Peter Moss - how to make a ukulele solo

A quickie. I had to post this. Regular readers will know that I've posted Peter Moss before - just check out the label cloud at the bottom of the page for more... but here's a wonderful freebie from virtuoso player Peter Moss... how to make a ukulele solo!



And... if you liked that (who wouldn't?) Peter is now doing individual Skype lessons!

Details here....

Thanks for dropping in!

Peter Moss - US mini-tour starts 15th November!

Peter Moss - the name is spreading... and so it should be!

You know Lil Rev? He's quite a name in ukulele circles. Well now, at Lil Rev's request, Peter Moss is going to be appearing on the same bill at the 6th Annual Milwaukee Ukulele Festival on the 22nd November... and before that he'll be in Florida, doing concerts and workshops in Bonita Springs and Fort Lauderdale, then near Orlando,) and after Milwaukee he'll be in Dayton and Cincinatti, Ohio!

If you want to know what I think of Peter Moss as a performer and workshop leader, just type his name into the search box on the right, to find previous posts! He's just fantastic!

Here's the whole itinerary - the fun starts on 15th November!

If you can get to one of these events, seriously, do not miss - I mean it, do not miss!

Have fun, Pete - and Bon Voyage!

The Great Northern Ukulele Festival 2014 - got my ticket - have you got yours?

The second Great Northern Ukulele Festival (England) is being held this year in Huddersfield, after great success in Pontefract last year. And this year I'm going, even though it falls only the week before the GFS September convention in Blackpool. LSH (Long-Suffering-Husband) approves as he reckons he can spend lots of time exploring the Huddersfield taverns selling over a dozen different brands of real ale - should I say Real Ale!

With the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain headlining and a veritable host of big uke names performing and doing workshops, it's all set to be another rip-roaring success - so my advice is, get your tickets and workshop tickets NOW....

There are no fewer than seventeen workshops to choose from, over the two days (13th and 14th September) and they will sell out, so if you don't want to be disappointed, get it sorted! The workshops are selling well, and the latest additions to the list of workshop tutors are no other than two of my favourite performers, the great Peter Moss and Ukulelezaza (Remco Houtman-Janssen)

Peter Moss workshop

FROM MAJOR to MINOR, WHAT COULD BE FINER? - Music Playing Workshop Sat 13 Sep 2014, 2:00PM

"In the workshop we will explore how to play general root position chords.
Then I will construct popular chord sequences in the keys of C, F & G. Also
introducing Minor chords & relevant combinations. Next to explore what 4/4
& 3/4 mean and how they can be applied."

Ukulelezaza workshop

12th STREET RAG - Music Playing Workshop Sat 13 Sep 2014, 11:00AM

"Always thought the classic ukulele tune 12th Street Rag was beyond your capabilities as a strummer? It's not! Ukulelezaza will teach you the basic melody line and will show you how to elaborate on that with both the left and the right hand. Slowly at first, and with some practice you can speed it up and wow your partner, friends, family and pets even more."

Regular readers will know that I have featured both of these great instrumentalists several times in this blog - just search the tag-cloud at the bottom!

Five weeks to go and I'm quite excited about this festival - check it out, see who's going to be playing... and there's even a Festival Fringe! with a range of extra events!

Well - I'll see you there!

Thanks for dropping in!

The 2014 March Convention of the George Formby Society approaches - and I'm still flitting...

Just quickly - In a day or two, this blog will be celebrating its 2nd birthday, and I'm hoping on that day to give you a roundup of my ukulele journey so far. I'll do my best, the intention is there - but as my mother always used to say, "The road to hell is paved with good intentions!" Meanwhile, let me report on last week's ukafrolics, as promised.

Peter Moss's ukulele workshop and concert for we members of "Go Ukulele Crazy" in Alrewas (Staffordshire, England) did not disappoint. We explored all sorts of jazzy intros and endings to songs, in different keys, and everyone got something out of it, even the real beginners who just knew a chord or two. Peter's warm and easy style made the atmosphere just perfect. And as for his performance for us afterwards - spellbinding. LSH had to agree. What a player! See him perform his signature piece "William Tell" here... Of Peter, Steven Sproat (great player) commented here "he's the only uke player who makes my jaw drop.." Praise indeed!

