Chidham Ukulele News January 2012

In January 2012 the Chidham Ukulele Workshop will continue to meet as usual on the third Wednesday of the month between 7.00 and 8.00pm at Chidham Village Hall on the A259… but with two differences:

There will be a catch-up session for players who have missed a session or who need help before the main workshop, between 6.30 and 7.00pm. Just come along early for a bit of extra help.

The main workshop session at 7pm will continue to focus on playing and singing songs but each month there will be a 10 minute “bite sized” teaching session that will cover such topics as :

• upstroke strumming
• the chromatic scale
• alternative chord positions
• barre chords
• how chords are made
• minor and seventh chords
• blues chord structures
• improvising
• simple melody playing
• finger picking
• and any other topic you may request

Workshops cost £7 per session and are held on the third Wednesday of the month as follows:

Jan 18th

Feb 15th

March 21st

April 18th

May 16th

June 20th

July 18th

The January 2012 song of the month is…

Yes Sir, That’s My Baby

by Walter Donaldson & Gus Khan, 1925

[C]Yes, Sir, That’s my Baby,

[G7]No, Sir, Don’t mean “Maybe”

Yes, Sir, That’s my Baby [C]now. [G7]

[C]Yes ma’am, we’ve decided,

[G7]No ma’am, we won’t hide it,

Yes, ma’am, you’re invited [C]now. [G7]

By the [C]way, By the [F]way,

When we [D7]reach the preacher I’ll [G7]say (with feeling)

[C]Yes Sir, That’s my Baby,

[G]No, Sir, don’t mean “maybe”,

[G7]Yes Sir, That’s my Baby [C]now. [C7]

[C]Well well, “lookit” that baby,

[G7]Do tell, don’t say “maybe”,

Hell’s bells, won’t she cause some [C] row? [G7]

Pretty [C]soon, Pretty [F]soon,

We will [D7]hear that Lohengrin [G7]tune, (I’m sayin’)

[C]Who for should she be sir,

[G7]No one else but me sir,

Yes sir, That’s my Baby [C]now. [G7]

[C] Yes sir, that’s my Baby

[G7]Yes sir, I don’t mean maybe,

Yes sir, That’s my Baby [C]now [G7]

October Song of the Month

I've Got a Brand New Combine Harvester - by popular request!
(Courtesy of The Wurzels and Melanie)

(C)I drove my tractor through your haystack last night (ooh aah ooh aah)

(G7)I threw me pitchfork at your dog to keep quiet (ooh aah ooh aah)

(C)Now something's telling me, that you'm avoiding me

(F)Come on now darling you've got (G7) something I need.

Chorus
(C)Cuz I got a brand new combine harvester an' I'll give you the key

(C)Come on now let's get together in perfect harmony

(F)I got twenty acres, an' you got forty-three

(C)Cuz got a brand new combine harvester an' I'll give you the key

(C)I'll stick by you, I'll give you all that you need (ooh aah ooh aah)

(G7)We'll 'ave twins and triplets, I'm a man built for speed (ooh aah ooh aah)

(C)And you know I'll love you darlin' so give me your hand

(F)But what I want the most is all they (G7) acres of land
Chorus

(C)For seven long years I've been alone in this place, (ooh aah ooh aah)

(G7)Eat, sleep, in the kitchen, it's a proper disgrace (ooh aah ooh aah)

(C)Now if I cleaned it up would you change your mind

(F)I'll give up drinking scrumpy and that (G7) lager and lime.
Chorus

(C)Weren't we a grand couple at that last wurzel dance (ooh aah ooh aah)

(G7)I wore new gaters and me cordouroy pants (ooh aah ooh aah)

(C)In your new Sunday dress with your perfume smelling grand

(F)We had our photos took with (G7) us holding hands     
Chorus

September Song of the Month

Hit The Road Jack.

Four beats to a bar. One down strum for each beat.

Chorus

Dm 2 3 4    C 2 3 4    Dm 2 3 4    Dm 2 3 4   (Repeat 4 times)

Verse

Dm 2 3 4    C 2 3 4    C 2 3 4    Dm 2 3 4

(Repeat twice in verse 1 and three times in verse 2)

Chorus

(Dm) Hit the road Jack and (C) don’t you come back no (Dm) more, no more, no more, no more.
(Dm) Hit the road Jack and (C)don’t you come back no (Dm) more. (What you say?)
(Dm) Hit the road Jack and C) don’t you come back no (Dm) more, no more, no more, no more.
(Dm) Hit the road Jack and (C)don’t you come back no (Dm) more.

