Ukes4Fun

My first uke – what should I buy? What should I practice?

Lizzie — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 13:50:30 +0000

Essential reading for all new ukers! These two excellent articles include advice on what to buy as your first uke:

http://ukulelehunt.com/2010/02/24/beginner-ukulele-lessons/

http://www.gotaukulele.com/p/beginners-guides.html

Some more ideas:

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:

My Xmarks: 1st Uke for Beginners

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:

http://ukes4fun.org.uk/2011/10/06/ukulele-groups-clubs-sessions-and-classes-in-the-north-east-and-east-cumbria/

8. Ukes4Fun Google Group.

If you will be coming to our sessions and would like to join our Google Group, enter your email address here: http://groups.google.com/group/ukes

Further info here: http://ukes4fun.org.uk/google-group-help-and-tips

9. Lots of Ukulele Links.

All my “Uke Stuff” bookmarks on Xmarks

“Beginner” info on the Ukes4Fun Website:
- http://ukes4fun.org.uk/the-ukulele-first-step/
- http://ukes4fun.org.uk/category/uke-can-learn/ukebeginners/

10. Don’t delay – practice every day!

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.

http://www.supernifty.com.au/playalong_find.php

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:

http://ukes4fun.org.uk/songsheets/

Some other handy resources:

A good “starter pack”:
http://ukulelehunt.com/new-to-uke/

There are some strumming tips here:
http://ukulelehunt.com/2008/10/22/ukulele-strumming/

YouTube – learn to play uke in 10 minutes:

There will be some more “tutorial” videos amongst these:

More tutorial videos:
http://www.ukulelevideo.co.uk/tag/ukulele+lessons

Don’t worry about not being “up to speed” – I had never picked up a musical instrument in my life when I started going along.

The most basic practice is difficult to describe but easy to show:

I couldn’t find a uke video demonstrating but this is what it is on the guitar -
http://www.5min.com/Video/Learn-To-Play-Guitar-Warm-Ups-Part-2-31246675

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,

Lizzie

Filed under: First Uke Advice, UkeBeginners Tagged: FirstUke, UkeBeginners

Why the ukulele could be the secret to a happy retirement | Mature Times

Lizzie — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 20:48:55 +0000

via maturetimes.co.uk

Extract:
“A new study from the Institute of Education, University of London, suggests that making music with others can do most to improve an older person’s quality of life. It can also help the over-50s to feel as fit as a fiddle.

Researchers have reached these conclusions after questioning 500 older people involved in a range of activities organised by The Sage Gateshead, Westminster Adult Education Service and the Connect programme at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.”

Filed under: Uncategorized

Rita Morrison

Lizzie — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 15:52:36 +0000

Rita Morrison

Rita will be sadly missed by all who knew her,
for her kindness and sense of fun as much as her
magnificent musicianship!

Rita’s funeral will be
Thursday 3rd November
1:45
St Vincent’s, Monkchester Road, Walker, NE6 2TX

followed by her burial at
2:30
All Saints Cemetery, Jesmond Road
Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 1NL

After the burial, Rita’s daughter Lysa and son Lee have arranged
“Rita’s Uke Fest”
for Rita’s friends to celebrate Rita’s life,
rather than sadness about her death.

3:30 – 5:30

Upstairs at The Cumberland Arms,
James Place Street (off Byker Bank), Byker, Newcastle upon Tyne NE6 1LD
The Cumberland Arms on Google Maps

Rita’s family request:

* No Sad Songs!
* Nothing from The Wizard of Oz!
* Everybody join in with the music and have fun!

Rita’s daughter Lysa is trying to gauge attendance in order to arrange catering for “Rita’s Uke Fest”

If you are on Facebook, please use this link to let Lysa know if you will be attending:

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=239604056092813

If you are not on Facebook, please email:

Filed under: Ukes4Fun Tagged: Rita

Chord Hat for Harmonically-Challenged Musicians

Lizzie — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 12:34:45 +0000

Many thanks to Andy Seagroatt for sending this link. I thought it was going to be a hat to be worn by the harmonically-challenged musician him/herself, to assist in some magical way. Well, that idea was just plain silly, obviously. This makes much more sense!

