We are on our Ukulele Holidays and will be back again in September.
If you are not on our email list then you can subscribe to this blog to get an email notification when we post a Reminder about re-starting sessions in September.
Looking forward to seeing you all again soon after your Summer Holidays!
The Young Ones Season 2 Episode 06 Summer Holiday
Cliff Richard – Summer Holiday Ukulele Tutorial/Walkthrough
The Most Beautiful Summer Ukulele Melody … (Sunscreen, Sand, and Morning Sun)
In The Summertime – Ukulele Fingerstyle Tutorial (Mungo Jerry)
We enjoyed meeting on Sundays upstairs at The Millstone, South Gosforth for many years.
Staff and management were friendly and helpful, the beer and food were both excellent – but those tricky stairs with the sharp, twisty turn at the bottom made the room inaccessible for an increasing number of players.
So we are now meeting downstairs at The Cumberland Arms on the 2nd Sunday 2:00 – 4:00 every month. Having a regular Sunday slot also helps, rather than a moveable feast, which made it difficult for some members to be able to plan ahead.
Many thanks to staff and management at The Millstone for their help over the years and to Jo for finding space in the music sessions timetable for us to revive Sunday Ukulele Sessions at The Cumberland.
Leading songs: If you are going to lead a song, make sure that you have practiced playing and singing it before you get to the session
Song arrangements: The simpler the song arrangement, the more likely it is “work” as a “session song”. We have some very good players who are capable of adding all sorts of finesse and flourishes to a song. We love hearing these played but they work better as an occasional “solo spot”. If you are playing at this level then you can probably work out a simpler arrangement so that most people can play along with you. There are some good tips here: http://ukuleleinthedark.com/ud52-trimming-away-how-to-simplify-song-sheets/
Play it again, Sam! Dot has a good ear for the sort of songs that are likely to become popular in sessions. If you get the nod from Dot that it is a “good song”, take the hint and give it a run at another session asap!
Practice makes perfect: It might take a few sessions before everyone is familiar enough with a new song for it to settle in and “work”. This applies just as much to well-known songs (when everyone might have a different version playing in their heads) as to less well known songs (when perhaps only the the song leader “knows how it goes”).
Give us a clue! You can use the email list to send links to YouTube videos, audio files on SoundCloud, etc. to help familiarise everyone with a new song that you are going to introduce (it helps even more if the recording is in the same key that you are going to use but that is not always possible)
Song sheets: You can also use the email list to send song sheets to everyone – but please still bring at least 10 copies on paper when you are introducing a song for the first time.
If the song is already in our Song Books – and is in the same key – then everyone should have access to it already: https://ukes4fun.org.uk/songsheets/
See the the tips on that page about creating new song sheets
For the latest information on dates, times and venues for Thursday and Sunday Sessions, please check the Calendar: https://ukes4fun.org.uk/calendar/
“Shout-Up” Campaign at The Cumberland Arms
Update: 31 August 2018
Message from Dot
Hello Everyone,
The Cumberland has become part of a campaign called “Shout Up”. This was set up initially to protect women from harassment in bars throughout Newcastle.
This is a “heads up” to anyone who attends our sessions.
We play in the Cumberland so we need to be aware of and sensitive to what they consider to be appropriate behaviour.
Dot
What to do if there are any problems
Staff at the Cumberland Arms have been trained to deal with sexual harassment as part of this Campaign.
If you experience or witness sexual harassment, the purpose of this Campaign is to encourage you to alert Bar Staff so that they can deal with the problem promptly and effectively. You do not have to literally “shout” – the point is immediacy of action, not volume :-)
Calendar
For the latest information on dates, times and venues for Thursday and Sunday Sessions, please check the Calendar: https://ukes4fun.org.uk/calendar
The format for sessions is the same as when we met on Thursdays:
1st Tuesday – NO SESSION
2nd Tuesday – Ukes4Fun with Dot and Misspent Uke
3rd Tuesday – NO SESSION
4th Tuesday – Ukes4Fun New/Old Songs with Denis
5th Tuesday – NO SESSION
Reminders for everyone for all Tuesday sessions
Leading songs: If you are going to lead a song, make sure that you have practiced playing and singing it before you get to the session
Song arrangements: The simpler the song arrangement, the more likely it is “work” as a “session song”. We have some very good players who are capable of adding all sorts of finesse and flourishes to a song. We love hearing these played but they work better as an occasional “solo spot”. If you are playing at this level then you can probably work out a simpler arrangement so that most people can play along with you. There are some good tips here: http://ukuleleinthedark.com/ud52-trimming-away-how-to-simplify-song-sheets/
Play it again, Sam! Dot has a good ear for the sort of songs that are likely to become popular in sessions. If you get the nod from Dot that it is a “good song”, take the hint and give it a run at another session asap!
