Wednesday, June 13, 2018

Cathie, Lynn, Louise, Lorna, Zenith, Marge, Lana, Thelma, Verna, Heather and Barry met at the gallery to play and sing some ukulele songs. Heather, who likely owns 12 ukuleles (although some are loaned out) forgot to bring a ukulele! To be fair the hardy Outdoor Ukulele that she "always" carries in her car as it is good for any kind of weather had been taken in to be dusted off after the picnic and strum last Sunday and never put back in her car. Thanks to the Lynn for the loaner ukuleles and apologies for the broken string. There will be a nice pack of Worth Brown strings in your mailbox at school tomorrow.

We played: Goodnight Irene, Go Lassie go, January Wedding, Lake Pochatrain, Ukulele Lady, One day at a Time (Heather and Lana will put on the blog and drive), Harvest Moon (sounding great!), Amazing Grace, Looking out my Back Door, Cryin' Time, Daydream Believer (from the Brandon Club), I Can't Even Walk, Black Flowers ( Lana is going to check version and add to drive). and Lion Sleeps Tonight (Cynthia Lin version). We got the two parts down and the knock. Next time we will try the chuck and the muted part. We also played: Take Me Home Country Roads in C,  I'll See You in my Dreams (Lana's favourite. Her tip for the Fm6 is to play the Fm and once you are ready, bring the other finger over to complete the G shape), Life is like a Mountain Railroad in F with a fancy G and F figured out and shared by Verna (Lana and Verna are going to work together to put this version with the fancy extra chords that you don't have to play by adding all the verses to put it on the drive), Workin' Man and our signature set ending song.

Thanks to everyone who was able to attend the picnic and strum last Sunday. It was a nice day and lots of fun playing ukulele with our guests.

 

 

Wednesday, June 6, 2018


Verna, Judy, Lorna, Lynn, Louise, June, Lana, Thelma and  Heather met to play at the train station. 

We played: Go Lassie, Go, Six Days on the Road, Orphan Girl, Tonight You Belong to Me, Harvest Moon, Flowers on the Wall in C, Rox in the Box, Wagon Wheel, Walk Away, Grandpa was a Carpenter, Jolene, In the Good Old Summertime, Making Belieive,, Life is Like a Mountain Railway, Lie Down Beside Me, Jambalaya, Sentimental Journey, This Land is My Land, Don't Be Cruel, You Don't Know Me, and Someday You'll Want Me to Want You - twice as June picked it after we'd already played it once but we liked it so much we let her discover that a line in and played it again anyway. It was also a good opportunity to add Louise's instrumental the second time. We then played: Only You (which Lana will add to the drive as a scanned copy), Me and Bobby McGee, We're Going to be Friends, Saskatoon Moon, and our signature set ending song.

Here is a video of the Life is Like a Mountain Railroad by Jerry Lee Lewis. Who volunteers to do the piano part? :)

For those of you who can make it to the picnic and strum on Sunday, the picnic will start at Ryall Park at noon with playing to start around 1:00. Of course, people can strum before that.

We shared the following songs with the Winnipeg, Portage and Brandon groups:

Rox in the Box

Ukulele Lady in G

Leaning on the Everlasting Arms in G

Wagon Wheel

Brandon shared the following songs:

Day Dream Believer
Crocodile Walk
Jolene
Build Me Up Buttercup

Be sure to bring a lawn chair, stand if you have one, a copy of the Vancouver Circle book if you have one, your music - printed or electronic but remember we won't have internet unless you have data, big paper clips or clothes pins to hold your music, a picnic lunch, a hat, sunscreen (although we will be under the canopy), and, of course, a ukulele or two.

Wednesday, May 30, 2018

Barry, June, Judy, Verna, Thelma, Tom,  Lori, Zenith, Louise, Lynn. and Heather attended.