Filed under: UkeAccessories, UkeVideos Tagged: UkeBeginners, UkeVids

Whickham Tune Army Ukulele Club – new venue!

Lizzie — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 16:06:39 +0000

Tune Army Ukulele Club is now meeting in the upstairs function room in Ye Olde Lang Jack pub in Whickham:

Ye Olde Lang Jack
48-50 Front St
Newcastle upon Tyne,
Tyne And Wear
NE16 4DT
0191 488 1567
Google map url: http://g.co/maps/7h62b

Many thanks to “Tune Army Jeff” for this iupdate:

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the pub, it is at the traffic lights on the left if you are coming from Swalwell direction.

There are no parking facilities but you should be able to park in the council office car park (next to the Bay Horse, boo hiss!) or behind the shops. It is only a matter of yards away.

After much begging and pleading,the Manageress has kindly let us have the room for free, which is very good of her.

As usual, it will be the first monday of the month (except bank holidays) at the usual time.

Tune Army Ukulele Club website: http://tunearmy.blogspot.com/

Filed under: NorthEastAndEastCumbriaUkeMeets, UkeClubs Tagged: NorthEastAndEastCumbriaUkeMeets, Tune Army, UkeClubs, Whickham

So long, and thanks for all the chocolates!

Lizzie — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 22:56:42 +0000

It was fond farewells last Thursday, it being Anil’s last session before he heads back to India and then off to Germany after graduating from Newcastle University.

Anil, Jo and Lizzie - not a chocolate in sight!

Anil has promised to let us know how he gets on trying to find uke-sessions on his travels – or if he ends up starting new groups himself.

Anil said to thank everyone for the wonderful time he has had at Ukes4Fun – and we thank him for the chocolates (I should have taken a photo of them but they miraculously disappeared before I had a chance!)

Filed under: Ukes4Fun Sessions Tagged: Ukes4FunPhotos, Ukes4FunSessions

Ukulele Groups, Clubs, Sessions and Classes in the North East and Cumbria

Lizzie — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 16:28:56 +0000

If you have been along to The Cumberland Arms on a Thursday between 6:00 and 8:00 lately then you will know that we are bursting at the seams!

To help spread the uke-lurve more widely, I invited all the other uke groups, clubs, sessions and classes in the North East and East Cumbria to pool information about uke-meets. Clubs from even further afield have since added details to the list, eg. Cockermouth.

The list with all details is here: http://j.mp/NEukesList

Added so far to list (see link above for further details):

Billingham – aroha2aloha
Carlisle – Carlisle Ukulele Club
Cockermouth – Cockermouth Ukulele Players (CUP aka Cock-Up!)
Darlington – Ukulele Express
Durham – Durham City Uke Group
Gateshead – Wardley Ukes
Hexham – Core Music Ukes Group
Hexham – Core Music Junior Beginners Class
Hexham – Core Music Junior Intermediate Class
Newbiggin-by-the-Sea – Wild Ukes O’ Wanny
Newcastle upon Tyne – Biscuit Factory Ukes
Newcastle upon Tyne – Ukes4Fun
Skelton – Cleveland Ukulele Fraternity
The Sage, Gateshead – Adult Ukulele Classes
Whickham – Tune Army

The form to add information about other clubs/groups/classes is here: http://j.mp/NEukesForm

We would like to encourage ukulele tutors at The Sage and elsewhere to pass the full list here http://j.mp/NEukesList on to their students, rather than direct everyone to Ukes4Fun.

Best wishes,

Lizzie

Filed under: NorthEastAndEastCumbriaUkeMeets Tagged: NorthEastAndEastCumbriaUkeMeets

Giving Voice – Ukulele Song

Lizzie — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 11:58:29 +0000

The audio on the video version was a very crummy and you could hardly hear the uke – this sounds a bit clearer.

Giving_Voice_v2.aif Listen on Posterous

I thought about all the times I have been asked what a Speech and Language Therapist does and this song came to me.

It is desperately sad that there are so many people needing Speech and Language Therapy and at the same time there are so few jobs for newly qualified therapists. It is shocking that there are over 300 members of the Facebook Support Group for unemployed newly SLTs, some of whom qualified over a year ago.

