See http://www.playukulelebyear.com/
Must stop being so lazy and learn to play by ear! Some wonderful illustrations on this site too.
Play Ukulele By Ear: UKE SCIENCE: The Eyes vs. The Ears
Category: Uke-Can-Learn
Join In and Play Ukulele at The Sage! Sun 10th July 10:30 – 1:00
The Sage Gateshead, Hall One and Bars
Sunday 10 July, 10.30am-1pm
Tickets: £5 for workshop. £5 ukulele hire
On Sunday 10 July, to celebrate The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain performing at The Sage Gateshead, as many uke players as possible will be squeezed into Hall One for a huge ukulele workshop.
Suitable for absolute beginners and experienced players alike, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to play as part of a massed uke troupe.
A limited number of ukuleles are available to hire, or buy your own at the Shop. Ukes can be hired through the Ticket Office.
To enroll, and to book tickets for The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain, call the ticket office on 0191 443 4661 or visit www.thesagegateshead.org
Flier to distrbute:
Stepping Stone Cover – Ukulele – 1st attempt by 7yr old – damned good!
Ukes4Fun Song Practice No 4: Singing In The Rain – Two chord version!
Wonderful video of Megs leading Mis-spent Ukes and Friends at Rowlands Gill Community Centre – courtesy of Bob – with a song-sheet so you can practice in between sessions!
See “The Ukulele First Step – Beginners Start Here!” for the first three practice songs.
Preview! “What Ukulele Players REALLY want to know” eBook by Barry Maz @bazmaz
What Ukulele Players REALLY want to know
A guide, written FOR beginners..
by
Barry Maz
Published by Barry Maz at Smashwords
Copyright 2011 Barry Maz
To new ukulele players everywhere….
Cover photo – Mainland Mahogany Concert Ukulele – photo copyright Barry Maz 2010
INTRODUCTION AND HOW TO GET THE MOST OUT OF THIS BOOK
I’m Barry, and I’m a ukulele player. Well, actually, I am not just a player. In fact, I have found myself rather obsessed by the ukulele. You see, the little instrument can do that to you, it kind of gets under your skin. Before you know it, it has taken hold and you are stuck. It’s fun though!
I’m actually a guitar player by trade and have been playing for over twenty years, until a few years ago I was re-watching a documentary about a hero of mine, George Harrison. George liked the uke. In fact, that is an understatement, George LOVED the uke. In fact many of his friends are on record pointing out that he actually put the uke higher than the guitar in his affections. He would always travel with two ukuleles, so that if he was playing with friends, he could also pass one to somebody else to join in. I love that story. George had the ukulele bug bad, just like me. In fact, most people I meet who have started playing the ukulele have the same bug…
When I first bought a ukulele, totally contrary to all of my knowledge and good practice with guitars, I assumed the uke was a toy instrument, that it wasn’t very serious. I therefore spent as little money as I could get away with in the hope of having some fun. How wrong I was. You see it turns out that the world is flooded with cheap ukuleles that frankly, don’t play very well. Nor is the ukulele a toy or anything that shouldn’t be taken seriously. It’s an instrument and it needs the same thought and attention any other instrument receives. This frustrated me, but I carried on, and bought a slightly better ukulele.
continue reading next 20 pages of preview at smashwords.com
- Well worth checking out! Written from a UK-uke perspective for beginners. This preview gives a good insight into the content if you are not sure whether it is for you. Bargain price for the full book – Much less than the cost of a pint! If you like his website Baz, invites you to buy him a beer :-)
http://gotaukulele.blogspot.com/2011/01/ukulele-ebook-published.html
Top 10 Ukulele Lessons & Articles of 2010 at UkuleleTricks – some great Beginners Tips and Songsheets
Written on December 23rd, 2010 by UkuleleTricks
http://www.ukuleletricks.com/top-10-posts-of-2010/Top 10 Posts of 2010
Ukulele Tricks is only a few months old, but I’ve been so blown away by the welcome we’ve received from you all and the ukulele community. I’ve started to make some friends with other ukulele bloggers like Brad from Live Ukulele, Woodshed from Ukulele Hunt, Tim from Ukeeku, and other folks from the Ukulele Underground forums. All these guys have GREAT ukulele websites and have been nice enough to share the word about some of the great resources here on Ukulele Tricks.
I thought it would be fun to look back on the year at some of the best posts here on Ukulele Tricks. Many of these posts became great because you all asked questions and made comments. This is what this blog is about… YOU. I want this to be a community of ukulele players that help each other out. So thank you for your contributions, emails, questions, and comments. It’s awesome!
With that being said, let’s take a look at some of the best articles on Ukulele Tricks for 2010!
Go to UkuleleTricks to see the Top 10 Ukulele Lessons & Articles of 2010
Durham Beginners Ukulele Group – Facebook Page
Facebook Page Info:
A new ukulele class in Durham City kicking off in January 2011 led by an experienced uke teacher and community musician.
So why play the ukulele? Well, as more and more people are finding out, it’s fun, you can pick up new tunes quickly and it’s one of the easiest musical instruments to learn!
Absolute beginners welcome :)
To book your place email Ian at ukuleledurham AT gmail.com (replace AT with @)
Course starts Tuesday 11th January 2011
We meet every Tuesday from 7.30pm-9pm
at Antioch House, 66 Crossgate, Durham City, DH1 4PR
Fees:
10 week course- £48.00
Or 2 installments of £24 in week 1 and week 5.
You’ll need to bring a uke, but don’t worry as among the many delights of the ukulele is the fact that they are the cheapest musical instruments out there!
Check out www.marketmusic-durham.co.uk for a great range of good quality and affordable ukes!
