So what turned me on to the ukulele? It was this....

So what turned me on to the ukulele? I know I've told you before, but I've just watched the video again, and I have to show you again...it was this....

Joe Brown playing a soprano uke, "I'll See You in My Dreams" at the memorial concert at the Albert Hall for George Harrison - such a moving and bitter-sweet rendition of this lovely old song - and the performance that quickened my heart and made me say - "That's gorgeous - I want one of those - I think I can get to grips with that - "

Well, my lovely husband bought me one, and yes, I am getting to grips with the ukulele, I think - stuck at "advanced beginner" maybe, but getting there, a strum at a time...

"Bye Bye Blues" - Melody Style Tutorial, Parts 1 and 2 by Matthew James Richards

For months now, I have been watching and listening to good ukulele players playing songs and tunes in a style that plays the chords, but also picks out the melody - and wanting - no, yearning to be able to do it. The other day I was thrilled to discover that one of my ukulele heroes, Matthew J Richards, has done two tutorial videos on Bye Bye Blues as an introduction to playing this way. Matthew uses basic chords in this arrangement, and shows how to pick out the melody with the thumb, strumming the chords in the spaces between the notes. Watch the videos, you'll see what I mean. Matthew is a superb teacher. Following these videos has really helped me to begin to understand just how this technique of playing melody-style is done...

The song is the 1930 jazz standard "Bye Bye Blues" - the same song that I featured yesterday in a chord tutorial by that other great uke teacher, Mike Lynch. The arrangement is completely different, and I love both - Matthew's for the melody-style arrangement, and Mike Lynch's for the jazzy chords!



Now watch Part 2 to see how to play this Melody Style....



Matthew is a fine musician and a very nice person, I can attest. Piano tuner, entertainer, a stalwart of the George Formby Society (GFS) along with the rest of the Richards family, his banjo-uke playing is simply a joy, and he also plays keyboard with the band to accompany other players at the GFS Conventions in Blackpool. I'll be posting more of his videos. Read more about him here.

I discover Kalei Gamiao and The Unknown

A thoughtful Galei fan on the Ukulele Underground Forum offered a link to click - and I saw this video for the first time.

Take a deep breath.....



The videos I feature on here, I choose for a variety of reasons. They entertain me and make me smile; they inspire me or help me in learning to play more skilfully, and to play more interesting chords; they move me... this great piece of instrumental playing grabbed me by the scruff of the neck, caught my breath and quickened my pulse. Pure adrenalin, pure excitement. People want to be able to play this. I want to be able to play this! Sometime.... patience - practice - practice....

Kalei works with Kamaka Ukuleles of Hawaii. Suffice it for now to say that Kamaka is the oldest of the "K" brands of ukulele - the top flight, the best. And for those with deep pockets!

If you fancy having a go at this, see the great Dominator's tutorial videos here.

To read more about Kalei, click here - a blog page I found.

Oh, and needless to say - Kalei Gamiao has to be another ukulele hero!

Tip of the Day for Beginners - Play a 3 Chord Song by Ear

And another ukulele hero - Jim D'Ville

The best way to develop your musical skills is to test them, challenge them - and develop your musical "ear".

Check over the list of 3 chord songs on the 3 chord song page here... choose a song that you're familiar with, and have a go at strumming it without a song sheet.

Chances are, the first chord will be C, because when you play a 3 chord song with C, F and G7, you're "in the key of C" and C is the chord you'll start with and end with - it's the "home chord".

You may well hear when the chord should change - and you've only a choice of 2! As you go through it, and it will likely be by trial and error for a while, try to remember the right chords as you find them. Practice changing chords in the right place - it will get easier. It's rather like doing a puzzle, but the right chord will sound right, that's the thing.

Gradually you will learn the song. A boost for your skills, and a big boost for your confidence!

I love this approach and I've always played by ear from childhood, being desperate to play (piano, recorder) and unable to lay my hands on sheet music, I used to work it out. It was and is fun....I still do it - it's only practice, and perseverance. I'm not brilliant at it; (Jools Holland learned to play piano by ear and IS brilliant...)

Of course, 2 and 3 chord songs are only the beginning - as new chords are added to those three in more complex arrangements, the interplay of major and minor chords is an entrancing revelation.

A big ukulele exponent of playing by ear is Jim D'Ville. Check out his website, there's great stuff on there - and a link to his "3 Chord Club" - worth more than a few minutes!

