The Ukulele Entertainer

UE #77 Find Your Passion

2012-01-17T11:00:00.000-08:00

What is Your Passion? With so much going on in our lives it can seem pointless to even consider it. I can almost hear the reply, "Huh? You want me to work full-time, raise kids, make meals and follow my passion? Sure thing buddy!"

Btw. Please consider forwarding this newsletter to a friend. Oh, and while you're here, check out the brand new Ukulele Entertainer book!

I complained to a friend of mine recently. She's a singer named Kristie. I griped that my life has become too diverse and I muttered that my activities have increased to the point where they're not so enjoyable anymore. Extra pressures include paperwork and endless online communication. But it's also from taking on new projects without letting old ones go. The result, I grumbled, is that I'm juggling more objects and it's becoming less fun.

I felt mean-spirited to complain in such a muttering, grumbling sort of way. To display a lack of gratitude for opportunities in life seems churlish; especially when compared with the miserable lot of all those clapped in the shackles of grinding servitude. But instead of chastising my selfishness Kristie took me in a surprising direction. She asked, "What is your passion?"

"Erm, why?" I replied, "What's that got to with anything?" She said, "If you know your passion then you can devote more time and energy to that and less to the other things."

I was stunned. This was a new way of thinking for me.

Some things were easy to cross off my passion list. They included taxes, house-hold chores and anything involving a computer or phone (basically life's unavoidable duties.) Much harder to choose from were my various work related roles: making music, live performance, teaching uke workshops, singing, creating songs, recording, and writing. All these things I take pleasure and pride in. If I had to drop all but one of them which would it be? This spurred me on to a new round of griping, "I can't possibly...it's too hypothetical...how can I choose just one?"

With further urging I narrowed down my top passion contenders to two choices. Kristie then asked me to imagine placing one of these in each of two corners of the room. As I closed my eyes she reminded me to visualize the choices I had made and the parts of the room where they resided.

Kristie said, "Do you feel a pull towards one of the corners?"

Yes I did. The attraction to one corner was unmistakable, and slightly overwhelming. Moments before this my mind had been a confused swirl over what to do. Now it was clear. Apparently this was my passion. The other trivialities in my life paled in comparison and I felt a surge of deep feeling; an abiding sense that this experience was profound and true. It was actually enough to stop me grumbling for several minutes.

Many take up the ukulele with some idea that it will lead them to their passion. Which they believe must be to perform onstage. But I disagree with this thinking. When I travel to ukulele clubs I meet a wide cross-section of people who all happen to play the ukulele. But look more closely and you'll see the instrument is but a conduit to many possible passions. The uke players come together to make music but their natural roles soon become evident:

Some are leaders: they express themselves by forging a vision for the group.

Some are carers: they scan the group looking for those in need of assistance and come to their aid.

Others are teachers: they strive to develop their own understanding in order to pass the knowledge to others.

Some are communicators: they develop the threads of interconnection that bind everyone together and help to disseminate information.

Some are stage entertainers: they shine in order that we may connect with our own spirits.

Some are social entertainers. They may never go near the stage but are always ready to share a song or a story that will crack you up.

Some are hosts: they offer their homes and time to accommodate visiting entertainers from far away (Indeed I am presently being humbled by the kindness of several Australian strangers who are going out of their way to make my upcoming visit there possible.)

If you don't know what your passion is, perhaps this can help: Figure out what you enjoy doing most of all. It has to be something that you feel strongly about. It should be nearly as vital to you as food, air and water; something that you'll always want to do no matter where life takes you.

If your answer is unclear then sit in a quiet room and place your two most fulfilling activities in each of the far corners. Then close your eyes and notice if there is a pull of attraction towards one part of the room. You may experience this as a sense of peace or another feeling that draws you. If this works but seems incomplete it could be that you need to define your passion in more detail. Try using the technique more than once to refine your choice.

Knowing your passion helps focus your energies and decision making. Do newly presented choices further your life's purpose or are they mere sidelines and distractions? Cut out the things that no longer serve you. It's good for us to be diverse, for as author and waterbed inventor Robert Heinlein said, "Specialization is for insects", but enough is enough.

Figuring out what you don't want is important. And imagine the joy you'll get in doing what you love, in the place where you want to be. It's certainly nothing to grumble about.

New Book!!!: The Ukulele Entertainer
Powerful Pointers for Players and Performers

Be the Best Ukulele Entertainer You Can Be!
available from www.RalphShaw.ca

Put strings on a ukulele - correctly,
Play three styles of triplet strum
Know where to look when you sing
Tackle nerves and stage fright
Start and run a ukulele club
Remember lyrics and sing on pitch
Create a killer set list and much more. Learn from a seasoned pro how to relax and improvise, introduce more dynamics into your playing, even-just for fun-how to make ukulele wine! You'll get some lessons in musical history and be royally entertained by the "King of the Ukulele" himself.

"where else can you learn to play the "wimpy-strong" strum from a man who actually touched Liam Neeson's wig?" -From the foreword by ukulele master James Hill.

UE #76 How to Do the One Finger Roll

2012-01-07T17:29:00.000-08:00

There are many ways to play a roll on a ukulele. Today I will attempt to describe the most economical way of all.

One of the great advantages of not using a pick is that having your fingers and thumb available gives you access to a wider variety of playing techniques. One such technique is "the roll".

What is a roll? A roll is what you hear when several individual beats happen so quickly that it sounds like a continuous vibrating sound. I often call it a "thrum". For example if you flick through a deck of playing cards slowly you'll hear flak-flak-flak. But do it quickly and it sounds more like: fl-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r (the rolling r-r-r-r sound being like the front-of-tongue vibration of the 'r' when a Spaniard says "Burro").

The roll is also one of the signature sounds of Spanish flamenco guitar. The sound is achieved by strumming down on the strings, one finger at a time, using some or all fingers of the strumming hand. You can try it right now. Find a level surface and drum the pads of your fingers on it as if you were impatiently waiting for something. Try it using three fingers. Do it slowly at first making sure to keep all the beats evenly spaced. Speed up the roll. Now add another finger and then the thumb until all five digits are making a nice "thrumming" sound. Now reverse it: if you began the roll with your pinky now start it using the thumb.

Playing a roll on the ukulele is very similar to drumming on a desk except that instead of using the pads of the fingers you'll more likely be doing it with the fingernails or sides of the fingers. Experiment with the three and four finger roll. Always aim for a clear rolling sound and incorporate it into your playing. I show the technique on two of my DVDs: The Complete Ukulele Course and Essential Strums for the Ukulele.

Most players favour starting a three or four finger roll with the pinky finger. Others, like myself, begin the roll using the index finger and ending with the ring or pinky fingers. The former method has the advantage that it allows you to do a five finger roll, ending with the thumb, if you so wish.

Ever heard of the six finger roll? It sounds like the start to a joke but it actually is a real technique. I first heard of it as being taught by Bob Brozman. It involves changing the direction of the roll so that one or more fingers are being used more than once in a seamlessly continuous sound. This leads us to the highly improbable but very real ten finger roll. Matt Dahlberg showed me this extraordinary technique. It involves the five digits rolling first in one direction and then immediately rolling back the other way. The slinky movement of the hand while doing this is an effect I call "the ukulele double helix". The ten finger roll sounds exciting, is visually stunning and musically pretty useless. Even Matt admits that the technique, though highly cool, is not one that fits comfortably into most musical situations.

Myself, I prefer simpler techniques. You can get an excellent roll by having the finger strum down immediately followed by the thumb. This "thumb-roll" is shown in the syncopated strum section of my Essential Strums DVD.

But for sheer simplicity nothing can beat the one finger roll.

This is an unusual technique. My usual policy is to instruct learners to practice new techniques slowly before gradually building up speed. Unfortunately I find that the one finger roll only truly sounds like a roll when played at speed. So you'll have to figure it out on the fly. Also note that it is effective if you strum with your finger-end like I do. But it may not work for thumb-strummers.

Start by playing one of your faster numbers. As you strum, put in a quick shake of the finger and then return to the regular strum. That's all there is to it. Technically what you're doing is inserting a very short and fast tremolo. Keep a nice loose wrist as you strum down-up-down-up then quickly add some additional down-ups at double speed. But it is far easier to simply think of it as incorporating an added finger-shake.

A bonus of this technique is that, if you do happen to strum with a pick, you can now play a fast roll without having to use any additional fingers.

UE #75 How to Build a Ukulele Case

2011-12-26T13:06:00.000-08:00

Do children still get home-made Christmas gifts? I certainly did. I don't mean to infer that I come from a particularly poor family. It is true that money was pretty tight in those days, but so it was for most young families in the little Yorkshire village of Millhouse Green. I'd gaze through my bedroom window at the frosty garden hoping for snow and wishing for toys from the toyshop. Oh, how little did I know. My future playthings were not residing on store shelves waiting to be bought. Neither were they at the North Pole undergoing construction by Santa's undergrown munchkins. Neither were they hidden; wrapped and ready in the mid-morning of my childhood, lying dormant in secret coves known only to my parents. In fact, they were not so very far above my head.

For many years the weeks leading up to Christmas would find my dad up in the attic making gifts for me. I was asleep. Either that, or too young to be curious as to why my father spent so much time up above the trapdoor. Now I am older I remember those secret gifts with far more clarity than I do any of my shop bought toys.

There was a fort or "castle". Its formal name changed depending on whether it was occupied by small plastic cowboys repelling equally small plastic "indians"; or knights in armour, fighting, what else, but American G.I.s who were the only other adversary available to me at the time. I also remember a black policeman's hat. My dad even made me a flyover (or overpass) for me to push my toy cars over and under. I had no roads, just a single go-anywhere bridge. It worked. It was also quite bumpy. The fort was lumpy and bumpy too; so much so that my weapon waving warriors would rock precariously at the battlements anytime the fortress was nudged. This is because my toys were made from paper maché: my father's chief medium when it came to my Christmas gifts. In case you've never come across it, paper maché is a porridgey mixture of wallpaper paste and torn scraps of newspaper that becomes quite solid and substantial when dry.

One year I clearly recall a wondrous sight in the window of the toy shop at the top of Shambles Street in Barnsley. It was a glorious thing to behold. A bright red rock 'n' roll drum-kit. I thought about it, I longed for it and I must have talked about it. For on Christmas morning I had my very own set of bright red drums. My dad had taken two plastic plant-pots, one small, one large, and, attaching them together, he cleverly transformed them to make a very credible pair of bongo drums. Their tops were painted silver and trimmed with gold braid. When I think about it I can still smell the paint we used in those days.

I would be lying to say I wasn't disappointed. Bongos did not make the cut. I wasn't interested in "hand" drums. It had to be sticks. My disappointment was slightly alleviated when my dad hand-carved two wooden drumsticks for me. However it wasn't long before my sticks pounded through the paper maché drum-tops and my bongos went back to being plant-pots once again.

My goal in relating to you these tales of unusual, and uniquely undulating, gifts is not to elicit sympathy. Neither is it to make any claim that my dad was any cleverer, kinder, more frugal or resourceful than your or anyone else's dad. Though he could be all those things at times. My only goal is to suggest that the objects we make for ourselves are immensely cooler than anything you can ever possibly buy. I played with those attic-born gifts more than any mass-made factory fare you could mention. They were magical objects, and though they're now long gone, the memory of them is burned into my consciousness.

I make my own things now. I use a technique not unrelated to paper maché. It was shown to me by the great Tomas Kubinek who learned it from the legendary Al Simmons. Here's what you do: Take some corrugated cardboard and cover it with canvas and carpenter's glue. You'll discover that it hardens to become an extremely strong and light material. The product is very tough and happens to be perfect for making ukulele cases. It is also light, strong and always fixable. I wrote a song that describes the technique in detail and I've been singing it for some time. The lyrics are below and I offer them to you now. All I beg in return is that you please send me a photo of your home-made ukulele case or any other object that you make using this technique.

If you want to see and hear the song: here it is on Youtube.

How to Build a Ukulele Case by Ralph Shaw

Use corrugated card for the top and base

But the sides should be of the none-corrugated kind

Use half-inch foam to pad your case

A sleeping mat from a camping shop is fine

The handles, clasps and hinges can be rescued from a knackered old doctor's bag

Or make-up box or satchel ready for the dump

And buy some paint, of a suitable hue

And a great big bottle of carpenter's glue.

It can be a lot of fun when you know what to do

Using cardboard, canvas and carpenters glue

You can do it by yourself you can put it on a shelf

You can tell the neighbours, "I did that myself"

Begin by drawing 'round the thing you want inside the case

Add one inch around then cut it out and that will be the base

Do the same for the lid, then measure for the height,

Add one inch then cut the cardboard for the sides.

With a sharp, sharp knife score the board on the bends

Then attach the sides to the base with sewing pins

Do the same for the lid as what you just did

Doubling up the sides to make a little lip

With hot glue you can hold the edges firmly in their place

Remove the pins then smother glue on the top and sides and base of your case...

Cover with cloth, thin canvas is best

Shmear more glue and while it dries...have a rest!

Once it dries, good and hard

It should sound like knocking on wood and not like card

Paint the whole thing, with the second coat on

Add the handles, clasps and hinges now you're done

You can buy a case for thirty eight dollars or less in an average store

But the one I made excluding time cost me quite a bit more...

But I'd do it all a-gain 'cause I know what to do

Using cardboard, canvas and carpenters glue.

The things we buy today are made in China and Taiwan

But you can build things just as well as a Szechuan manufacturer can.

Check it with your eye does it all look true

Made from cardboard, canvas and carpenters glue.

It's been more than a delight to receive, in my email, photos of ukulele cases that people have made after attending one of my concerts; their only aid to construction was the words of my song. I can't describe how unutterably wonderful it is to think that people have made these things using only song lyrics as guidance.

I wish you a very DIY New Year!

Sithee,

Ralph Shaw.

Be First in Line!

2011-12-11T11:52:00.000-08:00

Tell your friends - The Ukulele Entertainer is here!!!

"The collection of Ralph Shaw wisdom we've been waiting for. Keep it in your ukulele case, under your pillow, in your car... anywhere you might need a little inspiration from a true entertainer and a gifted teacher."

- From the foreword by ukulele master James Hill

My new book is ready and I'm taking orders now...

Click here to order your copy immediately!

It's an exciting time in the Ralph Shaw household that's for sure. The book looks great and is everything I wanted it to be.

