29th March Round Up

Well, we all managed to have a fun time over the Easter Weekend. Hopefully, playing the ukulele and singing,  burns off lots of calories!

• I have arranged to have our class earlier on Tuesday 19th April, so that we can attend the U3A AGM. The class on that day will be starting at 11.30am and finish at 1pm to allow those who wish to attend the AGM time to get there. We will be joining some of Anne’s folk singers as part of the entertainment. We will play/sing Dumbarton’s Drums and Last Thing On My Mind. Hope this is ok for everyone.
• I have sent off cheques re the Finlay Allison Workshop to be hopefully held in Perth on Friday 20th May.
• Congratulations to all who attended Sunday Sessions on 27th March. What a great evening of entertainment from our Dee Ukes members as well as as our very own Ukulele Babes. Here are a couple of photos as well as a short video clip of the Babes in action.

Some happy Dee Ukers

 

Ukulele Babes (aka Irene, Marge, Pat, Ann G)

 

If you would like to see more photos and videos from the Sunday Sessions Folk Club, click on this link https://sundaysessionsfolk.wordpress.com/blog-news-2/

• Another date for your diary is Friday 22nd April. We have been invited to play at Glebe Court Sheltered Housing in Kirriemuir from 2.00 – 3.15pm approx. I will get volunteer names for this next week. April is going to be a very busy month! 🙂

We had another look at the updated Chord Families table Chord Families. As a warm up we practised strumming patterns using chords from the keys of C and D. We will look at the key of G next week.

 

We had another look at These Boots Are Made For Walking which works much better with the bass being played. Many thanks to Pat who suggested a better option for the riff which we can play on our ukuleles if we don’t have our bass player. I have changed it to version 1.1 on the website, but you can also print off from here if you wish. These Boots Are Made For Walking v1.1 If you don’t want to play the riff, the original version would be ok.

 

We also practised our songs fro the AGM:

• Dumbarton’s Drums v1.2 – this was played and sung very well
• Last Thing On My Mind – now version 1.1 – We decided the introduction was a bit too long, so I have changed it. Version 1.1 is now on the website or you can see it here. Last Thing On My Mind in A v1.1

We also practised:

• Sam the Skull – no problems here
• Top of the World v1.1 – no problems
• Scarborough Fair – the finger picking is sounding really good!

Thanks again to everyone for their input and their good company. March has been a busy month. Lots to look forward to in the coming months! 🙂

22nd March Round Up

• Reminder that Sunday Sessions will be this Sunday (27th March). For those from Dee Ukes who are attending we will sing/play “Down by the Riverside” and “Loch Lomond”. Other ‘floor spots’ are always welcome.
• The Dundee U3A AGM will take place at 2pm on Tuesday 19th April @ Meadowside Church Hall. To allow members time to go to the meeting, I will have our class from 11.30am – 1pm on that date. (This is yet to be confirmed with the Finmill Centre). We may also be joining up with the Folk Singers to do some entertainment. Details to follow.
• At the moment there are 17 people interested in the Finlay Allison workshop to be held in Perth on Friday 20th May. There needs to be a minimum of 35 people to make the day viable. It is not restricted to U3A members, so if you or anyone you know would like more information, please get in touch with me. (lizcrawf59@gmail.com)
• As a direct result of our successful gig on Monday at Toll Crescent, we have been invited to play for Forfar Disabled Club in St John’s Church Hall on Thursday 10th November from 7.30-9.30pm. I have updated the Events tab on our website and also updated our Gig Diary. Please check volunteer names and let me know of any changes/additions required. Click Gig Diary 24 March 2016

Following our gig at Toll Crescent we decided that for this type of gig, it is better to finish off with our Wartime Medleys which are going down really well. Therefore I will move Bring Me Sunshine to an earlier slot.

We also had a request from one of the residents, Tom, to sing some Al Jolson songs. So far “You Made Me Love You” has been suggested. Other suggestions are welcome.

