Apologies for my absence lately!

[arpie]

Hi guys

First off - many apologies for my absence over recent months - some of you will know that I was given a Banjo Ukulele for my birthday present earlier in the year (by my mother) - and, well, that has kicked off the last 6 months of frantic efforts to learn how to play the thing efficiently & TRY to learn the Formby Style of playing!! I'd found it in a junk shop for $120 & it was virtually BRAND NEW!!

I was really glad to have the uke over winter, as my arthritis was playing up something chronic in my left thumb - and was worse out on the water, so not much fishing has been done - but I am getting MUCH better on the uke! Unfortunately, it will probably need surgery next winter - but it will be good to get it back functioning again, as it should!

Some months ago, I arranged for an article to go into the local Rag, asking if any other uke players were interested in getting together for 'mutual benefits' - basically I hoped that someone REALLY GOOD would come forward & teach me how to play properly! As luck had it - this didn't happen & somehow, it was ME that became the fearless leader of the new 'Beginners' group that now meets every Wed at 1pm for an hour of strumming & learning! I had about 15 phone calls from the newspaper article & 5 of them had Banjos and wanted to know how to play them!

Spot the Spelling Error?? The Editor of the Paper is in our group - and has now named her ukulele "Jon'! LOL

Unfortunately I can't play banjo - so I hope they've found someone else to teach them!! Some better players also joined the group & as most were still working, we now have an 'OK' group session every Wed from 4.30pm for 1hr as well!! The Forster Club (the equivalent of the RSL) has given us a room to use out of school holidays at no charge, so we play there & have dinner there occasionally to 'thank them'!

Right ...... at the start, I had 2 ukes - my Mainland Concert Banjo Uke and an old soprano 'regular shaped' uke that I'd also bought for like $5 at Vinnies (same shape as a guitar) - which I gave to Sails/Cam - and pretty soon, my sister in Qld had purchased a Banjo Uke as well ....... and I currently have another one 'on order' for my oldest brother as well - so we are now a family of ukulele players!! Even Keith has his own Tenor Uke as well!!

He is in the background, playing Elvis's Wooden Heart!

QUite a few of my group really liked the sound of MY banjo uke, so when I told them I could get them a good deal from the bloke in the US who sells them (they don't have a distributor over here yet) 4 of them jumped at the chance & a couple of weeks back, they became the proud owners of a brand new Mainland Banjo Ukulele like mine!

Rob is a great yak fishing buddy (saved me when I got into difficulties last year up at SWR!) He has since bought 2 MORE ukes from Mainland!

Just in the last couple of weeks, 6 more decided they also want one the same as mine (including my oldest brother), so I reckon we'll be LOUD & PROUD as uke players, as they are SO MUCH LOUDER than regular ukes!! So that will be 12 Mainland ukes all up that have been purchased thru me!! Who said Viral Verbal Marketing doesn't work?? Some uke clubs in the UK won't even ALLOW banjo ukes in their midst, as they reckon they drown out the others!! They'd better not want to join OUR CLUB!

So ..... to keep a long story short ....... I've spent an AWFUL lot of time on the net researching & looking for easy songs to copy for our beginners to play, medium to tough songs for our 'OKers' to play - and I am in the midst of putting together our 2nd Forster Jumping Fleas Songbook ...... each with about 40+ songs in it, for ukulele - mainly well known songs from way back, but Seekers & stuff like that as well! The first one was very well received by club members, so I'll have the 2nd one ready for everyone to download & print for next week - it even has some great Xmas songs in it as well!!

Anyone wanting a copy of the songbooks - just PM me your email address & I'll shoot a PDF doc to you!

Keith is just going GREAT GUNS as well - he has regained most of the weight that he lost following the surgery last June and back training twice a day again!! He is looking terrific! He gets checked out by his surgeon every 4 months (who is VERY happy with his recovery!) Keith turned 75 last week & we celebrated with good friends at the Golf Club - it was 10 years since he'd trained his 2 good buddies, Peter & Paul, up for compete in a full Ironman (and they've been doing it pretty well every year since!!) and they wanted to duplicate the photo of them 3 of them taken back then - this is them!

We go to Canberra in 2 weeks for him to compete in the Olympic Distance Triathlon Qualifying race - he hopes to make it into the Aussie team for next year's World Championship Triathlon Series in Auckland NZ (our old stomping ground!!) His twin brother will be competing with him ....... whilst Kim & I shoot thru to Jindabyne to catch TROUT! Well, I'll qualify that statement - I'll make it ....."whilst KIM catches the trout & I watch her"!!! My total tally of 4 visits to Jindy with her to date is only 1 trout!!

It'll give the boys a break (and they can look after Kim's two dogs as well!)

I trust you've been out catching lots of fish - I hooked 1 blackie the other day, not enough for a Smoked Fish Pie, so need to get out again soon, when the weather (and water) clears following all that rain!!

Take care, and thanks for reading!!

Cheerio

Roberta

If you think collecting RODS & REELS is bad for the bank balance ....... I have now have UAS (Ukulele Acquisition Syndrome) - that is where you see & hear someone else's uke & say ''Gees, I've gotta get one of them!!" Including Keith's, we now have 4 already!! he, he, the other 2 are so guests can join in! That's my excuse & I am sticking with it!!