Here's what will happen:

Books get to me by Wednesday December 14. And mailing begins right away. First ones to be sent out will be to the supporters who already contributed towards this project. If you also want to have an excellent chance of receiving yours before the holidays order right now to make sure your book/s are sent out in the very next shipment. (If it's a gift for someone else you can use their shipping address so the book goes direct to them.)

Here's what you'll be getting:

The Ukulele Entertainer is a must have guide to improve your skills as a player and as a performer. With this book you'll learn how to:

Put strings on a ukulele - correctly,

Play three styles of triplet strum,

Know where to look when you sing,

Tackle nerves and stage fright,

Start and run a ukulele club,

Remember lyrics and sing on pitch,

Create a killer set list and much more.

Learn from a seasoned pro how to relax and improvise, introduce more dynamics into your playing, even-just for fun-how to make ukulele wine! You'll get some lessons in musical history and be royally entertained by the "King of the Ukulele" himself. This book is the definitive collection of top tips from the Ukulele Entertainer newsletter series and is surely for you!

This book is only available directly from me, Ralph Shaw. So click here to Buy Now and be the Best Ukulele Entertainer You Can Be for only $19.99!

Note for international customers: Only orders from USA/Canada are sent by airmail. Other international orders are shipped by surface mail (approx. 6 to 10 weeks.) If you're a faraway customer who would like airmail please contact Ralph directly to place your order.

About the Author

Ralph Shaw is an "uber-talented performer with the soul of a teacher" who brings, along with his ukulele, the best of British Music Hall to the stage. The wit, charm and comic energy of his live performances are also evident in his writing. His original songs have been featured regularly on CBC Radio and can also be heard in movies and TV shows. Ralph lives in Vancouver, Canada, and travels widely to perform and teach at ukulele festivals and other events. This is his first book.

UE #74 Longevity Tips from the World's Oldest Ukulele Entertainer

2011-12-05T18:27:00.000-08:00

Thinking to buy a ukulele teaching DVD in time for the holidays? When you purchase from my website we ship within 24 hours.

You'll find learning DVDs for both adults and kids here: The Complete Ukulele Course DVD Series

and... my new book: The Ukulele Entertainer is in the final stages of production. Order soon and you should receive your copy in time for the holidays - it's down to the wire I know but in a day or two I'll post the ordering information so that your copy can be sent out as soon as they come in.

The ukulele community has learned that Bill Tapia passed peacefully away on December 2, 2011 aged 103 years. His incredible professional career spanned over ninety years. At ten years old he was already playing "Stars and Stripes Forever" on his ukulele at USO shows for the World War I troops. Amazingly, he'd learned the song directly from the composer, after hearing it played by John Philip Sousa's own band. By age twelve he was playing in Vaudeville. He later moved on to play guitar as a jazz sideman. He had some notable highlights too, including occasions when he got to accompany Louis Armstrong, Elvis Presley, Billie Holiday and Bing Crosby. It's even said that he was the one to introduce legendary broadcaster Arthur Godfrey to the ukulele.

Towards the end of his life the remarkable centenarian was touring again, performing live shows, recording CDs and signing them for countless fans of all ages. He is said to have been the oldest unionized performing musician ever.

Words like "remarkable", "amazing" and "incredible" come easily to mind when thinking about Bill Tapia. Such superlatives arise from a rare combination: his spritely old age plus his renowned talent as an entertainer. In a world where great music is often associated with youth cut short in its prime it can feel both surreal and slightly overwhelming to contemplate the human scale of time that was traveled by Mr Tapia and his uke.

As for me, I already feel old! I seem to bruise more easily now and my joints don't bend with the flexibility that they did in my younger days, when they said I was the spitting image of Michelangelo's "David" (well, one person said it anyway.) I've also had my share of root canals, strained ligaments and grey hairs. My eye-sight is very good but it's clear to see that it's not everything it was. I'm not complaining but here's what gets me: to reach Bill Tapia's final resting age I will have to live my whole life again and then several years on top of that. And quite frankly I find it very hard to imagine.

To gain some perspective on the length of his career, consider this: when Bill Tapia was a little boy there were no cars, radios or refrigerators. Or if there were he wasn't aware of them. As a young Hawaiian boy in 1915 he bought his first uke from Manuel Nunes, inventor of the ukulele, for 75 cents. And was already strumming ukulele chords when the instrument was just being introduced to the United States mainland. The roaring twenties hadn't even started.

We now think of "hapa haole" that is, "part-white" Hawaiian songs, like Ukulele Lady, My Little Grass Shack and Sweet Leilani as being substantially older than "Golden Oldies". They were popularized in the 1920's and '30s and now seem positively archaic to us. Bill Tapia was playing those songs when they first came out of the sound cones of wind-up gramophone players. And he was hearing and playing jazz right when jazz was invented. It's nothing short of astounding!

Shortly before Bill Tapia's 100th birthday he and I performed on the main stage at the Southern California Ukulele Festival in Cerritos, California. We'd both completed our sets and, as musicians often do, we were standing around at the back of the concert hall watching the rest of the show. Probably to be near our respective merchandise tables when the show ended.

A thought occurred to me that this was a unique opportunity to speak with Bill. Perhaps I could glean some secrets that might help me survive the rigours of musicianship for as long as he had done. I strolled on over and said, "I want to be doing this when I'm ninety-nine. Do you have any hints or advice to pass on?" He thought for a moment and then answered me in four words, "Just keep doing it."

I almost left it at that but felt to push the matter a little further. I said, "No, come on Bill, there's got to be more to it." He thought for a spell and said. "Well I always took pretty good care of myself. I didn't do drugs and I wasn't a drinker except for a social drink. I exercised by riding my bike every day until my doctor said I had to stop because of angina but even now I walk daily. The only bad thing I did was to smoke two packs of cigarettes a day until I was eighty-seven. I quit smoking because of the angina."

Here then, as far as I can surmise, are Bill Tapia's seven rules for a long and healthy musical life:

1) Have the good fortune to be born with long-life genes.

2) Be born into a time when everyone eats natural organic food and there are no unhealthy petroleum or corn derived products. Neither is there electromagnetic radiation from cell-towers, nuclear power stations, radio transmitters or X-rays. (There could still be the occasional World War or flu epidemic to survive but hopefully, with luck and some help from No. 1 you'll sail through all those.)

3) Exercise daily.

4) Don't do drugs and only drink alcohol in moderation.

5) If you smoke heavily it's a good idea to quit, at least by the time you're in your late eighties.

6) Play ukulele and sing.

7) Just keep doing it.

New Book Coming VERY soon!: The Ukulele Entertainer - Powerful Pointers for Players and Performers

Essential Strums for the Ukulele. Learn ukulele in the following styles: Samba, Bossa Nova, Bo-diddley, Reggae, Blues, Swing, Syncopation, Frailing - clawhammer and Waltz. Available from: www.RalphShaw.ca

UE #73 How to Lead an Awesome Singalong!

2011-11-23T20:37:00.000-08:00

People's access to all kinds of music has increased enormously thanks to the internet and portable music players. Now, with ukuleles in the hands of many, it is possible to provide chords and rhythm in almost any situation. The potential for group singing is limitless and today I offer ten tips to help make it great.

To simply sing with others is a basic human need as essential to our social lives as eating and drinking. But, although they were once as natural as the afternoon nap, singalongs don't happen by themselves. They require a special person: someone to organize and motivate a group of wary screen gazers and transform them from being habitually passive observers into shining pillars of song. If you think you might be one such person here are some hints to help you get it right:

1) Attract willing people. Ideally folks should know ahead of time that they are going to be singing. That way they can bow out gracefully if they so wish. If your crowd contains too many arm-folded non-participants then you'll be fighting an uphill battle.

2) Be a leader. Being a leader means several things. Its up to you to put across the idea that singing in a group is a completely natural and acceptable thing to do. Be confident and enthusiastic. Be more outrageous and silly than you normally are. If others see you letting go perhaps they'll be more willing to unshackle their spirits and free their voices. A good leader is there to serve the group by keeping things fun and flowing. This means creating a plan but also having the flexibility to stray from the plan when inspiration takes the group in unexpected directions. Avoid being over-controlling and pushy.

3) A singalong is not a performance. In our world where everything musical is presented as something to be observed by others, the philosophy of unwatched group singing can seem a very foreign concept. The listeners are the same people making the music so there should be no fear of outside judgment. As a leader it is up to you to find every way you can to make the singers understand this. Whenever anyone comments that they will sing quietly because their voice is no good, firmly and kindly tell them that there are no bad voices. Nothing matters except to do your best and have fun doing it.

4) Get others to lead. Spot the stronger singers in the group and offer them the chance to lead one song or more. This is an especially good idea if you are a better organizer than you are a song leader.

5) Choose well known songs and stay close to the original. Your singalong will be a very quiet one if people don't know the words or the tunes. I recommend you pick songs that are known by at least a slim majority of your fellows (say 60%.) Popular songs have famous recorded versions that most people know. It can be helpful for cohesiveness to keep reasonably close to these arrangements. Fancy phrasing and stylizing make it harder for others to follow. This is not a fast rule however. It can be a lot of fun to play a song completely outside the genre in which it is usually heard. I recently led my group in a high speed rendition of Amazing Grace that clipped along at breakneck pace while still suiting the song.

6) Know your material. Practice the songs before venturing to lead them. Make sure you know the beginnings, endings and the starting note. You'll make mistakes as you go but keep remembering the mantra: do your best and have fun.

7) Kill the video and photo. The recording of sounds and images implies that someone will eventually observe and judge our efforts. This creates tension no matter how polite the camera person may be. No-one likes to have their image taken while eating so why allow video and photos while singing? You're in a group but it's still private time and just because someone owns an expensive piece of gadgetry made by slave labour in a far off part of the world doesn't automatically give them the right to use it. For the most part our wannabe paparazzi think they are far better at photography than they actually are. They believe that pressing a button is an art form. It isn't. Next time one of these bottom feeding lowlifes starts "taking" your picture without permission tell them you'd prefer that they set up an easel and paint your image instead. See what kind of an artist they truly are. Seriously though, let your group decide the culture they want. For example, they may choose to allow video and photos for one or two songs only but I strongly advise against unlimited recording.

8) Include variety. Most songs are repetitious and singing a song the same way twice can get boring. Find ways to vary the music: Get the crowd to sing sections by themselves. Change the strumming style and the volume level. Play with the phrasing a little. Do what you can to make the same words and chords seem interesting all over again. If you have several short songs that are fun but which don't bear repetition then make them into medleys.

9) Encourage without compliments and critiques. Offering words of encouragement like, "sing louder!" and "oh yeah, you got it now!" loosens up voices without inflating and deflating personal egos that individual remarks can do. Conversely, pay close attention to what the group is telling you. React to their comments and gestures. They may provide wonderful inspiration that you can draw on to make the experience spontaneous and exciting.

10) The singalong is made and enjoyed in the immediate moment. It is never the same way twice. It is timeless. Compared with such a reality, the production values of even a space age high-definition 3-D holographic camera are as empty and worthless as dry dust. It's a precious time. Be fully present and remember, because it can't be said too much: do your best and have fun!

EXTRA! EXTRA! Read all about it!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Want to learn ukulele? or improve your ukulele playing? My Complete Ukulele Course DVDs shows you how.

DVDs for adults and kids: The Complete Ukulele Course DVD Series

Essential Strums for the Ukulele. Learn ukulele in the following styles: Samba, Bossa Nova, Bo-diddley, Reggae, Blues, Swing, Syncopation, Frailing - clawhammer and Waltz. Available from: www.RalphShaw.ca

UE #72 The Art of the Singalong

2011-11-11T12:25:00.000-08:00

It was once a part of everyone's life that has all but disappeared. The good old-fashioned singalong...

The last great group of singers was the World War II generation. They kept the rickety pub pianos vibrating with song and laughter well into the 1980s. But since the pubs were renovated and those cranky pianos cast out along with the battered cigarette machines and charred lampshades we turn our heads only to discover that those old songsters are mostly gone. Some survive, but the ones that do are now into their nineties and unlikely to gather for a singsong at happy hour. As each one passes away so do more memories of that generation's great moments. It was an age when every event was marked with music.

Sure, there are still a few places where one can stand around the piano with like-minded veterans of song - perhaps to croon hits by the likes of Vera Lynn, Bing Crosby or Al Jolson - but they are rare now. One example is Vancouver's Billy Bishop Legion. Their regulars still drink pints and sing songs every Friday until midnight when they all link arms for the final medley. Their pianist, Bea Blackwell, has played an almost unbroken line of weekly singalongs and annual Remembrance Days for many decades.

One obstacle to the modern singalong is that even amongst those who can or would like to sing there is no common repertoire. Let's say we had an opportunity to get together and sing - what then? How would we choose the songs? I can imagine much vying over whether to sing Rock and Roll, Rhythm and Blues, Ragtime, Rockabilly, Reggae, Religious or Rap.

The demise of the family piano is also partly to blame for the decline in singalongs. Once it was the family's entertainment system but now the piano's place has been taken over by the large, black, rectangular void known as the big-screen TV.

Thoughts of all this came very strongly to me recently when I was booked to visit the family home of a prospective client. Her brother had mentioned me to her. She told me,

"My father is going to be ninety years old and he loves to sing and I can't think of a better birthday gift than a family singalong. I hear that you lead singalongs and even do house calls."

This was a misunderstanding and I could see how she had come to this conclusion. Yes, I have been known to entertain in people's homes and yes, I do lead a monthly ukulele get-together, essentially a singalong for strummers. However, a family singalong with people I'd never met was a new idea for me. But I liked the concept and went with it.

Right away I realized that with an age difference of eighty years between oldest and youngest, deciding what to sing would be the first puzzle to solve. My solution was to suggest to my client that she create a songbook especially for the occasion. I emailed to her a number of song suggestions from my own repertoire. Armed with these songs, plus additions of her own, she came up with a selection of ditties. Hopefully they'd cover the tastes of everyone at the party. The book she made was spiral bound and had a picture of her dad on the front. She sent a copy for me to work with.

Before too long I found myself, in the hour before dinner, standing on a fireplace rug leading a boisterous family singalong. It struck me what a rare privilege this was. The ukulele had taken the place of a piano but the unique feeling that comes from a group of voices singing happily together was still there. In unison we crooned, amongst others: Blue Moon, For Me and My Gal, With a Little Help from my Friends, Rubber Duckie and a song with particular meaning for me: Edelweiss.

