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So I've joined a ukele group ...


oggiesnr
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... but as a double bass player!

And great fun it is too!

Basically to get out of a rut and play some more music in a group setting I went along to our local group and asked if I could play DB with them. They were receptive to the idea, one of the problems with uke groups is they can get awfully trebly, and the unamplified DB they felt would work so along I went.

So there I am suddenly faced with chord charts and a great variety of different music. Last night we did "Maggie May", "Mrs Robinson", "Ever Fallen in Love With Someone", "Love Potion #9", the theme from Happy Days, an Ami Winehouse number and a couple of others, all in the space of two hours.

So playing on the fly was fun and I've a pile of chord charts to work through. The other challenge is that a lot of the music is adjusted to optimise on the uke so it's a lot of C, Dm, Am, F, so being inventive so that the basslines don't end up sounding too similar is part of it (and as uke groups have their own flavour I can't just lift the original ones :) ).

So that's a morris team and a Uke group, all I need next is some jazz.

Happy times.

Steve

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Sounds like a fun gig :)

The Kala U-Bass is a good little thing to have around. When/if you get tired playing DB in difficult keys (meaning not a lot of open strings), the Kala is certainly a good substitute with a great sound.

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[quote name='2wheeler' timestamp='1340699249' post='1708135']
Hello Steve,

Great to hear this up-beat update. It sounds like you are going strong. If you feel like hanging around in York after a Wednesday on the market, we can go to the Phoenix Inn jazz jam night.

Nick
[/quote]

Cheers Nick, I'll bear that one n mind.

Steve

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+1 for the Kala U-Bass - Clarky is selling a fretless one on here for a bargain price, I'd nab it if you're at all interested! They sound very DB like, can be amplified, great for travel, and would fit right in with the look - although you would have to carry a small amp as they aren't very loud unplugged.

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[quote name='mr zed' timestamp='1340713544' post='1708410']
Sorry Steve - this is what sprang to mind when I saw your post.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eEIIB5hVy4[/media]
[/quote]

"I finished miles ahead of you fellows" :lol: :lol: :lol:

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Apparently my presence has caused dissension in the ranks between those who think it's great, those who don't see the need for a bass, those who just think they should have been consulted etc etc so I'm going to butt out of it for a while and see what happens.

Ain't "politics" fun? :unsure:

Steve

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[quote name='sarah thomas' timestamp='1341313917' post='1716708']
I raised the topic on a ukulele forum. Looks like you'd be welcomed with open arms most anywhere else:
[url="http://www.ukulelecosmos.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=27333"]http://www.ukuleleco...php?f=8&t=27333[/url]
[/quote]

Thanks Sarah. I'll do some following up.

Steve

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Having seen this post , I checked google to see if there was a local Ukulele group to me , a few emails later and I've just got back from my first meet up , all went well (I'm playing acoustic bass guitar) wide range of tunes , the,organizer was very pleased to have some bass in the mix .
this is going to be fun ! :)

Edited by sticker
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Just to complete the saga, there were long faces and some disappointment when I did not appear at the last two practices (one general, one for the gigging group) added to by the fact that the "leader" read the riot act about the attitude of some of the gigging group members.

The upshot is that I've been asked by John (the quasi leader, with whom I have no quarrel) if I'll at least rejoin the general group (who are the ones who missed me most) and then see what happens from there.

As I actually enjoyed playing with them, and it stretched me, I probably will but it's not definite yet.

Steve

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  • 5 months later...

An update ..

Apparently there have been schisms and falling outs and the gigging group has gone off to it's own thing, so I went along tonight to see what reception I got. I had a warm welcome and a whale of a time. Fourteen songs in two hours is one hell of a lick when you're doing it mainly sight unseen from chord charts!

It transpires that the group is still getting gig requests and so is looking at setting up a new gigging group (or possibly it will be anyone who attended the practice before the gig) and the DB will be most welcome. One of my hopes for the New Year was to play more live music so it's looking like a good start.

Steve

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