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Getting out from under the covers – Gerald Griggs

By on 30th July 2017 in Uncategorised

The Naughty Corner Ukulele Band of which I am one third, play a mixture of original material and covers. To put this balance in perspective for my main point that follows, of the two CDs we have now recorded, 13 tracks are original songs and 10 are covers. As the one who normally puts the draft set list together, the dilemma continues to be how many original songs should we put in our set list when we play live?

Received wisdom from many musicians seems to be that we would do well to do only covers for street busking, weddings and high profile gigs. The logic appears to follow the line that you give the public what they want to make them happy…and that’s not your own material. So when is the right time for it exactly? Tucked away on a CD for a special audience that might somehow appreciate you more?

While I understand the bigger picture point I don’t think I’ve swallowed the argument. If we believe in the songs we write and record then we have to believe they are good enough else why bring them out in to the light? Do people really believe that passers by will suddenly stop putting money in the case because they don’t recognise the song? Our experiences with The Naughty Corner Ukulele Band do not suggest this is true.

The same has been true of recent gigs though wisdom perhaps shows you shouldn’t give them too many original songs in one go in some contexts. In a busy pub who were clearly up for a sing song, personal reflective pieces on childhood nostalgia did raise a knowing smile but they seem to perk up somewhat when they could sing Sweet Caroline back to us at the top of their voices! I guess as with all performances it’s about judging the moment but not I would say at the complete sacrifice of original material. On other other occasions we had people singing and dancing to our own stuff so I know it’s possible even for a uke band.

To finish this brief piece I had an interesting experience recently when we played a wedding and I was asked if I’d discuss the set list with the happy couple to be. They had been listening to our YouTube videos over breakfast that week and wanted to share their thoughts on our efforts. They had gone through every video and noted down which ones they would like us to play if we could (no pressure or expectation) and to my delight, many of these were our original songs! There was something of a raised eyebrow when I took this information back to my other band members, Kevin and David, especially when they highlighted that some of the topics covered were perhaps less than appropriate for a wedding – misery and break ups being cases in point. But encouraged by the comments of the bride and groom we sang songs of break up and loss to them and their wedding party and they loved it!.

As far as we are aware, the happy couple are still together and listening to our first CD that we gave them as a wedding present.

Gerald Griggs
The Naughty Corner Ukulele Band

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Original Music – Why the Ukulele? by Mike Turner

By on 19th July 2017 in Uncategorised

I’ve been writing, producing and performing original songs for over five years. Virtually all my songs are original composed on, and frequently performed on, the ukulele (tenor and baritone) in both traditional and alternate/open tunings.

I’m frequently asked, “Why the ukulele?” The more I’ve reflected on the answer, the more I realize that my reasons for composing on the uke, are much the same as my reasons for writing original songs. Let me share a few:

* Originality – Obviously, original songs are, well, “original.” But that doesn’t simply mean that they’re “new,” or something that no one ever produced before. In my songs, I seek to tell a story, impart a message, evoke emotion. And I seek to do those things in ways that are extraordinarily personal – to say things from my own, unique point of view and experience, in ways no one else has ever said them before. I believe that’s the goal of all songwriting. By extension, I want the sonic component of my songs to be just as original. Using non-traditional musical instruments is one way to achieve this; and the sound of the ukulele is certainly non-traditional. In performing and recording, I use the uke as my primary instrument, and its higher chordal voicing helps the music to stand apart from music performed in more “traditional” formats like keyboards or guitar/drum combos. The ukulele’s tonal voice adds a unique tonal quality to my songs overall – which helps to highlight their originality.