On Saturday we trundled off to Dudley to see Andy Eastwood open the second half for Ken Dodd, of Knotty Ash Jam Butty Mines fame.... stupendous. Andy performs with such energy and versatility - banjo-uke, ukulele, violin... a real professional. You need plenty of stamina to perform with Doddy - he's famed for not closing a show until 1.00 am....

My personal ukafrolics over the last week or two have involved lots of Formby-style banjo-uke practice, as next weekend it's Blackpool - the March GFS convention. I hate to admit that my good intentions apropos of the "thrash" for that have gone astray once again - at every convention I promise myself that I'll learn more songs ready for the thrash, (where everyone just gets up and joins in the playing) - and I always disappoint myself, I always fall short, through not putting enough time in on them. I then have to position myself where I can watch a good player's fretting hand, to follow the chords... good fun though! For my sins, instead of concentrating on Formby, in my playing I flit from piece to piece, from Formby to jazz, from Tin Pan Alley to pop, from folk to blues, from songs to instrumentals and back again, round and round, round and round... and just make slow progress, albeit across a pretty wide field.

But I am making progress, I know I am... and you know, I'm having so much fun....

Peter Moss plays two of my all-time favourite songs at the George Formby Convention, Nov 2013

This was so special. These two songs, played so beautifully here by Peter Moss, are among my top few all-time favourites. Til There Was You, and The Way You Look Tonight. I play them a lot, strumming versions, no melody-picking but beautiful chords - songs crafted by real song-masters.

Now, I've featured Peter on "Life's A Ukafrolic" several times before, but I didn't meet him until November, when at last he came to a convention of the George Formby Society and wowed everyone with this beautiful rendition. Isn't it gorgeous? Songs and playing that just melt your limbs. And the reason this is so special to me is because we'd been chatting during a break as he gently played through these songs, and I mentioned that they were my favourites - I didn't know he was actually going to play them on stage - well, when he did - and it's just before this video clip starts - he mentioned my name and sort-of dedicated them to me..... you can imagine how I felt! Such a lovely thing to do, and such a very nice fella... and of course, he was playing his lovely custom-built Pete Howlett tenor, which I've talked about on here before.

Now LSH, (Long-Suffering-Husband), had gone for a pint and a little walkabout round Blackpool, in spite of the cold and drear... so he missed my moment of.... I can't quite find the word! Perhaps its specialness.... that's what happens when you leave the room....

Thanks, as ever, to Peter Pollard for the video....

Next convention - less than two weeks away, 15th-16th March, Imperial Hotel, North Promenade, Blackpool.

This weekend will see Peter Moss doing a ukulele workshop for Go Ukulele Crazy near Lichfield, Staffordshire.

As Autumn Leaves start to fall, Peter Moss catches the Girl from Ipanema! Medley

Peter Moss really is a great player. I told you back in May how he has returned to his first love, the wooden uke... and all about his lovely new Pete Howlett custom tenor. His new medley of great old songs, Autumn Leaves and Girl from Ipanema really does hit the spot.... it's all there..... and watch for the interesting chord progression to link the two songs!



I love the change of tempo in Autumn Leaves, and with those jazz chords and Latin rhythms it really lifts the mood. As a result of watching this, I've been playing Autumn Leaves all evening! Fantastic song - but I haven't been playing this version of course! A rather simpler one....

Written in 1947, music by Joseph Kosma, words by Jacques Prevert....

Thanks for dropping in, folks - I'll be back....

Peter Moss ukulele solo - medley on Pete Howlett tenor

I've posted before about Peter Moss and his return to the wooden uke, and about the beautiful custom tenor uke that Pete Howlett built for him - well, here it is, played to perfection.... tuned to Bb.

Peter writes "I've had fun with this Pete Howlett Tenor Ukulele in the last 2 months or so. One night I dropped on "Feelings" and on consecutive nights, the other classic tunes fell into place. I hope who ever listens to this recognizes what a wonderful instrument this is and for me, an absolute joy to play. Thank you Mr H."