As we sang of the alpine flower that greets us every morning and whose snow-white petals we urge to blossom and grow forever, I found myself thinking back to past singalongs in my life. Many of the participants are no longer around but I suddenly remembered them clearly. Along with an almost painful ache of nostalgia came a barely remembered sense of tender belonging; a nearly forgotten feeling of warm togetherness that I'm sure used to be more commonplace. My memory suddenly felt sharper and richer thanks to the words and melodies of the songsmiths whose strange powers have the ability to conjure up long neglected senses and recollections.

Every November 11 we are reminded of the phrase: "Lest we forget." As we remember the lost, the brave, and the good let us also spare a thought for the humble singalong whose very presence in our lives gives us something to live for.

Next week: Some hints on how to lead an awesome singalong!

EXTRA! EXTRA! Read all about it!!

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Want to learn ukulele? or improve your ukulele playing? My Complete Ukulele Course DVDs shows you how.

DVDs for adults and kids: The Complete Ukulele Course DVD Series

UE #71 Smile dammit, Smile!

2011-11-01T06:00:00.000-07:00

If my school had given out grades for looking gloomy I would have been a glowering A+ student. I still get the richest mirth from a hilarious zinger delivered without the hint of a grin to telegraph the coming devastation; however, times change...

Although it pains me to admit it, I have finally accepted that smiling is smart. My early life near Barnsley in Yorkshire is possibly what led me to believe that anything worth doing was worth doing dourly. It seemed to me in 1970's Barnsley that smiles were saved for special occasions; not wasted on frivolities like good jokes, acts of kindness or major celebrations.

In primates the baring of teeth demonstrates a readiness for violence. In some Asian cultures the smile is a sign of embarrassment or confusion. Other cultures reserve their smiles for friends and family. They wouldn't think to smile at strangers. An American may state that Russians don't smile enough, your average Russian will be quick to respond that Americans smile too much and in the wrong places.

From a ukulele entertainer's point of view I have to grudgingly acknowledge that it's those "over-smiling Americans" who have the right idea.

Smiling has many advantages. For one it makes people more attractive to others. And get this: economics professor Daniel Hamermesh (author of Beauty Pays) has demonstrated that ugly people earn less than attractive ones, are less likely to receive bank loans and if they are running for office get fewer votes than those with above-average looks.

It has been shown that people who smile receive greater trust and more help from others. Apparently your smile even helps others to remember your name more successfully. People in service and hospitality work are trained to smile. How big would your restaurant tip be if the maitre d' looked like a rainy day, the bar staff were miserable and the waitresses looked like their underwear was on back to front? Not very big, unless you happen to be Russian, in which case you've probably had the time of your life.

For some activities a smile should be a given; playing ukulele for instance. Who wouldn't rate ukulele strumming as the happiest occupation ever invented? Ukulele players should be high in the category of people most likely to be constantly smiling. Sadly this is not always the case.

Picking, strumming and singing is great fun when you can do it. But becoming skilled requires hours upon hours of focused concentration. With minds intent on wrapping fingers around an F#m7 chord many people unknowingly train their faces to become quite gargoyle-like. Harpo Marx used an extreme case of this condition to create a comedic face that he named a 'Gookie'. Gookie was a real person who rolled cigars in a tobacconist's window oblivious that his neglected face was being carefully studied by the young Harpo Marx.

We know the saying practice makes perfect. But many players also hold onto the belief that the stage will magically improve their playing. Others are certain that their live show is always inferior to the rehearsal. The truth is that our public performances are very similar to what we do when we play alone. Unfortunately this is also true for the expression we wear while playing. I have seen many otherwise worthy musical performances be quite undermined by the player's tortured facial contortions.

As well as making you look more appealing the right kind of smile can improve your singing. Smiling can brighten the quality and expression of your voice. A slight lift of the cheeks plus aliveness in the eyes brings more sound to the front of the face; which is what you want. To see how this works make a relaxed, neutral face and let your jaw hang. Sing the following words on one note, "We are playing now". Repeat the phrase a few times. Now, while keeping your voice the same, lift the corners of your mouth into a smile and sing the words again. Listen for changes in tone. Is it darker and muddier or brighter and clearer; probably the latter. Do it a few times. Listen carefully to the quality of your vocal sound.

When you practice: Consciously relax your face and smile while your fingers strive to attain their desired degree of dexterity. As the playing gets trickier, smile more! Your performances will benefit immeasurably if your audience perceives that you take delight in attempting trickier passages. Avoid showing grief, worry, tension and other unhappy emotions that your listeners are hoping to be lifted away from.

Watch the faces of your favourite players and singers. Decide how you want to appear to others when you are in the limelight and keep that intention whenever you play. Twisting your face to resemble Quasimodo's uncomely cousin won't improve your music.

Remember: Practice makes permanent - so be careful what you practice.

Harpo Marx Throwing a "Gookie"

Want to learn ukulele? or improve your ukulele playing? The Complete Ukulele Course shows you how. DVDs for adults and kids: The Complete Ukulele Course DVD Series

UE #70 Five Ways to Become a Ukulele Genius

2011-10-18T06:09:00.000-07:00

I'm back! The Ukulele Entertainer has returned for a fresh bout of musical musings to pump up your strum, reform your performing and super-size your vocalizing. I want to welcome all the new subscribers who joined this summer. I have teaching ukulele DVDs available (see below or click here) and there is a new book in the works to tell you about in the coming weeks.

Genius is something we're born with, right? How else could Einstein, a simple clerk in a patent office, have changed our world-view with his visionary insights? What else could have enabled Mozart to write his first pieces of music at such a young age? (At two years old? - get away.) Tiger Woods' innate "genius" for the game was frequently used to explain the almost supernatural way that he roared onto the pro-golf scene and tore apart his more experienced opposition.

But what is genius? Those who have studied it have no doubt found many interesting things, but it's what they haven't found that is most notable. So far researchers have been unable to find a set of characteristics in brain makeup that conclusively gives away the fact that its owner is an Einstein, a Mozart or a Woods.

Our brains develop from birth and change according to environment and activity. Thus the brains of taxi drivers, history teachers and air traffic controllers all end up exhibiting their own special characteristics. But the defining qualities that signify genius are still mostly speculation at this point.

One thing that researchers do know is that every acclaimed genius has put in an extraordinary amount of work. At least 10,000 hours and some suggest up to 50,000 hours of dedicated practice. To put that in perspective: they are saying that every genius you've ever heard of did the equivalent of at least twenty hours of practice per week for a period of ten years in order to get good enough to be recognized as a genius.

But hold on a moment, I hear you cry. How was Mozart able to put in 10,000 hours before he was two? Well here's the thing about Mr. Mozart. He was the product of an extraordinarily gifted teacher: his father. Wolfgang Amadeus's dad created and developed innovative music teaching methods that were used with enormous success on both his son and his daughter. (That young Wolfgang became the big success and his sister didn't is due to the small matter of gender - girls didn't become music stars in those days. By the way, if you think our culture has grown beyond such attitudes: Quick, right now, name three female geniuses. Possibly because of our current social conditioning that's not quite so easy to do.)

Nowadays, thanks to clever teaching methods, we are used to the sight of six and seven year old violin and piano prodigies. Mozart was not much different from today's Suzuki school graduates except that he happened to be doing it a few hundred years earlier. But wait! I hear you bleat. He wrote music when he was two!

Have you heard the music he wrote as a toddler? Has anyone listened to it lately? No they haven't. And do you know why they haven't? Because it was crap that's why. Mozart's first major success was at the age of twenty-one and it was his 271st composition. Before that his education followed a trajectory much like anyone else's: first he copied other composers and then slowly introduced original concepts into his work as he diligently refined and improved his art.

When The Beatles landed on American shores they seemed to come out of nowhere. In truth they'd spent years honing their skills, both individually and as a group, performing for eight hours a day, often seven days a week (sometimes even eight days a week - ha ha) for months on end in some of Hamburg's dingiest night-clubs. In the process they covered countless songs and cultivated their song-writing technique to an extremely high level. When the Fab Four burst onto the public scene it was no accident that their chops were tight and their confidence ran high.

Of course the total amount of time spent working is not the only key to success. I'm sure that if most of us had been opera school classmates of Pavarotti we might have soon felt discouraged. Pavarotti's talent would have taken him more quickly to a place that we, lesser divas and divos, found unattainable no matter how many hours of ear-bending, glass-breaking fa-sol-la-teeing we put in. Nevertheless, my drift is yours for the getting.

If the greatest musical talents had to practice for the equivalent of a shrew's lifetime (about 10,000 hours) to reach their potential, what makes us ukulele players think it's enough to strum for half an hour every three days? Sadly, at least for those of us who took up ukulele believing it was an easy option, the only conclusion to be drawn is this: If you want to be a good ukulele player, you need to practice.

So what can we do to make sure we put in as many ukulele playing hours as possible? Here are five suggestions:

1. Practice daily at the same time each day. Make your ukulele practice a part of your everyday routine, like brushing your teeth in the morning and answering telemarketing calls at dinnertime. This makes your practice period easier to remember and less easy to skip.

2. Find a length of time that works for you. Set a timer. Knowing that you have a fixed amount of time available to practice can help you use that time to the fullest. Even if it is short, aim to maximize whatever time you've set aside for yourself.

3. Practice often. Sometimes life doesn't permit us to take longer breaks. Play when you can. Say, between tasks or seeing clients. Ten three minute practice sessions is the same as one half hour session. If you take your ukulele to work this tip will be useful for all you taxi drivers and air traffic controllers. No planes coming in right now? Strum a few bars of Lady Ga Ga.

4. Perform and jam as often as possible with as many people as you can. Playing live adds a layer of intensity that helps the mind to focus. Much learning will come about by playing for and with others.

5. Reward yourself. The work will be so much more bearable if you know there will be a movie, a pleasant beverage or a banana coming to you at the end of it.

There. I've finished. Now for that banana. Mmm, mm, that's good. Its hungry work being a genius.

Guaranteed DVDs to help you learn to play ukulele.

UE #69 Tying Up Loose Ends for the Summer

2011-06-14T11:55:00.000-07:00

I'll be taking some time off from writing to work on summer projects. Before I go I’d like to tie up a few loose ends...

1) Its been a while since I put any videos up on Youtube. To remedy that here’s a performance piece of my song “Movie Stars, High Rollers and Big Shakers” that I shot while taking a break from adding new footage to my Complete Ukulele Course DVD: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e64O5AklB4I

Feel free to send to any friends who might like to see musical madness as cooked up by one guy with a ukulele and no editing!

2) If you have already participated in my Book and CD fundraiser by pre-ordering then THANK YOU! I’ll be in touch with you presently to let you know how things are going. If you’ve been meaning to get involved and haven’t you still can...but time is running out. Go quickly to: http://www.ralphshaw.ca/New_CD_and_Book and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your participation.

3) Some regular readers of my newsletter/blog may have wondered what happened to the “used-ukulele strings contest”; the one where I offered prizes for the most creative use of old ukulele strings? Well here it is:

Picking a winner from the many fabulous suggestions was not easy. To narrow it down a little I decided to exclude suggestions that involved merely substituting a ukulele string for regular nylon string.

The winner was Flynn who wrote, “My idea would be to crochet the old strings into a strap for your uke. Recycled and useful.” Flynn has been working on the item and has promised to send me a photo.

I liked this one because: a) it keeps the old strings still connected to the ukulele and b) it took a heck of a lot more commitment than the simple writing of an email.

Other notable suggested uses for old uke strings include:

Using old strings to hang things: such as pictures, photographs, driftwood mobiles and festive ornaments,

I got several suggestions for creating jewellery: necklaces, bracelets, earrings (with one idea to use an old uke pick as a pendant). You can even use a string as a clear retainer for piercings. For example, “your boss may frown on your eyebrow ring but you can keep the hole open invisibly with a clear string while you’re working.”

Some ideas for tying and fixing included: use strings as fishing leaders, stitch up old pillows or the seats in your car/boat/covered wagon. Use them to tie to garden stakes or as a support for a climbing plant. Try making dream-catchers or thread one through your zipper to use as a zipper pull. Tie them together for an emergency clothes-drying-line.

Some were funny: With reference to my short-lived cat-toy idea, Tom said, “Banded together, a used set of nylon ukulele strings would make an extremely strong, yet narrow support tether, with which to attach an endoscopic camera, for the sole purpose of detecting string or yarn in a cat's stomach.”

This one was naughty: “Tie all the strings together at each end to create one really really really long piece. Get a friend to hold one end, and you the other. Crouch down at each side of a doorway and wait for an enemy to walk by. Pull the string tight and watch them fall!” I won’t say who suggested that but she’s a ukulele player and her initials are V.V. My advice: stay friends with her!

Some suggestions were just ridiculous:

Beach Fashion: Wear a g-string as a g-string.
Religion: Throw a bunch of them onto the floor. If one curly string happens to resemble Jesus (or Buddha or Krishna or any other iconic icon), build a shrine and start a cult.” Thanks Bartt for the element of surrealism.

Old strings can be used to cut up all kinds of things: such as rolls of cookie dough, cinnamon rolls, cheese, soap and pottery clay, “The more bent and crinkly they are the more interesting facets you can create.”

Uke strings can be used for art: Judy from Vancouver took my original cat-toy picture and made a digital collage using sheet music and a photo of a Vancouver Ukulele Circle member.

Finally, I notice, they are fantastic when it comes to tying up loose ends.

Thanks to everyone who participated in this and to all who took time to send me your thoughtful, heart-warming and inspiring comments over the past year and a half.

Have a wonderful summer. I’ll be back in the saddle when the days grow cool and the leaves begin to fall.

Sithee with Aloha,

Ralph Shaw

Want to learn ukulele? or improve your ukulele playing? My Complete Ukulele Course DVDs shows you how. DVDs for adults and kids: The Complete Ukulele Course DVD Series

UE #68 How to Channel the Dead for Fun and Profit!

2011-06-06T18:47:00.000-07:00

What I'm about to say to you may sound somewhat strange; a tad creepy, or deliciously blasphemous, but I assure you that it's irrefutably real. I, Ralph Shaw, have the ability to channel the spirits of long-dead performers. And I'm going to tell how you can do it too!

Less than two hundred years ago, theaters were regarded with extreme public distaste. In North America, only ne'er-do-wells were found within the walls of theatrical establishments. Theaters were places for men to drink and smoke and meet ladies of ill-repute. Not for decent men and women folk.

This presented a problem for the show-biz entrepreneurs of the day; if only they could find a way to make theater palatable for the well-bred, church-going families who might attend. It was P.T. Barnum who made it happen.

