Getting ready for a new ukulele season

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Tom

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The Delta Strummers will resume weekly practice next Tuesday (9/4) in preparation for the upcming Fall/Winter season. We have a number of concerts planned, and the Maestro has published a couple of practice lists (Christmas/holiday and non-Christmas) that we'll be working on. The lists include 12 new-to-us numbers, some that I've never sung (or never sung properly) or played before.

Spent time yesterday getting the playlists and new lead sheets in our online Song Book. Dusted off my 8-string uke to play and sing all the numbers before publishing to the Band.

Several new folks have recently graduated from ukulele beginners class, and I'm expecting our membership will be around 75.
 
Sounds like a great group. I have just been hired to teach a beginning ukulele class in Kissimmee. We will start after Labor Day. Job is probably the wrong word, it is a volunteer position. I want to teach Stairway to Heaven to the group so I have been relearning it. I am so proud, I finally figured out the one section I did not have a clue about. I learned LTH in 72 when it came out and there was no sheet music, no Internet and no guitar teachers that I knew that could teach me so I had to learn it off the record. The breakdown that occurs right before the guitar solo always baffled me. The E-F#-G riff was easy but right after that he plays a really weird chord. Sounds like two different chords at the same time. It only lasts for a second so I always just faked my way through that part confident no one would notice. But since I am going to be teaching it I had to figure it out. I am playing a Gmaj7 (0222). That may or may not be correct but it sounds good enough to me.
 
Congrats on the volunteer job. Sounds like fun. But, Stairway To Heaven for uke beginners?
 
My plan is for me to play the finger picking opening and then have everyone join in just strumming chords. If anyone wants to learn the finger picking and play along with me that will be fine. Just the chords are super easy. And I won't start them on it until we have been playing for a while.
 
I doubt this is your intent, but one thing I've observed with some ukulele instructors is that they (the instructors) 'perform', while the students provide the backing. We're fortunate that our Music Director doesn't do that, but it's either a trap that some fall into, or it's an ego thing.
 
Tom said:
I doubt this is your intent, but one thing I've observed with some ukulele instructors is that they (the instructors) 'perform', while the students provide the backing. We're fortunate that our Music Director doesn't do that, but it's either a trap that some fall into, or it's an ego thing.
You are absolutely correct and this is not going to be my focus. I am hoping they want to learn STH but I am not going to choose the songs they learn. I will let them tell me via a vote what they want to learn. I go to one uke class and the guy plays all these Hawaiian songs. They are very hard to keep up with since I don't speak Hawaiian. I see the words and chords on the TV but I always get lost. I don't know the songs, I don't read Hawaiian and it is easy to get lost. If the song is real slow I can keep up but many are fast and I get lost every time. Lyrics like this:

ʻElua nō māua
I ʻike ia hana
Laʻi wale ke kaunu
Hoʻonipo i ka poli

Hui
Ahi wela mai nei loko
I ka hana a ke aloha
E lalawe nei kuʻu kino
Konikoni lua i ka puʻuwai
*Konikoni lua i ka pō nei

ʻAuhea wale ana ʻoe
Kuʻu pua i kui a lei
I lei hoʻohiehie
Nō ke anu ahiahi

After a few lines it just stops making sense.

How many performances does your group have lined up this season? I only have one performance this year, the Winter Park Christmas Parade for the third year. I wish there were more places to play.
 
On the Hawaiian songs, you could always sing along in English - see here for example.

How many performances does your group have lined up this season?
So far, we have 1 full-up Christmas concert at a Dell Webb adult community (usually a sellout), 2 schools, and 1 assisted-living facility. There are other local Dell Webb communities (over 55) where we've performed, and they're always asking us back, but we try not to overbook. We also have a major concert at a theatre locked in for May, and we'll be filling in the Spring with schools and assisted-living facilities.

Schools are always a blast, especially at Christmas. The kids know all the songs and love to join in. Assisted-living residents like more of the foot stompers, and enjoy joining in. Dell Webb community residents seem to like the variety of genres we perform.
 
Tom said:
On the Hawaiian songs, you could always sing along in English - see here for example.
I could but I never know what he is going to play. He plays different ones every session. And the words on the TV are always in Hawaiian.
 
[quote author=Tom]The Delta Strummers will resume weekly practice next Tuesday (9/4) in preparation for the upcming Fall/Winter season.[/quote]
We started the new season with a great practice last evening. I don't know the exact headcount, but we had 45 +/- 50 folks; Some regulars are on vacation or were sick. As expected, some of us were a little out of practice, and a number of new folks were coming up to speed. The Maestro patiently slowed down several numbers, and also sang the melody of several new-to-us songs.
 
Come join us and bring your guitar. We're a little thin on guitarists; One has left due to health reasons, another is having conflicting demands on his time. The Maestro has talked to a couple of ukulele players who are long-time guitarists, to help temporarily fill the void.
 
OK, bring your kazoo; We have one or two numbers where someone has to play it.
 
We don't mic' the band, but we mic' several guitars to monitors that help keep the band on the beat. We also mic' the vocal solos and uke solos. We've been managing the plugins using daisy-chained mixers, with some sharing of leads/plugs, but finally decided to spring for a decent mixer. Last night was my first exposure to the beast, a Yamaha MG16XU.
 
Aye, thanks Larry. We also bought a nice protective case ($150).
 
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