* Authenticity – I believe that any song or performance, be it of original material or a cover, benefits when invested with something of the true self of the writer and/or performer. If I can put some of my experience or emotion into my songs, listeners will hear that authenticity, and respond to it. I want to show them a part of myself, so they can relate to that and see a part of themselves in the song. The ukulele becomes an extension of that authenticity, injected into the song. I don’t play the ukulele because I have to; I certainly don’t play the ukulele because it’s what people expect when they come to hear my blues, or folk, or gospel songs. I play the ukulele because, for whatever reason, it’s the instrument that has opened up music to me. I tried guitar, I tried banjo, I tried harmonica, and I had a limited degree of proficiency with all of them. But I took to the ukulele like no other instrument, and while I won’t claim to be a great player, I’ve not only developed a degree of technical proficiency, but also some strum and picking techniques that are particularly my own. I think that flows into the songs as I write and perform them, and listeners can sense that authenticity. They can tell it’s a part of me that I’ve really put into my music, and they respond to it – and that responsiveness is key to my hopes of relating the story, message and emotion I set out to convey.

* Uniqueness – I’ve already alluded to this, but the ukulele has a very unique chordal voice, different from the typical guitar/drum or keyboard that listeners are conditioned to hear in the blues, folk and gospel songs I write and perform. It’s a particularly good contrast from my other main instrument: my voice, which runs from a low- to mid-baritone (and I can hit a few deep bass notes on occasion, which doesn’t hurt when I’m doing my Johnny Cash impersonation!). I’ve found that the combination of 6-string guitar and my voice is a LOT of bass, both performing live and recording. The uke’s higher voice provides a nice contrast and a more rounded sonic experience for the listener, particularly when I’m performing solo. I also tend to write/sing a number of songs in the keys of A and Bb, which are great keys for the ukulele (thank goodness for capos!).

* Musical Choices – The ukulele has a great voice for a wide range of genres – from blues to folk, gospel, pop, rock, Americana, jazz. Granted, the guitar covers similar ground – but I find the ukulele easier to play, and more advanced chords (particularly in jazz genres) easier to form. That’s a great aid both in writing and performing. And my experience has been, once audiences get over the initial surprise over seeing me holding a ukulele instead of a guitar, they also appreciate the contributions the instrument makes to their sonic experience.

To sum up – I believe that as songwriters we all quest to be original, authentic and unique. The ukulele is a valuable tool in achieving those goals, and lends itself to a wide range of musical genres. In the end, as both a writer and performer, I’m trying to effectively tell a story, give a message and stir emotions in my listeners – and the ukulele is a part of the process and performance of achieving those musical goals

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Simplicity in Songwriting, or ‘How I Learned to Stop Worrying & Love the Song’. Simon Fernand

By on 26th June 2017 in blog, News, Uncategorised

Songwriting can be the most rewarding thing in the world. It can also be the most frustrating. As a songwriter, I often find myself trying desperately to force myself to write a song. Or just a verse. Just something. ANYTHING. And it rarely results in much.

There are plenty of theories on this – many people say that you should keep writing, regardless of quality – that way you’ll exercise your songwriting muscles. Throw the rubbish stuff away – but learn from it. You’ll keep improving. Seems like a reasonable approach to me, but it can still feel rather dispiriting at the time.

One of the things that used to really trip me up was that I believed that writing a song meant coming up with something innovative and new with every song. I’d scoff at the idea of following a G Major with a C Major because…well… that’s been *done*, hasn’t it? It’s so *predictable*. And I’m in the business of writing NEW music. I should be pushing boundaries or I needn’t bother at all.

Right?

Well…yes and no.

The ‘yes’ is simply that original songs should obviously strive to be original (duh!). If you set out to write a song and find that you’ve just written Hotel California – the entire chord progression, melody and all, then you’ve not exactly nailed what it means to write an original song*, have you?

And I’m not here to discourage anyone from pushing boundaries. I’ve got a huge amount of admiration for artists who don’t ‘play by the rules’. I listen to a lot of Aphex Twin, Frank Zappa, Phillip Glass, Autechre, Radiohead, Brian Eno, and more. All of whom are well known for toying with ‘the norm’. And I love it. But you should bear in mind that it’s unlikely that many of them were writing songs to play down at the local Open Mic night.

