Using table microphone to record ukulele on PC

I’m using an economic Trust 23790 microphone to record my daily ukulele on the PC. The device comes with an USB adapter, which looks like a generic audio-to-USB adapter. I guess it might work with other microphones too, not sure.

In the audacity tool, one need to select the input device. With my Ortega RFU11S ukulele, I adjusted the recording volume in the audacity to 0.97. The screenshot below shows the “USB Audio Device” as input (“recording”) device and the recording level.

I include here song called Wake me up as audio sample (DDU UDU strumming).

Connecting ukulele to PC

I’m using an economic Behringer UCG102 Guitar-USB adapter to connect my ukuleles to my PC. The guitar plug (on right) of UCG102 is connected to the pickup microphone connector in you ukulele, with the 6.3mm instrument cable. In some ukuleles the pickup with connector is pre-installed.

I downloaded the driver from the Behringer website, and it turned out to be ASIO4ALL driver, which is used for low latency audio in Windows, nice. In the UCG102 adapter, I use the Level in HI position. (if the CLIP light comes on, then one should use the LO position).

In the audacity tool, one need to select the input device. With my Islander MT4 EQ ukulele, I adjusted the recording volume in the audacity to 0.90. The screenshot below shows the “USB Audio CODEC” as input (“recording”) device and the recording level 0.9.

I include here song called Wake me up as audio sample (DDU UDU strumming).

In the ukulele, I use the maximum volume (in pickup-tuner control panel). I don’t know how good this setup is when compared to other alternatives, but it works well enough for me1.

  1. I’m beginner player and mostly playing my daily ukulele which don’t have microphone pickup []

Links to ukulele play along songs

I’m listing here some ukulele play along songs at youtube that I found working for me. Naturally this is very much about personal preference, but hopefully you find some of these working for you too 🙂

