Ukafrolics galore as winter turns to spring!

The last day of winter, spring is at last on the doorstep and the garden is white, yellow and purple with all the crocuses I planted last autumn. We are so lucky here. We live on a hill, so we don't get flooded, but driving across the city yesterday, a sudden hailstorm soon had the streets covered in surface water as the drainage system, already overloaded from the wettest British winter on record, struggled to cope and the drains overflowed across the roads. But walking a little later, I actually felt warm sun on the back of my head. Glory, glory. Spring fills me with joy, and a great ukafrolic weekend for me to look forward to!

Tonight, a local concert and uke workshop by Peter Moss, (see previous posts on here); then tomorrow,Andy Eastwood appears in Dudley with one of the greatest comedians Britain has ever produced, Ken Dodd. How fabulous is that! I will report, have no fear!

If you are in the UK and nearer to Greater London this weekend, there's the "Ukes for Unicef" Festival in Berkhamstead, between Aylesbury and High Wycombe. You'll find Ken Middleton and Sam Brown (Joe Brown's daughter) there as well as a host of other fantastic acts! Entry by donation, suggested donation per adult, £5. Shame I'll miss that one...

In any time I have left this weekend, I'll be polishing up 12th Street Rag as in Marcy Marxer's tuition video, - love that number - and polishing up my Formby - after all, the convention is only two weeks away! Another ukafrolic...

Joe Brown talks about playing ukulele. Lovely stuff....

I came across this video the other day and decided it was a "must share"... after all, like so many other ukulele players, it was Joe Brown's rendition of "I'll See You In My Dreams" at the concert for George (Harrison) that knocked me for six and began my love affair with the ukulele.

A lot of interesting points here... the first thing that grabbed me was the chord progression in EXAMPLE 1.... I'll figure the whole thing out if it's the last thing I do - and when I have, I'll share it with you!

Also - interesting to note that Joe talks about buying a banjo-uke for the president of the George Formby Society in 1964 - I must check up who that was!

And - the "scissor-movement" Joe talks about at the end of the clip is what Formby players call a "triple"... not difficult with a little practice - but it has other names - a thumb-roll for example.

Check the tag cloud at the bottom for my earlier "Joe Brown" posts ... and thanks so much for dropping in! Nice to see you - and watch this space!

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.

Play 12th Street Rag on banjo-uke with Marcy Marxer - tuition video

12th Street Rag was written in 1914 - yes, 100 years ago - by Euday L Bowman, and was one of the most popular and best-selling rags of the ragtime era.

I've seen a lot of videos and versions of 12th Street Rag for ukulele, but I do like this one, a chord melody version which looks achievable for the likes of me - i.e not TOO hard! Marcy shows us the basics and then shows some fancier moves and chords which you can put in just to put the icing on the cake. Great to see a good tuition video for this great and enduring number, and using a banjo-uke too!

Do take a look at this video .... First Marcy talks about meeting the great Roy Smeck, who famously played a blistering ukulele version of this catchy tune. Then she plays it with Cathy Fink and James Hill! A few years back, now... 2008.

Right - I'm off to have another go at this! Catch you again soon!

Update, next day....

Having a go at this again I realised that I needed extra help after the first three lines of music, and searched on Google again. I came across this website. Chicks With Picks Melbourne, with the same Marcy Marxer video..... and a link to a tab. Now, I clicked on the tab and could print it, and all became clear - but as it isn't my tab to share, I'll just direct you to the page and you can go to it yourself. It does help with the middle and the end hugely!

Good luck! Getting on like a bomb with it now.....

Lonesome Moonlight Waltz - Ukulelezaza plays by ear so well.....

In my last post I shared with you my little triumph and milestone on my ukulele path in figuring out the song "Sway" by ear... and here is another of my very favourite players, Ukulelezaza, Remco Hautmann-Jannsen, with his new video Lonesome Moonlight Waltz... which he also figured out by ear!

This is what he has to say about it..

"I first heard this Bill Monroe instrumental at a late night jam at Haapavesi Folk in Finland and was immediately hooked. As soon as I was back home I figured it out. Here I'm playing my wonderful new Historia soprano ukulele in dreadnought "Ditson" style, made by Valerio Pennisi from Italy."

It just goes to show what you can do when you really know your way around a uke fretboard, which chords belong in which key, and what different sorts of chords sound like.

