New members might not know George Welch, or that most of the more experienced players at Ukes4Fun sessions started off playing the ukulele because of George, as members of George Welch’s Ukulele Allstars and/or the original Misspent Uke band.
George stepped back from running midweek sessions in 2009. However, he provided support, encouragement and practical help in re-establishing a ukulele session, as “Ukes4Fun”, at The Cumberland Arms late that year and has since helped to set up other ukulele sessions in the North East.
One of the most popular pages on this site is George’s clearly written and beautifully illustrated guide for beginners, The Ukulele First Step, that he kindly donated to Ukes4Fun.
Stuck for what to give George for his birthday this year, I decided that I would write him a ukulele song. The chords are C, F and G and I hope that you enjoy playing along to the video below. The words and chords are shown on-screen and there is a link to download the songsheet underneath.
I am sure you will all join me in wishing George well and hoping that he is in better health soon. He is still doing some gigs locally so drop in and see him if you get the chance and want to hear some wonderful music and song!
The Old Ship Car Park on the road at the back of the pub
The Old Ship from the front, overlooking the prom
Wild Ukes ‘o Wanny aka The Old Ship Ukulele Night
Newbiggin-by-the-Sea
Every other Wednesday starting between 7:30 and 8pm, lasting up till just after 9 or when people have had enough !!
The Old Ship
63 Front Street
Newbiggin by the Sea
Northumberland
NE64 6NJ
Back room in the Old Ship pub on the main street in Newbiggin – entry at the front, overlooking the prom.
Note: the carpark on the rood side is at the back of the pub
Adults – if not young then young at heart.
We meet in a pub and younger teenagers should be accompanied by an adult.
Targetted at mainly local people (Newbiggin/Ashington/Bedlington/Morpeth) – usually has between 3 and 8 attending depending on other commitments – mainly beginners so far.
Songsheets via email to attending ukers.
The pub has access to some Mahalo ukes for complete beginners without an instrument to use on the night.
All players welcome, from beginners to super-ukers!
18 and over.
Free Sessions
Contact: Dick Dodds
Phone: 01670516148
Email (encoded for spam protection – click link to open): Uke in Style
It’s Saturday night, I am not out whooping it up or perhaps having even more fun practicing my latest favourite ukulele songs (sigh!). No, I am starting to get very bored with making new songsheets for our sessions . . . and then I found TUSC Songbook 7!
TUSC Songbook 7 cover - featuring wonderful "Borat" artwork by Steve Power
I can’t stop laughing . . . first at
then at
“The People’s Songbook – for make glorious music ukulele benefit the whole world and Taunton.”
and then I found the Ukephallus Man!
Ukephallus Man from TUSC Songbook
Resisted the temptation to despoil the Angel of The North and went for nicking the TUSC Songbook byline for our Songsheets Index:
Ukes4Fun Songbooks 1 to 6 Index
I will add this as an alternative index page for download as a pdf file on the Ukes4Fun Songsheets Page along with pretty versions of the index pages for each songbook.
I have included some info and advice about preparing to introduce new songs to sessions (have to try to remember to follow it myself now, of course) and getting new songs into future Song Books.
Please let me know which of your favourites are missing and I will put them on the list for the next Song Book – there is info on the Song Sheets Page about the format you need to use so that I can submit them to the magic-wrangling of Songsheet Generator!
I get regular emails via the website asking for advice about the “best first uke to buy”, advice for beginner lessons, etc. There are lots of websites with this sort of advice so I have started listing them here as and when I find them:
I have copied extracts from a couple of emails and the replies I sent – see below – and hope this information helps others too.
This is a “first draft” of this blog post, so please leave any comments about updates or suggestions and I will add them with credit to the author.
QUESTION 1:
Hi Lizzie,
A friend of mine has a ukuele and I’ve quite enjoyed having a go at his. I’m thinking of taking the next step and buying one for myself. But if possible I want some expert advice before I do. I should start by explaining that I’m not musically gifted, probably tone deaf, can’t read music and have relatively short fingers. But I’m up for a challenge.
Can I ask where I’d go for a reasonably priced ukulele in the North East? If possible I’d also like to know which one you’d recommend for a beginner with all the odds stacked against him? Any good books out there for the complete novice?
Many thanks
ANSWER 1:
The first thing to remember – playing a ukulele is the most fun you can have doing something badly!