  • Note: In some links, the play along is at the end of tutorial
  • Note: with some songs, several play alongs are include to show the variations (different strumming or chords used)
  • Note: finger picking technique is not included in this list, even though it fits nicely for some of these songs
  • Note: I play E7 instead of E, for me E7 is much easier
Song Chords Strumming notes
A Little Respect DDU UDU (too fast for beginner)
Against All Odds Dm, G, Am, Bm, C, F, Em, G7, D DDU UDU
All my loving Dm G7 C Am F Bb DDDUDU or DDU UDU
All of Me Em C G D Am D DU
All Of Me Em C G D DDD + DDU UDU
All of me Dm C G Am F DDD + DDU UDU
All of me C Am F G D + DDU UDU
All of me Em C G D Am DDD + DDU UDU
Believe "C G Dm F" C Em F G DDU UDU
(actually needs chords visible, as not well in video)
Blowing in the wind C F G DDU UDU
Boulevard Of Broken Dreams Em G D A B7 C D DDU (too fast for beginner)
Boulevard of Broken Dreams Em G D A (note, quite heavy for fingers)
Breakfast at Tiffany’s D G A DDU UD – DD – DD chorus also:D D – DD – DD
D G A D G A
Breakfast At Tiffany’s D G A DDU UDU and (DD UUDU)
Brown Eyed Girl G C D D7 Em DDU UDU
Can You Feel the Love Tonight G D Em C Am D DU and DDU UDU
Can You Feel the Love Tonight C G F Am Dm Bb D DU and D
(takes some time to know the places for D)
Can’t Help Falling in Love C Em Am F G D DU
Can’t Help Falling In Love C F G G7 A7 Am Dm Em B7 D DUDU
Can’t Help Falling In Love C G Em Am F A7 Dm D (down strums only)
Can’t Take My Eyes Off You DDU UDU
Can’t Take My Eyes Off You DDU UDU
Castle on the Hill C Em F Am G DDU UDU
Chasing Cars
Chasing Cars D DUDUDU
Chasing Cars in G DDU UDU
Close to You C B7 Bm Em G D DDU UDU
Come On Eileen DDU UDU
Corazón Espinado D DU
Corazón Espinado DDU UDU
Counting Stars Am C G F Dm D + DDU UDU
Counting Stars DDU UDU
Count On Me DDU
Count On Me D D DUDU or D DU U DU
Crazy Little Thing Called Love DUDU UDU
Crocodile Rock DDU UDU
Crocodile Rock Am F G D7 G7 C A7 D xU UxU + DUxU UxU
Dance Monkey D DU
Dancing in the Moonlight DDU UDU
Despacito AmF C G D UDU ?
Dive C Am F G D DUDU D DUDU and
Don’t Worry, Be Happy DDU DDU
Down Under C G Am F G
D DU – D DU – D DU – DU – DU
Dreams F G DDU UDU
Estoy aqui D + DDU UD
Eternal Flame G Em C D B7 Bm D DUDU (fingerpicking better)
Eye of the Tiger Am G F Dm Em DDU UDU and
Feliz Navidad F G7 C DDU UDU
Final Countdown DDU UDU
Firework G Am Em C DDU UDU
Firework
Five hundred miles C Am Dm F DDU UDU
Folsom Prison Blues DU
Fly Me to the Moon Am Dm G C F E DDU UDU
Forever Young C G Am F Dm D DDU
Forever Young D DDU and D
Forever Young DDU UDU
Forever Young DDU UDU
Hallelujah Am F C G DDU
Hallelujah Am F C G E7 DDU
Hallelujah Am C Em F G D UD
Hallelujah D UU (thumb + fingers)
Happier Am F C G DDU
Happier (DDU UDU for CC)
Havana DD DUDU U DUDUDU or
DUTU DUTU UTUDUTU (T=tap) or
D DU DUD UUD UDU
Am F E7 or
D UU XUU XUUX
Have You Ever Seen the Rain Am F C G F DDU UDU
Have You Ever Seen the Rain C G F Am DDU UDU
Heart of Gold DDU UDU
Heart of Gold G C D Em special intro + D DU
Heaven C Am G Dm DDU UDU
Here Comes the Sun DDU UDU
Hey Soul Sister C G Am F D DU
Hey, Soul Sister DDU UDU
Holding Back The Years G Dm DDU UDU
Horse With No Name Em D
D DUDUDU DUDU UDU
How Would You Feel G Bm C DDU UDU
I Can See Clearly Now D G C DDU UDU
I’m a Believer G D C F DDU UDU and DD UUDU
I’m A Believer DDU UDU and DD
I’m Yours C G Am F DDU UDU
I’m Yours G D Em C A DDU
I’m Yours C G Am F D7 DDU UDU
I’m Yours C G Am F DDU UDU
I’m Yours C F G Am D7 DDU UDU
If I Could Turn Back Time E A D Bm D + DDU UDU
It Must Have Been Love DDU UD DUDU
Killing me softly D XD
Killing Me Softly Em Am D7 G A C F E7 B7 D XD