How can we not, Peter; how can we not - simply sublime.

Looking for a uke-fest to go to? How about this one - Ukulele Hooley in Dun Laoghaire, Dublin....

The Emerald Isle is calling to me... Yes, if you can get to Dun Laoghaire, just a few miles south of Dublin, this uke festival, Ukulele Hooley looks like another corker, not to be missed... 24th and 25th August... except that I have to miss it! I wish I could go! I've just looked at the line-up of artists... Peter Moss and George Elmes I have featured on here before - just go to the tag cloud at the bottom. Ukulele Uff and Lonesome Dave are also fantastic - saw them in Cheltenham. Janet Klein and Ian Whitcomb (read about him and his book here) are familiar names to me, and I know that Ken Middleton will be there also with Ohana Ukuleles. Lots of other promising-looking acts too, (sigh....)

Ah me.

Can't go.

Shucks....

Peter Moss, GFS Convention 1993 instrumental medley on wooden uke - amazing.

I make no apologies for posting Peter Moss again. Peter Pollard of the George Formby Society has just posted this video on YouTube of Peter playing an instrumental medley of well-loved classics on wooden uke at a 1993 GFS convention - and he writes,

"This was a brilliant performance from Peter, probably the best example of playing the wooden uke that I personally have seen on the GFS stage."



How wonderful was that! Twenty years ago this year - thank goodness Peter Pollard has long been recording these wonderful performances for posterity....and I wonder how long we shall have to wait before Peter Moss graces the stage at a GFS convention again. The next one is this weekend, 8th-9th June at the Imperial Hotel, North Shore, Blackpool... Matthew J Richards will be there, Mike Warren will be there, Andy Eastwood will be there! The friends I mentioned yesterday will be there, and many more stalwarts and newbies... and happily, I will be there to watch and listen to it all, but unfortunately for us, Peter Moss will not be there... if my memory serves me right, he'll be playing to packed houses in Nova Scotia. Apologies to all if my memory has let me down on that!

The medley Peter is playing - I can't nail the name of the first tune, which is definitely Spanish... but the second is Liebestraume by Liszt, and the third is popularly known as the Can-Can, from the light operetta Orpheus in the Underworld, by Offenbach.

Welcome back to the world of the wooden uke, Peter.... you've been away for far too long!

Ready! Peter Moss's new Pete Howlett uke!

What Peter Moss has been waiting for... just completed.... watch this space for first video performance!

For fine ukuleles hand-built in the UK, find Pete Howlett ukuleles here...

Peter Moss and his return to his first love - ukulele

In my last post I told you about the new ukulele that Pete Howlett is building in Wales for Peter Moss…. now let me tell you about Peter Moss himself.



The fact is that Peter Moss, a Lancashire lad, has been pretty well-known in the fretted instruments community around Toronto and Halifax, Nova Scotia since 1989, when he was tracked down by Mel Collie and asked to cross the Atlantic to attend the first Toronto meeting of FIGA, the Fretted Instruments Guild. Since then, he has built up quite a following over there, having been back to Toronto three times and to Halifax Nova Scotia six times, and has a sell-out gig coming up in June, but he has not been so well-known here on his home patch for a little while. It’s his banjo-ukulele playing that has them all sitting up and taking notice in Canada…

Well… in February this year, Peter’s wife bought him a wooden ukulele for his birthday. That was an inspired gift… it was not his first wooden uke, but truth to tell, he had not played one for many years… oh yes, he had had one before….. and fellow uke addicts will not be surprised to hear that upon picking up and playing his new ukulele, an old flame was instantly rekindled in his heart – a passion for the wooden ukulele. He started a YouTube channel and made some videos – wooden uke and banjolele. When I saw them I was pretty impressed by his dazzling playing. Now, the name and ukulele playing of Peter Moss were completely new to me, but it quickly became clear that his name was already very well known to the ukulele and banjolele cognoscenti over here….. and I was very curious!



Well, I have been able to have a chat with Peter and I can tell now you more – as promised.