We played:  Jolene, Cotton Fields, Somewhere over the Rainbow, King of the Road (Vancouver Cirlce Book version - Lana, Heather will add the Pete McCarty version in G to the drive), Me and Bobby Gee, Always, Have You Ever Seen the Rain, Goodnight Irene, Lake of Poncharatrain, Fifty Miles of Elbow Room, Grandpa Was A Carpenter, The Log Driver’s Waltz, To You Sweetheart Aloha (June brought copies), Rox in the Box, 500 miles, Farewell to Nova Scotia (from Vancouver Circle Book), Wagon Wheel, Song for a Winter’s NIght, Where Have All the Flowers Gone, Ukulele Lady, Leaning on the Everlasting Arms in G, Lie Down Beside Me, Working Man (now on the drive and blog), and our signature set ending song.

We decided that we would like to share these songs with the Winnipeg, Brandon and Portage clubs for our strum and picnic:

Rox in the Box

Fifty Miles of Elbow Room

Wagon wheel

Ukulele Lady (our version instead of the Vancouver Circle book version which is in a different key)

Please let Heather or Lana know by the end of next week's session if there are other songs you would like us to send to the other clubs.

Heather will check with the town office to make sure the power will be turned on (for the bass ukulele amp) and that there will be enough toilet paper in the washrooms.

Next week we should decide if we will play at the Lodge again in June. Some members have already indicated they would not be able to attend.

- Heather

Wednesday, May 16, 2018

Barry, Cathie, June, Lana, Linda, Lorna, Louise, Lynn, Tom, Lori, Verna and Zenith attended.  Great turn-out, great time!

We played and sang:

Angeline the Baker in C, Class of 57 in C, Ukulele Lady, All I have to do is Dream in C, You Gotta Shout, After the Goldrush in C, Always in C, Cotton Fields in G, Orphan Girl in G, Harvest Moon, Love Potion #9, Michael, Leaving on a Jet Plane in C, Hallelujah in C, You Belong to Me, Folsum Prison Blues, Bad Moon Rising in G, Grandpa, Tell Me 'bout the Good old Days, Grandpa was a Carpenter, Put your hand in the Hand, Tell Me Why, Leaning on the Everlasting Arms in G, Merry Music & Let's Do the Polka, House of the Rising Sun and maybe a few others from the Vancouver Book.

- Lana


Both Lana and I missed some sessions but Lynn took some notes which I hope to post soon.

Don't forget the Boyne River Ukulele Strum and Picnic on Sunday, June 10th :)

We have had a request to play at the Boyne Lodge. We can discuss at the next session.

Did anyone take notes on May 23rd?

Wednesday April 18, 2018

Lynn, Louise, Zenith, Barry, Myrna, June, Verna, Lana, Thelma, Heather and Cathie met in at the gallery.  Myrna is Barry's sister-- Welcome!

We played Sonny's Dream, Roll in My Sweet Baby's Arms, Jambalaya, Fifty Miles of elbow Room, Orphan Girl with a new strum, Saskatoon Moon, wildflowers, Dirty Old Town, Tell Me Why, One Tin Soldier, I'll See You in My Dreams, 500 Miles, The Cuckoo, Put Your Hand in the Hand, Leaning on the Everlasting Arms, Lakes of Ponchartrain, You Are My Sunshine and our signature set ending song.

I am sending an update of Roll in My Sweet Baby's Arms,You Are My Sunshine, One tin Soldier, and Black Velvet Band.  They will also be on the Drive.  Black Velvet Band is in A-- a better key for singing, I think,  It also involves the "dreaded" E chord that will give us another song to help us perfect it. lol

I have decided that when people bring in new songs, I will scan them to put on the Drive and to distribute to those who are not in attendance.  When I try to "prettify" them, it sometimes results in slightly different lyrics or chord combinations and not everyone will have the same version.  This will, I hope, avoid any confusion.

Barry and I are still working on the Tom Petty version of Wildflowers that he brought.  The version on the Drive is quite OK.