Killing Me Softly DUX UDUX
Killing Me Softly DDU UDU
Last Christmas C Am Dm G DDU UDU
Last Christmas C Am Dm G7 DDU UDU
Lean On Me D DUDUDU ?
Lean on Me
Lean On Me D DDU UD DUDU or
DDU UDU
Learning To Fly F C Am G DD UUDU
2 chords in same strum pattern
Leaving on a Jet Plane C G D DDU UDU
Lemon Tree C G Am Em F Dm DDU UDU
Let her go C D Em G Bm DDU UDU or D DU
Let her go C G Em D Bm DDU UDU
Let Her Go DD DUDU ?
Let Her Go Em7 C D G DDU UDU
Let it Be C G Am F D DDU
Livin On A Prayer DDU UDU
Losing My Religion Am C D Dm Em F G DDU UDU
Losing My Religion D DUD DU UD DUDU
Losing My Religion F Dm G Am DDDD or DDDUDU or DDUUDU
Love is All Around C G Am D D DU
Love Me Do G C D DDU UDU
Love me do G C D DDU UDU
Love me do G7 C D F D DU UD or D XU UX
Love Story C G Am F DDU UDU
Love Story
More Than Words DDU UDU
My Heart Will Go On
Never Gonna Give You Up F G Em Am DDU UDU 2 chords in same strum pattern
Nights In White Satin DDUDU DDUDU
No woman no cry DDU UDU
Nobre Vagabundo DDU UDU
Nothing Else Matters D DUDU D DUDU
Nothing’s Gonna Change My Love For You G D Em C Am D DDU
Nothing’s Gonna Change My Love For You F C Dm Am G E7
Nothing’s Gonna Change My Love For You G D Em C Am B D DDU
Nothing’s Gonna Change My Love For You C F G E7 Am D D DDU
One Am D F G DDU UDU
One Shoe Blues
Perfect G Em C D D DU
Perfect
Photograph C Am F DDU UDU
Piano Man C G Am F D Em D DUDU
Proud Mary DDU UDU
Proud Mary DUxU
Put your head on my shoulder Em Am D G Em D DU works
Red Red Wine C F Dm G D DU
Rewrite the stars DDU UDU
Rewrite the Stars Gm Eb Bb F D DDD + D UDD UDDD
Rewrite the Stars D Em C G Am DDU UDU
Riptide Am F G DD UDU
Riptide Am G C D DU
Riptide Am G C DD UDU
Riptide Am G C DD UDU
Rockin All Over The World DDU UDU
Set Fire To The Rain DM F C Gm Bb DDU UDU
Set Fire to the Rain Am C G F D + DDU UDU
Shape of You DDU UDU
Shape Of You DDD + DDU UDU
Snowman DDU or DDU UDU
Someone Like You G D Em C DDU UDU
Someone Like You C G Am F
Someone You Loved C G Am F DU DU DU and DDU UDU
Someone You Loved DDU UDU
Someone You Loved DDU UDU
Somewhere Over The Rainbow C F G Am Em E7 DDU UDU
Sound of Silence Am G F C DDU UDU
Stand By Me C Am F G DDU UDU
Stand by me C Am F G7 DDU UDU
Stand By Me C Am F G DXU UXU
Stand By Me C Am F G7 DDU UDU
Stand By Me C Am F G7 DDU UDU
Stand By Me
Stand By Me C Am F G
Stand By Me DXU UXU
Summer Of ’69 D DUDUDU or DDU UDU
Supermarket Flowers G Bm C
(C Em F is easier)
D DU (CC as DDU UDU)
Super Trouper D DUDUDU
Sway DDU UDU
Swet Home Chicago C F G7 DUDUDUDU
Take It Easy DDU UDU
Take on me Am D G C Em DDU UDU
Take On Me Am D G C Em7 DDU UDU
The Scientist
The Scientist DDU UDU
The Sound of Silence Am G F C D and DDU UDU
Time After Time F G Em F C DD UUDU 2 chords in same strum pattern
Titanium C G Am Em F DDU UDU
True Colors Am G C F D DU
True Colors Am G C Em F Dm DDU UDU
Viva La Vida C D G Em DDU UDU
Viva La Vida
Viva La Vida
Wake Me Up Am F C G DDU + D D
Wake Me Up DD UDU
Wake Me Up DD UDU + DDU
Walking On Sunshine DDU or DDU UDU, very fast song
We’ll meet again E E7 Am7 A7 D7 G7 C F DDU UDU works
We’ll Meet Again DDU or DDU UDU
What A Wonderful World C G Am F D
Wherever You Will Go C G Am (F C) DDU UDU
Wicked Game Am G D DDU UDU
Wicked Game
Wild World Am D G C F E Dm DDU UDU
Wind Of Change F Dm C Dm Am G DDU UDU or D DDUUD DUDU
With Or Without You C G Am F DDU UDU
Wonderful Tonight G D C Em DDU UDU
Wonderful World (Sam Cooke) C Am F G DDU UDU
Wonderwall Em G D A DDU UDU
Wonderwall Am F C G DDU UDU + D
You Are My Sunshine C F G DDU UDU
You Are My Sunshine F C G7 DDU
You Are My Sunshine D DU UDU
Your Song G Am Dm F Am7 D7 F DDU UDU
Your Song C F G Em Am D DDU UDU

