The Omnifarium

Learning From The Masters

Category: Ukulele
Sat, 17 Jul 2010, 16:46

The past months have been quite busy for us. Back in February, we made the decision to move from Toronto to Kingston. But it took us until May to get our house in Toronto in shape to be put on the market. The last week was a mad rush for us, cleaning every room in the house. What does this have to do with ukulele? We set the second Saturday in May as our deadline since I wanted to be in Kingston that weekend for a James Hill ukulele workshop.

With hours to spare, we had our home listed, and we were off to Kingston. We looked at a few houses, and later put in an offer on one of them. In the afternoon, though, I was in a roomful of ukulele players learning from the best ukulele player and teacher in Canada.

James Hill started the workshop with a couple of songs, and then led the class in some more songs. The lessons were geared more towards beginners, but he told the more more experienced players to pay attention to his teaching techniques. In the question and answer portion of the afternoon, someone asked for tips on playing the dreaded E chord. His advice was simple: Practice. And keep practicing. He spoke about the need for practice while he effortlessly alternated strumming first and second position E chords.

One of his pieces of wisdom I remember was this gem of advice: "An amateur musician practices a piece until he gets it right. A professional practices until he can't get it wrong."

In June, we started having some free time again, and I was able to get back to the Corktown Ukulele Jam in downtown Toronto. The June 16th jam was shaping up pretty much like any other. After the break, we had just finished a song when someone appeared at the door. Our host, David Newland, recognized him and introduced him. To say we were all in shock would be an understatement. No one expected to see Jake Shimabukuro at the jam!

Jake was invited up to the stage, and literally took over the rest of the evening, starting out with three songs. As anyone who's seen him play can attest, Jake's mastery of the instrument is incredible. If he were merely a technically great player, he would, of course, be well known in the ukulele community. But he adds such an incredible depth of emotion and feeling into the music that you can't help getting drawn into it. When I hear him play, I wonder if I should be inspired to practice more, or give up the ukulele since I know I'll never play as well as he does! (No, I'll never give up the uke. It's one thing that keeps me sane!)

He then opened the floor up to questions. He talked about his ukulele, and he talked about music. He talked about performing at the Hollywood Bowl, and meeting Queen Elizabeth. And he talked about jazz, and about the need to put everything into your performance.

All through the evening, I wondered about something. And I'm sure others wondered the same thing. Finally, someone asked: "Could you play While My Guitar Gently Weeps?" Here's a video of his answer:

Seeing two great ukulele masters within the span of six weeks was an amazing stroke of good fortune. I'll never forget seeing them both show off their abilities.

Hans

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Ukulele Jam Around a Campfire

Category: Ukulele
Thu, 17 Sep 2009, 13:09

One person suggested we do "Will The Circle Be Unbroken". Another added that the last time they did that song in public, people thought they were a religious group. I then commented that my wife sometimes thinks we're a cult. But someone else pointed out that it isn't a cult until you get naked.

We sang that song anyways on the ferry ride, along with four or five others. Not a lot of people cross the Toronto harbor on a Wednesday evening in September. So at 6:15PM, just one ferry services all of the Toronto Islands' ferry docks, first Ward's Island, then Centre Island, and finally our stop, Hanlan's Point. That gave us plenty of time for ukulele playing.

We were the first to arrive at the fire pit, an hour before the official start of the evening's jam. Some of us used the opportunity to eat our dinner. For me, it was a roast beef sub. As the sky grew dark, we impatiently awaited the arrival of the bigger half of the Corktown Ukulele Jam. Rather than taking the ferry, they decided to cross the harbor on a pair of large voyageur canoes.

With all of us together, the fire was lit, and we began our evening of singing songs, telling stories, and playing ukulele. David told us stories of the feats of the voyageurs, and led us in some traditional Canadian camp songs. Various snacks, including a big bag of marshmallows, were passed around. Insects were biting, but no one complained. All too soon though, the evening had to end. The last ferry leaving Hanlan's Point at 10:15PM wasn't going to wait for us.

We all had a wonderful time. I left the gathering feeling refreshed and rejuvinated. Making music around a campfire is an almost mystical experience. Sharing music with others is uplifting to begin with. Add in the dark sky and the fire, and the experience becomes something almost religious in nature. And so perhaps we are just a few layers of fabric away from being a cult!

Anyways, many thanks to David and Steve for organizing last night's campfire jam. I can't wait to see what great ideas they come up with next!

Omnifariously yours, Hans

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On Stage at the Corktown Jam

Category: Ukulele
Mon, 07 Sep 2009, 11:36

I'm not the kind of person who spends his time in bars. But most Wednesday evenings these days, you can find me at the Dominion on Queen, in the Corktown neighborhood of Toronto. I'm easy to find. Just look for the middle-aged guy wearing a green baseball cap with a Corner Gas logo. And carrying a ukulele.