Jim D'Ville is a great exponent of the value of playing by ear. His website is well worth exploring thoroughly, and he does some great tuition DVDs for sale and download - I can recommend because I bought one!

Playing ukulele by ear is a skill I'm determined to develop... visit Jim's page if you want to find out more about learning this so useful skill!

And thanks once again, for dropping in - much appreciated!

Get that Latin Mambo vibe and "Sway" with me....

I've always enjoyed Latin-American music but really fell in love with it during a visit to Cuba last year. Away on holiday again a couple of weeks ago, I wanted to play the 1953 Dean Martin hit "Sway", but being away from the internet just had to fall back on trying to work it out by ear.

Sway

(Em) When marimba rhythms (Am) start to play
Dance with me, (Em) make me sway
Like a lazy ocean (B7) hugs the shore
Hold me close, (Em) sway me more

(Em)Like a flower bending (Am) in the breeze
Bend with me, (Em)sway with ease
When we dance you have a (B7) way with me
Stay with me, (Em)sway with me

BRIDGE
(Em)Other dancers may (B7) be on the floor
Dear, but my eyes will (G)see only you
Only you have that (B7) magic technique
When we sway I go (Em) weak

I can hear the sounds of violins
Long before it begins
Make me thrill as only you know how
Sway me smooth, sway me now

BRIDGE
Other dancers may be on the floor
Dear, but my eyes will see only you
Only you have that magic technique
When we sway I go weak

I can hear the sounds of violins
Long before it begins
Make me thrill as only you know how
Sway me smooth, sway me now


Of course, these are the most basic chords that will work, and if you search for the chords on the internet you'll find a version with more spice and pezazz. Curt Sheller has one... but for me. working it out by ear for myself was a challenge I enjoyed - and with these chords and this song, it isn't too difficult to find the melody notes and fret them in with the little finger, or pinky. The melody starts on the note B, 2nd fret, 4th (A) string. Try picking it out on its own, first, then have a go at incorporating it with the chords! My effort is simply too rough to share - just yet!

Trying to work out songs and melodies for yourself is a really good way to progress on any instrument. See what you think about this - and thanks for dropping in!


("Sway" is a mambo - the dance originating in Cuba. Read more about the song on Wikipedia here....)

I packed my Little Blue Uke again - and discovered the progress I've made...

Any faithful followers among you must have wondering where I'd got to these last couple of months... if you missed me, I'm sorry - but sort of glad as well, if you know what I mean! You are reading this, so whoever you are, welcome back - and thanks.

In truth, there is so much that I have to share with you that I don't know where to start, but the problem has been simply one of a lack of time. Since I posted in early November the demands on my time just seemed to pile up - but I have no intention of boring you with the details, have no fear.

So - the things I should have been writing about? Well, I wanted to tell you about the thrill that was having a song played just for me by one of my favourite players at the George Formby Convention in Blackpool in November.

I wanted to tell you about the new electro-acoustic uke I finally bought for myself, and the gorgeous solid koa tenor that my lovely LSH (Long-Suffering Husband) bought me for Christmas.

I wanted to tell you about the blogger and player whose book and DVD I have bought, and whose blog postings are always hugely informative and entertaining. Who is it? You'll have to wait just a little while, sorry....

And I wanted to tell you about my own progress with my ukulele-playing journey. Because I am making progress, I know that, and sharing that with you is really the number one reason for writing this blog in the first place.

So, what progress, then? Well... having escaped the rigours of an English winter for a couple of weeks, Little Blue Mahalo tucked firmly in my case, I had to fall back on playing by ear when wanting to try out a song. I had packed a little sheaf of song sheets, but of course, I couldn't take everything. I have reams of song sheets here at home... and the song I wanted to play was "Sway".

Songs with a Latin rhythm seem to be particularly tricky.... but I managed to find suitable chords. Hurrah. HOWEVER - the big triumph was - I managed to work it out as a chord melody, Woohoo! Now, if I could do it well enough, I would do you a Youtube, but it's not there yet, not fluent enough, but you know, the sense of achievement in managing to do this was such a blast.....

I'll share the chords next time, see what you think.

And where did we go? Egypt. By the Red Sea. Camels, star-gazing in the desert... fabulous. But I tell you, riding this camel gave a whole new meaning to the word "Sway"... I really would not want to cross a desert on one!

See you next time..... thanks for dropping in!