The ‘no’ took me many years to realise. My insistence on using ‘clever’ chords, or notes that jarred with one another was what made it so bleedin’ difficult to write a song that sounded good. And you know what DOES sound good? A good old G Major followed by a C Major.

I’m certainly not trying to suggest that you should write music to a formula. Simply that you should accept that there are reasons why people follow a D minor with an F Major – it feels right.

On this topic – the other thing that took me years to realise is that the casual listener won’t actually be *that* impressed that you used a F#7sus4/Eb when a ‘boring’ F# would have done**. Sure, it’s a cool, edgy, kooky chord and you’re *super* innovative to have used it but…well…your audience won’t give two hoots. They’ll just hear something that doesn’t sound quite right to them.

Ultimately, the question is: Are you writing songs to prove how Avant Garde you are and to start a new musical movement, or to entertain an audience? (I’m working on the principle that, if you’re reading this, you’re more likely to be in the latter category – but if you’re in the former, that’s just great too – you little rebel, you!).

Realising that I’m writing songs for an audience to enjoy has been something of a epiphany for me. Being freed from the shackles of that mindset that told me that everything I did had to be based on hitherto undiscovered principles has allowed me to concentrate on the stuff that really mattered – writing lyrics that people might want to hear and writing a catchy melody; all underpinned by a solid, memorable chord progression. From experience, I can tell you this: it’s far, FAR easier to write a memorable song with ‘predictable’ chords than it is without. And there no shame in it. Think of the catchiest song you can. Something really memorable. Go on…

Now, do you think it was written with complex ‘clever’ chords and progressions or
simple majors, minors and sevenths? I’ll let you answer that one.
Not everyone is trying to write the next Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da. I understand that. But there’s a reason that that song is so memorable. It’s almost childlike in its simplicity. And that’s the genius of it. And that applies to the vast majority of our favourite songs.

Now pick up your uke, put down the Big Book of Unusable Jazz Chords, and embrace the joy of simplicity in songwriting! It’s liberating!

*The obvious exception is when you consciously seek to reference someone else’s song for one reason or another. I like to do this from time to time. And it can really effective – especially with a cheeky little lyrical twist.

**That’s a random chord name plucked from the depths of my imagination – I have no idea if a F# would be a suitable substitute. Please don’t bother correcting me.

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Bye bye 2016 and onwards for OUS in 2017…

By on 22nd December 2016 in Uncategorised

We are almost at the end of 2016 and its been an amazing year for Original Ukulele Songs. The FB page has over 2400 members and this main site gathers together exceptional talent from across the globe. The collaborations aspect has also been extraordinary with artists working together in new ways. This is what OUS is all about, inspiring new creative songs. There have been many wonderful highlights in the last 12 months  and its a joy to check out new songs literally on a daily basis. As Alan Thornton said “Imagine what it will be like in years to come”

Special thanks to everyone who has supported the OUS initiative. 2017 heralds the first live platform at the superb GNUF festival in the UK. GNUF is by a mile the showcase for creative artists and Mary Agnes Krell is a key and invaluable supporter to Original Ukulele Songs.

Have a Very Cool Yule and keep writing and performing ORIGINAL UKULELE SONGS

Nick Cody

 

 

 

 

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The great sub four minute song and the power of editing

By on 4th December 2016 in Uncategorised

I was watching the superb Nick Cave 20,000 days on earth movie and he talked about the power of editing and how he wished he had done more editing in past work. The film is a great insight into Cave’s writing process and he remains in my view one of the finest artists around these days, always provocative in music creation and always exploring new dimensions.

The same subject of editing also came up when I was talking to the studio producer for The Small Change Diaries who was talking about being given a CD which he noticed was 76 minutes long. His immediate reaction was to put it back in the glove compartment of his car, apprehensive about such a long listening experience!

