Ukulele Magazine volume 1

Rittor Music has released volume one of "Ukulele Magazine" with the cooperation of Rolling Coconuts. The 130 page-magazine comes with a CD which includes some of the learning material covered in the last third of the publication. The songs included as learning material are James Hill's "Down Rideau Canal", Bach's Jesus Bleibet Meine Freude (BWV147), "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes", and "S'Wonderful". There are chords and strums for nine other songs, as well. Some of the strumming section is presented by Iwao and demonstrates some ways to bring your playing out of beginner mode and into a more intermediate arena.

There is also some description of the "three chords" idea, why they work, and how to expand on them. It give patterns in the keys of C, G, F, and A.

The first half of the magazine includes information on the various Japanese and other ukuleles available here and introductions to some of the larger shops in Tokyo and Osaka. One interesting side-bit is Iwao's confession of now using T's ukuleles primarily.

It can be order through Amazon Japan. If you are in Japan, quite a few music and bookstores are carrying.

A blurb at the back of the magazine claims that Rittor intends to make Ukulele Magazine an annual publication.