Barnum was a veritable wizard of public relations. In 1841 he created Barnum's American Museum. On several floors and occupying almost an entire city block his museum was the Disneyland of its day. Under the guise of "education" Barnum cleverly constructed an atmosphere that attracted both the worldly and the innocent to come together under one roof. He achieved this with a certain amount of lying and trickery; albeit done in such an entertaining way that few minded. After watching a lecture or a temperance melodrama in one room you might go on to the next to meet George Washington's 161 year old nurse (as if!) or view the Feejee mermaid (actually the head of a monkey sewn on a fish's body).

This innovative use of pseudo-education to bring entertainment to the masses is what eventually lead to the creation of Vaudeville. Vaudeville theaters were palaces of variety entertainment suitable for the whole family. But there was another off-shoot of the mid-19th century dime museums which retained its educational roots and whose rise paralleled that of Vaudeville. It was known as Chautauqua. Chautauqua had its own circuit and delivered entertainment and culture to communities via teachers, entertainers, preachers and specialists of the day.

One of the intriguing things I learned about Chautauqua (forms of which still exist today) is that its presenters teach history by embodying historical characters. They become the character and address the audience as if they really are, say, Abraham Lincoln, Mark Twain or Marie Curie. It is the mark of their art to truly convey the persona of the figure they wish to represent.

I first heard about Chautauqua while in Reno to present a one-man-show about the life of George Formby. During the show, whenever I went into the character of Formby, I experienced the curious feeling that I was becoming a vessel for Formby's spirit. I was fascinated to discover that proponents of Chautauqua make an occupation of this phenomenon.

In the attempt to portray a person who once lived and breathed a performer can happen to find him or herself in somewhat spooky territory. To dismiss the technique simply as acting does not quite do it justice. It is the total embodiment of a persona. Sure, one can say, it's a technique that actors use all the time. But that still begs the question, "What exactly is going on?" Any of us who have been present to see the milli-second transformation of an actor as he becomes an entire other person is both eerie and miraculous to watch.

On the other hand, to call it "channeling" seems somewhat over the top. But I'll tell you something: whenever I turn on that little switch inside myself that tells me to become someone else, "channeling" is the only descriptive word that seems to fit. But really...channeling? And then I remember this:

I once met a 52 year old woman, called Susan, in a bar near where I lived. On any given day, after work, you'd see her sitting at a table having a couple of drinks, before heading home on the bus. She never looked happy. As I got to know her I learned she worked in the Post Office Complaint Department; all day every day she dealt with customers whose mail had gone missing. No wonder she never appeared to be imbibing the joys of life along with her draft lager. I learned that in her Twenties she'd been a drummer. A pretty good one, she'd idolized the Led Zeppelin drummer: John Bonham. I asked her why she quit. She couldn't remember, and said, "I guess it was no longer a part of my life".

As she talked about her love of drumming I ventured to suggest that she might want to take it up again. She became quite gung-ho about the idea. Whenever I saw her I persisted in encouraging her to buy a drum-kit. I felt it would be good for her to play again. Eventually she did. She reported to me how her skills were coming back and of her re-ignited joy of playing. Then, about two months later, she told me she had sold the drum-kit. I asked why. Her reply was very, very unexpected. She said,

"I sat down to play one evening after a bad day at work. As I played I thought about John Bonham and, it sounds crazy I know, but all at once I felt his spirit take over my body and I played the drums like I've never played before. I don't even fully remember the experience but I played non-stop for two and half hours. At the end of it I was exhausted."

Susan had been through a profound experience. It changed her. In a curious way it emptied her of the need to play drums. She became released from thinking about what might have been and instead was ready to take on the future on its own terms. Did Susan, the 52 year old postal worker, really channel John Bonham? She wouldn't insist that was the case but on the other hand she had no alternative explanation, and, she noted, alcohol had not been a factor.

Some famous performers have been convinced that the channeling effect is real. Early in her career K.D. Lang felt she was the reincarnation of Patsy Cline. She hasn't mentioned this recently. It's clear that she is a talented mimic. Watch her stage moves and tell me that you don't see some Elvis in there.

Whether you call it channeling (for dead people) or mimicry (for alive people) it's a common performance technique. Used effectively the ordinary ukulele entertainer can go from ho-hum to a dazzling, electrically-charged showpiece.

Some Channeling Basics:

1) Build your skills. Develop your vocal/instrumental technique and movement sense to such a degree that you can adapt them to different styles. You won't get taken for Marilyn Monroe if you only walk like a trucker and your only vocal sound is a nasal twang.

2) Find the switch. It helps to discover a mental trick or physical movement to trigger the persona. Usually a small movement is all it takes (impersonators of Rodney Dangerfield always adjust their tie-knot). Find a mannerism that is integral to the personality of the performer.

3) Become the whole person. Its all or nothing. If you are thinking about all the individual elements that comprise the personality then you're not doing it.

4) Commit fully. Believe you are the character then the audience will want to believe it too. You'll break the spell if you perform with any sense of self-consciousness.

The idea of invoking the spirits of the dead as part of the panoply of performance skills may not sit well with everyone. But don't worry, it happens all the time. You may have done it too. And why not? Its actually rather good fun!

Pre-order the new Ukulele Entertainer Book by Ralph Shaw:

Go to: New Book and CD by Ralph Shaw

UE #67 Seven Suggestions For a Superior Set-List

2011-05-23T17:02:00.000-07:00

This week I've got some ideas to help you put your songs in order when you're creating a set-list. Also...The Ukulele Entertainer Book is now underway. A collection of wit and wisdom from the first 18 months of this blog plus new material too. If you haven't yet pre-ordered there is still time! Go to: Ralph Shaw Book pre-order info

If you don't know what a Set-List is it's probably because you have never performed in public. The Set-List is a list of songs chosen and placed in, what the musician hopes will be, the ideal order that they can be played. The songs are written down and the finished list is placed where it can be seen during the show.

That's it. Sounds easy, yes? In a way it is simple and most beginners have no problem writing out a list of songs before performing them. However it seems
that with experience the task of writing a set-list becomes more and more difficult. The performer acquires the notion that a show should "flow" and that there must be a way to optimize the impact on the audience.

Set-Lists are tricky things. A set that rocked the house last night can fail miserably for the next crowd. There is never a guarantee of success. However there are some elements worthy of keeping in mind when creating your set list:

1) The First Song

This is your introduction. It's where the audience gets to check you out. They are looking at your clothes, your face and your instrument and don't necessarily have their full attention on your music. You, on the other hand, are meeting the audience with a sense of nervous anticipation and its during the first song that you are most likely to make mistakes. So make it one of your best songs but also one that you can play with ease. The band Led-Zeppelin began many of their concerts with the energizing "Rock and Roll". You'd think they'd chosen this song because of its high-energy and familiarity. Yes but less obvious is the fact that its easy playability helped the band to get comfortable on stage. Yep. Big stadium stars get the jitters too.

2) The Second Song

Unless the second song NEEDS an intro then consider not talking at all. Many performers are still somewhat nervous at this point and they have a tendency to talk in cliches: "Hi I'm so and so, its great to be here, how are you doing, here's a song I wrote when I was breaking up with my boy/girlfriend, I hope you like it, it goes something like this." Yada yada yada...

You'll create more curiosity and anticipation by being a silent presence than by spouting drivel. Find a song that is strong enough to tell its own story and, ideally, is quite different from your intro song.

3) Make the Show Flow

Think about the concept of taking your audience on a journey. Your musical mystery tour should contain as many elements of variety as possible: Alternate fast and slow songs or put them in groupings; e.g. follow two or three fast songs with a couple of slower ones. Change keys from one song to the next. Alternate major and minor keys. Look at the song themes. Avoid singing 3 songs in a row about breaking up with your girl/boyfriend unless the intent is to relate the unfortunate episode as an epic trilogy.

4) Bring it Down

Before growing the show to a crescendo it's a good idea to mellow things out so that the crescendo will be as pronounced as possible. Pick your most beautiful "quiet" song. This is the time for the audience to get introspective.

5) Build to a Crescendo

Think about raising the energy for the last few songs; whatever that means to you. Create a sense of letting-go. Even without being told, the audience should get the idea that the set is building to a climax.

6) Finish Strong

There is a reason for the show-business adage, "Always leave them wanting more." End your set while the audience is still enjoying themselves and END STRONG. Avoid ballads and songs about breaking up with your boy/girlfriend. Consider putting your best song here. Let the audience know when to applaud by giving them a strong finish.

7) Encore!

Even if you don't expect to be asked for an encore it's a good idea to have something prepared in advance. Think of it as the cherry on the cake; an extra treat for the good people with whom you have shared time. So judge their mood. You may want to continue playing more of the same style; especially if people are dancing. On the other hand you can use the encore as an opportunity to do something quite different to what they've seen so far. For example: If you've been singing all originals you might want to try a well known cover song or a singalong. If all your other songs were backed by ukulele now's a good time to try that quirky thumb-piano number you've been working up. This is your chance to have a bit of fun; and fun is much more likely to be had if, before the show, you already took some time to prepare for this moment.

Ready-Set-LIST

I may be large I may be small I may be short I may be long.

Most performers write me out before they sing a song.

Sometimes I don't exist at all 'cept in the singer's head

But usually I am placed at the singer's feet instead.

I'm always being perfected though I'm very rarely seen

A map to show the band where its going, where its been.

They could try to sing without me but I'm afraid they'd have to wing it

A song might not get sung at all without my showing when to sing it.

Some think that I'm essential, others not so much

I could be consequential or considered just a crutch

After the show I'm left behind, never to be missed

Taped to the stage by the microphone stand; a lonely forgotten Set-List

Become involved with my exciting new Book and CD projects: Receive various benefits (signed Book and/or CD, your name in the credits, a personalized song and more). Please go to: New Book and CD by Ralph Shaw

Make the Possible a Reality

2011-05-17T09:17:00.000-07:00

Something a little different from my usual posting this week:

I am about to start work on two exciting new projects: My first CD since 2005 and my first book "The Ukulele Entertainer". Each project represents a groundbreaking new direction in my career.

I am making both the book and the CD available to friends and fellow music lovers, like you, for pre-order. Having your support will not only help me manage the costs of these undertakings, but will allow YOU to be directly involved in the creative process.

In return, I can offer you various benefits (signed book and/or CD, your name in the album credits and book acknowledgments, a personalized song and more). Follow this link for more information:

www.ralphshaw.ca/New_CD_and_Book

Please read through the options and choose one that is right for you. Your contribution means so much. In these times where artistry so often goes undervalued it is the influence of individuals like yourself that can make the possible become a reality.

Thanks for making it happen!

Ralph Shaw.

PS. In order for me to start work soon, participation will close on June 20th. so act now!

UE #66 Lyle Ritz’s Role Model

2011-05-09T12:35:00.000-07:00

How many people do you personally know that you can honestly say is a living legend? I know one. You may be interested to know that the person to whom I am referring could very well have been responsible for your birth, or, if you’re somewhat older, the conception of your children.

He’s called Lyle Ritz. Even his name is cool and laid back. A razzle dazzle name like that must surely conjure up images of a smiling gold-tooth Lothario; a smooth talking, slow walking son-of-a...but wait you’ve got it all wrong. Lyle is a humble bass player and he is cringing right now (I happen to know he reads these newsletters).

It was the Portland Ukulele Festival; the same year that Lyle was inducted into the Ukulele Hall of Fame. Piper Heisig (producer, singer and multi-instrumentalist) was on stage about to play Lyle’s bass. Its an instrument whose body displays the dents and dings resulting from decades of work. Piper leaned over it and spoke to us,

“Do you realize how many people have gotten pregnant because of this instrument?”

To prove her point she played a classic bass riff from a Righteous Brothers hit. The audience understood immediately. Lyle has probably played on more recordings of ‘make-out’ music than anyone on earth.

In the 1960s through to the mid-‘80s Lyle played in over 5000 studio sessions. He and the musicians he regularly worked with were known as The Wrecking Crew. You’ve heard their work many times; most of it uncredited. If you ever listened to The Beach Boys, Sonny and Cher, Herb Alpert, Frank Sinatra, Tina Turner, Johnny Mathis, Ray Charles or the records that contain Phil Spector’s ‘wall of sound’ then you have heard Lyle’s bass. But that’s just one reason for his legendary status.

In the world of ukulele Lyle is best known as the musician who:

1) plays the song “Tonight You Belong To Me” in the movie “The Jerk”. Although an excellent banjo player Steve Martin was uke-syncing as he strolled with Bernadette Peters.

2) made 2 albums of jazz instrumental ukulele music called “How About Uke?” and “50^th State Jazz”. This was back in 1957 and they were unique and innovative pieces of work.

His jazz-ukulele albums were not platinum sellers but they were highly influential to numerous Hawaiian and mainland ukulele players. Lyle was well enough known that even in the mid-1990s, well before the present ukulele boom, my audience members in Canada would occasionally approach me to say they owned one or more of his LPs.

When I first met Lyle we didn’t say much. I guess neither of us are the greatest when it comes to networking. But I sure watched him. I found him hilarious. I never expected him to be so physically funny.

His knack for wordless expression carries far beyond his music. We were performing in a Dusty Strings concert in Seattle. After being introduced by the emcee each performer had to work their way through the audience to get to the stage. Lyle was having all sorts of trouble; shuffling between chairs in a curmudgeonly way, muttering to himself and asking audience members if they knew the way to the stage. He finally made it and sat in the brightness of the stage-lights: shading his eyes and scowling at the audience. Then he noticed the microphone that had been carefully placed for him. Glaring at it with utter distaste he pushed it to one side like a mouldy offering. Then he began to play.

It was wonderful showmanship. Without words he had made us laugh and at the same time clearly showed us that instrumental music was the only thing we’d be getting from him. After that I always found myself checking out the part of the room that he was in. To others Lyle may appear quiet and low key but I began to think of him as a physical clown par excellence. I was always on the lookout for his comic gems. Once in a cafeteria food line; he picked up a plate and did, what to me were, small but wonderful bits of improvised business.

However, it was my thinking of Lyle as a comedian that eventually got me scratching my head in confusion. It was after one of the Portland Saturday night shows. I was standing at the audience meet and greet when Lyle came up to me and said,

“I really like your playing.”

All I could think was, ‘Gosh. Lyle Ritz is complementing me!’ I said, “Thank you very much”.

Lyle continued, “I love the way you strum. Its amazing how you do that.”

“Thanks again” I said.

Lyle continued, “Gee I wish I could strum like you.”

Now I was thinking, ‘enough already with the compliments Lyle’. Then he added,

“Do you think I could learn to do that?”

