About

Hi, my name is Dave and I like to play the ukulele. I’ve been playing guitar off and on for years now (maybe around 10) and I bought a ukulele back in 2015. I started blogging about some of the things I’d learned and techniques that I’d picked on the ukulele but it started to take over my personal blog. That’s why I created this website.

That’s me below, the menacing-looking one. By day I’m a freelance digital designer working in and around Leeds, I even wrote a book about going freelance. I also help my wife run her decals and sticker business Paper Bloom.

Dave Ellis, Ukulele Go!

I should point out that I’m by no means an expert, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t help you. Anything I learn or that I think might be useful to you, I’ll post it here. I really like figuring alternative songs out on the uke (basically anything that hasn’t been done to death) and recording tutorials/lessons (have a look at some lessons I’ve already made here) so I will try and do that as much as possible.

If you have any requests or a product that you’d like me to review, or maybe just want to say hello then go for it!

My Ukuleles

Currently I have 10 ukuleles – Two Octopus Sopranos, a Peavey Jack Daniels Concert, an iUke Sopranino, a Flight TUS50, an Outdoor Ukulele Tenor, an Ohana SK-25, a Populele and an Astbury Lonely Player ukulele. You can click on the names to read the individual reviews and see what I think in more detail or watch the video above. None are particularly expensive and they’re all pretty playable. I like them all for their own reasons – at the moment I’m playing the Jack Daniels and the Ohana quite a lot (you’ll probably notice from my videos).

It’s pretty easy to get carried away with ukuleles, you find yourself buying more than you need. Whilst I’m pretty content at the moment I have got my eye on a Risa Stick or a Bugsgear Eleuke (cheaper, maybe not as good) at some point as I’d like to start recording a few bits straight into my mac.

9 thoughts on “About

  1. Hi Dave, found your website after getting an ohana ck90 off my wife for christmas, not having the faintest idea how to play i stumbled on your site and finding it a great source of information, the good work you do is appreciated so thanks very much.

    1. Hi James, thanks for the comment – I’m really please that you’re finding the site useful. A CK90 is a great uke to be starting out on, good luck with it!

  2. Thanks for the fingerpicking techniques you shared. That was a great lesson for me! I am just learning chords and notes. I think I am hooked.

  3. Hi Dave,
    I’ve been playing guitar since a young teen and get by with chords and some picking. Two years ago I received a ukulele. It’s from The Waikiki Ukulele Company (with a made in China sticker on the back… but it sounds good!). Thank you for your blog. I am learning the basics and want to be able to accompany myself singing Hawaiin songs and chants. Which book do you recommend? I am interested in picking as well as strumming. I really like acoustical guitar so my thought is something like it on the ukulele. Thank you!

  4. Hi Dave, any idea why the G & the A strings on my approx one year old concert uke have gone tinnie(sp)? C & E are fine. Tks. Steve

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *