A bluegrass duet on ukulele from the city walls of Lucca, Italy.... SNOWDROP from Ken Middleton

I love bluegrass played on ukulele... so I had to share this. Ken often plays bluegrass clawhammer style, but this time decided to play finger-style. Any style is fine by me... Ken has such a laid-back, relaxed and relaxing style of playing - I always feel soothed and smoothed down after listening to him play! Nice to hear Lorenzo, (Ukulollo) too.. love that tee-shirt - I want one... Ukulele Underground?

Ken writes... "Lorenzo (Ukulollo) and I sitting high on the old walls of Lucca, Italy.
We are playing an old bluegrass banjo tune called "Snowdrop". It was apparently first recorded by Kirk and Sam McGee in the 1930's."

Roly Poly and Wildwood Flower, ukulele duet

So, folks, something to cheer and energise, this Monday morning - Tim Keough (ukuleletim) and Jim Beasley having a blast... you can almost see the smoke coming off those strings! This just has to lighten the heart...

"Wildwood Flower" is probably my favourite bluegrass piece and you'll hear a great version tucked in the middle of Roly Poly - a new one on me. Look out for the clawhammer passage....



Tim says "An old Bob Wills favorite paired with a popular old time American song arranged for ukulele duet. Jim Beasley on right, Tim Keough on left. We have a little too much fun in one part so I just spliced to the end to spare discomfort to audience and player."

Tim's website is ukulelesecrets.org where Tim tells "how to play ukulele like a badass" and has lots of articles on playing campanella style.

Yee-ha!

Now down to some serious Monday Morning stuff....

Cripple Creek- Clawhammer Ukulele - Aaron Keim

Here's Aaron Keim playing clawhammer style on a Mya-Moe uke - clawhammer is a percussive way of playing fingerstyle originating from banjo playing in the Appalachians. Back in the 60's, Pete Seeger used it to great effect with the long neck 5 string banjo, which he invented.

I love this - had to share..... hope you like it too....

To Follow up Ken, Here Comes Johnny! Are Ukuleles Allowed in Bluegrass?

The first thing I thought of to follow Ken's Wildwood Flower bluegrass piece, was this offering from Johnny Foodstamp of Nashville, a cover of "Ukuleles Aren't Allowed in Bluegrass!"



I just love that banjo-uke delivery! Written by Bob Gross.

Nice one, Johnny!

Wildwood Flower - a ukulele improvisation by Ken Middleton

I have a passion for the wildwood, the ancient woodlands and forests that have so very nearly disappeared from our "green and pleasant land." My last post featured a photo I took last year of an ancient oak tree in Sherwood Forest. What a beautiful place, mystical beyond belief, with ancient oaks that were living hundreds of years ago.

It has nothing to do with the traditional American bluegrass tune "Wildwood Flower", of course - but it does make a link! So I think I can get away with it! I first heard Wildwood Flower as a banjo piece... that was when I was saving for a 5 string banjo, before I got pole-axed by the banjolele and bought my 20's Slingerland instead. I was thrilled when I came across Ken Middleton's ukulele version. Bluegrass on a ukulele? YES! Give me more.....!

Ken Middleton is another of my Ukulele Heroes. He's a great ambassador for the Ukulele, and frequently pops up on the UU Forum to give help and guidance. And he's also almost a local man, which has to be good! I love his version of "Wildwood Flower" and I've been working hard to learn it from the tab - almost there! Although I have to say, my attempt is not quite as you hear Ken on the above video! Some way to go I think, but I love playing it and most of it is there in the muscle memory now - my first bluegrass piece! But it won't be my last!

On Ken and finger-picking, read an interesting interview with him here...

His webpage, with free tabs to download, is here.

Thanks, Ken!

Dueling Banjos (On One Ukulele)

I've found me another Ukulele Hero! He goes by the pseudonym Woodshed, and he has arranged Dueling Banjos, (that wonderful duet between a 5 string banjo and a guitar, used in the film "Deliverance",) for one ukulele.

It is an awesome arrangement. I've downloaded the tab but I'll never be able to play it. He gets two completely different tone colours by alternating playing on the fingerboard with playing down past the sound hole for the "guitar" passages.

The ukulele is a KoAloha Sceptre tenor; solid koa wood, made in Hawaii. You can see Woodshed's review of it on his blog, Uke Hunt here.

Hail Woodshed, you've got another fan!

Edit - some folk have asked for the tab - so here's a link to Woodshed's page on his fabulous blog, Uke Hunt! A link to the tab is on there!