This was getting too much. ‘He’s making fun of me’ I thought. So in defense I responded a little sarcastically,

“Well I do teach workshops you know.”

Obviously I teach workshops; we were both there to teach workshops. Therefore I was further taken aback by his reply,

“You do! Really, would I be able to take one of those?”

It was a twilight zone moment. I thought, ‘now he’s really taking the piss’ as we say in England.

These days, I know Lyle a little better; and I know he was being sincere. But what can happen, and it happens to me fairly often, is that having a reputation as a funny guy means that people don’t take you seriously when you say something genuine and heartfelt. In fact they are usually waiting for a punchline; a kicker to undo the earnestness of the setup. No punch-line came and I was perplexed at the situation. It seemed impossible that ukulele jazz master Lyle Ritz could want to learn anything from me. Even supposing he did, all our workshop sessions were now completed anyway.

As a way of solving my conversational crisis I went over to the nearby merchandise table and removed one of my own “Essential Strums for the Ukulele” DVDs. I handed it to Lyle. He in turn behaved as if I’d provided him with the answer to his prayers. It was getting more surreal. I think I may have signed it for him.

In the years and festivals that have followed it is always a joy to meet up with Lyle. I still watch his antics closely. And Lyle usually lets me know how his strumming work with the DVD is coming along. It turns out that although his left hand ability is nothing short of masterful his right hand style wasn’t developed to the same degree. For years he has used the sort of felt pick that was thought to be a necessary accessory with ukes sold before the 1970s.

I still shake my head in disbelief when I consider the idea of Lyle Ritz learning from me. But it has taught me a great lesson.

No matter who we are; whatever our status and station in life; there is something we can learn from everyone. Lyle Ritz didn’t get to be one of the Wrecking Crew by practicing a few notes and riffs and leaving it at that. He has proven that he is a life-long learner and he is not ashamed to show it. He continues to strive; always moving forward; improving his art and enriching all our lives to the very end.

Lyle has since created his own ukulele teaching DVD where he shares many of his playing techniques. There’s a heck of a lot in there for me to learn. I may be an Okay strummer but jazz chords are not exactly my main strength.

Lyle Ritz’s DVD is called “Lyle's Style”. When it was released he mailed a copy to me. I have it in front of me now. He has written on the front cover:

“Hey Ralph - Thanks for being a Role Model & Pal! Lyle Ritz

You’re welcome Lyle. But I want to thank you too. You have taught me that we are all each other’s role model.

If I may say so that is a far more valuable lesson then any of the strumming tricks you may have gotten from me.

Ralph Shaw DVDs to help you learn ukulele:

1 The Complete Ukulele Course gets you started with tuning and strumming. Then teaches you left and right hand techniques such as rolls, triplets, ornament notes, the Formby split stroke, waltz and jig time, playing chords up the neck and the basics of melody chording. Updated version of this DVD includes extra playing and performance tips plus original footage.

2 Essential Strums for the Ukulele gives you specific strums and a song to go with each one. These include: samba, blues, clawhammer, bossa nova, bo-diddley, reggae, march, waltz, syncopation, and much more. People tell me they come back to this DVD again and again. Just ask Lyle Ritz!

3 Ukulele Play Along has the chord changes up on the screen and you get to strum and sing along. A fun way to practice!

4 The Complete Ukulele Course for Kids Get this dvd for the child in your life and it could change their life. Ukulele is a joyful introduction to music education.

UE #65 The Sensitive Banjo Uke Player

2011-04-25T11:48:00.000-07:00

Banjo-ukuleles are so similar and yet so different from wooden ukuleles. Today I offer some pointers to help banjo-ukes co-exist peacefully within the modern ukulele family.

Mirfield, Yorkshire, 1996. I'll never forget the broad smiles on my mum and dad's faces after walking into a meeting of the Yorkshire Ukulele Circle. I was there thanks to an invitation by Dennis Taylor, then president of the George Formby Society. My parents had come to drive me home. It was the end of the meeting and the YUC members plus myself were playing the closing "Thrash" (a raucous and cacophonic medley of Formby songs with about 30 to 40 banjo-ukes all playing at once).

There are some individuals to whom my description of a "Thrash" befits a grievous punishment from Dante's circles of hell. But my parents and I were carried away by the tidal wave of exuberant joy that is produced by a roomful of smiling banjo-ukulele players. Unforgettable and inspirational. Its why I started the ukulele circle in my own town.

I had arrived there at the start of the evening with my wooden ukulele in my hand. One of the kind members examined it and said,

"That's a very nice instrument." He then added, "its no good here of course".

He meant that any instrument other than a banjo-uke would soon be rendered inaudible once the serious playing began, he handed me his own instrument and said, "Use this for tonight".

I don't remember what make of instrument it was; it may have been a "Ludwig"; but I'll not forget the feel of its substantial heft in my arms. It was beautifully set-up too. I could sense its well-balanced tension; one strum and the thing just rang.

Fifteen years on and everything has changed. Ukulele clubs featuring wooden ukuleles are everywhere now. At these gatherings banjo-uke's are about as welcome as a rowdy and uncouth uncle who noisily invades and ruins every conversation but who continues to get invited to dinner because he is "family".

There's a time and place for everything and the flamboyant shout of a banjo-uke is no exception. But playing with others requires special care; so here are some tips to help ensure that you and your banjo-uke continue to get invited to ukulele family dinners.

1) Make Your Banjo-Uke Sound as Good as it Possibly Can.

You'd think that banjo-ukes would all sound pretty much the same being that each one consists of 4 strings whose sound is amplified by a vellum (vellum is the name for the skin or head) - but you'd be wrong. The structure of an instrument is critical in having a good sound (see: hey this drum has a handle). However there are things you can do to optimize the tone of any Banjo-uke:

i) Make sure the vellum is nice and tight. You don't want a 'boggy' sound. Tighten the tension rods in small increments: a ¼ turn at a time, going all the way around. Always tighten opposite rods to keep the tension even across the head. Test the tension by bouncing the handle of a small screwdriver on the vellum. If you hear 'Top Top Top' tighten it some more. When you hear 'Tap Tap Tap' you're getting close. When it sounds like 'Tip Tip Tip' you can stop tightening.

ii) Placement of the bridge. Unlike with wooden ukes the banjo-ukuleleist gets to decide where he wants to place the bridge. Unfortunately there is only one correct place. The distance from the bridge to the 12th fret should equal the distance from 12th fret to nut. A misplaced bridge makes for poor intonation. A useful tip: If you find that your bridge keeps sliding around by itself while you play don't glue it down to the vellum. Instead get yourself some rosin (the stuff violinsts put on their bows). Crumble a small fragment and put the powder under the feet of your bridge.

iii) Use warm sounding strings. For most wooden ukes I would not hesitate to recommend Aquila's Nylgut strings. However I find that they sound far too brash on most banjo-ukuleles. I use black nylon strings instead. Make sure to buy strings that are long enough such as GHS strings. I notice that many of the Hawaiian manufactured strings are cut too short for banjo-ukes (unlike wooden ukuleles, whose strings are tied at the bridge, the strings on a banjo-uke get tied at the very end of the instrument).

iv) Try different vellums. The Vellum type can make a difference to the sound. Available vellums include calf skin, goat skin and man-made. Calf skin has been traditionally used by most banjo-uke players but try different ones to see what works best for you. The fitting of a natural-skin vellum is a bit of a process but its not hard. I learned to do it using Dennis Taylor's instructions on how to fit a vellum.

2) Play With Care and Sensitivity.

I was once playing my 1920's Ludwig banjo-uke in a music festival parade. An audience member afterwards commented that he could clearly hear me from several hundred yards away. Awesome!!! Unfortunately that sort of power is not so welcome in more intimate gatherings so we need to be very sensitive in our playing style:

i) Strum lightly. A single banjo-uke player in a group of 30 wooden ukes will be as unobtrusive as an orange penguin. Don't strum as you normally would. Be as light as a dieting fairy. Use the fleshy part of the thumb to strum. Listen to the overall sound and aim to be an integral part of it.

ii) Strum less often. Not just the volume but also the quality of a banjo-uke's sound is what makes it stand out. The very difference in sound type that the banjo-uke projects will ensure that it still comes through. Think of it as a percussion instrument akin to a clave or cowbell. If played all the time its sound will smother all the other sounds. Therefore don't play every single 'up' and 'down' beat. Try playing just 'down' beats. Or every other 'down' beat. Or every fourth 'down-up' beat. Sparse playing is cool and can provide a welcome addition to the group sound.

They say you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. So when Uncle Ludwig comes to tea its nice if he can be welcomed with smiles and embraces. If you are that Uncle Ludwig then try bringing some sweet sounding honey to the party.

DVDs to help you learn ukulele and banjo-ukulele!:

1 The Complete Ukulele Course gets you started with tuning and strumming. Then teaches you left and right hand techniques such as rolls, triplets, ornament notes, the Formby split stroke, waltz and jig time, playing chords up the neck and the basics of melody chording.

2 Essential Strums for the Ukulele gives you specific strums and a song to go with each one. These include: samba, blues, clawhammer, bossa nova, bo-diddley, reggae, march, waltz, syncopation, and much more. People tell me they come back to this DVD again and again.

3 Ukulele Play Along has the chord changes up on the screen and you get to strum and sing along. A fun way to practice!

4 The Complete Ukulele Course for Kids Get this dvd for the child in your life and it could change their life. Ukulele is a joyful introduction to music education.

UE #64 Stringing Up

2011-04-11T13:14:00.000-07:00

Most suggestions I get for this column appeal to me right away. I instinctively know that I can find something to say that may prove useful or entertaining to a fair percentage of readers.

Then there is the other kind of suggestion: the sort that makes me want to respond, “No-one will be interested in that!”

Three people have asked me to write a piece about how to put strings on a ukulele. The suggestions came after I wrote a column about the importance of having the right type of strings in order to get the best sound out of your instrument. Although 3 is more suggestions than I have ever received for an individual topic I pretty much dismissed them out of hand. I have been putting strings on my ukes for 20 years. One forgets what it is like to be a beginner. Nowadays putting strings on a ukulele is, to me anyway, such a rudimentary and common-sense skill that I couldn’t imagine anyone having much trouble with it for long. But some people apparently do.

At a recent festival I attended an excellent workshop given by luthier Gordon Mayer. Entitled: Make Your Uke Sing! Gordon spoke about the various elements that go into making our ukuleles sound bad, good or great. When he got onto the subject of strings he told the story of his 1^st guitar. When it came time to put new strings on the guitar Gordon took it back to the shop, where he’d bought it, to get the strings changed. He approached this in the same way as one might take an instrument in for repair.

I was shocked to hear this. It occurred to me that if a practical craftsman and accomplished luthier such as Gordon Mayer once felt fearful of changing his own strings perhaps this might be a suitable subject for a newsletter after all.

I think it all comes down to individual fears. The same person who has no trouble making a speech, may on the other hand, be terrified of driving a car. Someone who is unable to look after small children may have no problem at all calmly helping the victim of a heart attack.

Many fears are due to a simple lack of knowledge. Once we understand the knowledge and skills needed to do a task we can then look back and wonder what all the fuss was about.

So, if you’re ready to change your uke strings, let’s begin:

a) Gordon’s 1^st instruction in his workshop handout: Don’t be afraid!

b) Removal of old strings. Replace 1 string at a time. Removing all the strings will cause the tension in your instrument to relax. Unfortunately it will take longer for your instrument to reach a stable tension if you do this.

c) Tying the new string. Most ukuleles have what is known as a tieblock that is right behind the bridge. To tie the string securely to the tieblock the string goes:
i. Through the hole
ii. Back over the top of the tieblock.
iii. Around the string
iv. Through the loop twice (see diagram below)

(Less common are the ukes that have a notch in the tieblock. For those you need to tie a knot in the end of the string and simply slip the string into the notch).

d) When you wrap the strings around the post of the tuning peg they should look like the diagram below. Notice how the strings wrap around from the inside of the post. Strings 1 and 2 wrap clockwise and strings 3 and 4 wrap counter-clockwise (btw. string #1 is closest to the floor when you hold your uke in the playing position):

First make sure there is some slack in the string. Then put the string through the post-hole 2 times if possible (this may not work for the fatter strings). This gives a good grip on the string so that when you start turning the peg the string is held firmly in place. Then continue turning the peg to tighten the string. Make sure that the string wraps 3 or 4 times around the post.

Notice how the string wraps from the top down so it ends near the bottom of the post. This is important. It makes sure that there is downward pressure on the nut to prevent buzzing.

e) Stretching the strings out may take a while. You’ll notice that the strings keep going flat. You'll probably feel like you are re-tuning for days. Eventually the strings will stay in tune.

To speed up the stretching process put 2 fingers on one side of the string about 1 inch apart. Put the thumb on the other side of the string in between the fingers. Now squeeze your thumb and fingers together as much as you can and twist sideways hard. This stretches the string quickly to get it ready to play. You may feel that you are dangerously close to breaking the string. Don’t worry; the pain of the string digging into your digits will deter any desire to continue squeezing and twisting long before there is likelihood of string breakage.

This string stretching technique is specifically given as an alternative to pulling on strings to stretch them: which Gordon does not recommend because you may tear the bridge off the uke that way.

f) The remaining ends of the strings need to be snipped, shortened or curled so that they don’t snag on clothing and otherwise become distracting.

g) Enjoy the sound and feel of your new strings.

© Ralph Shaw 2011

3 Ukulele Play Along has the chord changes up on the screen and you get to strum and sing along. A fun way to practice!

4 The Complete Ukulele Course for Kids Get this dvd for the child in your life and it could change their life. Ukulele is a joyful introduction to music education.

UE #63 Ukulele - From Unique to Ubiquitous (part 2 of 2)

2011-03-29T10:22:00.000-07:00

Continued from last week. We further explore the many reasons for the resurgence of the ukulele...

There is a school of thought that human beings are 'hard-wired' for music. Our evolutionary process has depended on music to uplift, calm, educate, entertain and energize us. This has gone on since someone first decided it sounded good to repeatedly clonk a stone upon a hollow log.

But eventually, with the advent of Rock and Roll, melody and rhythm making was taken out of the hands of the many and put into an elite realm of the few. Only those with the capability and desire to form bands comprised of electric instruments and drumkits could participate. Although the folk movement of the 1960s provided a home-based reaction to the mass selling of Rock music: ukulele might well have taken off then; instead, it was the banjo that came into its own, largely thanks to Pete Seeger.

