July 16 Ukulele Jam at the Royal

Greetings!

Well, we had a record attendance at our last jam, featuring Manitoba Hal leading the workshop! I hope everyone learned a thing or two about the blues. So many people came that we ended up with a surplus of funds. So at the July 16 jam, I'll draw names from a hat and give out some prizes to a few lucky attendees of the last jam. You don't have to be at the July 16 jam to claim your prize if your name is drawn. But if you're there, it will make it easier for you to get your prize.

But now it's on to the July 16 jam. We'll begin with our usual workshop at 7:00pm. To build on the momentum from the last workshop, I propose we further explore blues turnarounds, practicing the blues in the key of C, as well as trying out some turnarounds in a different key.

Following the break, we'll continue with an open jam, where you'll have your chance to show off your skills, or lead the group in song. Or if you like, you can just sit back and strum along with the group. Feel free to bring your songs. I've prepared a few songs, conveniently packaged in one PDF:

• The Ballad of John and Yoko, the Beatles, 1969 (video)
• Don't Be Cruel, Elvis Presley, 1956 (play along video)
• Gotta Travel On, Billy Grammer, 1959 (play along video)
• Guitars, Cadillacs, Dwight Yoakim, 1986 (play along video)
• Let The Mermaids Flirt With Me, Mississippi John Hurt (video)
• Sloop John B, traditional (video)
• That'll Be The Day, Buddy Holly and the Crickets 1957 (play along video)
• Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven Anymore, John Prine, 1971 (play along video)

As usual, we jam in the Royal Tavern, 344 Princess Street. Parking is normally available on Princess Street. Or park in the lot at the back of the Royal, off Brock Street, just past the fire hall. Be sure to show your appreciation to the Royal by visiting the bar and purchasing a beverage or two. Don't forget that they also offer soft drinks, in addition to their assortment of beers and other alcoholic drinks.

Cheers! Hans

July 2 Ukulele Jam, with Manitoba Hal Workshop

Greetings!

It's now summer! And for our first jam of the summer, we are excited to have a special guest doing the workshop portion of the jam, Hal Brolund, also known as Manitoba Hal. He has already left his home in Nova Scotia for his tour of Ontario, and will join us on Wednesday July 2.

For those who have already paid for the workshop, thank you! Some have promised to pay me before the jam. If you can't pay me before tomorrow (Friday June 27), then please bring your $25 to the jam. If you haven't already sent me an e-mail expressing your intent to come to the workshop, we can still add a few more people. But please let me know as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

As mentioned before, the workshop starts at 7:30pm. Please be prompt. Better to arrive early, say 7:00pm, so you can order a beverage from the bar before the workshop, and tune your ukulele.

For those coming from out of town, exit highway 401 at Division Street. Drive south about 4km, and turn left on Princess Street. The Royal Tavern in on the right just past Barrie Street, a block and a half from Division. Note that on-street parking is free in the evening. (If there's no parking on Princess Street, drive around to the back: Turn right on Clergy Street, then right on Brock Street. Just past the fire hall is a narrow parking lot, also free in the evening. Enter the door with the "Royal Tap Room" sign.) Here's a map showing the location.

Following the workshop, we'll have our usual open jam. You'll have the opportunity to solo a song or two, or lead the group. Or you can just sit back and strum along. Since this portion of the jam will be shorter than usual, and with a bigger group than usual, we'll play songs from our favorites list, downloadable here. I'll bring a few more songs, songs that I think should be added to our favorites, in addition to some other popular 3-chord songs from the past year or so.

As usual, we meet in the front room in the Royal Tavern, 344 Princess Street. Parking is normally available on Princess Street. Or park in the lot at the back of the Royal, off Brock Street, just past the fire hall. Be sure to show your appreciation to the Royal by visiting the bar and purchasing a beverage or two. Don't forget that they also offer soft drinks, in addition to their assortment of beers and other alcoholic drinks.

Cheers! Hans

Ukulele Workshop with Manitoba Hal

Come join us on Wednesday, July 2, for a ukulele workshop led by the accomplished blues musician Hal Brolund, also known as Manitoba Hal. Hal will introduce you to playing blues on ukulele, using some 3-chord songs, examining variations in structure and style. This is suitable for beginners, however, more intermediate players will also learn from the workshop. I've been to a couple of his workshops, and I recommend them highly.

The workshop will take place July 2 at 7:30pm at the historic Royal Tavern, 344 Princess Street, in Kingston. The cost is $25 per person. Please pay in advance. You may pay either via PayPal, or e-mail me at hans@boldts.net to make other arrangements to pay. To pay via PayPal, click on the following link:

Update: We now have a full house. No more registrations will be accepted. Your seat is guaranteed if you've already paid, or you've e-mailed me with your promise to pay on Wednesday. I'll send out a reminder a few days before the workshop.

Be sure to arrive early. Note that there's usually free parking available on Princess Street. Or park for free in the lot at the back off Brock Street, just past Clergy Street. Park in the lot on the right immediately past the fire station. Click here for a map. For those coming from out of town, exit Highway 401 at Division Street, drive south, and turn left on Princess Street. The Royal is a block and a half from Division, on the right, just past Barrie Street.

Following the workshop, you may stay for the usual ukulele jam hosted by the Kingston Ukulele Society, which meets twice a month at the Royal Tavern. Then, you can practice your newly learned skills with the others.

Cheers! Hans

June 18 Ukulele Jam, at the Historic Royal Tavern

Greetings, ukulele fans!

The election is over, and we can all breathe again! Now that that's over, we can think about our next ukulele jam, on Wednesday, June 18, at the Royal Tavern, in a historic building once owned by Canada's first prime minister, Sir John A. Macdonald. We'll start at 7:00pm with a beginners' workshop, followed by the usual open jam at 8:00pm. (I'll update you on the July 2 workshop later.)