"You're The Cream In My Coffee" with Eugene Ukulele

Here in the UK, days are still rather chilly but it's spring. Apple blossom time and all that. In Tasmania, home of "Eugene Ukulele" it's autumn... and Eugene has spiced up his delightful rendition of "You're the Cream in my Coffee" with the appropriate autumnal setting and colours, especially the little red soprano ukulele!

Another catchy song from the 1920's to become a standard, the music was written in 1928 by Ray Henderson, lyrics by Buddy G deSilva and Lew Brown. Eugene gives it his own special treatment! Guaranteed to bring a smile!

Enjoy....

WORRIED MAN BLUES - Ken Middleton plays Clawhammer Ukulele

Here's one of my Ukulele Heroes, Ken Middleton, with his new video of Worried Man Blues on an Ohana ukulele. He's playing clawhammer style, 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. There are plenty of clawhammer banjo videos on Youtube - but here Ken shows the versatility of the wonderful ukulele once again!

Look here at ezfolk.com for more on clawhammer ukulele, with some tips.

Bach Prelude from the First Suite for Unaccompanied Cello, on Ukulele

Bach Prelude from the First Suite for Unaccompanied Cello

This is simply stunning. This well-known and well-loved prelude, written most likely betweem 1717 and 1723, is often heard on TV and radio, and consists mainly of arpeggiated chords. Beautifully arranged for ukulele by John Moen and played here by John himself on "Stella", his myrtle tenor uke by Mya-Moe, it is jaw-droppingly exquisite. I could just listen over and over again... and I do.

Bach, what a composer - and John Moen - boy, what a musician!

Read all about Bach's Cello Suites here.

And watch more of John Moen's ukulele videos as ukuthemighty. He does a fantastic version of "I Will Survive"... a great voice, too! Watch it and get to know John Moen a little better!

Another Ukulele Hero for me...!

Here Come the Old Songs - with John Bianchi

I've said before how I love the old songs; they've survived down the years because they were crafted by song-writers who knew how to grab the listener with a melody, a chord progression and the right set of lyrics. The ukulele revival seems to have gone hand in hand with a resurgence of interest in the old songs. After all, the uke was hugely popular in the years between the two world wars.

Another Ukulele Hero of mine is John Bianchi of New York. He is another ace banjo-ukulele player, and he particularly loves the old songs of the 1920's. On this video he's playing his vintage Slingerland, singing an old Al Bowlly number called "My Canary has Circles Under his Eyes". It's a catchy number, full of fun, and really conjures up the atmosphere of the years between the wars. Al Bowlly was a hugely popular singer in those years - he had a wonderfully sweet voice. I heard of him through my mother; he was her favourite singer, she used to swoon over his voice. You'll know it as the one singing "Goodnight Sweetheart." I'd never heard "My Canary has Circles..." before, but John has a lovely voice too, to add to his talents, and does a great rendition. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!



John, thanks for the help you gave me on my Slingerland banjo-uke. You are a kind banjolele hero!

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!

Amanda Palmer - The Ukulele Anthem (Occupy Wall Street 10/12 NYC)

I'd never heard this, and never heard of Amanda Palmer until I saw CountryMouse's rendition the other week. But this lady is pretty impressive! I just love the passion for the ukulele, the words, the gutsy delivery and the sheer youthful energy and exuberance! Another ukulele hero (heroine?) indeed. I just love it!

The chords are easy, but those words'll take some learning!

A Country Mouse meets Amanda Palmer! Sort-of.....

I hadn't heard of Amanda Palmer until I happened across a Youtube video of a lady doing her number "Ukulele Anthem". I loved the song, and I loved the way that "CountryMouse" puts it over - not raunchy, just simply - and a really pleasant voice. Lucky her! She actually reminds me of Joni Mitchell!

It turns out that Amanda Palmer has seen it, too - and likes it! She tweeted as much...... now there's something really refreshing and heart-warming about this story. Two new ukulele heroes for me - and I'm Amanda Palmer's latest fan!

Thank you, CountryMouse...and keep 'em comin'! I don't do videos - not yet...I like your style!

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!

A Forgotten Ukulele Hero - Cliff Edwards, "Ukulele Ike"

I saw this video the other day on another blog, and just had to explore further. Have you ever heard of Cliff Edwards? I hadn't. But a pound to a penny you've heard his voice.... the voice of Jimminy Cricket, in Disney's Pinnochio. "When You Wish Upon a Star"...? And I found this very sad tale.