But anyone who has carried a heavy banjo for any length of time will appreciate what a ukulele has to offer. It can go anywhere. You can make music anytime: campfire, party, sleepover, boat ride or wedding. Its easy to carry on the bus and unobtrusive enough to play in an airport lounge.

Ukulele provides an easy way into song for musical people who are intimidated by more difficult instruments. Perceived as an instrument on which a modicum of success seems readily attainable, it fulfills the need that many people have to make their own music; especially within groups of friends and acquaintances. These days it seems that ordinary folks are more willing than ever to get up and perform even though they know they'll never sound like Mariah, Shania, Manilow, or Willie.

Ukulele groups continue to spring up everywhere. Andy Andrews, another ex-hippy, or freak, as they were once known and founder of the Ukulele Club of Santa Cruz (California) says, 'There's a ukulele wind blowing across the land.... Here and there a vortex whips up; and where it touches down that's where a ukulele club begins.'

I think he has something there, and he wasn't on drugs or alcohol either!

Ukuleles are powerful in bringing communities and generations together.

My own Vancouver Ukulele Circle is one of the oldest of the modern clubs. Members include everyone from tiny toddlers to 20 year olds to old codgers nearly double my own age. Since the year 2000 I have seen hundreds of people go from shy beginner to grinning stage performer.

Chalmers Doane taught scores of Canadian teachers to play uke and as a result of his work generations of children have learned an instrument with which one can sing, and, is gentle enough on small hands. His work continues thanks to James Hill, himself a product of Doane's work, whose ukulele teacher certification program will ensure future crops of young ukulele enthusiasts. While this is going on, older generations are taking it upon themselves to meet up in community halls and retirement centers, learning uke and singing together.

Innovative are the ways that the internet can be used. For example; When a group of facebook friends want to meet and play music they may find themselves without a strong musical leader. The solution? Have everyone sit around a computer and play along with their favourite performances on Youtube. All it takes is some pre-work to find words and chords in the same keys as the Youtube songs. It should also be noted that advances in electronic tuner technology have made it far easier for beginners to keep in tune with each other.

A huge boon has been the access to good learning materials. It took me years to learn the tricks of my troubadour trade. After 12 years of self-learning, I brought out my 1st DVD: The Complete Ukulele Course. I held nothing back. I taught everything I could think of in the best way I knew how. Nearly 10 years on, it gives me a thrill to think that my DVDs have helped to teach 1000s of new ukuleleists, often in faraway places. These days you'll find books, dvds and teachers galore. You can learn to play uke in just about any style for about the cost of a haircut and sometimes for free (thanks to volunteers and online tutorials).

Ukulele is fast losing its status as a 'joke' instrument. It is poised to join mainstream instruments like the saxophone. The sax was once a musical device associated with clowns and vaudeville comedians until the persistent virtuosity of Coleman Hawkins brought it securely into the jazz fold.

There is no longer any need for ukuleles to sit on the musical fringes. The quality and numbers of musical converts plus inspired luthiery mean that the ukulele is about to find its rightful place alongside the list of 'approved' instruments which include violins, guitars, mandolins and harps.

Many years ago the Harmony company produced a ukulele on which was inscribed: Music self-played is happiness self-made. That is as true now as it was in the 1920s.

In predicting the present pervasiveness of ukulele it turns out I did pretty well; albeit for reasons I could never have foreseen. Therefore I now draw on my proven powers of premonition to offer the following statement:

Ha! you ain't seen nothing yet.

DVDs to help you learn ukulele:

3 Ukulele Play Along has the chord changes up on the screen and you get to strum and sing along. A fun way to practice!

4 The Complete Ukulele Course for Kids Get this dvd for the child in your life and it could change their life. Ukulele is a joyful introduction to music education.

UE #62 Ukulele - From Unique to Ubiquitous (part 1 of 2)

2011-03-22T10:22:00.000-07:00

A newspaper reporter just contacted me asking: "I want to do a story on ukuleles and why they seem to be everywhere now. Do you see it? If so, why?"

I do indeed see it. Let's take a look at how ukuleles got to be so hot...

It comes as no surprise to me. I've been prophesying the present ukulele resurgence, to anyone who would listen, for over 16 years. But if someone had told me it would take this long to get here I would have said they were crazy. I expected 3 years tops before ukuleles became as universal as hula hoops, bongos and smoking once were.

Its been an interesting journey. Many of us assume that when a new object or idea hits the big screens and magazines of popular culture it is due to savvy marketing or some head-turning, eye-popping event. That may be true of Ninja Turtles & Lady Gaga but it has not been the case with the ukulele.

Part of me misses the days when ukulele belonged to a small and select group of us that were 'in the know' (outside of Hawaii at least). We were independent individuals, who, having been charmed by its gentle and intoxicating spell, lived in musical isolation, strumming in a re-entrant 4-string world populated by a handful of lonely wanderers. To meet a fellow ukulele player was to connect with a brother or sister. My friend Paul Moore (Ukuleles For Peace) likened it to the early days of the hippy movement. Back then, if you were a guy with long hair and you saw someone with long hair coming towards you, there was instant recognition. You could count on the other guy being of a peaceful & like-mind who would share your views on everything from music to foreign politics to personal hygiene. But it didn't last.

As Paul tells it, the hippy movement took off and next thing you knew, everyone had long hair. You couldn't tell who was who; suddenly you were being mugged by some long-haired guy who wanted your tie-dye kaftan and you'd be thinking, 'hey this isn't the way its supposed to be.'

I'm hoping the ukulele movement will be different. So far I haven't heard of anyone being robbed by thugs wielding Kamaka sopranos.

I have watched the ukulele make its gradual but unmistakable ascent into public consciousness. With fascination I have noted some of the landmark events and cultural phenomena that brought the ukulele to the place where it now resides: a signature sound to accompany the swirling world-changing times we live in today.

Nowadays almost everyone can describe what a ukulele is or knows someone who plays one. The guys in the local music stores no longer shake their heads in response to my questions about ukulele tuners. And when I walk on stage with a ukulele I am no longer greeted with that distinctive laugh that is a response to seeing a very tall man with a particularly short instrument.

Thanks to the likes of Britain's George Formby and America's Tiny Tim the ukulele has, for decades, been generally seen as a joke instrument; an accessory of funny men and weirdos. For 10 years the only song requests I ever got were for Tiptoe Through the Tulips and The Window Cleaner. The exact moment when this changed for me was the 2nd time an audience member requested Over the Rainbow. The 1st one, I assumed, was an aberration, but when the 2nd request came in...that's when I went hunting. I didn't stop until I discovered the reason: Bruddha Iz's soul-moving medley of Rainbow and Wonderful World. His performance, using voice and uke alone, used in numerous movies and TV shows: Meet Joe Black, Finding Forrester, ER and a Commercial for Axe deodorant helped to solidify a new public perception of the ukulele as an instrument of beauty.

Further widespread media attention was given over to the ukulele after George Harrison passed away in 2001. A fan of George Formby, Harrison loved to play banjo ukulele. On the 1st anniversary of his passing, a Concert for George was held and Beatles fans the world over were treated to what is undeniably the highlight of the show: Joe Brown, with his ukulele, singing I'll See You In My Dreams (formerly a Cliff Edwards, Ukulele Ike classic).

Other big name music stars started to perform with ukulele (Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Costello; to name but 3) and were unabashedly proud of their association with it. What had once been a dark secret was now being openly talked about. Pop and rock icons came out of their ukulele closets to blink in the sunrise of the new enlightenment.

But it was ordinary people that made it happen. Portability, playability, affordability and low expectation quotient helped to put the ukulele into the hands of the everyman, woman and child. But why now? Why not 20 or 30 years ago?

Other than the change in perception already mentioned, there are numerous reasons. Let's start with the instrument itself.

For decades the only instruments available tended to be of the cheap Honolulu Airport Gift Shop variety. I'm not saying it wasn't possible to get good instruments: but you had to look hard. Most investors preferred to buy a piece of junk approximately the right size and shape of a uke for under $10 rather than lavish hundreds of dollars on something decent. Cheap instruments sound bad and are often impossible to play. As a result, the ukulele became thought of, by most musicians who tried one, as a non-instrument. This perception began to change as luthiers started specializing in the niche, but burgeoning, ukulele market. Modern luthiery has made it possible for the large scale manufacture of nice sounding, reasonably priced, instruments.

On the other hand, you could go second-hand. In pre-internet days one could visit flea-markets and thrift stores to find excellent vintage ukes being sold at giveaway prices. Sellers often assumed they were toys. This continued into the early days of eBay where it became possible to buy cheap, high quality, vintage instruments from anywhere in the world. But this didn't last. Buyers and sellers eventually became savvy to the true value of their 'mini-guitars'.

(continued next week)

DVDs to help you learn ukulele:

3 Ukulele Play Along has the chord changes up on the screen and you get to strum and sing along. A fun way to practice!

4 The Complete Ukulele Course for Kids Get this dvd for the child in your life and it could change their life. Ukulele is a joyful introduction to music education.

UE #61 Tuning Avoidance Techniques

2011-03-07T17:54:00.000-08:00

X, the anonymous member of a ukulele club that does gigs in pizza parlors and nursing homes, writes: "I am the only one of us practicing each week that tunes before and occasionally between songs. We play/talk/play/talk for two hours. It would be helpful to send a nudge from YOU rather than me about the value of tuning, that is if you value such a thing."

I love that X says, "...if you value such a thing."

...If? ....IF?!!!

By suggesting that I, Ralph Shaw, a ukulele player of 20+ years, might consider the act of tuning to be of negligible importance, X has put his/her finger on an attitude which is far too common among uke players:

Its only a ukulele, why bother tuning?

Ukulele is associated with leisure: hammocks, porches, beaches and blenders. Nobody wants to hear that playing ukulele will create more work. We, the promoters of the fab 4-string, have long extolled its easy-to-play virtues. I am as guilty as others in perpetuating this view; sometimes boasting of being able to get a novice playing in under 5 minutes...

... that is, if I gloss over the awkward and inconvenient truth about tuning.

We want results as soon as possible. It looks good for everyone if the student arrives home from lesson 1 already playing a recognizable song. In the process we have created an assumption that real learning begins only after the ukulele has been tuned.

Tuning by ear needs to be practiced. Some people take weeks, months or years just to learn which of 2 notes is the higher one. Ear-tuning can seem an inconsistent and nebulous skill. If you currently have trouble tuning to a piano, tuning fork or a pitch pipe (essentially a circular harmonica) try tuning to an instrument that sounds similar to your own: say another uke or a guitar.

Tuning by 'eye'. Electronic tuners give a visual indication of when you are in tune. With conscious use they help develop your ear tuning too. Try a few out before you buy one. Some work better than others. Each has a built-in sensor that picks up vibration either by 'hearing' the sound through the air or by 'feeling' the sound through the instrument's vibration. They are remarkable devices. They tell you the note you are currently plucking and whether you need to tune up or down to get the string into pitch.

The importance of tuning cannot be overstated. If you remember only one thing from this column, it should be this: If your ukulele is not in tune to begin with, nothing you do from that point on is going to sound all that good.

Unfortunately, tuning is a hassle. And so, legions of uke players the world over have invented a host of Tuning Avoidance Techniques:

1) "I can save time by not wasting it on tuning"

For anyone who isn't used to tuning an instrument, the time involved can seem grossly exhorbitant. The poor beginner with a new instrument is treated to a double whammy because, once tuned, new nylon strings continue to stretch out of tune. The process of tuning and retuning new strings can take a couple of days till the tensions within the instrument are balanced and stable. Keep trying. The more you work on it the faster you'll get.

2) "I don't have a tuner"

The investment in music doesn't end with buying the instrument. You're also going to need learning materials such as DVDs or lessons. You also need to be in tune. Make sure to rent, redeem or revive whatever gadget you need to make that happen. In 1990 I paid $120 for my first electronic tuner. You can now find perfectly good ones for under $20.

3) "The audience will be amused by my hilarious fumblings if I wait to tune until I'm actually onstage"

No they won't. Please allow time to tune before going up there.

4) "The sound of many ukuleles playing together hides any tuning inconsistencies"

This is true. Sort of. I've often likened a large group of ukes to being like the wash of the ocean. On average, a roomful of ukuleles, each slightly out of tune, will sound quite sweet. But there will inevitably come a time when you are heard to strum alone...

5) "I don't wish to annoy others with the sound of my tuning"

That's nice of you. But ultimately others will be far more annoyed by being trapped in a room with your dissonant offerings.

6) "What's the point if my uke keeps going out of tune anyway?"

Have an instrument in solid condition that gets in tune and stays in tune.

The tuning finally ends when:

a) When your instrument is in tune.

b) When you're close, but, to continue tuning will detract from the musical experience you and others are having. It's a judgment call. For example: in an informal jam session it is overly persnickety to aim for consistent perfection. Sometimes "close enough" is better.

There are people who still think of the ukulele as a toy or joke instrument. If we don't work to be in tune we'll do the instrument and our own musicianship a great disservice.

To X and his/her uke club friends I say this: Please take individual responsibility to keep your instruments in tune whenever possible. If everyone does this your group will be uplifted with a superior sound.

EXTRA! EXTRA! Read all about it!!

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DVDs to help you learn ukulele:

3 Ukulele Play Along has the chord changes up on the screen and you get to strum and sing along. A fun way to practice!

4 The Complete Ukulele Course for Kids- Get this dvd for the child in your life and it could change their life. Ukulele is a joyful introduction to music education.

UE #60 How to Pronounce "Ukulele"

2011-02-22T13:37:00.000-08:00

For such an innocuous little instrument the ukulele seems to carry more than its fair share of controversy.

Ukulele players are used to having friendly disagreements over which tuning is superior (GCEA or ADF#B), whether it is preferable to use a high or low 4th string, or even, whether a banjo-uke is a ukulele at all.

Heck, we can't even agree on how to pronounce the thing.

For most of my life the pronunciation of ukulele was never in question. It was spoken like this: Yoo-ka-lay-li :with the i sounding like the i in, well, in in. I never heard anyone pronounce it any other way. That is, until I went to California. Which, by far, sends more tourists to Hawaii than any other State.

I should mention: although I did visit Hawaii before I had my first California visit, I never noticed that Hawaiians spoke the word 'ukulele' differently to myself; this was probably because almost every word they uttered was different than in my South Yorkshire brogue.

In California I found it slightly surreal to walk into a room and see several dozen uke players all dressed in colourful Hawaiian shirts. Do other musical instruments inspire their own dress codes?