I am looking for suggestions for the Set-list for the Lodge on April 25.  Remember we need to be there before 6 to have enough time to set up and tune up to begin singing and playing at 6.

Here is the set list for Wednesday: 

Five Foot Two/ Yes sir that's my baby (Van Bk)

Walkin' After Midnight

Amazing Grace

Hard Times in G

Cryin' Time

Dirty Old Town

Down in the Valley in F

Edelweiss in D

Fifty Miles of Elbow Room

Go Lassie Go

I'll See you in my Dreams

Making Believe in F

Put Your Hand in the Hand

Saskatoon Moon

Ukulele Lady for ALC

I'll fly Away in C

Silver Wings

Leaning on the Everlasting in G

You are My sunshine  Bytown in C

We'll Meet Again

Blame it on the Ukulele

- Lana

Let Lana know if you are missing any of the songs. They should also all be on the blog and the drive. Thanks Lana for putting this great set list together. See you at the Lodge on Wednesday everyone! 

Here is the video Louise mentioned for Orphan Girl. She also noted that she taught us the strum a little differently (this one you strum us whereas we strummed down. Just remember the first time you use your thumb strum the G stringt once, and then you use your thumb to strum the G string twice.).

- Heather

Wednesday, April 11, 2018

The group met in the gallery and played the following songs:

I'll Fly Away, Saskatoon Moon, Hard Times Come Again No More, Rain and Snow, Dirty Old Town with dirty old harmonica introduction and tin whistle accompaniment, January Wedding, Lie Down Beside Me with strumming edits, Early Morning Rain (we need to see the videos), Go Lassie Go with edits, Five Foot Two medley, Put Your Hand in the Hand, You Gotta Sing When your spirit says Sing with the "dreaded E-chord", Leaning on the Everlasting Arms, Working Man, 500 Miles, Five Foot Two medley, Wabash Canon Ball, Uncloudy Day, You Belong to Me, Clementine, Harvest Moon, Margo's Cargo and our signature set ending song.

- Lana

I have posted the new songs Lana sent out to the blog song sheets page and here:

Lakes of Ponchatrain
These are the Days
SIx Days on the Road
You Gotta Shout
Put Your Hand in the Hand
Early Morning Rain

Here is a video for Early Morning Rain

- Heather

Wednesday, April 4, 2018

Zenith (welcome back!), Lana, Heather, Verna, Linda, Cathie, Lynn, Louise, June and Barry attended.

We played: Don't be Cruel, Suitcase in my Hand, I'll See You in My Dreams, I Saw her Standing There, Cryin' Time, Blowin' in the Wind, Dirty Old Town, Wagon Wheel, The Next Time I'm in Town, Harvest Moon, Have You Seen the Rain, Silver Winds, 500 Miles, Goodnight Irene, Imagine, Leaning on the Everlasting Arms, Walk Away, Angeline the Baker, Rox in the Box, Six Days on The Road, Someday You'll Want Me to Want You, Sonny's Dream, and our signature set ending song. Lynn brought along Six Days on the Road which he would like to play in the style of Taj Mahal's recording.

There was a bit of a mix up as far as me signing us up to play at Tempo Fest. We still could have played near the end of the Tuesday event but the group decided to abstain since a few members couldn't attend and we want to work more on Harvest Moon. You can still go and listen to Louise playing with her granddaughter and I will be whistling and playing ukulele along with my neighbour.

So far we have accepted an invitation to play at the Boyne Lodge the evening of Wednesday, April 25th. We will start at 6 p.m. instead of our regular 7 p.m. Please arrive a bit earlier to set up.

I have uploaded the medleys Lana sent out.

Five Foot Two/Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone

Old-Time Medley - Bells Are Ringing/By The Light of the Silvery Moon

Five Foot Two/Yes Sir, That's My Baby/Ain't She Sweet

On a personal note, I had a great time being able to play along with you all again. See you next week when we will meet on the main floor of the gallery at 7 p.m.

- Heather