James Hill - Assam/Like a Bird

I posted ukuleletim, Tim Keogh playing James Hill's Assam/like a Bird earlier today, and now I've found James Hill playing himself, accompanied by Anne Davison on cello and his own foot taps - you have to watch this video, believe me! Of course, it's simply gorgeous! A blend of clawhammer and campanella style - Tim Keough says that James wrote the second part of this medley in tribute to John King. I've posted here before about John King and campanella style uke. Check out the tag-cloud at the foot of the page.... and as for me, I'm delighted to be booked into one of James's workshops at Ukulele Festival of Great Britain in June. I can't wait for that...

And if you want Tim's tab, go to ukulelesecrets blog...

Meanwhile, enjoy James Hill - Assam/Like a Bird

Bach Bouree from BWV 1006: John King ukulele

I discovered the late great John King a little while ago. If you like his style of playing, it's called "campanella" and it derives from campanology, or bell-ringing. I have it on good authority that John King adapted this style of playing for the ukulele, in as much as that the bell-like sound of each note is made by playing successive notes of a melody on different strings, so that each note can ring out into the next note, like a bell.

Al Wood of the great uke blog "Uke Hunt" has just done a new a superb blog post on campanella, with a great explanation and tabs. (2nd Aug 2012)

This link should put you straight on to it. Wonderful stuff.

Thanks, Woodshed!