I wondered: what had given these people the strange and identical need to dress in such a way; Have they been brain-washed by some strange Tiki-Guru into joining a bizarre Polynesian cult? Are Hawaiian shirts and leis a secret fetish clothing that enthusiasts like wearing in group situations? Do loudly patterned fabric prints help dull people to feel more interesting? The answer to all these questions is, in most cases, No.

The people who bedeck themselves in colourful shirts just happen to have been caught up in the wondrous spirit of all that is Hawaiian (that, plus the fact that a carefully chosen flowered print instantly takes between 10 to 25 pounds off the wearer). The Aloha spirit is reflected in Hawaii's music, food, clothing, attitudes and words. Travelers can't help but bring some of these cultural keepsakes back to the mainland. Ukuleles, Leis, Macadamias and Mahalos are all part of a cultural oneness. Their presence is what keeps the visitor's Inner Island Spirit alive.

But, I have to confess, when I heard people pronouncing ukulele as 'Oo-koo-leh-leh' it bothered me.

My thinking was (note the past tense) that saying, 'Oo-koo-leh-leh', while being correct in Hawaiian, sounds somewhat pretentious when used in an English language context. It is similar to hearing an English speaker refer to the capital city of France as 'Paree' or the capital of Germany as 'Bearrr-leen'.

The English language is full of words that have been taken from, or imposed on us by, other cultures. Over time the pronunciations of these words have adapted and changed, often becoming quite different from their origins.

Conquerors are loathe to learn the language of their defeated subjects: which is why Hawaiians now speak US-English. Similarly, after the Normans defeated the army of King Harold near Hastings in 1066, French became the language of successful English-folk. It was the language spoken in English Parliament (a French word) and for 300 years French was the language of the English Legal system. That is until the great plague killed so many people that there were no longer enough French speaking judges available.

The English language was flooded with French words. Crafts people maintained their anglo-saxon job titles: Fisher, Shepherd, Weaver, Baker and so on. But the skilled artisans were known by French trade names: Plumber, Carpenter, Butcher, Mason. And, if you know an Irishman with Fitz as part of his name, then that too is French - it comes from 'fils de' meaning 'the son of'.

We also get a myriad of words that are pronounced quite unlike their French counterpart. Take the following French words that all take the same ending: voyage, plumage, pillage, village, cage, bandage, mariage, image and visage. All of those words rhyme with 'nuage'; the French word for cloud. In English however, not only do we not pronounce those words like the French, but, with the exception of village and pillage, the words don't even rhyme with each another.

What would we think of an English speaker who insisted on saying all the above words with their original French pronunciation? I imagine it would sound a little pretentious. Or, we might wonder what obscure upbringing had caused them to develop such a mannerism.

But if that person also happened to wear a beret, carried an accordion and had a Joann SFAR comic book poking out of his pocket, perhaps then we'd say, "ah, I understand, this person is embracing French culture."

Several years ago it hit me how much of a fluid state all language is in. An erudite compiler of a British Dictionary said that the word 'ask' was now being pronounced 'aks' by so many people around the world that 'aks' has become an acceptable pronunciation. As he talked about this, in his rich Oxford tones, I was struck by how this fact didn't bother him at all. He took the organic, ever developing, nature of language quite for granted.

It seems to me that the ukulele has travelled so far and so widely that it is no longer an instrument of a single culture. To a Californian (and countless others) the ukulele speaks to them of Polynesia, particularly Hawaii. To a Brit or a Baltimorian it might be the era of Music Hall or Vaudeville to which the ukulele transports them. To a Japanese teenager it'll be something else again.

It's a wonderful thing that the ukulele has been a part of so much cultural diversity. Surely this diversity ought to be reflected in all the ways people choose to pronounce it.

'Oo-koo-leh-leh' and 'Yoo-ka-lay-li' both sound so right to me now; both are perfect ways to pronounce the name of the petit chordophone that has been instrumental in creating so much cultural togetherness.

All I ask, is please don't call it, as I have sometimes heard, a 'Yoo-kyoo-lay-lee'. That is just plain wrong!

Comic Book Creator, Joann SFAR, at Work (Notice his Uke is on his Desk)

EXTRA! EXTRA! Read all about it!!

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Learn to Play Better. No matter how how you say it - it'll sound better if you can play it well: The Complete Ukulele Course DVD series shows how.

1 The Complete Ukulele Course shows you how to get started with tuning and strumming. It then teaches you a variety of techniques to make your playing more and more interesting.

2 Essential Strums for the Ukulele will give you specific strums and a song to go with each one. These include: samba, blues, clawhammer, bossa nova, bo diddley, reggae, march, waltz, syncopation and much more. Essential.

3 Ukulele Play Along has the chord changes up on the screen and you get to strum and sing along. Great fun and excellent practice at a great price!

4 The Complete Ukulele Course for Kids- Get this dvd for the child in your life and it could change their life. Music is a wonderful way to learn and have fun at the same time. The ukulele is a non-threatening and joyful introduction to music education.

UE #59 A Bathful of Triplets

2011-02-07T09:20:00.000-08:00

Regular readers of these columns may have noticed that the 'powerful pointers' I purvey in order to 'perk up your playing' are not always about specific ukulele techniques. I tend to favor giving instruction for other aspects of playing such as technical help and performance skills; these being so much easier to put in writing.

It is so difficult to teach musical skills using words alone.

At school, during a computer class, we were once given the exercise of describing how to run a bath. It sounded supremely simple. However it was only in writing it that we discovered how easily the simplest instructions can be misinterpreted. The teacher showed us that almost every instruction we wrote could be taken the wrong way; the lesson was that writing inexact language would be disastrous in the case of computer code.

The lesson was partially lost on me. I couldn't stop obsessing about what sort of a person would have sufficent education to read detailed written instructions, yet by the same token, was so ignorant they couldn't even begin to work out how to operate a bathtub. Our computer teacher, Mr Donaldson-Wood (known as Quack to at least 2 generations of cruel schoolchildren), claimed that there were indeed places in the world where people never take baths because they only ever have showers. He didn't say specifically where those places were and to this day I don't know.

Be that as it may, I will now attempt to describe three different ways to play Triplets. There are several ways of strumming Triplets. Each method has its own particular advantages and disadvantages.

First we need to answer the question: What is a Triplet?

A Triplet is the sound of 3 strums played over 2 musical beats.

For example: Begin by playing evenly spaced down-strums like this:

1 & 2 & 3 & 4

Strum Strum Strum Strum

Now let's put a Triplet in the middle so it looks like this:

1 & 2 & 3 & 4

Strum Strum strum-strum-strum Strum

Those 3 strums near the middle are the Triplet. If you are new to this and unsure of the rhythm, think of the children's rhyme: One Two Buckle My Shoe. The syllables of 'Bu - ckle - my' are the Triplet. Like this:

1 2 3 4

One Two Bu- ckle-my Shoe

Or:

Three Four Knock-at-the Door

Or, continuing the British bath analogy:

Right Chaps Turn-on-the Taps

For it to sound like a proper Triplet those 3 strums all need to carry equal weight. Some people find it helpful to sound the word: 'Tri - Pel - Let' when they are learning this.

If you are playing along you'll notice that strumming 3 times, where before you were just strumming twice, means that when playing Triplets you have to strum faster. It also means that for up-tempo songs Triplets become harder to achieve using down-strums alone.

Here are 3 ways to play Triplets:

Triplet No.1 = Down-Up-Down , Up-Down-Up

In the above example: You can replace those 3 down strums (strum-strum-strum) with: a Down strum followed by an Up strum followed by a Down strum. This works to make a perfectly agreeable Triplet sound. It also leads us to a bit of a problem since the sequence ends on a 'Down' strum. The chances are very great that the next strum we want will also be a 'Down' strum. You'll find it is difficult to impossible to get the hand back above the strings in time to strum down again.

Solution: Follow the Triplet with another Triplet. The second Triplet begins on an 'Up' strum and goes: Up-Down-Up. You are now playing 2 Triplets in succession: Down-Up-Down , Up-Down-Up. Your strumming finger is now poised above the strings ready for the next Down beat. Although this Triplet technique is great for playing a series of Triplets its not so good for just playing a single Triplet. To do that you'll be better off using one of the following techniques:

Triplet No.2 = Finger-Thumb-Finger

For this one the index finger strums Down all 4 strings. The thumb follows the finger to do an exactly similar Down-strum. We complete the Triplet with an Up-strum of the index finger.

Its important to note that the first strum is done by flicking the index finger down over the strings. If your finger starts off curled, as mine does, by the end of this part of the strum it will be straightened and pointing, at an angle, towards the floor. Meanwhile it has now separated from the thumb which rests momentarily on the 4^th string. The thumb then does its Down-strum. Finger and thumb then rejoin one another as the index finger strums up to finish off the Triplet.

Does that make sense? If not then perhaps taking a relaxing bath will help.

My standard 'default' strumming style is to use the tip of my index finger to strum the strings. The thumb rests on the end joint of that finger. Strumming in this way makes it quite simple to separate the finger and thumb whenever I need to play a Triplet.

Remember: Keep the 3 strums of the Triplet of equal spacing. Its OK for the Triplet strum to look robotic as you work to attain that exact rhythmic evenness of sound.

Triplet No.3 = The Flash-Hander

This one looks cool. The sound you produce should be the same as Triplet No.2; but its the way this strum looks that is the real reason for its existence.

If you are using a standard strum similar to my 'default' strum mentioned earlier; you will notice that most of the fingers are curled into the hand like a fist. The exceptions to this being the index and thumb which stick out in order to do the strumming. The Flash-Hander involves the opening of the whole hand so that all the fingers are fanned out and extended.

The way it works is this: At the moment of playing the triplet open your hand into a five-fingered-fan. As you do this the pinky finger strums down the strings. The thumb comes to wait, briefly poised on the 4^th string, ready to strum the next part of the Triplet. The thumb strums down the strings. The fingers of the hand curl in once again as the index finger strums up to complete the Triplet with an Up-stroke. It goes: Pinky-Thumb-Index and repeat, with the hand opening and closing in a circular motion.

As with all new techniques; work on it slowly, building your speed bit by bit. When you are able to play several of these Triplets in succession, the effect of your hand opening and closing is quite dramatic and exciting to see.

Now: be careful stepping out of the bath and be sure to dry your uke before placing it back in its case. If you were playing in the shower, be sure to drain all the water out of the sound hole.

Do you find it easier to see and hear how to play rather than just reading about it? Then take a look at: The Complete Ukulele Course DVD series

1 The Complete Ukulele Course shows you how to get started with tuning and strumming. It then teaches you a variety of techniques to make your playing more and more interesting.

3 Ukulele Play Along has the chord changes up on the screen and you get to strum and sing along. Great fun and excellent practice at a great price!

UE #58 Stage Fright part 1 - Getting the Job Done

2011-01-25T06:31:00.000-08:00

There are many techniques to help conquer stage fright but sometimes all it takes is a change in attitude.

A nurse who had recently begun a singing career was being interviewed on the radio. She spoke about how her singing and nursing worlds had collided powerfully one day in such a way that it solidified her decision to pursue singing as an alternative vocation. Her tale was an important lesson in thinking about performance; in particular the phenomenon known as stage fright. I'll get back to her story in a moment.

Stage fright is a puzzling affliction. It affects speakers, singers, job interviewees and others who have to get up in front of an audience. Debilitating though it can be, the exact nature of the problem is not easy to understand. Terrifying thoughts about an upcoming performance can happen just before going out to face the crowd; or they can occur days, weeks or even months before the dreaded event.

Degrees of stage-fright can differ markedly. The fear can manifest as a slight fluttering in the tummy lasting only a few seconds. Or it can be a black mind-numbing terror that overwhelms all thought and is strong enough to rid the body of its stomach contents.

We should also remember that it is possible for a performance to be entirely free of anxiety. At such times the engagement is met with a sense of peace, calm and even happy anticipation. Everything goes swimmingly well and the time spent with the audience is a delight. Such moments can provide useful clues about how do to do it right.

The nurse being interviewed, said she had once been attending a dying Italian man. He was in a great deal of pain. His family were in the room, and as they stood around talking quietly amongst themselves there was a general feeling of helplessness.

Meanwhile, the nurse, who was holding the man's hand, suddenly found herself moved to sing. Softly she sang the hymn Ave Maria. Continuing with the song she soon observed the man becoming calmer and noted that his breathing slowed. The furrows on his face relaxed and smoothed, as his tension and pain dissolved.

Slowly the man's family became aware of what was going on and quietly observed the transformation and healing that was taking place.

The nurse went on to say that whenever she performs, she uses her memory of the anguished patient for guidance. When she sang Ave Maria that day, she was not nervous. Not even the merest concept of stage fright crossed her mind. Far from it; she was simply doing her job.

That is how she now approaches every singing performance. If she has thoughts other than those required to deal with the task at hand then she knows something is wrong. Her attitude is, “I'm just doing my job and I don't allow any other thoughts to get in the way of that.”

Its a very practical approach and one that can serve us well.

When you think about your job, or whatever the responsibilities are that you deal with on a day to day basis, ask yourself if they generate stage fright. For the most part I would guess probably not. Performing for people by singing, dancing or speaking doesn't really need to be any different.

Street performance used to be terrifying for me. But I have now performed outdoor solo shows at Vancouver's Granville Island so often that the act of setting up my gear and putting on a show has become as routine for me as the job of librarian or carpenter is for others. That's not to say I don't get stage fright in certain situations; I do, but at least I have become aware that it doesn't necessarily have to be that way. Stage fright is not a given, we create it for ourselves.

One day I was setting up and getting ready to perform. Visitors to Granville Island were sitting, waiting for the show to begin. A friend of mine, another performer, interrupted me as I plugged the last few cables into my amplifier. He nonchalantly sidled up to me and whispered, “Jamie Lee Curtis is watching you”.

Just as he said those words I happened to look up towards the audience and my eyes locked with those of the actress who had starred in A Fish Called Wanda. At that moment I could have cursed my friend. One second earlier, I had been happy, relaxed and ready to entertain the expectant crowd. One second later I was nervous and jittery, just as surely as if it had been my first time out in public.

I began my show. Then I had to stop and start over because, in my newly conceived panic, I'd forgotten to plug the microphone in. My entrance now ruined I spontaneously chose a different opening song which I soon realized was a mistake because it lacked the drive & energy to really get things going. I continued on. Slowly I dug myself out of the hole that I'd managed to get into. By then however, Ms Curtis, who had probably sensed that her presence was problematic for me, had already gone on her way. I didn't even see her get up to leave. After that my show picked up and was soon successfully back on track once again. Only now without a celebrity in the audience.