Practice makes perfect: It might take a few sessions before everyone is familiar enough with a new song for it to settle in and “work”. This applies just as much to well-known songs (when everyone might have a different version playing in their heads) as to less well known songs (when perhaps only the the song leader “knows how it goes”).
Give us a clue! You can use the email list to send links to YouTube videos, audio files on SoundCloud, etc. to help familiarise everyone with a new song that you are going to introduce (it helps even more if the recording is in the same key that you are going to use but that is not always possible)
Song sheets: You can also use the email list to send song sheets to everyone – but please still bring at least 10 copies on paper when you are introducing a song for the first time.
If the song is already in our Song Books – and is in the same key – then everyone should have access to it already: https://ukes4fun.org.uk/songsheets/
See the the tips on that page about creating new song sheets
For the latest information on dates, times and venues for Thursday and Sunday Sessions, please check the Calendar: https://ukes4fun.org.uk/calendar/
“Shout-Up” Campaign at The Cumberland Arms
Update: 31 August 2018
Message from Dot
Hello Everyone,
The Cumberland has become part of a campaign called “Shout Up”. This was set up initially to protect women from harassment in bars throughout Newcastle.
This is a “heads up” to anyone who attends our sessions.
We play in the Cumberland so we need to be aware of and sensitive to what they consider to be appropriate behaviour.
Dot
What to do if there are any problems
Staff at the Cumberland Arms have been trained to deal with sexual harassment as part of this Campaign.
If you experience or witness sexual harassment, the purpose of this Campaign is to encourage you to alert Bar Staff so that they can deal with the problem promptly and effectively. You do not have to literally “shout” – the point is immediacy of action, not volume :-)
The Fabulous Del Rey returns to Newcastle on her 2017 UK Tour!
“Whilst known for her amazing instrumental skills … it should not be overlooked that Del Rey always provides a very entertaining show, full of variety, drama and humour.”
Blues In Britain
“Del Rey is one of the greatest modern players of the metal-bodied resonator guitar.”
Acoustic Guitar Magazine
“Del Rey is one of the most sublime modern guitarists.“
La Hora del Blues Barcelona
This time with the Amazing Adam Franklin!
“Britain’s best kept secret!”
Steve James, USA
“Like a cross between Robert Johnson and Joe Strummer!”
Two Rivers Folk Festival, Wales.
“Franklin’s exemplary resonator picking and slide playing demonstrates a dedication to the instrument that would be the envy of some of the legends he emulates”
Record Collector Magazine
“Adam knows enough about old-style blues to be worth listening to and is irreverent enough to be exciting. He’s got the beat, you won’t be bored.”
Del Rey, USA
Hot Jazz and Blues at The Cumberland Arms
James Place Street
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE6 1LD
1. Ukulele Workshop: Hot Jazz Rhythm Picking
Adam Franklin is a fantastic tutor, as anyone who has attended his Workshop on “Hot Jazz Rhythm Picking for Ukulele” will testify!
In this workshop you will learn some easily remembered picking patterns and how to use them to provide a solid rhythmic foundation to ANY song in ANY style – not just “hot jazz”!
Whether you are a beginner or a more advanced player, you will find this technique a very useful tool to add that “extra something” to sing-alongs and jams!
Chord charts and Finger-Picking Tabs for “Dr Jazz” will be provided – leave a comment on this post if you have booked a place and would like copies in advance!
2. Guitar Workshop: Moving Bass Lines
After Del Rey’s last performance, guitarists in the audience asked her if she could come back to run a Guitar Workshop. So that is what Del is going to do for us this time, focussing on “Moving Bass Lines”!
Want to play like a pianist? Walking and boogie-woogie bass lines for fingerstyle guitar! Learn the positions where you can find both chords and moving bass.
You will need to be comfortable holding partial chords while moving a bass line, and with switching fingers to maintain a position.
No barre chords involved.
Who will benefit from this Workshop:
Any guitarist with these skills who would like to expand their sound in blues and jazz will learn useful vocabulary and ways of using chords they already know.
Fingerpickers and players with good fret-hand strength will get the most benefit.
3. Hot Jazz and Blues Concert
Del Rey and Adam Franklin Resonate! Jazz and Blues Duets, swapping instruments and vocals!
Hot Jazz and Blues Evening
Del and Adam often run workshops and perform together in the South of England when Del is in the UK. We are so pleased to bring them up to the North East to run Guitar and Ukulele Workshops and perform for us in concert!