The ukulele is the reason most people visit the Dominion every Wednesday. That's the day the Dominion hosts the weekly gathering of the Corktown Ukulele Jam. And at the jam a couple of weeks ago, I did something for the first time I never imagined I'd ever do - I performed a song on stage.

I started going to the jam earlier in the Summer. At first, my thought was that you'd never see me up on stage. And yet, once the evening was over, I started thinking about songs I could perform. The more I thought about songs to play in front of the gang, the more I felt I had to go through with it. That is, although I didn't have to do it, I found myself more afraid of chickening out than moving forward.

Let me try to explain: I'm not the most outgoing person, and I've had to deal with anxiety issues for years. I've learned a few things about dealing with my anxiety - when to face up to my fears, and when to walk away. I knew I was now facing some uncharted territory when thinking about getting up on stage. But I also knew that walking away from that territory was no longer an option. These were fears I now had to face head on.

Looking back, my performance was a blur. As a first timer, my main goal was basically to get through my song without soiling my pants, and I at least met that goal. I'm sure my nervousness showed through, especially at the start. And I messed up a line once, but it was in the chorus, so perhaps no one noticed. That's probably because I got distracted by the sound of my amplified voice. (There's so much to think about on stage!) On the plus side the audience laughed at the right points in my song. And I even remember hearing some people in the audience singing along with the chorus.

Will I do it again? I think so. The more you do something like that, the better you get. You can't expect perfection the first time out. I'll do a bit better next time. And a bit better still the time after that. I'm still practicing songs with the intention of doing them on stage.

I know there are lots of ukulele fans at the jam who don't ever want to solo on stage. I can certainly understand their reluctance. After all, there are some really good performers who regularly show off their abilities. But while I know I'm not in the same league as many of the great uke players at the jam, I know we all have to start somewhere. The only way to improve is to practice, and extend the limits of our abilities. Also, we can't forget that this is a very supportive bunch of people. When you do go on stage, everyone wants you to do well, but they also don't care if you make a mistake. Knowing that makes a big difference.

Omnifariously yours, Hans

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The Anti-Ukulele

Category: Ukulele
Thu, 06 Aug 2009, 13:43

Sometimes while walking through downtown to the GO station after work, I hear the dissonant tones of bagpipes amidst all the other noises of the city. Once while hearing the plaintiff drones with nary a bagpipe player in sight, I got to wondering: Is there any musical instrument more unlike the ukulele than the bagpipes?

(Just to be clear on the matter, when referring to the bagpipes, I'm referring to the Great Highland Bagpipe, rather than any of several dozen other types of sacked aerophone.)

Just compare the bagpipes with the ukulele: The latter is quiet and unassuming, while the former is loud and brash. Is it any wonder that bagpipe players have to resort to busy downtown street corners to practice?

The bagpipes produce sound from four pipes, only one of which can produce something approximating a melody. And while the ukulele doesn't have the greatest range of playable notes, it's at least not as bad as the nine note range of the bagpipes. To make matters worse, those nine notes are in the Mixolydian scale! In contrast, ukulele players can choose from whatever key they want, and can produce pleasing, consonant chords on their four strings.

The comparison doesn't end with the respective qualities of the instruments. Look at the places commonly associated with the bagpipes and ukulele: Scotland and Hawaii. Unlike Scotland, Hawaii is a lush, warm tropical paradise. Surely, the landscape associated with these places has an influence.

Or consider the social element. In many places, ukulele aficionados get together to share music. In Toronto, for example, the Corktown Ukulele Jam meets every Wednesday in an east-end bar. Can you possibly imagine the sound if 50 bagpipe players cranked up their dudelsacks in such a venue? No, that's what football stadiums are for!

If I haven't yet convinced you of the superiority of the ukulele over the bagpipes, consider the reportoire suitable for the two instruments. Unlike the bagpipes, you can play practically anything on the uke. Sure, the song "Amazing Grace" can sound awesome on the bagpipes. No argument there. But at last night's Corktown Jam, one ukerist played a medley combining "Amazing Grace" and "Movin' On Up". Sacrilege? Heck, no. Unlike the bagpipes, the ukulele allows you to be as serious or as playful as you want.

To conclude today's missive, for most of us, the ukulele is all about having fun. It's an easy instrument to play, sounds great, and is readily adaptable to many musical forms. If you haven't tried it, I urge you to give it a chance. Especially if you're one of those bagpipe players who force their highland drones on us during our afternoon commute!

Omnifariously yours, Hans

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Ukuleles Rock Corktown!

