December trips along....

December is tripping along nicely, like a merry dance... it began with a few days away in the sun in the eastern Mediterranean, and continued with the usual flurry and frenzy of preparations for Christmas. Cards to write, presents to buy, and rehearsals for the "turns" we always do to contribute to the after-dinner entertainment at the regular mid-December Christmas function/party.

I do love to sing, but can't claim to have any talent for it - When sorting out with the two friends (the Welsh contingent - can't stop 'em singing...) who was going to sing the melody line in a particular carol, I said, "well I can sing top F..." and our friend (male - a woman wouldn't have said it - ) replied - "yes but it's a matter of whether you should....." 'Nuff said.

So we rehearsed our ancient carols in good company, and on my own I shut myself away with my Formby split-strokes. And as I've already told you, LHS and I performed "When I'm Cleaning Windows", him singing, me playing, complete with (basic) split-stroke solo done by the skin of my teeth, fueled by a very modest amount of alcohol. I have to say, the feeling of success is intoxicating enough - the "practice, practice, practice" mantra is so right - no gain without time and concentration.

Meanwhile, old friends to meet up with and sing with - In Birmingham's iconic old Town Hall, we sang carols to the beautiful organ that Mendelssohn played at the first recital in 1837. The Town Hall was full, the organ sounded fantastic, and the three of us sang our hearts out like we used to in the school choir, all those years ago.

Add to that mix the experience of performing as part of a choir on stage with Maddy Prior and the Carnival Band, again at Birmingham Town Hall, on Monday night - totally unforgettable.

December brings the Frankfurt German Christmas Market to Birmingham, and it seems to get bigger and better every year - the stalls almost circle the Town Hall, go all round Millennium Square and all the way down New Street...so atmospheric... on a Saturday it's heaving, and quite impossible, but any other day it's a great way to spend an afternoon, browsing and sampling the Gluhwein, mulled cider and all manner of treats to eat.

And so December trips on, and the shortest day is nearly here. Here at home the tree is up and decorated, and the fairy lights are up - even in the kitchen - and yesterday I managed to find an hour to go and strum and sing with the uke group. All Christmas songs - lovely way to spend an afternoon.

Nearly there...

Thanks for looking in.....

Eugene Ukulele now has his own website!

Oh yes, good news; one of my favourite uke players now has his own website. If you have enjoyed Eugene Ukulele's videos on this blog, on Youtube or anywhere else, get yourself over there and have a look.

The tag-cloud at the bottom of the page will take you to a few videos if you haven't seen any. Just look for eugeneukulele.

His website is called eugene's old-time ukulele and it really is great! I won't tell you any more - just get over there and take a look!

What's more - eugene (Jon) is one of the nicest folk around.

Here's one of his original songs, which you see over there... I love this!

Meanwhile....GO UKULELE CRAZY CHRISTMAS MIX 2012

Meanwhile, if I hadn't been out partying and playing my banjolele on Wednesday evening, I might have been here, playing Christmas songs with Joanna Stevenson and one of her uke groups. This time they were enjoying a few minutes of fame on the radio!



Jo runs Go Ukulele Crazy; she and her husband John do no less than eleven different weekly classes at various locations in the region - now there's keen for you. The uke is certainly a little bug that bites deep! There are occasional banjo-uke sessions, too - I'll get to one of those, one day - the calendar just hasn't allowed it so far.

Playing "Window Cleaner" - Did It!

Yes, I did it - I didn't sing it, mind - I would have felt particularly silly singing the greatest Peeping Tom song of all time, as a female of senior years - but it was great fun to contribute to the general entertainment, and I'd given myself a good talking-to before we went out - as well as re-reading Caroline Robson's advice on stage-fright. (September post) And do you know what - I got through that split-stroke solo... it was very basic, but it was there. A bit rough, but it was there. I let LSH make the introductory jokes, all at my expense of course - kept smiling! And I just kept on smiling, and did it!