I’m a big fab of the sub four minute song and sub 40 minute album. Often in my view “less is more” and I’d rather hear a really well crafted three and a half minute song, than one that’s significantly longer. On the classic Beatles “Rubber Soul” album, all songs were under three minutes. Elvis Costello’s “My aim is true” has all songs under four minutes. Of course there are many counter examples including my all time favorite “Blood on the tracks” by Bob Dylan, but I can’t help thinking that the discipline of writing in a concise manner is no bad thing. Often an artist can have a good idea for a song, but the central idea starts to lose momentum as it’s dragged out for 6 minutes when it would have been perfect in under four minutes.

My own experience of writing for the Small Change Diaries is that the editing of material is essential in producing the best final result. Material will go through many drafts until it’s finds its final form. Its also extremely useful to have a writing partner in Jessica Bowie as this sparks all manner of new dynamics in songs. The collaborations page on this site is a great example of how artists can come together to produce something that neither would have created independently.

The same consideration towards being concise applies in live sets. As a listener I have been attending gigs and festivals of all sorts for over 45 years. The best ones were where the artists made the very best of each moment on stage. I know the sound engineer who worked on Live Aid in the 1980s and he commented on how Queen rehearsed more than any other artist on the bill and basically presented a master class in how to play a live set.

In May next year GNUF hosts the first live OUS stage and all artists have a 20 minute set. This means you have to really consider what material you are playing and make everything count! There are also going to be lots of surprises at this weekend and I advise booking ahead as I hear that 50% of all tickets have already been sold!

Nick cody

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The H – Z of Ukulele Magic at the foot of the mountain – Interviewing Pete Howlett