I very much hope that the Giving Voice Campaign can succeed in getting adequate funding for SLT services across the UK.

I love the videos here: http://www.rcslt.org/rcslt_video_gallery/list

For more information about the Giving Voice campaign:
http://www.givingvoiceuk.org/

“Giving Voice” Lyrics and Chords:

{t:Giving Voice}
{st:Liz Panton}
{Key: C}
{footer:Created with Songsheet Generator by Liz Panton © Words and music Sept 2011}
[C] [F] [G7] [C]

{c:VERSE 1:}
[C]Stranger at the [F]bus stop, we got [C]talking, me and [F]you
[C]All about the [F]weather, then you [C]asked me what I [F]do.
Communication [C]help, is the [F]name of the [C]game
[F]Speech and Language [C]Therapy, from [F]cra-[G7]dle to [C]grave.

{c:VERSE 2:}
[C]Some babies need help [F]sucklin’, from [C]bottle or [F]breast,
[C]Children with cleft [F]palate, we [C]help to speak their [F]best,
Kids with lisps and [C]stammers, au-[F]tistic spectrum [C]too,
It’ll [F]take a while if [C]I Give Voice to [F]every-[G7]thing we [C]do.

{c:VERSE 3:}
[C]Youths with language [F]problems, or “aph-[C]asia”, they [F]say,
[C]Bullied and troubled [F]with the law can [C]kind’a lose their [F]way,
And you know that Stephen [C]Hawking, with his [F]fancy talking [C]box?
[F]Communication [C]aids, [F]that stuff [G7]really [C]rocks!

{c:VERSE 4:}
[C]Maybe you’ve got no [F]larynx, cos of [C]cancer of the [F]throat,
Or [C]you can’t find the [F]words you want, [C]after a [F]stroke?
We help to find new [C]ways to get [F]thoughts and views [C]across,
[F]It’s not just King’s need [C]help with speech and [F]communi-[G7]cation [C]loss.
{np}
{c:VERSE 5:}
[C]Dyslexia, [F]literacy and Sure [C]Start, swallowing [F]too,
[C]Dysphagia’s the [F]fancy name for what [C]we bite off and [F]chew!
Brain injury, cerebral [C]palsy, M-[F]S and MN-[C]D,
[F]Parkinson’s and [C]Downs, Locked In [F]Syndrome, [G7]E-N-[C]T.

{c:VERSE 6:}
[C]An occupational [F]hazard in call [C]centres, courts and [F]schools
Is [C]hurt and pain when [F]talking that we [C]cure with new voice [F]rules.
We keep you in your [C]job and [F]get you back to [C]earning,
Help [F]families to [C]play and [F]children [G7]with their [C]learning.

{c:VERSE 7:}
[C]Problems talking [F]face to face or [C]speaking on the [F]‘phone,
When [C]preaching, singing, [F]teaching take their [C]toll, you’re not al-[F]one.
Symbols, email and the [C]internet, [F]we’ve got apps for [C]that!
And it’s [F]on the NH-[C]S, if the [F]funding’s [G7]not been [C]slashed.

{c:VERSE 8:}
We can transform [F]lives, and it’s a [C]cost effective [F]role,
We [C]want to do our [F]jobs, but there’s [C]hundreds on the [F]dole,
You say that makes no [C]sense to you? Well, it [F]makes no sense to [C]me,
So [F]let’s Give Voice and [C]save Speech & [F]Language [G7]Thera-[C]py!
[F]Let’s Give Voice and [C]save [F]Speech & Language [G7]Thera-[C]py!

Filed under: UkeSongs Tagged: Giving Voice, UkeSongs

Fab new ukulele songs, videos and song sheets on Sara Dennis’s web site!

Lizzie — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 10:32:27 +0000

Check them out here:

http://www.saradennis.net/#/music-lyrics-chords/4543828311

Filed under: UkeBands Tagged: Sara Dennis

SUNDAY SESSIONS AT THE BISCUIT FACTORY – UPDATE – RESTART 11th SEPT

Lizzie — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 18:53:58 +0000

This is Plan B – so don’t turn up this Sunday 4th

Filed under: UkuleBiscuitFactorySundays Tagged: BiscuitFactory