Inspirational videos for uke-beginners! John Simmance, 82, shows his progress and gives tips as he learns to play the George Formby strum on banjolele over 4 months – and sing at the same time!
Please note: If you want to contact John Simmance or leave a comment on his videos, you need to visit John’s channel on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/user/johnsimmance
First Efforts at Learning the George Formby Banjolele Strum – after 3 weeks practice
John Simmance played the banjolele his father gave him in 1947, always wanted to learn the Formby style of playing, but didn’t know how! Now, thanks to the Internet, and several excellent players who have made instructional videos, he knows HOW! So now, at nearly 82, after many years of being out of practice, he bought a Gold Tone banjolele and now he is practicing until his fingers are sore! After three weeks, he is beginning to get the basic Formby “Split Stroke” and struggles with the “Triple”.
But to encourage other old men to try something new, and to show that an old CAN learn new tricks – or at least begin to – he offers this video!
Next Efforts at Learning the George Formby strums – after 6 weeks practice
This is a continuation of my video “My First Efforts at Learning the George Formby strums” showing the progress I made in three more weeks of practice on my banjolele! Old men! Don’t stop trying to do something new!
My Final George Formby strum efforts! – after 9 weeks practice
This is the third and last video recording my efforts at learning the difficult George Formby strumming techniques on the banjolele! The first was made after I had been practicing for three weeks, the second followed after six weeks, and this last one covers my progress after a total of nine weeks.
The message behind them all is directed at old ment like me: the fairy tale that old dogs can’t learn new tricks is just NOT TRUE! So: old men, if you wan’t to try something new, don’t listen to the opposition of others (or your own doubts) and just DO IT! You’ll be glad you tried.
My banjolele progress after four months practice!
A short record of my progress learning the George Formby strumming techniques on the banjolele, four months after I started.
Last of The Steam Powered Trains – The Kinks
The Kinks marked the mothballing of the last steam loco with a very English homage to “Smoke Stack Lightning”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vJg-SxDb70
Downloads:
Song sheet with ukulele chord grids – pdf file: Last Of The Steam Powered Trains
Extracts from a book about The Kinks – pdf file: “Last Of The Steam Powered Trains-p62-69”
Last steam loco in the spotlight
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The Oliver Cromwell took four years to restore
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http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7418180.stm
The locomotive which hauled the last British Rail passenger steam train is taking its place in an exhibition to mark 40 years since the end of steam.
The Oliver Cromwell made its historic journey, from Liverpool to Carlisle, in August 1968.
It has been restored in a four-year project at the Great Central Railway workshops in Loughborough.
The 1968 And All That event at York’s National Railway Museum also recalls the social changes of the 1960s.
‘Pivotal year’
The Oliver Cromwell will be welcomed to the museum by members of Colonel Edward Montagu’s Regiment of Foot, a roundhead regiment of the English Civil War Society.
The Britannia-class Pacific No 70013 originally ran on the Norwich to London line, and made its final trip on 11 August 1968.
Event organiser Matt Thompson said: “With this celebration we are trying to demonstrate that 1968 was a pivotal year in a great period of change that affected not only the railways but the wider world as well.
“The end of steam was an important date in history – so there should be a real sense of occasion at this event, with the return of Oliver Cromwell from restoration and the opportunity for railway workers from the time to pass on their memories of the end of an era to new generations.
Ukulele Classes at The Sage – info found on Ukulele Cosmos Forum
Ukulele Classes at The Sage – info found on Ukulele Cosmos Forum:
What: Beginners Ukulele
When: Wednesdays during term time 6.30-7.30pm
Where: The Sage Gateshead, St Mary’s Square, Gateshead, NE8 1RT
Price: £5 per week (paid termly i.e. £60 for 12 week term). Half price concession for people over 60, under 19’s, students and those in receipt of benefits.
To book: Contact The Sage Gateshead’s ticket office on 0191 443 4661
For more info: Contact us at adultprogramme@thesagegateshead.org or phone 0191 443 4627
Website: www.thesagegateshead.org
(or link to adult learning page http://www.thesagegateshead.org/l_and_p/joinin/adultprogramme.aspx )
Info: Everyone has to start somewhere and for those wanting to play ukulele, this is it! In just half a term, everyone will learn the basic chords and techniques enabling the group to play the ukulele with pride. Sessions are relaxed, fun and supportive, preparing those who wish to join our more advanced Uke Troupe.
What: Uke Troupe
When: Wednesdays during term time 7.30-9pm
Where: The Sage Gateshead, St Mary’s Square, Gateshead, NE8 1RT
Price: £5 per week (paid termly i.e. £60 for 12 week term). Half price concession for people over 60, under 19’s, students and those in receipt of benefits.
To book: Contact The Sage Gateshead’s ticket office on 0191 443 4661
For more info: Contact us at adultprogramme@thesagegateshead.org or phone 0191 443 4627
Website: www.thesagegateshead.org
(or link to adult learning page http://www.thesagegateshead.org/l_and_p/joinin/adultprogramme.aspx )
Info: A fun, informal and supportive group, which explores a wide and exciting variety of repertoire. In addition, the group has the opportunity to develop skills, technique and musicianship. There will be many opportunities to perform ‘ both at The Sage Gateshead and across the wider community.
Regards
Sally Kat
Head of L&P Business Development
The Sage Gateshead
Direct: 0191 443 4623
Switchboard: 0191 443 4666
Box Office: 0191 443 4661
www.thesagegateshead.org
The Sage Gateshead, St Mary’s Square, Gateshead Quays, Gateshead, NE8 2JR
“The Sage Gateshead has quickly become the most exciting music venue in Britain” – The Times, 1st September 2006
North Music Trust is registered in England as a company limited by guarantee, number 4044936 and as a charity, number 1087445.
Ukes4Fun 