By on 13th May 2016 in Uncategorised
It’s often said that fact is stranger than fiction. With this in mind what exactly are the chances of a bagpipe playing German ukulele builder, and a ukulele artisan of 23 year’s standing, working together at the foot of the glorious Welsh mountains?
Earlier this year I discovered the answer to this question for myself when I visited Pete Howlett and his assistant Tommy Ziegenspeck. I arrived at the workshop early one Saturday morning, which is at the foot of a quite breath taking mountain with (that day) a dusting of snow on the top. I had planned to interview both Pete and Tommy for a couple of hours, as I was mindful that it was the weekend and I didn’t want to intrude on their private time. I actually stayed for hours and quite frankly I could have kept going, if it wasn’t for having to get back to Leeds for other commitments. Pete’s generosity is also reflected massively in many other ways, including this year he is working with Uke magazine to offer a gift Howlett to a nonprofessional deserving player.
I started the interview by asking Pete about his philosophy for building instruments
“The reason I build ukes is I have a short attention span. I am 61 , I have Parkinson’s, I have an undefined future. What I want to do is to produce a product which people say “gosh that is so good “-which has that magic to it! I also get asked a lot of technical questions about what I do and I haven’t got an answer!
I failed physics as a kid and I can’t maintain my machinery because I don’t understand what they do I don’t understand science! I am not technical in the least which astonishes people!
In blues parlance it is mojo, in artistic parlance it is being that artist that enables you to put something together intuitively because you love what you do
I often quote Hokusai who is the Japanese print maker who printed “The Wave “. He made that when he was 73 and thought he was just about learning how to do it, and said by 86 he may have understood, and said at 90 if I am granted that-he may know what to do, and the idea is that effectively he is saying that it takes a long time to get to the point where you get to know what you are doing.  After about 22 years I am sure footed enough that I know what I am doing when I am doing it, but ask me how it works and I have no idea!
Holtzafel was an ornamental turner and he wrote a book called “An Ornamental Turning” and he said a really important thing- he said that the finish on the work is never as good as the finish on the tool- and if you link that with what Coleridge said -which is that poetry is the best words in the best order- you have the 2 principles about making.
Making is about taking the best materials that you have and putting them together in the best way possible, to respect those materials, to do the very best that you can, to take what God has created in my system, and make it as beautiful as it naturally is, and to make sure you have respect, not only for the materials, but all the tools that you use.
The idea is to always have in my mind the following when I come to work “hands to work hearts to God” This way you build for a perfect supreme being who is going to judge your work, so your peer is a perfectionist who is going to judge your work, so what would you do?
You would have to get it as good as you can. That is a quotation from the Quakers in Pennsylvania and when you look at their work you see perfection in simplicity and that is what am aiming for. I wouldn’t have a ukulele that looked like a piece of art.”
Pete also made the point that he specialises only in making ukuleles and how the internet has become a game changer in communicating to a wider audience. This is no surprise to me as he has a very active FB group and a well-designed and informative website
 “I’ve started the business 4 times because the internet and the ukulele consciousness wasn’t there at the time but I kept going. I am the first ukulele maker in the UK who concentrates solely on ukuleles I don’t make any other instruments”
One of the many things that struck me about talking to Pete and Tommy is that they have a total love for creating great instruments.  This means an almost obsessive attention to detail to ensure that all work is of the finest quality.
“When you are building there is a tightrope walk between it falling apart and holding together. You often think as a luthier as you work in isolation you know where you are in building and what works and what doesn’t.  It is kind of interesting that boutique builders have a different take on what they do than production builders…”
We also talked about the resurgence in interest for the ukulele and Pete made a very interesting observation
“Everyone quotes the 1984 George Harrison memorial concert with Paul McCartney and Jo brown on uke but it wasn’t that which lit the spark it was the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain playing Smells like Teen Spirit on Jools Holland”
Pete describes Tommy as “a luthier” and himself as “an artisan” and with some degree of humour today reconfirms this on his Facebook page –
“Just so you know – there is only one luthier working at Pete Howlett Ukulele; his name is Tom Ziegenspeck. Pete is an artisan builder, autodidact who by doing has become multi skilled across a range of disciplines. I think he could say with absolute assurance he is leading Tommy gradually astray down the artisan pathway… smile emoticon Let’s hope they both don’t get lost and one of them has the sense to keep their phone fully charged and the other brings a torch!”
Tommy is in his own right a skilled builder and brought some of his instruments for us to see. It was interesting to note the differences and similarities between these and Pete’s designs. Tommy’s ukuleles are also extremely well made, and noticeably heavier than the Howletts. It’s clear to me that there’s a great deal of mutual affection and respect between Pete and Tommy and Pete was keen when we set up the interview that we should also interview his bagpipe playing colleague from Germany! The standout instrument was Tommy’s harp ukulele, that plays as great as it looks and clearly caught Pete’s attention!
PH
“The thing which really did it for me was his degree masterpiece! I looked it and thought “This is a perfect piece”, it warrants its degree award and qualification. Very rarely do you get a perfect piece…When you are building there are anomalies which you are trying to resolve but rarely do you get a perfect piece!”