• Top of The World – slight change to the intro which is now C  G  C  <C>. The ending is now [C] world. <C> and is version 1.1 on the website.
• Scarborough Fair – We practised this again as there are still a few uncertainties about the tricky timing. We are nearly there! Listening to the YouTube video by Simon & Garfunkel will help if you need it. It is on our website.
• Sam the Skull – we practised this catchy song again and just about managed to fit in all of the words. The You Tube video is also on our website if you want to listen to it again.
• These Boots Are Made For Walking – We tried this for the first time. The tune part was no problem, but the riff didn’t work very well! We tried various ways of moving down the fretboard from fret 12, but nothing sounded quite right. It would probably sound better if played on a bass ukulele. It has since been suggested that we start on fret 9 on the C string only and work up to fret 2, then play first fret open. This makes it easier to finish with the A chord. We can try this next week.
• Chord Families – We spent a little bit of time looking at a chart of chord families. Chord families mean that for every key that you play a song in, there are certain chords that go with that key. It is useful for practising strumming patterns or finger picking patterns without focusing on a specific song. It is also useful for trying to work out for yourself how to play along to certain songs. Following a few suggestions and appreciated advice from others I have updated the chart and we will have another look at it next week. Click Chord Families for updated version.

Have a lovely Easter Weekend. I hope to see some of you on Sunday. 🙂

Forfar Fun!

Dee Ukes had a second visit to Forfar, this time to Toll Crescent Sheltered Housing. From the moment our audience walked in, we knew they were going to be a brilliant. True to our expectations, they were singing along from the first song. The afternoon turned into a bit of a singalong, which we love. The hour and a half we played for passed in a flash. One audience member, Tom, requested that we do Al Jolson songs next time we visit. Happy to oblige Tom. 🙂  Anyone got a ready-made Al Johnson Medley for the ukulele? You never know!

Many thanks to all my Dee Ukes friends who travelled to Forfar and gave their all. Thanks also to Liz for inviting us along and to the various committee members who were so full of enthusiasm. The tea/coffee and biscuits were very much appreciated. Judging by the number of requests for Dee Ukes ‘cards’, I think we will definitely be making the journey back to Forfar in the future.

Dee Ukes Business: Sorry for the short notice, but I have only just now had the time to consider what we are doing tomorrow at our class. If anyone sees this in time I would like to have a look at a new song tomorrow These Boots Are Made For Walking. It can be accessed here from the Blog or from the Website for you to print off. There is also a YouTube video on the website, although I’m sure everyone knows the song.

See you all soon. 🙂

Another Fun Gig!

Dee Ukes were out and about again this afternoon. This time we went along to St Mary’s Care Home in Monifieth to entertain some of the residents there as well as clients from the Day Care Centre. We soon had our audience singing along and joining in the fun. Our Wartime Medleys went down particularly well, as did our Dundee Songs.

We set a challenge at the end for staff members to join in with the Morecambe & Wise dance. They duly obliged along with one of the residents who took to the floor with her walking frame. Brilliant!

Many thanks to Kay for welcoming us and providing refreshments at the end. Thanks also to Helen for recommending us. Finally my thanks go to my ever enthusiastic Dee Ukers for coming along and making it such a happy event. 🙂

Kay very kindly took a photo of us today and I will add this to the Blog once I receive it.

Next up is Forfar on Monday!

