PLUC Tales – From Classical To PLUC

Andrew with one of his many ukuleles

I’d always been aware of the uke – as a child I loved George Formby, had seen Tessie O’Shea on TV, but for some reason I never took an interest in owning one. I was mainly interested in Classical music, and that became exclusive from about 1969 until about 1975. I think the birth of heavy metal was what put me off pop.

Since I got my first job I had wanted a classical guitar, but never got around to it. I never realised how cheap they were compared with the oboe I had been learning. And I was ashamed of my bitten finger nails.

I’d been in a music shop in Brighton a couple of years ago where I plinked a uke hanging from the ceiling and wondered at the re-entrant tuning. Then came the Frank Skinner Formby documentary, and, not put off by the long-haired, bearded, Hawaiian-shirted cynic, I bought a uke and a guitar on Amazon and, since a friend swore by Violin For Dummies, I bought Ukulele For Dummies, where I found the Cosmos’s URL.

On the Cosmos I found out about PLUC, which I attended once and then had a heart-attack, which, followed by a spinal chord injury, put me out of action for 6 months, but now at last I’m becoming a PLUC regular and long may it continue.

Andrew

Other PLUC Tales: Santa Rides Again – Alan F; Steph’s Story; Ron’s Ukulele Acquisition Syndrome; Uncle Ron’s Legacy… – Wee Kheng; Dan’s Story; Five Years & Loving It – Simon; My Ukulele Origins… – Rufus; Why Ed Started Playing The Ukulele; Ron’s Song; It’s Been A Year… – Jeanette

 

Top Of The Ukes

Number One in the UK charts exactly thirty years ago, on 15 June 1983, was The Police with one of their most well-known songs,, Every Breath You Take. Here’s paxukulele’s cover version of it (with chords on Show more underneath his video, if you want to strum along):

 

Sailing By

Sailing By (not to be mistaken for the lovely 1980’s Christopher Cross song), is one of the orchestral numbers PLUC have been playing for a few years now and it’s my favourite.  Many new members to PLUC had never heard this or weren’t aware of its place in the psyche of many sailors and avid Radio 4 listeners.

This short piece of light music, composed by Ronald Binge in 1963, is the music played every night on BBC Radio 4 at around 00:45hrs before the late Shipping Forecast. Its role has been to serve as a signal for sailors tuning in to be able to easily identify the radio station in time to hear the forecast.

It also functions as a buffer. Depending on when the final programme before close-down finishes, Sailing By (or part of it) is played as a ‘filler’ as the Shipping Forecast has to start at 00:48hrs precisely. The initial reason for its introduction was because of the indeterminate finish time for the preceding Midnight News, leading to filling music being played until the Shipping Forecast was due to start..Sailing By was added to allow for a clear break between the end of the music and the start of the forecast.

Listen to an extract of the Shipping Forecast from Wikipedia:

Thanks to Wikipedia and SailingAhead.com for the history of this tune.

I recommend you stay up late and listen to the Shipping Forecast. Failing that, get out your old Christopher Cross album and enjoy.

Radders

 

PLUC Tales – A History Of The Ukulele – And Its Part In My Downfall

James’ Ukuleles

The ukulele, as you will doubtless be aware, was discovered in 1603 by Galileo Galilei, a talented baker from Italy.

Unlike his other discoveries (the pizza, representing a flat earth, and dough balls, representing the solar system), the ukulele did not immediately strike a chord with the public, possibly due to the difficulty in cultivating them (greenhouses at this time were very primitive structures).

It was only after the Catholic Church banished him to Hawaii that the ukulele was a big hit. The warmer climate in Hawaii meant that ukulele trees bore lots more fruit of varying sizes (the young sopranino fruits being most bountiful but if left to mature, richer tasting soprano, tenor and concert sized fruit were borne).

James – PLUC

Although the ukulele continued to be played by many enthusiasts for over four hundred years, its true versatility and popularity did not occur until I discovered the then newly founded United Colours of Ukulele (now known as PLUC).

I think it is fair to say that my unique playing style did things to ukulele based caterwauling that none have done before or since.

I am currently undergoing treatment for ukulele addiction at the Priory Clinic. After undergoing hypnotherapy to forget everything I ever learned about the instrument, I aim to be back with PLUC as soon as I have attained my goal of total incompetence.

James

Other PLUC Tales: Santa Rides Again – Alan F; Steph’s Story; Ron’s Ukulele Acquisition Syndrome; Uncle Ron’s Legacy… – Wee Kheng; Dan’s Story; Five Years & Loving It – Simon; My Ukulele Origins… – Rufus; Why Ed Started Playing The Ukulele; Ron’s Song; It’s Been A Year… – Jeanette

 

PLUC Weekend Workout

Singing Practice (Photo credit: John Swords)

Continuing our current theme of improving one’s singing, here’s a link to Theta Music Trainer’s Vocal Match game. You’ll need a mic on your machine (or headphones/webcam with a mic). We’ve written about them before – they have a huge range of fun theory games to try. See also some of our previous Weekend Workout postings too.