I am not normally of a violent nature, but I was so annoyed with my blabbermouth friend for breaking my stride in the way that he did, I could have happily kicked him all the way around the Island and back again. Should he have wanted to know why I was kicking him, I would have replied,

“Never mind, I'm just doing my job!”

UE #57 Serving Beauty

2011-01-11T19:03:00.000-08:00

Winter in Canada. The phrase invokes images of bitter cold, hardship and skiing. Trees hung heavy with snow; water everywhere frozen as hard as a prospector's mukluk. The hardy, frostbitten daredevils who brave such a brittle climate are invariably wrapped in thick furs. They live in igloos, have no sentiment when it comes to baby seals and invent wonderfully obscure phrases such as 'you hoser', 'just givin er' and 'eh'. They occasionally resort to sleeping alongside their dogs for warmth thus giving us another great phrase: 'a three dog night'.

The above may be true in some parts of Canada but not on the west coast. Here in Vancouver we are rich enough to obtain our snow in liquid form. Our Christmas days aren't quite so Hallmarkesque but our cars start and shoveling is something we only do with dessert.

We get rain and lots of it. Drab, dreary and incessant; soul soaking rain.

Its a grey and rainy Vancouver day. I turn the corner of a colourless suburban back-street and I notice a mother and her 7 year old daughter on the other side of the road. They are African. The young girl, in school uniform, is carrying an enormous black umbrella in both hands. She is dry and she grins. The mother is draped in clothing of bright fabrics. The orange and purple robe covering her body hangs down to her ankles. A substantial scarlet and yellow headscarf covers her head, neck and shoulders.

She also carries an umbrella. Hers is pink; but it's not in her hands. Her umbrella lies flat and unopened on top of her head. She carries it in the same fashion as I imagine she might carry a basket of fruit through a Kenyan market. The simple scene jolts my senses alive. It is so surprising and so colourful I can't help but stop and stare. The mother, if she sees me, ignores me. The young girl does see me and her grin becomes bigger than ever.

There is beauty all around us, all the time. But you have to seek it out. Slow down and look carefully. It doesn't always smack you into wide awake attention as in the above example.

My wife Kathryn is a great one for seeking out beauty. Many times on an outing I'll be daydreaming about something or other when Kathryn says, "Come and look at this." I dutifully go and stand in the spot where she indicates. And I look. I find I am gazing upon a scene of postcard-like perfection. I drink it in with my eyes; which are the only camera I have since my ability to take photographic images somehow disappeared with the digital age.

There are few places left on earth that remain untouched by humans; therefore any beauty that most of us experience comes as a result of mankind working with nature.

Take the ukulele. 100% of its construction materials are found in nature. How could they not be. The wood grows as trees, metal parts are mined. The plastic parts, such as nylon strings and tuner knobs, come from oil; and so on. The physical form and unique voice of the instrument then come into being by virtue of the luthier's almost alchemic skill.

Then the ukulele becomes yours.

And with it comes a certain responsibility. Your instrument has descended from a long lineage of beauty; trees have grown and died, stone bearing iron has been forged and formed in the bowels of the earth wherein the mysterious creation of oil has also taken place. Centuries have gone into the development of strings and tuners. All of it is finally combined by the luthier's hand to become an instrument of music. An 'ukulele, as the Hawaiians call it.

Ask yourself. Is it fair, after such an epic journey of creation, that the beauty should end with you?

Of course not. You took up the ukulele because you wanted to create something awesome, not awful. Didn't you?

Say 'Yes Ralph'.

Thank you.

Although beauty surrounds us, it still needs our conscious attention to be noticed. The creation of beauty requires a similar dedication of focus.

Ever watched a plant grow in a time-lapse movie? Its fascinating to see a vine move, sway and coil; more like animal than vegetable. Every growing tree consciously and constantly strives for beauty. The luthier's attention to beauty must also never waver. If it does the finished instrument will tell of it.

And so, when you pick up your instrument and start to play, you too need to focus on the beauty.

It's impossible to make true music any other way. There is far too much to think about. At any given moment you will not be able to think about the chord, the word, the strum, the vowel shape, the volume and vibrato all in one go. You have to give it all up and aim for one thing: Simple Beauty.

If every moment of your song is delivered with the conscious intention of serving beauty, then the result is bound to be beautiful.

I can't guarantee that everyone will notice your efforts. Perhaps only someone like Kathryn; but if your creation is colourful and surprising it will shine like a mother and her daughter walking home together in the rain.

Learn to play better in 2011. Expand your repertoire of skills with:
The Complete Ukulele Course DVD series

1 The Complete Ukulele Course shows you how to get started with tuning and strumming. It then teaches you a variety of techniques to make your playing more and more interesting.

3 Ukulele Play Along has the chord changes up on the screen and you get to strum and sing along. Great fun and excellent practice at a great price!

UE #56 In With the Old

2010-12-29T17:53:00.000-08:00

Out with the old and in with the new! That's what we say on New Year's Eve. It's a fine sentiment, but one that is difficult to follow through on if you're the type who doesn't like getting rid of stuff.

I have no difficulty with the 'In with the new' part. I like new things. It's the 'Out with the old' that gives me trouble. There are some things that I just hate to throw away. One of them is food. In my home, leftovers are carefully scooped into clean containers and put in the fridge. Sometimes they even get eaten. More often than not they are kept nice and cold until way past any reasonable date where they might still be deemed edible. Then, with a reluctant sigh, I open the containers and scrape the contents into the garbage. I can't bear to throw away good food. That's why I keep it in a cool place until it is mouldy. Then I throw it out. See - it makes perfect sense.

Similarly with ukulele strings. When my uke strings are no longer good for playing music I always feel they must still be good for something. So I keep them; in a box. Many crinkly string packages bursting with bent and gnarly strings whose playing days are over. But for what conceivable purpose can old ukulele strings be used?

I finally have the answer. Cat toys.

After changing my last set of strings and in a state of absentmindedness; I tied them together with a simple knot about ¾ of the way along, and then threw them onto the coffee table. The ends of the strings continued to bounce. The cat saw the movement and pounced.

The cat played with the strings for about ½ an hour. She loved it! This particular toy has given our cat more quality playtime than any of the bought toys from the pet store.

Now, where to take this amazing idea? I did think of marketing my brainchild to the multi-million dollar cat-toy industry. But in the end I have decided to offer my invention for the benefit of all humanity. Therefore dear reader, I give it to you for the same amount that it cost me. Nothing. Nada, zilch, diddley squat, absolutely sweet-bugger-all. That is to say, more or less Zero.

I'm thrilled to have found a use for those old strings; but I would love to know if there are other sensible and practical ways in which our old, curly and indented lengths of nylon may be put to work.

Here's what we'll do. Send me your suggested use/s for old ukulele strings. If its a good one I will publish your idea in a future newsletter. The winner with the best suggestion (to be decided by my highly paid research team) will receive one of my CDs or DVDs (your choice) and a ukulele chord chart poster (9"X17") to go on the wall of your practice room. PLUS - not only, but also... a free-e-e cat-toy!!!

Below is a picture of my cat toy. I had some trouble working out how to make an image of it. The advent of the digital age has rendered me unable to take photographs. I don't even own a camera anymore. Even if I did own one I'm sure it would take me 3 years just to learn how to upload the pictures; or download them or whatever it is. However I popped it in the scanner, which I do know how to use, and I think it came out rather well.

I tried scanning the cat too but that didn't really work out.

So please email me your uses for old strings. And do send an accompanying picture; should you be conversant in the ways of such modern day wizardry.

Well now, after all that I'm feeling a little peckish.

Hmm, I wonder what's in the fridge?

P.S. A small disclaimer: I have not checked with a veterinarian that this is a safe toy. You should check that its safe before use. If you know any reason why my toy is not suitable for said purpose please let me know. Also metal or wound strings are probably not a good idea; so only use nylon strings. Cat-gut strings are definitely out.

P.P.S. No animals were scanned in the making of this column.

Thank you for a wonderful 2010. I truly appreciate all the feedback, kind words and greetings you have given me all year long.

I wish you a very happy new year and a musical and joyful 2011.

Learn to play better in 2011. Expand your repertoire of skills with:
The Complete Ukulele Course DVD series

1 The Complete Ukulele Course shows you how to get started with tuning and strumming. It then teaches you a variety of techniques to make your playing more and more interesting.

3 Ukulele Play Along has the chord changes up on the screen and you get to strum and sing along. Great fun and excellent practice at a great price!

P.P.P.S. Oh dear! I thought it might happen - and it has. Along with BP and Toyota I too must suffer public embarrassment for a faulty product.

I have been reliably informed that the cat toy idea I proposed is possibly dangerous for our furry friends, pelted pals and matted mates.

A veterinarian writes: I also hate to throw my old things away but old strings should not be used for a cat toy. There is a condition called string foreign body that generally refers to the swallowing of string or yarn. Also called linear foreign body. If a linear foreign body is swallowed the intestines will attempt to move it along with peristaltic contractions. Because the offending material is long one segment of the intestine will be contracted with the adjacent segment relaxed. This action is repeated causing a stretching out of the foreign body until it can start cutting through the wall of the intestine. I've performed many linear foreign body surgeries. Probably better to throw those old strings away.

Always enjoy reading your letter,

I wish to thank Jim Hardesty DVM for supplying me with that valuable tidbit of information. As a cat owner who once paid to have a kitty cut open for the removal of foreign objects I can tell you that it is not fun and not cheap.

But all is not lost. Many of you have already sent in great ideas for using those old ukulele strings. Keep them coming and in a few weeks I'll declare a winner for the grand prize which will no longer include a cat toy made from ukulele strings.

Bye for now,

Ralph

UE #55 DANGER - Christmas Ahead

2010-12-21T06:00:00.000-08:00

Christmas.
Supposedly a time of joy; the season of goodwill also tends to deliver a certain amount of pain. Music provides a soothing balm for the extreme emotions that the season brings, and ukulele players have a unique opportunity to heal the spirits.

I went to the movies last night. I rarely go anymore. Truth is I get so distracted by the goings on in the crowd around me; the popcorn, the phones, the standing up and sitting down etc. I usually prefer to wait until I can watch the movie at home on my old tube television.

The movie was The King's Speech. It contains some excellent lessons on stage fright. I may talk about those another time. Unbelievably it has an 'R' - Restricted rating. This is due to the use of some delightfully appropriate anglo-saxon language. However, and at the risk of sounding like an insufferable snob; I have to say that the R rating, plus the non-violent, non-sexual content of the film, did a wonderful job of eliminating riff-raff from the movie theatre.

It was the most enjoyable cinema experience I have had in many a year. I didn't see or smell a single bucket of popcorn. No glowing phone screens were in operation, and no-one was heard sucking the dregs from the bottom of a hideously priced vat of carbonated sugar water. This was all good. If we don't tolerate it during a live performance why should we have to put up with it in a movie theater?

Unfortunately there was nothing anyone could do about the onslaught of advertising.

They told us the movie would start at 7:10 pm. It didn't. It started at 7:35. For 45 minutes we were subjected to trailers and advertisements. My friends and I marveled at the number of commercials to advertise pain relievers. Headache pills mostly.

I don't know if the push to sell pain medication is a direct response to the tooth-rattling volume levels in modern cinemas. I rather suspect that its more likely a Christmas thing. A lot of people are under a lot of stress and strain at this time of year and the pharmaceutical corporations have obviously discovered another lucrative market for their wares.

There are a lot of things not to like about Christmas. Any festivity which leads to such marked increases in drunkenness, depression and suicide should come with an official health warning. DANGER - Christmas Ahead - Enter at your own Risk.

But I won't dwell on all that.

Better than pain pills; a more holistic approach to keep mind, body and spirit together is to sing. And we ukulele players are the doctors for the season. In our little black cases we carry no instruments of medication. Instead we carry instruments of jollification. Purveying good cheer with which to sweep away the seasonal blahs.

Its good tidings indeed that while Christmastime can generate stress it also provides us with opportunities to sing together. Loudly, boisterously and joyfully. That is how it should be done. In the western culture Christmas is one of the last strongholds where our tribe still willingly gathers to sing informally.

At a Christmas lunch, where I performed for a society of volunteers; it amused me, as it always does, to loudly sing, "Sleigh bells ring" and without any urging the crowd joined in on, "are you listening". Exactly the same effect can be achieved by belting out, "Five Go-old Rings..." Wild reindeer can't stop the resulting, "fo-our calling birds, three french hens, two-o turtle doves..." In fact, just for fun, try doing that as loud as you dare in some crowded area and see what happens. It can't hurt.

Learn some well known Christmas songs. If you're not comfortable with the religious aspects of certain songs there are lots of winter songs to choose from: Jingle Bells, Winter Wonderland, Marshmallow World, Silver Bells, Let It Snow, White Christmas and Blue Christmas.

But also take a look at some of the traditional carols. Try: In the Bleak Midwinter, It Came Upon a Midnight Clear, O Holy Night. Christian or not, many would agree that the language and melodies are very moving.

I know several musicians who refuse to learn any seasonal repertoire. That's a choice. But I think they are missing out on a lot of fun for themselves and for others. I agree that there are few things more nauseating than Christmas music played too soon, too long and in the wrong place. For this reason timing is everything and is also why the little ukulele shines like a Christmas star.

Its small. So, at this time of year carry your uke around with you everywhere. No matter whether you play it or not. That's not important. Your role is that of a musical shaman. Your power is the ability to transform a group of wary individuals into an openhearted band of humanity. Be ready to open your case and release the music whenever it seems right.

It could be a party, on the subway, at the office. A song can change everything. You are the facilitator. The instigator. The brave leader who opens his/her mouth and thereby allows others to open up and sing. It doesn't always work. Sometimes you'll fail to judge the mood correctly. Doesn't matter. It is compensated for in those times when your individual spark bursts into flame and lights up everyone around you.

At the Christmas lunch where I sang, a gentleman approached me saying, "That's, er rather an unusual instrument on which to be playing this kind of music."

I had to respectfully disagree. The ukulele is made for Christmas-tide. Along with trumpets and harps, the angels are surely strumming their ukuleles as we sing along in joyful unison.

I wish each and every one of you the very best that the season has to offer, and a healthy and prosperous 2011.

Music is indeed a wonderful gift. But that doesn't mean you don't need to practice! Whether you're a beginner or more experienced player, you can grow and expand your skill set with: The Complete Ukulele Course DVD series