Verse 1

(Dm) Woman, oh woman, don’t (C) treat me so mean,
You’re the meanest woman that I’ve (Dm) ever seen.
(Dm)Well, I guess if you say (C) so
I better pack my things and (Dm) go. (That’s right)

Verse 2
(Dm) Now listen to me baby, don’t you (C) treat me this-a way
I’ll be back on my (Dm) feet some day.
(Dm)Don’t care if you do ’cause it’s (C) understood
(C) You ain’t got no money and you (Dm) ain’t no good.
(Dm)Well, I guess if you say (C) so
(C)I better pack my things and (Dm) go. (That’s right)

(Repeat and fade)
(C) Don’t you come back no (Dm) more.

August Song of the Month

Singing in the Rain

Doo-ndoo-doo-doo-doo
Doo-ndoo-doo-doo-doo-doo
Doo-ndoo-doo-doo-doo-doo

I’m [F] singing in the rain
Just singing in the rain
What a glorious feelin’
I’m [C7] happy again
I’m laughing at clouds
So dark up above
The sun’s in my heart
And I’m [F] ready for love

(F) Let the stormy clouds chase
Everyone from the place
Come on with the rain
I’ve a [C7] smile on my face
I walk down the lane
With a happy refrain
Just singin’ and dancin’ in the (F) rain!

I’m (C7) dancin’ and singin’ in the (F) rain…

The Hampshire Festival of Learning

Thousands of people across the county are bringing a new sense of accomplishment and confidence into their lives by participating in informal adult learning. You are never too old to learn how to play the ukulele!

Hampshire Festival of Learning - Greenview Workshop Lockerley March 2010

Hampshire Festival of Learning - Greenview Workshop in Lockerley March 2010

Hampshire Festival of Learning - Greenview Workshop Lockerley March 2010

Ukulele Syllabus Term 1 (Primary School Activities)

Vocal work to support instrumental learning:

Sing a song to demonstrate how the uke can be played eg Play My Ukulele, or any song that the children will eventually learn how to play. Initially employing call and response during chorus and gradually teaching the whole song.

Developing instrumental skills:

Playing Position

Class taught the playing position and rest position (uke upside down resting on knees – “Look No Hands!” ) Naming of parts – body, neck, fretboard, bridge, tuning pegs etc.

Right Hand Playing

• Playing arpeggios with thumb of right hand and repeating as an ostinato. (Play ostinato Song on open strings – GCEA)

• Basic down stroke strum with nail side of first finger of right hand. Four beats to a bar. Strum open strings (Am7 chord) to accompany Tom Thumb song.

• Play Don’t Clap This One Back leading to Don’t Strum This One Back.

• Alternating strum with tap to the body of ukulele on 2^nd and 4^th beat (eg in Way Haul Away).

Left Hand Playing (one finger chords)

• Learning chord of Am and accompanying/singing Way Haul Away.

• Playing C and “easy” F chord and accompanying/singing Mama Don’t Allow and You Are My Sunshine. (Second half of Autumn Term – Mary Had A Baby (The people keep a coming but the train done gone.)

Developing creativity:

• Pupils take the lead and improvise clapping rhythms in Don’t Clap This One Back and Boom Chicka Boom.

• Individual exploration/practice time at the beginning of each instrumental session.

• Ostinato work in 4/4 repeating open strings of ukulele (G C E A ). Pupils encouraged to make up and sing their own ostinato songs ie Ostinato Squashed Tomato and make up their own lyric and playing the 4 strings in a different order.

• Pupils make up actions to You Are My Sunshine .

Listening and Responding

• Origins of ukulele explored and comparisons made between shape, size and sound of 2 different types of ukulele eg soprano and concert ukes .

• Listening to recorded versions of taught songs and exploring the origins of traditional songs taught – Way Haul Away and Mama Don’t Allow .

• Listening to major and minor chords related to taught songs and describing how they make you feel.