The Cumberland Arms
James Place Street
Byker/Ouseburn Valley
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE6 1LD
Access:
The Workshops and Concert are in the upstairs Function Room.
There is a wheelchair-accessible ramp.
The toilets are on the Ground Floor and are not officially wheelchair accessible.
The Public Bar is on the Ground Floor.
Notes:
There are separate admission times for each event.
If you are attending the Ukulele Workshop and then the Concert, you will be able to relax in the Music Room or Saloon Bar downstairs while the Guitar Workshop is running upstairs.
Refreshments are not included in the Ticket Price.
TicketSource referral link (if you sell tickets and use this link to sign up to Ticket Source then we get a “referral reward” from Ticket Source): www.ticketsource.co.uk/signup/8262
Every 1st, 2nd and 3rd Thursday at The Cumberland Arms 6:00 – 8:00
1st Thursdays – Ukes4Fun with Dot and Misspent Uke
2nd Thursdays – Ukes4Fun New/Old Songs with Denis
3rd Thursdays – Ukes4Fun with Dot and Misspent Uke
4th & 5th Thursdays – NO SESSION
New/old songs for 2nd Thursday Sessions with Denis:
Many thanks for bringing new songs and reviving some old songs that have lain dormant in the Songbooks for a long time! We now have a stash of these to re-visit in Denis’s sessions on 2nd Thursdays.
Please hold on bringing new songs/reviving old songs to Thursday sessions until we have got these ones under our belts. For the next few Thursday sessions, we would like to rock steady with some familiar tunes plus the new/old ones you have already brought along to Denis’s sessions.
Reminders for everyone for all Thursday sessions, including me!
Leading songs: If you are going to lead a song, make sure that you have practiced playing and singing it before you get to the session
Song arrangements: The simpler the song arrangement, the more likely it is “work” as a “session song”. We have some very good players who are capable of adding all sorts of finesse and flourishes to a song. We love hearing these played but they work better as an occasional “solo spot”. If you are playing at this level then you can probably work out a simpler arrangement so that most people can play along with you. There are some good tips here: http://ukuleleinthedark.com/ud52-trimming-away-how-to-simplify-song-sheets/
Play it again, Sam! Dot has a good ear for the sort of songs that are likely to become popular in sessions. If you get the nod from Dot that it is a “good song”, take the hint and give it a run at another session asap!
Practice makes perfect: It might take a few sessions before everyone is familiar enough with a new song for it to settle in and “work”. This applies just as much to well-known songs (when everyone might have a different version playing in their heads) as to less well known songs (when perhaps only the the song leader “knows how it goes”).
Give us a clue! You can use the email list to send links to YouTube videos, audio files on SoundCloud, etc. to help familiarise everyone with a new song that you are going to introduce (it helps even more if the recording is in the same key that you are going to use but that is not always possible)
Song sheets: You can also use the email list to send song sheets to everyone – but please still bring at least 10 copies on paper when you are introducing a song for the first time.
If the song is already in our Song Books – and is in the same key – then everyone should have access to it already: https://ukes4fun.org.uk/songsheets/
See the the tips on that page about creating new song sheets
The Fabulous Del Rey returns to Newcastle on her 2017 UK Tour!
This time with the Amazing Adam Franklin!
Hot Jazz and Blues at The Cumberland Arms
James Place Street
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE6 1LD
1. Ukulele Workshop: Hot Jazz Rhythm Picking
Adam Franklin is a fantastic tutor, as anyone who has attended his Workshop on “Hot Jazz Rhythm Picking for Ukulele” will testify!
In this workshop you will learn some easily remembered picking patterns and how to use them to provide a solid rhythmic foundation to ANY song in ANY style – not just “hot jazz”!
Whether you are a beginner or a more advanced player, you will find this technique a very useful tool to add that “extra something” to sing-alongs and jams!
2. Guitar Workshop: Moving Bass Lines
After Del Rey’s last performance, guitarists in the audience asked her if she could come back to run a Guitar Workshop. So that is what Del is going to do for us this time, focussing on “Moving Bass Lines”!
Want to play like a pianist? Walking and boogie-woogie bass lines for fingerstyle guitar! Learn the positions where you can find both chords and moving bass.
Del Rey and Adam Franklin Resonate! Jazz and Blues Duets!
Hot Jazz and Blues Evening
Del and Adam often run workshops and perform together in the South of England when Del is in the UK. We are so pleased to bring them up to the North East to run Guitar and Ukulele Workshops and perform for us in concert!