15th March Round Up

• We have been invited by Ed Link to take part in a ukulele workshop run by Finlay Allison (Click here for information about Finlay) on Friday 20th May at Letham St Marks, Rannoch Road, Perth. The day will be two sessions from 10.30 – 12.30 and from 1.30 – 3.30. The day costs just £15. If anyone is interested in attending then Ed would prefer a cheque to the value of £15 to be made payable to himself (Ed Link) Cheques can then be given to me or post directly to Ed. Contact me if you wish Ed’s address. The workshop will only go ahead if there are sufficient people attending to make it viable. Please make payment asap so that Ed can confirm the booking. Thanks to those who have already expressed an interest. I will ask again next week.
• We discussed the success of our gig at Orchar Care Home on Monday 14th March (See previous Blog from 14th March). I have recently received a text from Sandra Scott stating: Hi, just wanted to thank u all again for coming to orchar. There was a real buzz about the place and one of the ladies said later that u r the best entertainment we’ve ever had. Praise indeed! Sandra – Well done everyone! 🙂
• Just a quick reminder that tomorrow (Friday 18th March) 14 of us are playing at St Mary’s Care Home, 39 Panmure Street, Monifieth from 2.00 – 2.45pm. Remember to bring our new playlist and wear your Hawaiian shirts. It should be fun. 🙂
• I hope everyone is remembering the gig @ Toll Crescent Sheltered Housing in Forfar on Monday 21st March 2.00 – 3.30pm. The names I have are: Alice, Ann G, Ann P, Denis, George, Ken, Maggie, Marge, Mike, Pat, Pat and myself. They asked for up to 10 people so a few may have to stand. We’ll see when we get there. We will get through more of our playlist as it is a longer gig. There is a map on the Events tab.
• We decided, following our gig ‘review’ that it would be better to do our Wartime Medleys nearer to the end of the gig. Rather than changing the order of the playlist every time, I will just skip the 2 medleys until we are nearly finished. I would still like to make the final song “Bring Me Sunshine”. For St Mary’s we will probably miss out Bonnie Dundee, Top of the World and Dirty Old Town as the gig is for a shorter time.
• The date for a gig at Oaklands Centre, Morven Place, DD2 2JU has now been confirmed as Tuesday 10th May from 1.15 – 2.15pm. Please note that our normal class will start at 11am on that day to allow us time to pack up and get to our destination. There is a map of the location on our Events tab. Some of us were there last year.

 

• Last Thing On My Mind – We tried this song in key of A for the first time and everyone seems happy with this version. We now have it in three keys on our website! Take your pick, but for gig purposes we will play/sing it in the key of A. I have altered this on our playlist. (Playlist for 2016 17th March)
• We’re No Awa Tae Bide Awa version 1.1 – We practised this one which we hadn’t done for a while. It was fine.
• Loch Lomond – No problems with this one. For those who are finding it difficult to fit in all the chord changes, there is a simplified version here as well as on the website.  Loch Lomond Key C Simplified version
• Scarborough Fair version 1.1 – this version has additional chords written in at the end of each line to help with the tricky timing. Scarborough Fair version 1.1
• Sam the Skull – This is a new song for us, requested by Marjorie who wishes it to be sung at the Mcgonagall Supper on 16th April. It is available here (Sam the Skull v2) or on the website. Everyone seemed to enjoy it and it is fairly easy to play. The tricky part is fitting in all the words, but it is such as fun song we will keep it for Dee Ukes as well.

• Whiskey in the Jar – I have solved the mystery of the missing verse! We agreed some time ago to miss out a verse. The Perth version has six verses. Our version has five verses. Whiskey in the Jar
• Wild Rover – no issues with this one other than the fact some people don’t like it! However, many of us do like it. We’ll see how well it goes down with future audiences. 🙂

Next week we will go over any songs from our new playlist which need to be practised. Busy. Busy. 🙂

What Fun We Had Today!

Many thanks to all my Dee Ukers who performed today at Orchar Care Home. We had an amazing time with audience members singing and dancing from the start! At one point we had six or so dancers in the middle of the floor. One lady in particular was up dancing at every opportunity and loved every minute of it. She later informed me she was a bit of a dancer in her time, despite the fact her husband never danced.

Our new songs went down well and the audience helped us along with our Wartime Medleys. Unsurprisingly, when we all waved at the end of “Wish Me Luck As You Wave Me Goodbye” they all thought we were finished! We were only half way through. So I must warn our next audience or change the order!

I must also thank Sandra for inviting us along and providing refreshments at the end. What a brilliant way to spend a lovely, sunny, Monday afternoon.