I slid out of the room to get my uke ready during the stand-up bingo. (That's a great after dinner game - everyone buys a bingo ticket, everyone stands as the numbers are called out, but they sit down as soon as one of their numbers is called. Last person standing is the winner.) I checked the tuning and started to go through the solo for a warm-up - but the game was over so fast, even before I'd finished - no time to think and get nervous, we were on!

It is good to play for a friendly home crowd, but having someone alongside to share the load and the attention was a big help to me - (fortunately, Long-Suffering-Husband actually enjoys performing, but doesn't play,) and it does help to know that everyone wants to enjoy themselves and wants you to do well. I know those chords so well, it was only the solo that I was unsure of getting through - but yes, it was a good day after all, the atmosphere was great, and with a following wind behind me and a G&T inside me, I did it. It does feel like a bit of an achievement, though I know it's only a start, as Formby-type solos go. Something to build on. And LSH said it was the best I'd done it.... funny, that....

On 24th November, I told you how Jonathan Richards had helped me to get my head round Formby soloing, and promised to let you know how I got on with it - well, this is how I got on! So, thanks to Jonathan, (GFS Convention November) and to Caroline Robson for the support and general good advice! What lovely people.....

Split-stroke with a metronome? You've got to be kidding!

Yes, I followed my Beloved's advice; I set a speed for the metronome and began to play along..... fine until - the banjo-uke solo. Play syncopation with a tick-tock on the beat? No way, absolutely no way. I was all over the place. May the Lord help me if helpful, encouraging folk start to clap along with us tonight... I will be finished, without a doubt. Please don't let them clap along...

And another thing - can't play with a bandaged finger - if the blood flows, then the blood flows, so be it. It's sharp fret-ends - catch them at the side of your nail and you draw blood...

At least the carols should go well - we're doing a couple of carols in four part harmony with two friends. The Boar's Head Carol and the Sans Day Carol - just the choruses in harmony... not too difficult, you can hide your voice among the others, and it goes down well.

As for the split-stroke solo - LSH came in this morning while I was practising - a little bit faster - "That sounds better," he said - praise indeed. But will the stage-fright and lack of opportunity for a quick warm-up just wreck the brain-hand coordination... probably, yes. But I'll be in good company, won't I - if Frank Skinner can come unstuck with it...

And I've tightened the vellum again - just a little turn on each nut, missing two out all the way round until I'd done them all. It does sound better -

Oh well, nearly there...

How's my split-stroke? Well, my finger's bleeding....

Thanks to one kind young man name of Johnathan Richards, I can now see how the Formby syncopated split-stroke fits into the structure of the chords for a solo... and on a good day with a following wind, I can just about get through a very basic solo passage for Cleaning Windows... but I can't believe I've really got the gall to be standing up doing it in front of an audience tomorrow night. Well. I won't be singing it, that's one thing - LSH (Long-Suffering-Husband) will be doing the honours there... and the 60-strong audience are not paying, so I've no shame - it's a DIY entertainment after a Christmas dinner - all friends and friends-of-friends, and fairly forgiving (thank goodness) after a good meal and a few glasses of wine - but these last few days, after returning from a holiday in the sun doing nothing but read books and lounge about, it's been a frenzy of Christmas preparations and banjo-uke practice. Hence no time for blogging... LSH is full of advice, which I endure with gritted teeth; (he doesn't play...) "Practice with a metronome..." "They only want to hear the solo..." "Can't you give it a bit more welly...!" Grrrrr... just get your words right, Darling....

With luck, by the time it's our turn, they'll all be past caring - which will be just as well, because there simply won't be a following wind...

Why aren't I doing something easier? Now that's a very good question. Perhaps because my Beloved thinks it's only worth playing a banjo-uke if you do the split-strokes and triples... it certainly would be much easier to give 'em Five Foot Two ....

So - I'll let you know how it goes... keep your fingers crossed for me!

Below, you'll find Johnathan's brother Matthew and his wonderful tuition video on the split-stroke. He recommends doing Madame Moscovitch for starters..... Shoulda. I really shoulda......

Here's Matthew J Richards with his demonstration of the Formby Split Stroke

Superb tuition video, this....