George Elmes plays Happy Feet

George Elmes from Ireland is such a very, very talented player; I love everything he does. Wooden uke or banjo-uke, his playing is up there among the very best. Precise, "clean" playing that is simply not easy..... here he is playing a hand-built banjo-uke by Phil Cartwright.

This song Happy Feet was written by Cab Calloway in 1930 and is perhaps best known for the dance routine by Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.

I think George Elmes has Happy Fingers.... I wish mine were that happy!

The N'Ukes at Halesowen- Lean on Me

Here, as promised, is a video of the N'Ukes with Barry Maz of Got a Ukulele blog, Corinne Finnan and the rest of the gang rocking it towards the end of their gig at Halesowen. What a superb show - and you can see for yourself how well it was received. If anyone is any doubt whether a bunch of ukuleles can rock it out as well as guitars,well.... think again!

And read more about them here!

Thoughts for the day - counting my blessings, and the gremlins in the fingers.....

The November miseries have left me as Christmas approaches and my mind turns to Christmas shopping and festivities. I do hate November - just one of those things - but now that the wind has left the trees outside our bedroom stripped of leaves, one of the joys of winter has returned - watching the birds from my bed as I snuggle down for an extra ten minutes under the duvet. This morning the sun has got his hat on, and sky makes a blue backdrop behind the branches of the horse chestnut in the front garden, and the huge ancient oak across the road. And as LSH read out snippets from the weekend newspaper, I watched a flock of redwings fluttering about, pale fronts and tomato-red side flashes lit up in the sunlight not four yards away from me, and in the oak across the way I could plainly see a great spotted woodpecker scurrying up the side of a large branch. It never fails to cheer. What a privilege. I think of the friends and relations who are battling with life-changing and life-threatening illness, and know that I am so lucky to be well, and able to do the things I do. And what a waste it is if I don't get on with it.

So I thought of today's list of activities and chores - among them, deciding whether or not to go for a performance of Mr Sandman at a mid-week Christmas "do" ... it's the version that I featured on here on 13th February by ukulelezaza, Remco Houtman-Janssen, and I started having a go at it in April. From the start, it's been the tricky, quick chord changes up the neck that have derailed me; first as I fiddled about to find the right frets, then to switch them round quickly enough, and last but not least, to play them cleanly. Not easy. Now, after months of practice, once I'm warmed-up and relaxed, I can do it. Just about. But in front of an audience, even a friendly, home-grown one? Nerves have always been my worst enemy when it comes to playing instruments. Gremlins get hold of my fingers, I swear they do.

But maybe, just maybe - this weekend sometime, I'll do a video of my effort with Mr Sandman, and post it for you on here, just to show you how I'm getting on. And I promise I'll tell you truthfully how many takes it took! Yeah - why not.

The N'Ukes rock up a storm in Halesowen! What a great band!

A Ukafrolic in Halesowen last night, just down the M5 motorway, not too far away from me... playing, Barry Maz of Got A Ukulele blog and his N'Ukes.

I decided to go. At the last minute, LSH (Long-Suffering-Husband) decided to join me... I was confident the band would be okay, I was confident it would be an enjoyable night out... they weren't just okay - they were absolutely fantastic! What a rockin' band....

Where shall I start... the whole band was slick and tight, their presentation completely professional and the pace never slackened; every number was well-rehearsed, from the first with "Bad Moon Risin'" to the last with "Should I Stay or Should I Go". The overall sound was good on the ears and well-balanced - I honestly cannot find a single word of criticism!

The band comprises several ukes, with bass guitarist and drummer. And they were wonderful, the lot of 'em.

Most lead vocals are carried by Barry - most ably. Nice voice... but I have to say, the performance that really stood out was that of Corinne ("Blues Queen") Finnan, on lead uke and vocals. What a voice, great instrumental leads - she should be a star, she really should. For once, LSH and I were in complete agreement about that. Something that doesn't happen THAT often!

Read more about Corinne here. Interestingly, she tells how she and Barry Maz fell in love with the ukulele after the George Harrison Memorial Concert - just like me!

If you get the chance to see this band, don't miss it, you'll be in for a real treat!

Coming up - a Youytube video of the N'Ukes. Gotta choose my favourite one first! :D

Wondering what happened to Caroline?

Caroline Robson's banjo-uke solo from "Leaning on a Lamppost" is always a popular post on here. If you are one who has enjoyed it, you may be wondering what Caroline has been up to lately. Well. For a start, she got married is now Caroline Stewart. And her singing and playing goes from strength to strength.