Oh yes!! I also have my first Youtube Uke playing video as well - my very own 'Formby style' piece - cos God Knows, I can't manage the real thing yet! THis is called the "Split Stroke'' - I am still working on the "Triple'' and the "Fan Strokes''! When you can put them all together in one recognisable Formby Solo, you can be considered GOOD! There is hope for me yet!

[Catchin Jack]

Mmm some good lures could come from those Ukes Roberta.

They're taking off on the central coast also becoming quite popular.

Hope to catch up with you on way back from work trip.

[arpie]

.....Mmm some good lures could come from those Ukes Roberta.......... Heresy! I say! Heresy! Soap & water, rinse your mouth out!! ..... They're taking off on the central coast also becoming quite popular..... They've taken off all over the world! It's a revolution in music playing! And you NEVER see a grumpy person playing a uke!!

We actively encourage others to join us, whether they have a uke or not - sometimes we have a spare one to loan out if they want to have a strum! It is the Easiest instrument you can learn! Keith is really enjoying his! He's always wanted to play an instrument & only been playing for lie 2 weeks & is already reading TABS (where they show you how to finger pick a tune.)

This bloke is considered the best in the business - and While My Guitar Gently Weeps is considered his signature tune! Cut to 2,50mins for the start of WMGGW! He is very 'moving' in this one ......

or this one without amplifiers & a little less 'moving' - but not much!

Tho I reckon THIS bloke is pretty good, too!! The ukulele is NO LONGER A TOY!! Really good new ones cost over a thousand! And Custom ones or rare ones, just keep adding 1, 2, 3 in front of the $x,000 - remember - these blokes have no orchestral backing!

The 2nd bloke is playing a Mainland Tenor uke - terrific sound for a uke that costs about $300 - whilst Jake's is probably $4000!!

.Hope to catch up with you on way back from work trip.....

Definitely - if the weather is kind to us, I can drag out the yaks! & give those bream a scare!

Cheerio

Roberta

Edited December 2, 2011 by Roberta

[mrsswordfisherman]

Good on you Roberta - is there anything you can't do!

You need to change your sig to reflect your new addiction

[arpie]

Hi Donna

LOL .... is there anything you can't do!.... I know what Keith would say ......... the housework!!!

.....You need to change your sig to reflect your new addiction ..... Funny - that is exactly what Cam said!! Fishing will be neglected now!! That is coming from someone who just bought himself a clarinet & is teaching himself how to play with the assistance of his 14 year old daughter, who is a master of it already!

It really is fun & I've met up with a whole new lot of Forster folk, too, one of them a kayak fisho!!

cheerio

Roberta

[Catchin Jack]

Haha I'd sink the yak Roberta or just fall off it.

[Alastair]

Good on you Roberta,

I can't play a note, (and am the only non-musician in our musical family), so after far too long being fascinated, I'm now living vicariously by building them!

Soprano I built up working from a loose copy of a Martin Soprano,

And the beginnings of a Classical guitar, which I'm busy with at the moment, (hoping to finish at Xmas.)

Don't know how successful I am/will be, but my daughter has annexed the uke for herself, so can't be too terrible

regards

Alastair

[roosterman]

very nice...

bugger about the arthritis but having another hobby to fill in the no fishing is gold..

that guy playing Georges signature song was absolutely sensational..

i love a bit of good axe work and he would of gone good up there with George and Clapton strumming away...

thx for sharing that Jon....

i mean Roberta.. :074::074:

cheers....steve......

[silverbike]

great story roberta,

after several years of suggesting one as a present my hubby just bought me a standard ukelele for Xmas...i'm sure he will live to regret it.....

my only problem is being left handed. I believe it may be a lot easier if i just learn to play right-handed. I am lucky to be able to get lessons from the local music store, who has already suggested I should consider joining the local Uke group if all goes well.

[arpie]

WOW! Alistair! Those ukes look TERRIFIC!! Give us a sound sample one day!! Well done!! IS this your first effort at an classica Guitar as well? You must be an engineer to do such good work first up! The timbers look terrific. Well done!!

...bugger about the arthritis but having another hobby to fill in the no fishing is gold..... he, he, I now - even allowing for the arthritis!! Hey Steve, it is a LOT OF FUN - I am surprised that your kids' schools don't have them playing!! A lot of them have bypassed them playing 'recorders' and now have the uke as the instrument of choice! Much more sensible - and an instrument they can play for life! Ever see an adult playing a Recorder??

....after several years of suggesting one as a present, my hubby just bought me a standard ukelele for Xmas...i'm sure he will live to regret it... That is terrific!! You'll love it. Some folk DO string them 'left handed' but if you can play it 'normally' you'll find it a lot easier to find ready made music! I have some great uke resources if you lie - just shoot me a pm with your email address & I can pass them onto you.

Joining the uke group will have you getting better in leaps & bounds!! There is always a good mix of players & it is easier to play with a bunch of people rather than just playing on your own! Even Keith is enjoying his uke now, playing most days! Good on ya!!

cheerio

Roberta