Peter has not been away from making music in the UK, but he has been concentrating on guitar and saxophone for some time. Life’s twists and turns had steered him away from his first love, the ukulele – but thanks to his wife and that birthday uke, Peter is back.

He has been telling me his story….

It began with another birthday ukulele. His father, who played Spanish guitar, bought him a wooden uke for his eighth birthday, and taught him to play it. Peter took to it like a duck to water. By the time he was ten and a half, he was a competent strummer and had already won a local talent competition hosted by the Manchester Evening News. He also had a little show set with his sister Wendy. In those days the Formby songs were considered too risqué for children to sing, so their Dad taught them the old Tin Pan Alley songs like Baby Face, Five Foot Two, Who’s Sorry Now… becoming a young member of the George Formby Society, Peter learned the split-stroke and other Formby strums and was rapidly increasing his skills and repertoire.
His father had taught him all he knew, and wisely introduced Peter to other skilled players.

One very influential person was Ray Bernard, a founder member of the newly formed George Formby Society. Ray played melody … Lady of Spain, Rubinstein’s Melody in F…. and Peter was fascinated. From that moment he was committed to this style of playing. Then George Graham, the banjo repair man for Shep’s Banjo Boys lent Peter a recording by Roy Smeck. And by ear, from that record, Peter learned to play Roy Smeck. Virtuoso stuff indeed. From playing around the chords and picking out melody finger-style, Peter taught himself chord melody playing and improvisation. He was not yet thirteen.

In 1973, when Peter Moss was still only 12, there came a significant milestone in his musical journey. Peter had been working on a banjo-ukulele version on the William Tell Overture, no less… with galloping triples, finger-picking and a great crescendo… he played it in the annual competition of the Northern Branch of the BMG – British Banjo, Mandolin and Guitar Federation, in Wythenshawe - it went down a storm – and he won. Later that year, he played it in the Southern Branch competition, and won that, too. Peter was the first person to work out the William Tell Overture of banjo-uke, and he was still only 12 and a half. It’s still played as a show piece by gifted players.

1973 ended with a TV appearance for the young Peter Moss, playing with his sister Wendy in the Christmas Special of Junior Showtime, playing old-time banjo-uke favourites like Somebody Stole My Girl.

It’s great to see Peter Moss back on the ukulele-banjolele scene here at home, where he is picking up new fans all over the place.

If you want to catch up with him, coming up – places world-wide to catch up with the great playing of Peter Moss!

By Pete Howlett - Peter Moss's new custom-built ukulele in English Cherry

So - that's why Peter Moss was visiting the renowned ukulele luthier Pete Howlett at his workshop in Wales - Pete is building him a new performance signature ukulele ... and, courtesy Of Peter Moss, here it is in the first stages of build.




The body is English cherry and the neck is alder. My dream exactly - a perfectly-crafted Pete Howlett ukulele made of beautiful English woods.... the fingerboard is ebony and the inlay is green marble-type. What a beauty that is going to be. And in the hands of a virtuoso player like Peter Moss, it will sing like the angels..... we just have to be patient and wait a while until it's finished to hear it.

Do check out Peter Moss's YouTube channel, and Pete Howlett's website - see my previous post for links!

And coming up - more info on this great ukulele and banjolele player....

Peter Moss pays Pete Howlett a visit....

My last post was in praise of Pete Howlett ukuleles.... and I recently shared a video by the renowned British player Peter Moss. Well, Peter Moss decided to pay a visit to Pete Howlett's workshop in Wales... and here is the resulting combination - Peter Moss plays a sizzling solo on one of Pete Howlett's tenors.



If you enjoyed that, listen to this..... medley played by Peter Moss on his YouTube channel.

Wonderful, or what?

Please meet Peter Moss, with a blistering "Some of These Days" on banjo-uke

I have only had the pleasure of hearing Peter Moss's playing over the last few days... I need to learn more of this man! Wooden uke, banjo-uke..... there will be more, just wait a bit..... I'll be back with more information, just give me a little time.... and meanwhile, enjoy that video again, and give Peter a sub to his channel....