How sad that even in his own home town he is not remembered. I discovered the story on this blog, about the old movies. Thanks to Jonas Nordin the blogger.

James Hill - Hand Over My Heart

I only discovered James Hill the other day. He's from Nova Scotia. Seems to be pretty good........! Another Ukulele Hero, without a doubt.

New Song.

A New Ukulele Hero - Roger - Roger Williams, Luthier

"Luthier" isn't a word that comes normally into conversation. It wasn't even in my vocabulary until very recently - but I now know that a luthier is a person who builds and repairs stringed instruments.

Roger Williams does NOT build ukuleles; he builds guitars, beautiful ones, commissioned and played by professional artists in their field; classical, flamenco, acoustic and baroque... and he tends and repairs them, as well as supplying and fitting pick-up systems to acoustic guitars. And he does refretting and fret-dressing.

Little banjo-ukuleles are not his usual bread-and butter. But the wonderful man has fixed mine up.

My little bird's eye maple, 90 year-old beauty made by Slingerland needed a bit of professional attention. When she arrived, she looked pretty darned good for an instrument built in the 1920's - but I couldn't tune her up because of a slipping friction tuner. I fixed it - but the action was too high, and the frets were chewing up one of the strings. Johnny Foodstamp suggested that it was time for some professional intervention, and the search was on. I found Roger. He agreed that my little darlin' was indeed a beauty, looking so good that she could have passed for five years old, and agreed to level and reshape the frets. He filed down the slots in the nut to lower the action, and perfected the bridge. He put the head on the neck perfectly straight and tightened up the bolts on the tension hooks. And now I can play her.

What a hero - when you see him at work in his workshop, building a beautiful guitar, you will know how privileged I feel that he did this for me and my little banjo-ukulele. Thank you Roger!

Please watch the video of Roger at work, building one of his wonderful guitars.

Note - this was originally posted two days ago, but in editing the post today to embed the video, rather than linking it, I've managed to muck up the order and it has come out as another new post.

"Joe Brown Hails Ukulele Revival"

Joe Brown (Ukulele Hero number One - see earlier post) has announced that he's working on a new ukulele album. Looks like his number in the concert for George (Harrison) was a turning point in his career - it was certainly a turning point for me......

See him talking about the ukulele to BBC news reporter here.

A Banjo-Ukulele Hero who will Have to Remain Nameless

Alas, he will have to remain nameless because I can't remember his name; let's face it, dear reader, it was a long time ago...

Picture, if you can, the Birmingham city centre of the late 60's... the icons we associate with the the 60's were all to the fore at that time - mini-skirts, mod hair-styles, dark eye-make-up, spiky eyelashes, very pale lipstick, Twiggy, the Beatles, the Stones, the Kinks, the Small Faces; I embraced them all - and something else, which was also in full swing; the folk revival.

In Birmingham, the hub of the folk revival was the folk club called the Jug O'Punch, in Digbeth, run by Ian Campbell of the Ian Campbell Folk Group. Every week, for many, many months I was there, about fourth row back, soaking up the best folk music in the biggest, most atmospheric folk club around.... and saw, live, as well as my favourite Ian Campbell group, guest artists like Jean Ritchie from the Appalachians, who autographed for me the album of hers that I won in the raffle, (still got it!) Ralph McTell, who was tasting success with his song, "Streets of London," the Dubliners, the Chieftains, the Spinners, Joni Mitchell.... and a little local middle-aged chap in a waistcoat who would come out from time to time and sock it us with his banjo-ukulele, Formby-style. The song that always comes to mind, because we all joined in the chorus, was "Auntie Maggie's Homemade Remedy." It always brought the house down. The banjo-uke was totally uncool, even then, but he was welcomed onto the floor, and the audience loved him. He sang other numbers, I'm sure, but "Auntie Maggie's Remedy" is the one that sticks in the memory. And since then I've always had a sneaking regard for the utter skill and virtuosity of good Formby-style banjolele players.

I hope he sometimes takes centre stage in whichever celestial halls he now frequents - and I wish I could remember his name. I hold up my half pint of ale in salute.

My third ukulele hero - Johnny - Johnny Foodstamp

"Get that wound string off there right now, Missy!"