Secondly – you will be amazed how quickly you will pick it up – speaking as someone also musically ungifted, etc.
1. Which size uke to buy?
The smallest is a Soprano, then a Concert then a Tenor. Bigger again is a Baritone but it is tuned differently and you will find it harder to learn if you are going to join a uke-group and learn from watching and listening to other people – and that is the way that is most fun.
My advice – go for a Concert. Could have been designed for short, stubby fingers.
2. How much do you want to pay?
I would suggest NOT going for the cheapest you can find as it will be hard to play and will not keep tune. Reckon for up to £50 for a decent Concert from Hound Dog Music (Whitley Bay), Windows or Newcastle Music Centre or look on eBay for second hand.
3. Buy a clip-on tuner – about £20:
It is not cheating, we all use them and your uke will sound vile if it is out of tune.
4. Get good strings.
Aquila or Worth (under £10 a set) will make your uke sound like it cost hundreds of pounds not pennies.
If you buy at Hound Dog or any other music shop then buy the strings at the same time and ask them to re-string the uke and tune it for you (even if you have to come back later to pick it up). Phone the shop first to ask if they have Aquila strings in Concert size in stock – you can only buy Worth over the internet.
Ask them to keep the packet for you – it will have instructions on how to bed them in.
Buy two sets if you can afford it, in case you snap a string (not likely but possible).
5. Buy a felt plectrum.
You might or might not like to use it some or all of the time but you won’t know until you try – cheap.
6. Buy a case for your uke if it doesn’t come with one.
This is your new baby!!! Try not to roll over and squash it when you take it to bed!
7. Play with other people.
There is information about uke clubs and sessions in the North East and Cumbria here:
The real trick will be work out how to STOP yourself practicing – it’s not like trying to learn to play the guitar – it’s fun!
There is a nifty little site here if you want to practice along to songs – it shows you the chord shapes as the the song plays – might be a bit of leap for a complete uke-virgin but worth bookmarking because it won’t be long before you can play along.
There are also masses of uke learning videos on YouTube – this is a good one to start with – learn to play your uke in less than 10 minutes. (But get a clip-on tuner, not the one on the video)
That should keep you out of trouble for a while!
Many thanks for the excellent e-mail and kind regards,
PS – I’ve got a worried wife re. this whole sleeping with your uke, it’s the second time I’ve heard of this phenomenon over the last couple of weeks…
Your wife will be fine – just get her a uke as well
QUESTION 2:
Lizzie,
I am new to this group and enjoyed the video clips of Sunday’s Tynemouth Rowing Club gig.
Is there a programme of songs available beforehand?
A beginner like me would like to be able to practice a few songs that were coming up to get the confidence to join in.
ANSWER 2:
George Welch has given us a booklet for new starters called “Ukulele First Step”plus mp3 files of two of the songs to practice to (the third to follow). You can download these from here:http://ukes4fun.org.uk/the-ukulele-first-step/
I have been making corrections to the current songbook and there are more songs to be added – the current version will always be on this page, with notes in the “comments” about below the main page about revisions and updates:
On the uke, start at the top on the string nearest to your head (G) and pluck the strings once each time:
fret the 1st fret with index finger,
second fret with middle finger,
third fret with ring finger and
fourth fret with little finger,
Then move to the next string (C) and do the same and then the same with (E) and then (A)
Then do the whole lot backwards.
Another exercise is similar but you work down the neck (up in pitch) as you go – this is called “the snake”.
Start off the same was as above on the (G) string:
fret the 1st fret with index finger,
2nd fret with middle finger,
3rd fret with ring finger and
4th fret with little finger
4th fret with little finger again
3rd fret with ring finger and
2nd fret with middle finger,
1st fret with index finger
When you move across to the (C) string, moved down a fret:
fret the 2nd fret with index finger,
3rd fret with middle finger,
4th fret with ring finger and
5th fret with little finger
5th fret with little finger again
4th fret with ring finger and
3rd fret with middle finger
2nd fret with index finger
Then move across to the (E) string with index finger starting on the 3rd fret and follow the same patternThen move across to the (A) string with the index finger starting on the 4th fret and follow the same patternThen do the whole lot backwards – so you end up with the last action being a pluck on the (G) string with your index finger on the 1st fret.This is the best way to get a feel for the uke and gets your fingers to know the fretboard. You don’t need to practice further down the neck than this.Hope this is helpful and look forward to seeing you at the sessions,
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