NC
what interested you in ukes how did you first get into building them?
TZ
“I started playing classical guitars at 6 years old, and I had a really good classical training, and my plan was to study classical guitar, and then I came into a guitar workshop because my instrument needed a repair and I thought “wow “and I asked him for an internship. A few days became a few weeks and he told me about the instrument making university in Germany, so I applied for a place, and they took me. Then I started studying, I specialised in plucked instruments. The first 2 years I made classical guitars, then a friend gave me a really nice small set and I couldn’t make a guitar out of it ,so I made a ukulele just for fun and I really enjoyed it.
In the 3rd year of study you have to do a longer internship for half a year and I asked for one at a guitar making workshop, but I really WANTED a ukulele making workshop, so I searched on the internet and an American Uke maker recommended Pete. “
“This was 2014 for 4 and a half months, after which I went back to Germany and finished my study. We had chats over the internet, his work is great and he was abroad which was important for me, and at this moment I was not really well informed about the ukulele scene so Pete was really the only one good instrument maker I knew. At the moment I would still say the same so it was a rally good decision to get into this workshop”
NC
so what makes for a really good instrument for you?
TZ
“I’m a guy who really likes a bit of character in an instrument, visual character, not too much, just a character. The feeling is important when you take the instrument out of the case, this decides whether you like it or not, and of course the most importation thing the tone”
NC
in building do you have a favourite wood or construction?
TZ
“For my ukuleles because I was classically trained I still use some guitar making techniques inside the instrument.You need a good design, a shape can be nice or just awful, the way you work on the instrument the quality of hand work -the first thing I do when I take an instrument is to check whether it is well made or not ,this is important as a luthier to do a really good quality build. Pete totally changed my head. When I first came here it was to do what the customer wants-so it takes 1 and a half months to build a ukulele ,but this is not practical ,so Pete taught me how to make good quality in a reasonable time. He showed me how to get a really good routine, this was really great and I see how a running business works now, so it is a really good experience for me”
NC
What is your routine on a weekly basis?
TZ
“We don’t have a big plan about what I do and what Pete does, but we are in a good relationship, in the workshop it just works. Pete has his favourite parts, so do I.I like to do all the finishes stuff, and set up. Pete really likes making the necks, so everyone has his favourite parts to do”
PH
“Tommy carves a Tommy neck shape; I build a Pete neck shape. When it comes to the neck we do a completely different process, the rest we do much the same. With my health I am restricted with my movements, so Tommy does finishes and detailing, and I do the necks. Tommy is better at finishing than me. it’s one of the things which Tommy really excels at!”
As an outside observer I can confirm Pete’s comments. The finishes on the three ukuleles Tommy brought for me to look at are excellent. Similarly, all his finishes on Howlett’s are similarly excellent and this is one of many reasons why this partnership works so well.
Tommy is also a very accomplished player and during our interaction when Tommy had one of Pete’s ukuleles in his hands there was a slightly surreal moment when Pete shouts out
“JAKE IT TOMMY!” who then proceeds to play “While my guitar gently weeps” with some relish.
Pete commented “Yes all instruments are “Jaked…”
“Team Howlett” is clearly in full demand and I for one am not at all surprised that there is so much interest in these instruments. Tommy brings additional energy to the creative process and it was quite fascinating to see these guys in action.
PH
“Tommy brings the energy of youth he would work 12 hours every day if I let him but I tell him to go home. He has a great vision of where he wants to be and is very fixed in his mind as to where he wants to be. At some point in the future he really does need his own business, and he needs to take everything from this that he needs to take back to Germany with him. If he can build on what he has learnt from here, then he can take that back to his own market.”
TZ
“If I was in Germany now I would never have the chance to make so many instruments, and that is important at this time in my life to make so many instruments.”
PH
“It really helped me to make those instruments for Hawaii really early on in 1994
carving that number of necks every month teaches you how to carve necks, hand bending difficult woods repeatedly, having loads of repeatable constant exercises to do, it is priceless to be able to do that, to learn how to do tasks ,and I can give that to Tommy. I’m about sharing my work and it is so worthwhile sharing that with Tommy, as I know he will do something with it. He has a passion for this and we have so much fun!”
Regardless of Tommy’s input it’s clear that Pete is pretty driven and has a genuine love for creating the very best instruments possible. Like all smart creative individuals, he has a genuine curiosity and love for what he does which is reflected in the final builds.
PH
“I am hoping to get to Hawaii this year. I am in the second round interview for a Winston Churchill travelling fellowship, so next week I am in London being interviewed for that.
If I am successful, my project is to meet luthiers in America and Hawaii and to discuss with them building techniques, then write the definitive book.  I am a religious person and I believe I am living in a world which has been created for me, and there is a spiritual aspect to everything that I make, which I think is where instruments find themselves.”
I highly recommend checking out Pete’s site http://petehowlettukulele.co.uk as well as his FB group page and YouTube channel.
Tommy’s site is http://www.ziegenspeck-ukulele.de/
Harp Ukulele photos courtesy of Tommy Ziegenspeck
All other photos courtesy of Susan Elton
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