN a new uke, check out THIS NEW VIDEO by Kelsey (labwestukester), winner of the April 2010 Mya-Moe Ukulele Give-Away Contest!

Have an awesome month of July, UUers! Rock out with your uke out.

Aloha,
-UU Staff

Got a question about this ukulele exercise? Post it HERE!

Hey UUers!

It’s another Saturday filled with ukulele-goodness & this time on Uke Minutes we’re bringing you a nifty little run you can play over diminished chords (for more info on Diminished Chords, check out Uke Minutes 45). Try it out, add your own variations to it, and if you need anything at all, we’re always here for you!

Also, there are only 5 days left to submit your entry to the Kanile’a “Spread the Aloha” Ukulele Give-Away Contest! This contest is open to anyone and will not be judged on skill so be sure to enter – you could win a one-of-a-kind UU-branded Tenor Kanile’a Ukulele (see the Official Contest Thread for pics of the ukulele and how to enter). Good Luck & Spread the Aloha!

Have fun strummin’ away your summertime Saturday!

Aloha,
-UU Staff

Got a question about this technique? Post it HERE!

Hey UUers!

A few weeks ago, we introduced the 8-Finger Roll as a way to add a little flair to any strumming. This week on Uke Minutes, Aldrine adds to this technique to give you an even fuller, punchier roll for you to turn heads with: the 10 Finger Roll! Try it out and let us know what you think!

ALSO – don’t forget to submit your video for the Kanile’a “Spread the Aloha” Ukulele Video Contest going on this month (June 2010). You could win a one-of-a-kind UU-branded Kanile’a Tenor ukulele! For more details or to submit you entry, check out the Official Contest Thread. Good luck & Spread the Aloha!

Hope you’re taking advantage of the summer weather – stay out of the stale indoors and rock that uke outside to stay oh … so … fresh.

Aloha,
-UU Staff

Hey UUers!

We’ve been waiting for this contest for a long time and now, it’s finally here! This month we are about to give away a one-of-a-kind, UU-branded, Kanile’a Tenor Ukulele from Kanile’a Ukuleles!

The ukulele is beautiful, lightweight, sweet-sounding, easy to play – and it could be yours! Here’s how:

1. Play your ukulele and make a video for the contest
2. Upload your video to YouTube
3. Submit the link to your video in the Official Kanile’a Contest Thread

Contestants will be judged on creativity, originality, and how they “Spread the Aloha” using their ukulele. In Hawaii, the “Aloha Spirit” is a positive attitude or frame of mind. It includes sharing, caring for others, helping, being kind, cooperating, and solving problems harmoniously. So be creative & show us your ukulele Aloha!

One entry per contestant (so do your best & make it count!). Last day to enter is June 30th, 2010.

For more info about Kanile’a Ukuleles, including sizes, styles, and their amazing bracing technology, check out their site at www.kanileaukulele.com

Can’t wait to see all the amazing videos you have in store for us! Have fun & good luck!

Aloha,
-UU Staff

Hey everyone. If you visit UU regularly, you may have been noticing some weird things going on with the site this month. Well we just wanted to get everyone up to speed on what we’ve been dealing with and what we’ve done to fix it.

Our (former) host Godaddy has been under a recent attack by hackers who have found an exploit in their servers. This exploit allowed the hackers to install some pretty nasty scripts which tried to install malware onto computers who by chance visited the site in the short time spans before we could take them down (usually within a few hours). We were hacked 3 times in the month of May and it has caused us a lot of stress and sleepless nights.

We found a new hosting provider and on Friday began the first steps to migrate away from Godaddy to a more secure environment. The final steps were completed just a few minutes ago and we are now completely off Godaddy’s servers. We’ve invested a considerable amount of our resources in this upgrade but it should remedy all problems we’ve been experiencing the past few weeks.

We sincerely apologize for all the downtime the website has experienced recently. We know that for many of you, visiting UU is part of your daily routine and we humbled and truly appreciate your support.

For the Mya-Moe Factory Tour click HERE!

Hey UUers!

The winners for the April 2010 Mya-Moe “From Our House to Yours” Contest were recently announced in the UU Forum, by none other than Gordon and Char of Mya-Moe Ukuleles! Also check out the winning video to see it in all of its awesomeness, as well as all of the entries in the Official Contest Thread.

Thanks to everyone who entered! With so many creative, passionate entries, judging was incredibly tough for this one. And if you didn’t have a chance to enter this contest, don’t fret(!), we’ve got more chances to win some beautiful ukes comming up! Keep strummin’

Aloha,
-UU Staff