For the open jam, you will have the opportunity to solo a song or two, or lead the group in a song, or just sit back and strum along with everyone else. Feel free to bring copies of your favorite songs. Here are some that I've arranged. For your convenience, you can download them as one PDF.

• At The Hop, Danny & the Juniors, 1957 (video)
• Come Together, the Beatles, 1969 (play along video)
• Coming Into Los Angeles, Arlo Guthrie, 1969 (play along video)
• I Can See Clearly Now, Johnny Nash, 1972 (play along video)
• If Not For You, Bob Dylan, as recorded by George Harrison, 1971 (play along video)
• Safe European Home, the Clash, 1978. (video)

As usual, we jam in the Royal Tavern, 344 Princess Street. Parking is normally available on Princess Street. Or park in the lot at the back of the Royal, off Brock Street, just past the fire hall. Be sure to show your appreciation to the Royal by visiting the bar and purchasing a beverage or two. Don't forget that they also offer soft drinks, in addition to their assortment of beers and other alcoholic drinks.

Cheers! Hans

June 4 Ukulele Jam at the Royal Tavern

Aloha, everyone!

The weather is getting warmer, and if you're like me, you're probably practicing your ukulele outside in the fresh air. The June 4 jam approaches. We'll begin with a workshop at 7:00pm, starting with some basic strum practice, followed by some more challenging strum patterns, perhaps revisiting the strum pattern that some found challenging last time.

At 8:00pm, we'll have our usual open jam, where everyone will have their chance to solo their favorite songs, or lead the group. Please feel free to bring copies of your songs. Or if you like, you can sit back and strum along with the group. I'll bring the following songs, conveniently packaged as one PDF:

• Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying, Gerry and the Pacemakers, 1964. (video)
• Froggy Went A Courtin', traditional Scottish song. (video)
• Hockey Song, Stompin' Tom Connors, 1973. (video)
• My Little Runaway, Del Shannon, 1961. (play along video)
• Rhythm Of The Rain, Cascades, 1962. (video, key of E)
• Take a Message To Mary, Everly Brothers, 1958. (video)
• There's a Kind of Hush, Herman's Hermits, 1967. (play along video)

Okay, so there are a lot of songs from the 1960's. It was a great decade for music!

As usual, we jam in the Royal Tavern, 344 Princess Street. Parking is normally available on Princess Street. Or park in the lot at the back of the Royal, off Brock Street, just past the fire hall. Be sure to show your appreciation to the Royal by visiting the bar and purchasing a beverage or two. Don't forget that they also offer soft drinks, in addition to their assortment of beers and other alcoholic drinks.

Cheers! Hans

May 21 Ukulele Jam at the Royal

Greetings!

It's now the middle of May, and I'm sure all of you are putting your Victoria Day weekend to good use, practicing your ukulele on your deck or patio, perhaps with other musicians.

But now our next ukulele jam is coming up quickly, on Wednesday May 21, just two days following Victoria Day. As usual, we'll begin at 7:00pm with a workshop, where we'll explore a variation on a strum pattern we've seen before, applying it to a couple of songs in a couple of different keys.

For the open jam starting at 8:00pm, you'll have your chance to show your stuff or lead the group in your favorite songs. If you want to lead, please bring copies of your songs for the rest of us. Or just sit back and strum along with the rest of the group. I'll bring half a dozen songs, some of which we've done before. You can download them here as one PDF, or individually:

• Don't Do Me Like That, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, 1979. (play along video)
• English Tea, Paul McCartney, 2005. (play along video)
• Help Me, Rhonda The Beach Boys, 1965. (video)
• Oleanna, a traditional Norwegian folk song. (video)
• (Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear, Elvis Presley, 1957. (play along video)
• Victoria Day, Melissa McCelland, 2009. (video)

The last three are 3-chord songs, the last being appropriate to the time of year.

As usual, we jam in the Royal Tavern, 344 Princess Street. Parking is normally available on Princess Street. Or park in the lot at the back of the Royal, off Brock Street, just past the fire hall. Be sure to show your appreciation to the Royal by visiting the bar and purchasing a beverage or two. Don't forget that they also offer soft drinks, in addition to their assortment of beers and other alcoholic drinks.

Cheers! Hans

May 7 Ukulele Jam at the Royal

Greetings!

As we shake off that cold long winter, I know everyone is looking forward to warmer weather, weather that inspires us to play ukulele. Next week is again time for our twice-monthly ukulele jam, on Wednesday May 7, 7:00pm at the Royal Tavern. We'll meet in the front of the bar where there's more room.

For our workshop at 7:00pm, I'll bring a couple of 3-chord songs in a variety of different keys. At our open jam at 8:00pm, feel free to bring your favorite songs. It's your chance to solo your own songs or lead the group. I'll bring some songs we've done before as well as some new songs, packaged as one PDF.

• Daniel by Elton John, 1973 (play along video)
• For What It's Worth by Buffalo Springfield, 1967 (play along video)
• Lookin' Out My Back Door by Creedence Clearwater Revival, 1970 (video)
• On The Wings Of A Nightingale written by Paul McCartney, recorded by the Everly Brothers, 1984 (video)
• One Paddle, Two Paddle written by Kui Lee, 1966 (video)
• Stuck In The Middle With You by Stealers Wheel, 1972 (play along video)

As usual, we jam in the Royal Tavern, 344 Princess Street. Parking is normally available on Princess Street. Or park in the lot at the back of the Royal, off Brock Street, just past the fire hall. Be sure to show your appreciation to the Royal by visiting the bar and purchasing a beverage or two. Don't forget that they also offer soft drinks, in addition to their assortment of beers and other alcoholic drinks.

Cheers! Hans