1. Concert + Both Workshops (Guitar and Ukulele): £30
2. Concert + Guitar Workshop: £20
3. Concert + Ukulele Workshop: £20
4. Concert Only (does NOT include Workshop Attendance): £10
Venue:
The Cumberland Arms
James Place Street
Byker/Ouseburn Valley
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE6 1LD
Access:
The Workshops and Concert are in the upstairs Function Room.
There is a wheelchair-accessible ramp.
The toilets are on the Ground Floor and are not officially wheelchair accessible.
The Public Bar is on the Ground Floor.
Notes:
There are separate admission times for each event.
If you are attending the Ukulele Workshop and then the Concert, you will be able to relax in the Music Room or Saloon Bar downstairs while the Guitar Workshop is running upstairs.
Refreshments are not included in the Ticket Price.
TicketSource referral link (if you sell tickets and use this link to sign up to Ticket Source then we get a “referral reward” from Ticket Source): www.ticketsource.co.uk/signup/8262
UPDATE: Print-friendly Poster and Fliers!
Many thanks to Aaron Tucker for producing these lovely posters! There are links to download PDF file versions for printing below.
Put them on your fridge, your noticeboard, etc. or pass on to friends who might be interested in coming along!
Marie Little introduced us to this great song by Martin Francis a while ago and it has been a firm favourite ever since. Dot often starts off our Thursday sessions leading it.
Here is Marie leading us in her version at the “sing around” at our weekend away last November in Wooler, accompanied by The Attic Band and Keith Perry on lead ukulele:
Martin Francis’s original version has more verses than this. Also, over the years that Marie has been covering it, the lyrics have shifted and morphed a bit too. I think that means it is a proper Folk Song!
Many thanks to Marie for permission to upload this video to YouTube so we can use it for practice between sessions.
“If you want to witness some top quality musicianship, hear some much acclaimed original compositions as well as your favourite classical music and rock/pop songs performed with a Ukulele twist, then this is an act not to be missed!”
The League of Ukulele Gentlemen
“An evening of original, classical and popular music. All performed in their unique style with laughs along the way.”
The League of Ukulele Gentlemen
are
Matt Warnes, Jerry King and Andy Webster
“I was lucky enough to see The League of Ukulele Gentlemen perform a fantastic concert at St George’s Church, Cullercoats. Highly recommended for an evening of stunning music and great entertainment! I am so pleased to be able to get them back in the North East again so soon!”
We were very sad to learn on Thursday that Allen had passed away and offer our sincere condolences to Allen’s widow, Fiona.
Although he was very ill, Allen still attended sessions up until a few months ago, kindly chauffeured by Mick or Derek. More recently, Dot, Maggie and other members visited Allen at home and in hospital. He sorely missed playing the ukulele and seeing everyone at sessions. So Chris and Denis made a video of a Sunday Session at The Millstone, where we made sure to include some of Allen’s favourite songs.
Memories
Allen will be very much missed and we have many happy memories. Dot remembers that when Allen first started attending that he had never played ukulele before but was determined to master the instrument. Allen practiced relentlessly at home, becoming one of our most accomplished players.
Many of us will remember Allen as “The Archivist”, called on to produce long-forgotten song sheets instantly from his bulging file. Allen’s secret trick to accessing his song sheets so quickly was that he filed them in sections according to who usually led a song. By the time the mic had reached its destination, Allen had his file open at the right section, all ready to retrieve a songsheet. This was usually for the benefit of his “neighbours” as Allen knew most of the songs by heart.
Allen sat quietly smiling by the piano during sessions at The Cumberland Arms. He could rarely be persuaded to lead a song, preferring instead to contribute alternative chord voicings and to pick “finger style” through songs. However, there were the very occasional, and very memorable, forays into song, when Allen duetted with Maggie or Andy.
My favourite memory of Allen is his surprising me by asking me if I would learn, “Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue”, confessing that he was a big fan of Crystal Gayle. Dusty Springfield we already knew about, from Allen’s duets with Maggie. Crystal Gayle must have had a special place in Allen’s heart though, as he also gave “Somebody Loves You” to Terri for her to sing.
Allen was an artist and he generously made and gave “Ukes4Fun” and general ukulele T-Shirts, badges and mugs to other members. So many of us have happy memories of Allen from ukulele sessions over the last eight or nine years. His presence has been much missed and he will be remembered with affection.
Funeral arrangements
Dot will be bringing a card for us to sign on Thursday 16th and will be making a collection.
If you are not attending Allen’s funeral and would like to contribute something to the collection, we understand that Allen’s family will be giving donations to a palliative care charity.
If you will be going to The Foxcover afterwards, please could you let Dot know on Thursday or send an email? This is so that Dot can give an estimate of numbers attending for catering purposes.
Ukes4Fun 