My ukuleles 2022

Since about 2 years ago I started to learn ukulele, and I play it mainly for me. I’m not in a any course, nor play in any band. And I chose this instrument, because it only has 4 strings, giving me better chances to learn. 6 strings would have been way too much and causing me to stop after few attempts (future will tell if that is true).

I current have 2 ukulele’s.

On the left is the tenor size, with tuner build-in and with microphone output. I got this quite early as I thought that I really would need to get a wider neck (Islander has wider neck). The sound is great, more full and stronger than the concert size ukulele on the right. However, as the neck is wider and the ukulele is bigger, my fingers do get tired earlier than when playing with concert size ukulele.

On the right is the concert size ukulele. Great size of intrument, easy grab and go, light, and does create enough sound in a room. I can play with this 1-2 hours until fingers get tired. This depends on the songs of course, and the transposition of chords. (With transposition you can play a song with the chords that you have already learned or that are easier to play.)

One can see the names for different ukulele parts here .

ukuleles-2022

Tenor size, my better ukulele.

  • model: Islander MT4 EQ, similar to this.
  • strings:
    • D’Addario EJ99TLG (T=Tenor, LG=Low G) or
    • Worth strings CT-LG 63 (C=clear color, LG=Low G, 63 length)

Concert size, my “every day” ukulele.

  • model: Ortega RFU11S, similar to this.
  • strings: Worth strings BM-LG 46 (B=brown color, LG=Low G, 46 length)

Why not original strings?

The original tuning of ukulele is with “high” G, as the first/”lowest sound” string on the left (in picture). Replacing strings with low-G as the first string, gives wider sound spectrum, sounds better. The other reason is also that those Worth strings are with medium tension, personally for me more comfortable for this random solo playing.

Experience with “pin” bridges

On the left, the bridge consist of pins that hold the strings in place. It happened to me several times that a pin jumped out from the place when I started tighting the new strings, and hitting my arm. So now, every time when I change the strings, I try to keep my hand out of the way as I’m afraid it will pop out again. After the tuning, then those pins have stayed in place, so no problem there. However, due to this I prefer the other style of bridge, the one on the right.

Finding the chords for your song

https://ukutabs.com/ and https://www.ukulele-tabs.com/ are good sites for finding the chords, and they both support the transposition. For example, the 500 miles without transposition is using chords G and Em, where Em is difficult for beginner. While with transposition, the song can be played with chords C and Am, which are the easiest chords in ukulele as they both are played with 1 finger on fret board1.

playalong videos

I watched ukulele play along videos in youtube channels, and for me it worked, I’m really happy to find several videos. Search “ukulele beginner play along” in youtube.com 🙂

I have also created a list of links for play along songs that are suitable at beginner level, well most of them are…

sound samples

Islander, recorded via Guitar-USB adapter

Ortega, recorded via table microphone

“Almost silent” ukulele

As the last ukulele in this list, I also do have an electric ukulele ElectricUke-50C NT which I use when trying not to disturb other people. (This is solid wood, so it does not amplify the sound. The sound basically comes only from the strings, which is quite low but audible when no other sound sources around. The sound level is similar to keyboard typing…)

I hope one day I would utilize also electric part of the ukulele. I have tested this ukulele with small portable amplifier, and with an guitar-USB adapter, they work well in my view.

In this ukulele, I have not changed the strings yet, as I use it for practicing. But if I start to use it more, then I would change into low G string set. I feel that the high of frets is higher in this ukulele, which for me is great. And also that the fret board neck feels thinner and smaller. Personally I prefer to use the ukulele strap from “end to end” (from body to headstock), similarly to my other ukulele.

If I learn to play better, then I’m looking forward to use this ukulele more 🙂 (Perhaps even learn to play some songs with amp and distortion 😉 )

  1. I’m playing ukulele mainly with strumming. Fingerpicking is more difficult and would take longer to learn []