It all started when I discovered that the lovely set of Aquila new nylgut strings that I'd put on my "new" vintage - no - antique - 1920's Slingerland banjolele were looking sick. Or at least, the wound C string was - and because of "issues" with the little baby that I was still trying to fix, I'd actually hardly played it. Notches all the way up it, tiny bits of wire sticking out and almost broken through in one place. Not for the first time, shock horror! I don't really know why, but the strings that Aquila supply especially for the banjo-uke have a wound third string - nylgut, with fine wire wound around it. But there was something definitely amiss, apparently with the frets. Slipping friction tuner - I'd fixed that. Action much too high at the nut - well, I was working on it. All with advice and instruction from heroes and friends on the wonderful Ukulele Underground Forum. But now the frets.

Well, they looked fine to me - but perhaps they were a little bit rough - and a bit tarnished. "Help! What to do?" goes out the plaintive call to the UU forum once again. And once again, I'm furnished with all the information I need. Well, I'm all geared up with wire wool, Brasso, masking tape for the fingerboard.... when the advice comes over, "Get that wound string off there right now, missy! Go with some fluorocarbon strings....they sound great on a banjo-uke!" Now this advice comes from one of my ukulele heroes, Johnny Foodstamp, who hails from Nashville, Tennessee, and plays a real badass banjo-ukulele Formby-style with added attitude, for audiences all over the state, and beyond. And he has one like mine... an antique Slingerland.

Next, he sends the advice "It sounds like they need more then a cleaning. My frets are sort of sharp on my old Slingy too. Any luthier should be able to fix that and usually uke repair is pretty cheap because they are so small."

So - I have managed to find a luthier in my area, a lovely man who has taken her in and agreed to do the necessary. By the end of next week, I should have her back, spruced up and ready for some serious strumming, tripling and split-stroking... well, some serious practice, anyway.

And as for the recommended fluorocarbon strings, they are on order and I'm going to try them out.

I wonder whether I'll ever be able to play like this - click here for Johnny Foodstamp playing some real mean banjo-ukulele on a Slingerland like mine.

My second Ukulele Hero - Mike - Mike Lynch

When I hear music, one of the things that will always stop me in my tracks is interesting chords. While pootling around on my ukulele, trying to figure out the chords for a particular song, I've discovered that, try as I might, sometimes the right chord just can't be found. And I've realised that when that's the case, it's because the chords are not the straightforward major, minor or 7th chords - they're something else. I'm not going to get technical here - I'm not capable of getting too technical about it - but those elusive interesting chords are often associated with jazz. My appreciation of jazz is rather limited - but I drool over those interesting chords. When you're reading the chords for a song, they're the ones with "aug", (augmented), "dim" (diminished) or "sus"(suspended) after them - or a number like 6, 9 or 13.

Yesterday I showcased Mike Lynch's arrangement of "Blue Skies" by Irving Berlin. The jazz chords in it are A aug (A+) and Bbm6. Delicious! There's no doubt in my mind that Mike is one of the best and most inspirational teachers of Ukulele on the net, and I would wholeheartedly recommend his videos on Youtube.

If you like those interesting jazzy chords, just watch ukulelemike's first jazz chords video for the ukulele. I can't fault his MO. His love of the ukulele, of the music, and of teaching it just shine through. A ukulele hero. Hail Mike! I wish you Blue skies.

To watch ukulelemike's first video on jazz chords for the ukulele, click here. He also goes by the name MusicTeacher2010.

JAZZ UKULELE TUTORIALS by “UKULELE MIKE” LYNCH

The Old Songs Are the Best!

Song for the Day Blue Skies, by Irving Berlin

To me, Lennon and McCartney were, as a song-writing duo, the best thing since sliced bread. But the "sliced bread" were the great song-writers who came before.... George and Ira Gershwin, Cole Porter, Jerome Kern, Irving Berlin, Rogers and Hammerstein, Rogers and Hart... to name the best known - best known to me, anyway! What fabulous songs they all wrote. As I write, the sky is indeed blue this sunny spring morning, pick your uke up and strum along with me!

Here's my song for the day, arranged for the ukulele by ukulelemike, Mike Lynch.

Blue Skies, written in 1926 by Irving Berlin


(Click song for the day to go straight to ukulelemike's website, and download the pdf. If you like the song, you'll be strummin' away in no time! The chords are easy.........