Jeanette

Other quizzes include: A Question of Uke – TV & Movie Themes; PLUC Weekend Workout – Flashcard Machine Ukulele Chords; PLUC Weekend Workout – Theta Music Trainer; PLUC Weekend Workout – memrise on-line courses; PLUC Weekend Workout – Speak Ukulele Challenge!; PLUC Weekend Workout – On-line Ear Trainer; PLUC Weekend Workout – EarMaster Reference Songs For Intervals; PLUC Weekend Workout – Music Tech Teacher; PLUC Weekend Workout – Fretboard Master Game; PLUC Weekend Workout – Guitarator Chord Quiz

 

PLUC Tales – Santa Rides Again

Alan Forster’s Brunswick Blonde Solid Top Soprano

Like many people, I have always wanted to play an instrument – any instrument. I have dabbled with the harmonica and the tin whistle and enjoyed both but never got very far. My music teacher even tried to teach me the trombone when I was at school – fantastic instrument but not for me.

Then in 2012, while reading the syllabus of the local authorities adult education classes, I saw Guitar for Beginners. Got a guitar, signed up and off we went. Met some nice people and enjoyed the classes a lot but struggled – particularly with the chord changes – the message left the brain but took about a week to get to the fingers.

Even changed the guitar once (or twice!) but still struggled (a guitar magazine I read once asked “How many guitars do you need” – the popular answer was “Just one more”).

Then the tutor announced that in 2013 he was starting a new short course – An Introduction to the Ukulele.

“Right,’ I said to the Boss when I got home, ‘you are always asking what I want for Christmas!’ A raised eyebrow and glance at the guitars gave me the feeling I was going to get socks again.

But what did I find under the tree on Christmas Day? Good old Santa (yes he does exist – my new Uke proves it!).

I played around with it and twiddled the tuners but unfortunately, the first day of the course proved what I had feared. My new Uke was useless – it was naff – it couldn’t hold the tuning no matter how much I tried. ‘Better return it and get your money back,’ said Brian, the tutor. “It’s obviously the duff one of the batch.”

Well, after gently explaining to the Boss and with her blessing, I popped down to the local music shop. “Got none in” he says, “only these kids’ ones”. But then, crashing through the door with a huge box in his arms, comes the delivery man (dressed in the brown suit of UPS but I could see through his disguise – it was Santa!).

And the first thing to come out of the box was the most beautiful thing in the shop – MY ukulele. A Brunswick Blonde Solid Top Soprano fitted with white Aquila strings (“They are the best strings” said the music man).

As happy as a dog with two tails, I attended the next class and strummed along with the rest of them. We were then informed of this strange group of people who meet every Tuesday at Lewisham Hospital. Their organisation is known as PLUC. One of our class, Kevin, went on a sortie to check them out and as he returned safely for the next class, my mate Eric and I thought we might give them a go.

Wise move. Lovely bunch of people – make you feel welcome and encourage (in fact INSIST) you join in. Strumming and singing on a Tuesday night, with like-minded people and all for free. It doesn’t get much better.

Alan Forster’s Brunswick Blonde Solid Top Soprano

I’m still struggling with the chord changes but at least it’s not taking a full week for the message to get through to my fingers – more like second class post.

The moral of this tale is fourfold:

1. Get a UKE – it will make you feel better.
2. Join PLUC – you know it makes sense.
3. Deal with your local music man not the internet – he knows what he is talking about (most of the time).
4. SANTA does exist – I know it!

Alan Forster

Other PLUC Tales: Steph’s Story; Ron’s Ukulele Acquisition Syndrome; Uncle Ron’s Legacy… – Wee Kheng; Dan’s Story; Five Years & Loving It – Simon; My Ukulele Origins… – Rufus; Why Ed Started Playing The Ukulele; Ron’s Song; It’s Been A Year… – Jeanette

 

Everybody Plays, Everybody Sings, Everybody Has Fun

A perfect example of the above motto of the Sydney North Ukulele Gang (SNUGs), here’s the winning uke-based video from a recent The Wrecking Crew cover version competition, by the Los Angeles group, Ukelele Orchestra of the Western Hemisphere.

TUOWH have a lot of fun with the whole group singing a line each of the Ronettes’  1963 hit Be My Baby, penned by Phil Spector, Jeff Barry & Ellie Greenwich: