My journey as a ukulele composer (and publisher)
Choan Gálvez
Who I am, what I do
- I play music
- I write music
- I publish music
- I teach music
- I love ukulele
I play music
My main instrument is the ukulele.
The ukulele entered my life
I assure you it was an accident!
In 2008 I was building a collection of unexpensive folk instruments and I found an ukulele while looking for a cavaquinho.
And soon it was the center of my life
In 2009 I quit my job and created
a ukulele business, Ukecosas.
It was the first of its kind in Spain.
One of my first arrangements
I started a swing ukulele trio
Pequeño Formato,
with Oscar Plano and David Moreno.
We released an album in 2010.
I write music
Lots of music, in fact.
I have a rather complete catalog online.
Check my website at www.choan.es
My first ukulele original
Nana para Eva,
performed by Wilfried Welti
A bunch of lullabies
And two albums in 2018:
- 10 minutos para ukelele solo
- Lullabies for Astronauts
Then instructional material
50 Miniature Studies for Ukulele (est. 2019)
Contemporary and minimalist music
I was surprised anyone else was interested!
The Cheerless Walk
Performed by Giovanni Albini.
Common Blue
Performed by Samantha Muir.
Bigger Steps
Performed by Donald Bousted.
I publish music
I run my own music publishing business,
The Ukulele Bookshop
My books
- 50 Miniature Studies for Ukulele
- Waltz in Progress
- Brevities for baritone ukulele
- May the Low 4th
- For Four Fingers
- Eight Rags a Week
And others'
Arthropoda, by Tony Mizen
50 Miniature Studies for Ukulele
50 Miniature Studies for Ukulele
- A set of brief pieces created to develop a variety of musical performance abilities and fingerpicking techniques.
- All of these studies are written for C6 re-entrant tuning and can be played on any sized instrument within a range of 12 frets.
50 Miniature Studies for Ukulele
This collection offers a smorgasbord of musical flavors through an expansive variety of styles, tempos, keys, modes, meters, and diverse musical character. And every piece might elicit in the player a different aesthetic response, from joy, humor, excitement, and carefree whimsy to serious emotion and intense pathos.
—Todd Fiegel
Ebb Tide
Gertrude by the Window
Turpial
Waltz in Progress
Waltz in Progress
- 12 original waltzes for solo ukulele
- Re-entrant tuning
- Inspired by the collections published by the great guitarists of the romantic era
- Ranging from fairly easy to quite demanding
Waltz in Progress
Each one of these twelve new waltzes for solo ukulele by Choan Gálvez is dedicated to a ukulelist, somehow representing something of the dedicatee, as both their character and the one of the composer are mixed, ideally dancing together. The music is incisive and vivid and—as it’s always the case with Gálvez’s—a pleasure to play.
–Giovanni Albini
Christopher's
Performed by the dedicatee, Christopher Davis-Shannon
Larry's
Brevities for baritone ukulele
Brevities for baritone ukulele
Brevities is a collection of short solo pieces for baritone ukulele aimed at the intermediate fingerpicker. In this set I intend to profit from the extended range, the sustain, and the resonance that this instrument and its tuning provide.
Styles go from renaissance inspiration to Brazilian choro, melancholic waltzes to exciting ragtime.
Brevities for baritone ukulele
Always engaging, charming, clever and witty, sometimes dark or melancholic, Gálvez is undoubtedly a major voice in original ukulele composition and this book will be loved and cherished by all baritone players and their audiences.
–Tony Mizen
Brevity for Eloína
Brevity for Cathy
May the Low 4th
May the Low 4th
- Written for low G ukulele
- Most of the pieces will fit beginner and intermediate fingerpickers—though mastering them may be challenging.
- The last four are quite demanding!
- Among the repertoire you’ll find tango, samba, melancholic waltzes, Renaissance inspired brief works…
May the Low 4th
Playful, delightful and bursting with musicality; these pieces would be equally at home in the concert hall or on the beach. This is the kind of thing our community needs: original music that explores and expands the voice of the ukulele. Bravo!
–James Hill
Medina Albaida
Opens with a quote from Gaspar Sanz's Españoleta.
Rubia
For Four Fingers
For Four Fingers
- A collection of ten one-minute pieces for re-entrant ukulele
- Mostly simple melodies
- Only four frets (or less!) are used in each arrangement
- Campanella, campanella,… and campanella
For Four Fingers
Another fine collection of original pieces by Choan and a must-have for anyone interested in fingerstyle ukulele.
–Jonathan Lewis
Five
Eight
Eight Rags a Week
Eight Rags a Week
- Original ragtime music for solo ukulele
- Release this next week!
- Re-entrant tuning required
Eight Rags a Week
Eight Rags a Week is a wonderful collection of ragtime influenced pieces. Syncopated melodies dance over a steady beat with delightful twists and turns to challenge the player and engage the listener. With clever composition, arrangement, and clear notes on performance these charming pieces really let the ukulele sing. Bravo Choan!
–Phil Doleman
Tuesday's Rag
Saturday's Rag
What's next?
- Ukes2dies, a collection of duets
- The Wonder of Simple Things, a set of progressive pieces for beginners
- Dream Big, Little Monster (album)
- Undressed (album)
I teach music
- In person, for groups of adults at a community center
- Online, one-to-one (not so active recently, due to workload on other matters)
I teach music
- Many of my music has didactic purposes
- I intend my publications to be helpful
- I do arrangements as required
I teach music
Tenderness
Tenderness
Thanks!
Questions?
Free samples
Free samples of my books are available from
The Ukulele Bookshop.
Check them out at
https://www.theukulelebookshop.com/free-ukulele-scores/
Fancy a discount?
Use the code UKINS2303
for a 20% discount on any of the digital editions at
www.theukulelebookshop.com
Offer valid until end of March 2023