She still plays banjo-uke of course, and in September she was elected assistant treasurer for the George Formby Society... but back in July when the society had a one-day convention at the old Winter Gardens theatre on Morecambe, free to society members and the public alike, Caroline went on stage and did THIS.... What a fabulous performance.... I think it suits her and her voice particularly well, don't you? If you're wondering about the uke, it's my Kiwaya KTS-4 soprano. I think that came over rather nicely too!

Thanks for dropping in.... I'll be back soon with more news....

The electro-acoustic itch .... what happened?

Yes dear readers, on 4th August I told you all about my itch for an electro-acoustic uke, and what happened.... what happened was a surprise gift, a disappointment, followed by a delightful find and another disappointment - and no uke at the end of it. Since then, I found and ordered another electro-acoustic that caught my eye, another Clearwater, different, this one - but I failed to make friends with it and it had to go. I find I'm pretty picky, when it comes to ukuleles. But I sold it to someone who loved it at first sight and sound - wonderful. It's gone to a good home.... but the itch was still there....

So, the news is that I have today taken delivery of a new addition to the family; it ticks all the boxes at a very good price and hallelujah, I love it. Thank goodness for that! You want to know what it is, don't you? Well when I've a few minutes to take a photo or two, I'll show you.

I promise...

Very soon!

Catalina and Francesca Davies steal all the hearts .....

I love the George Formby Society conventions. There is an incredible warmth about them and the people who attend them. LSH (Long-Suffering-Husband) and I have been to six now, over a year and a half; seven if you count the one-day one in Morecambe.... but it's always the same; warmth, smiles and friendliness at every turn. It's hardly surprising when you see that it really is like one enormous family.... performers and audience are of all ages, from 6 to 86!

Francesca Davies has great banjo-uke skills and has been a popular young performer at the GFS for a long time now. As well as being a huge Formby fan, she's a fan of the 1960's and has played with Ken Dodd, Ricky Tomlinson, the Houghton Weavers, Joe Brown, Gerry and the Pacemakers and many other Merseybeat Bands. Not bad for one so young!

So at the November convention at the Imperial Hotel, Blackpool, it was lovely to see her playing her wooden uke and singing a duet with her younger sister Catalina.

They were absolutely delightful, and they brought the house down. So much so, that they were brought back on later in the day to do it again for those who missed it the first time!

'Nuff said..... see for yourself!

(Video courtesy of Peter Pollard, who does a sterling job, catching all the highlights!)

Strum along with Ken Middleton in the Smoky Mountains!

I caught up with Ken Middleton again at the weekend, at the November convention of the George Formby Society in Blackpool. What a great weekend that was! (More about that very soon, I promise...) Once again Ken wowed the Sunday afternoon audience with his playing; first the Tennessee Waltz, then George Elmes joined him on stage to play the old bluegrass tune "Snowdrop". That's built around a repeated chord progression, so it's fun to join in for a strum.

Improvisation is what Ken is doing in this video, recorded during his recent travels to festivals in the USA. And it's something of a speciality of Ken's. I think it's time we heard Ken play in a festival in the UK.....

To improvise, (also called extemporisation), means "to play or sing (music) extemporaneously, especially by inventing variations on a melody or creating new melodies in accordance with a set progression of chords". The point is, it's "as you go along", with no previous planning. Clever stuff, eh? I've always been scared stiff of it..... deep water, as far as I'm concerned. But Ken is pretty good, don't you think?

The set progression of chords in this improvisation is G Dm F C. Playing this progression, I feel that it has a really haunting quality. That's strange, because it's in the key of C major, and major keys are bright keys, whereas minor keys have a sad or melancholy sense around them.... certainly the Dm chord adds that feeling in this progression. It's so effective here because of the beautiful autumnal Smoky mountain setting. Autumn seems to embody a sense of melancholy, with the retreating sun and the retreating green from the leaves, but the beauty is there in the reds and golds.... and the melancholy and the beauty are all here in this improvisation.

So if you've got your uke to hand (haven't you always?) strum along with it, it's fun! That's how I started my day today. I subscribe to Ken's youtube channel (good idea) so this lovely piece dropped into my email inbox this morning. And as Ken has kindly told us the chord progression he's using, I picked up my Tanglewood uke from its place right next to my computer and joined in along with Ken's friend Pete.