Category: Ukulele
Wed, 05 Aug 2009, 12:02

While researching a new ukulele, I came across the Corktown Ukulele Jam web site. With my brand new Kala concert uke in hand, I decided to check out the jam.

The evening Sylvana and I first went to the regular Wednesday night gathering of Toronto ukulele aficionados, it was 80's theme night. Imagine a room full of ukulele players playing "Video Killed the Radio Star", if you can. Well, it was a lot of fun, and I was hooked!

The next week was even more of a treat. The Jam chartered an old PCC streetcar. We boarded the streetcar at the Dominion on Queen and drove westward to Mitzi's Sister, where we took over the open mic night for an hour. Then it was back on the streetcar for the ride back to the Dominion. All the time on the streetcar, 44 of us were merrily strumming away on our ukes. To say the evening was a lot of fun would be a great understatement. Most of us were smiling for days afterward.

With the Corktown Ukulele Jam getting more publicity on radio and TV, the Jam is now becoming more popular. What started with about 2 dozen people in January has continually grown. At the last jam I attended, there were about 75 ukuleleists crowded in the Dominion's back room.

Some might argue that we're currently experiencing the third major wave of ukulele popularity, and the Corktown Ukulele Jam is a sign of that revival. (The first wave was in the 1920's, and the second in the 1950's.) I'm not quite convinced that we're in such a major wave of interest. After all, it's still uncommon to find good quality instruments in the local music stores. If a store has any ukes at all, they're usually inexpensive starter instruments, or novelty ukes.

No, I think what we're seeing now is just a group of Toronto ukulele fans finding other like-minded individuals. With the current publicity and word of mouth, still, fewer than a hundred people out of a city of three million have found a place where they can share their love of the ukulele and have fun.

Will the Corktown Ukulele Jam grow to the point that they'll have to turn away people? I certainly hope not! Part of the charm of the Jam is the location. The Dominion on Queen is a small neighborhood bar ideally suited to the group, with an owner sympathetic to the uke. But how many more ukerists can the place handle before running afoul of zoning bylaws?

I suppose we'll just have to see what the future holds in store for the ukulele in Toronto. Personally, I look forward to jamming every Wednesday evening. Let's just hope the Corktown Jam doesn't collapse under the weight of its popularity.

Omnifariously yours, Hans

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Ukuleles Rock!

Category: Ukulele
Fri, 26 Jun 2009, 20:37

A couple of years ago, I casually mentioned to Sylvana that I'd like to have a ukulele. At the time, the ukulele was getting some good press, especially from the medley by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole that was all over the internet. When I learned that George Harrison was a big fan of the uke, my interest was definitely piqued.

And so, I was pleasantly surprised to find a ukulele under the Christmas tree. Sure, it was an inexpensive starter instrument, but I was hooked instantly. Learning to play chords was easy. But then again, I did play the guitar decades earlier, even though I never touched a guitar again after high school!

Although it looks very much like a miniature guitar, the ukulele is different. With four strings (instead of six), the chords are easier to learn. If you only learn the relatively easy C, F, and G7 chords, you can already play a lot of songs. But more importantly, the sound is different. And it's size makes it easier to carry around and play anywhere.

These days, though, I'm trying to learn songs from tabs, a notation specifically suited to string instruments. I've found some easy arrangement of a couple of songs, such as Beethoven's Für Elise and Silent Night. Eventually, I'd like to master clawhammer style, which is suited to the uke due to its reentrant tuning.

Recently, I've been shopping around for a better quality instrument. First, I want a better sounding uke in a slightly bigger size. Second, our daughter has expressed an interest in learning the uke. Since she's a lefty, she'll need her own instrument anyways tuned left-handed.

For those not familiar with ukuleles, there are a variety of styles and sizes of instrument. The standard uke is the soprano ukulele, typically 53cm long. The concert uke is about 5cm longer. Tenor and baritone ukes are about 13cm and 23cm longer that the soprano, respectively. Other popular varieties include the fluke, flea, and banjolele.

Since the ukulele is still not really a common instrument, it's hard to find stores with good selections. In most music stores, you tend to be accosted by massive hordes of guitars. At Steve's Music Store in downtown Toronto, there are a number of inexpensive instrument hanging above behind the counter, in various styles and colors. But the Mecca for the true ukulele aficionado seems to be The 12th Fret, on Danforth at Woodbine. Although their web site barely mentions ukuleles, their back room has a decent but modest selection of good quality instruments, in soprano, concert, tenor, baritone, and banjolele styles. (Although Steve's is the more well-known music store in this city, The 12th Fret apparently has a stronger reputation among professional musicians.)

Although I'll probably never get close to being a ukulele impressario, I find the uke a lot of fun. I heartily recommend the uke to anyone who wants to make music, but without the great learning curve required by other instruments.

Ominfariously yours, Hans

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