My only slight regret is that I forgot to ask someone to take some photos of us in action. Hopefully we will get some pics on Friday. Could someone please remind me! See you tomorrow. 🙂

 

Gig Reminder

Just a quick reminder to those who are attending the gig tomorrow. The address is:

Orchar Care Home

31/39 Beach Crescent

Broughty Ferry DD5 2BG (There is a map on the Events tab)

The time is 2.30 – 3.30pm. I aim to be there around 2pm to start setting up. Any time between 2 and 2.15 would be good. Volunteers are: Ann G, Anne H, Ann P, Anne S, Barbara, Catherine, Denis, Dorothy, George, Grant, Irene, Ken, Liz, Moira, Pat (Mr).

Please bring the new playlist (Playlist for 2016 Draft 1 29 Feb.) As the gig will last approximately 1 hour, I think we should be able to get through songs 1-16 and finish with Bring Me Sunshine, but that is a rough estimate. After tomorrow we will have a better idea.

For Tuesday we will discuss the gig and go over any songs which need further work. As well as that we will practice:

• Last Thing on my Mind – key A . Last Thing On My Mind in A We now have this in 3 keys and will make a definite decision which key to choose for gigs.
• We’re no awa tae bide awa – version 1.1 on website
• Loch Lomond – simplified version available – Loch Lomond Key C Simplified version
• Scarborough Fair – extra chords on sheet for those who wish Scarborough Fair version 1.1
• Sam the Skull – Marjorie, from Happy Ukes, would like all who are attending the McGonagall Supper on Saturday 16th April to either sing or sing & play this song.  Sam the Skull v2  There is also a YouTube video available on the website for those who are unfamiliar with the song. Please print off your own copy if possible. We will try it out!
• Whiskey in the Jar
• Wild Rover version 1.1

I am looking forward to getting back to playing in front of an audience with my Dee Ukes friends.

I also look forward to seeing everyone on Tuesday. 🙂

Look at who else likes the ukulele!

 

 

 

8th March Round Up

• Volunteer names were taken for the following gigs. Many thanks to all who put their names down.
  • Monday 18th April 2.00 – 3.30pm approx., Jubilee Court Sheltered Housing, Letham, Angus. We have more volunteers than required as it was suggested there is room for between 8 and 10 people. We have 14 names at the moment. It may be possible have standing room. I will check with our hosts nearer the time.
  • Thursday 28th April, 2.00 – 3.00pm. Wellburn Care Home, 118 Liff Road, Lochee. This is a return visit and there should be plenty of room for all volunteers for this one.
• You can access an updated Gig list by clicking Gig Volunteers March 2016
• We have also been invited back to Oaklands, Morven Terrace. The date is still to be confirmed, but will be on a Tuesday which will mean starting our normal class time earlier. Two possible dates are 10th or 24th May. More details will follow.

For those who are attending Orchar Care Home, 31-39 Beach Crescent, Broughty Ferry on Monday 14th March 2.30 – 3.30pm, please remember to wear your amazing Hawaiian shirts/blouses.

Remember also to bring along our new playlist. Playlist for 2016 Draft 1 29 Feb. I will be selecting songs from here, depending on the time we have available, so be prepared to miss out a few. There are far more songs than we will need for 1 hour.

 

We continued to work on our new playlist songs and covered the following during our practice session:

• Dundee Songs – No problems here. Pat, who was listening at the door, stated he would pay money to hear us sing that one! Praise indeed. 🙂
• Sloop John B – Sounded really good – again!
• Eight Days A Week – No problems.
• I Have A Dream – No problems.
• Last Thing On My Mind – We played this in the key of C, which some people find too high, preferring to play in key of G. It was suggested a compromise could be the key of A. I have added the song to our website in the key of A for you to try if you wish or click Last Thing On My Mind in A. As everyone will not have this version for Monday, we will probably miss this one out until we have time to practise together.
• Loch Lomond – As we are playing this at a fairly quick tempo, some people find the quick chord changes too tricky. Some of the chords can be missed out, so I have added a simplified version to the website (with less chords) or you can click Loch Lomond Key C Simplified version. However, it is worth persevering with all of the chords if you wish to keep practising quick changes.  I also think we should slow down on the very last line.
• Que Sera Sera – No real problems here, apart from the fact some people would prefer the easier chords in the key of G. If this is the case, it can be played in G using a capo on the second fret. The ending was a little tricky for some. It should be 3 beats for the A before the last word “be”, 3 beats for the A after the last word “be”, 2 beats for A, one beat for E7 and 1 beat for last A. (Sounds more complicated than it actually is!)
• Rock Around the Clock – We split up into three groups and the song went well.
• Scarborough Fair – The timing is coming along nicely. For those who still have difficulty, I have added extra chords to help you with the timing. This is now version 1.1 on the website or click Scarborough Fair version 1.1.
• Skye Boat Song – Well done to those who are still working on their finger picking. Sounds good. There are still timing issues with this one which we will continue to work on.
• Sunny Afternoon – No problems here.
• Wartime Medley 1 – Some people have opted to just sing most of this one, which is perfectly fine as I hope to make it a singalong with our audience. However, well done to those who continue to practise the tricky chords. Who would have believed 18 months ago that we would ever even consider playing some of these chords!