Lovely.

Good morning World.....

Oh - and actually, is this piece modal? Comments please!

Ken Middleton plays banjo uke in Tennessee, The Tennessee Waltz! Beautiful.......

Finding time to blog just seems to get harder and harder at the moment, it's not for want of trying - even finding time to play is hopeless just now - but I had to share this with you. My friend Ken Middleton (I know I can call him my friend!) is not known for his love of the banjolele, to say the very least, but he now has a lovely custom-made Beansprout banjo uke by Mya-Moe, and his rendition of The Tennesee Waltz, played here in Memphis with the insects singing a backing track behind him, is a winner. It has set my day up just fine, just fine.....

Thanks Ken!

Manitoba Hal Brolund in Alrewas, UK

"Manitoba Hal" Brolund had just done a weekend, top of the bill of all the artistes at the Great Northern Ukulele Festival in Pontefract, Yorkshire - and then, Lordy Lordy, he came down to Alrewas for our uke group Go Ukulele Crazy and gave us a workshop and the most fabulous concert of blues. It was magnificent. A grand Ukafrolic!

First the workshop - how to play 12 bar blues backing on ukulele, with a Robert Johnson turnaround.

Yummy pork rolls and cake, then the concert.

A whole concert, just Hal, with his dual-neck RadioSonic ukulele.

We were privileged to have Hal, one of Western Canada’s top acoustic blues players, sing and play his heart out for us that night... and believe me, Hal's singing is every bit as good as his playing - what a performer! First up was a real favourite, "Let The Mermaids Flirt With Me"... then a whole raft of songs from his various albums....

Among them We had .44, Atlanta Moan, Gopherville, High Fever Blues, All Around The World, I Hear Music, The Thrill is Gone, and we all joined in playing 12 bar blues with Sweet Home Chicago.

Accomplished player, lovely singer, great stage presence and rapport with the audience - Hal left Alrewas with lots of new fans that night - and lots of new fans of the blues, too...

Thanks to Joanna Stevenson of Go Ukulele Crazy (above with Hal) for organising! Fabulous!

And thanks for dropping in!

Time, time, time.... and coming up - Manitoba Hal!

I know. I've been neglecting you. It's lame, but - just not enough hours in the day to do everything I want to do. It is my oft-repeated mantra that since I retired five years ago or thereabouts, I have never been bored, and that's true; I don't "do" bored; what with the things I want to do, the things I need to do and the things I ought to do, to say nothing of the things I'd love to do but have no hope of doing, I don't have time to be bored. I simply can't find time for all those things, not all of them. And I do count my blessings daily that I'm able-bodied and able-minded enough to actually do them. One of the things I love to do is to write my blog, sharing my ukulele journey and my ukulele likes with anyone who stumbles across it or even follows it on purpose! (Whoever you are, thank you!) But - the blog has suffered.

You see, I've been a busy bunny, visiting places, visiting people, strumming a bit of uke, the usual housework... and I just don't know where the time goes. I just know it goes. It flies away particularly rapidly during the summer months, and we have been out and about a lot this summer, including trips I've already told you about... there was Morecambe with the George Formby Society at the Morecambe Winter Gardens at the end of July, and before that a huge highlight was the Ukulele Festival of Great Britain in Cheltenham in June.... something I planned to write far about than I did...

Well, the last week has see no less than two great Ukafrolics! I'll tell you about the second one first... it's all about Manitoba Hal Brolund.... and it's coming up next......

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....

An easy introduction to jazz chords!

At last I am starting to get my head round jazz chords. If you haven't come across jazz chords yet, try this for starters!

Play the simple chord progression C, Am, Dm, G7 a few times. Now we'll change them to jazz chords..

C Am Dm G7 becomes CM7 (also notated CMaj7) Am7 Dm7 G7

C becaomes CM7. For CM7, simply move from the C chord down to the 2nd fret. That's CM7, or C Major 7.

Am becomes Am7. For Am7, simply play all open strings.

Dm becomes Dm7. For Dm7, finger Dm but add the C with the little finger (pinky) as if playing a C chord. That's Dm7.

Then play G7 as normal.

In their simplest form, jazz chords are major 7ths and minor 7ths. And as you've just discovered, a major 7th is not the same as the usual 7th chords that we learn as part of the basic chord library. Those are actually dominant 7ths!

There are lots more jazz chords... but this'll do for an introduction!