We didn’t quite cover everything in the new playlist, but I am confident we can have a great time at our 2 gigs next week. Can’t wait! 🙂

 

 

 

1st March Round Up

    1st March already! The daffodils are growing. Yippee! 🙂

Intimations:

• Bob’s new beginners’ class is now full with 10 members and a waiting list of 1. The class will be starting on Friday 1st April @ Finmill Centre.
• New Gig – We have been invited to play at Jubilee Court Sheltered Housing, Dundee Road, Letham, Angus. They are looking for 8-10 people only.
• Another Gig – We have been invited back to Wellburn House sometime in April or May. Once we have a definite date, I will be asking for volunteers for both of the above.
• For your information I have put a link to a website which may of interest to anyone looking to purchase a unique hand-made ukulele. It is on the Links/Ukulele Websites tab of our website, but can also be accessed here. http://www.ukulelelair.weebly.com
• Well done to all from Dee Ukes who entertained brilliantly at Sunday Sessions last Sunday. To find out more about what was going on as well as look at some pics and video clips, click http://www.sundaysessionsfolk.wordpress.com/blog-news-2/  You are all welcome to come along if you fancy a great evening of entertainment.

Dee Ukes members worked extremely hard today going through our new playlist for the upcoming March gigs. There are 28 songs on the list and we managed to get through the first 13! Our imminent gigs will last for between 45 minutes and one and a half hours, so there is no shortage of songs to choose from. Here are the songs we practised:

1. He’s Got the Whole World v1.1 – No problems here.
2. All I Have To Do Is Dream v1.1 – Brilliant!
3. Daydream Believer – Will practise again as I forgot to go up at the word ‘queen’ on the second last chorus. Otherwise, it was good.
4. Bonnie Dundee – Spot on with the ending! 🙂
5. Top of the World – No real problems, but we will try this again next week as we need to speed it up slightly.
6. Singing the Blues – Perfect!
7. Wartime Medley 1 v2.3 – I think we played this the best we have done it so far. There are obviously lots of tricky chords and one or two people have opted to just sing for some of the songs. This is perfectly ok. Just aim to play a little bit more each time. It may be years before we have all perfected this one, but I’m sure our audiences will love joining in. 🙂 Ann P is playing her mouth organ for ‘Keep the Home Fires Burning’ which sounds lovely. We should try and sing and play a little quieter for this one so that the mouth organ can be heard.
8. Wartime Medley 2 v1.1 – This is sounding good. Hopefully our audience will wave back to us at the end!
9. You Are My Sunshine (Key C changing to Key D) – Sounding really good. We should make a definite effort not to speed up at the key change.
10. Dumbarton’s Drums v1.2 – I will change this to version 1.2 on the website asap. The main changes are repeating the last line, slowing down the last line and finishing with “When Jeannie kneels and kisses me.”
11. Save the Last Dance v1.1 – Perfect. 🙂
12. Down by the Riverside v1.1 – Perfect. 🙂
13. Dirty Old Town – perefect. 🙂 The mouth organ section in the middle is lovely.

Next week we will play the rest of the songs on the play as as well as numbers 3, 5 and 7 (above) again if time.

Today we had a very productive session. Well done everybody. 🙂