Formby style split strokes tutorial

barefootgypsy

barefootgypsy

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With great humility, because there are loads of Formby players much better at this than I, here's a little tutorial on the syncopated Formby style - I did a couple of Formby songs on Season 216 of the Ukulele earlier this week, and my fingers were not properly visible - a few of the folks wanted to see what I was doing! So here it is.



Peter Pollard is the Vice President of the George Formby Society here in England and he does videos of the players at the conventions in Blackpool and meetings at other places - if you subscribe to him you can't go wrong for good performances.

If you want to see the song Riding In The TT Races done properly, here's a fabulous rendition by the master player Dickie Speake and young (fabulous) Lewis Clifton. There are 2 solos in this and they do a solo each!

http://www.georgeformby.co.uk/news/uke_circle/lewis2.html
 
Thank you for posting this. It is clear and informative. You have a knack for clearly demonstrating the Formby Syncopation Style here that is sadly missing on many Formby tutorials. I often get the feeling that the presenters are trying to dazzle me with brilliance rather than teach me something useful.
 
That's so nice of you to say, thanks... I'm glad it was clear! I love every style of playing the uke, but Formby style really is a lot of fun, and rather a challenge! Unless you're about 13 - then you become expert in no time, ha-ha!
 
Great tutorial. You build the concepts up nicely to arrive at the final effect. I learned something new today - this is a great way to dress up some regular old chord strumming.

Nice UB-2 by the way!
 
Just joined the forum and delighted to spot your post. I have just built a couple of banjo ukes and am trying to learn the split stroke. I have watched pretty well all of the tutorial videos on the subject and not one of them really helped . All of them simply showed the repetition of three strokes , apparently played continuously. As soon as they speed up however it is clearly not a case of constant repetition but they fail to explain it ! Your video tutorial is brilliant, best of them all ! Now I know what I have to do. ( a heck of a lot of practice !!!) Very many thanks.
 
Hi David
There is a great book on how to play in the Formby style. It explains everything piece by piece and gives examples and exercises to build up your skill set, finishing up with a selection of actual Formby solo transcriptions for you to cut your teeth on.
Here is a link to where you can read more about it and purchase a copy.
I have a copy and can thoroughly recommend it.

http://www.georgeformby.co.uk/shop_pages/gf_solos.html

Cheers
Gary
 
Tigershark said:
Great tutorial. You build the concepts up nicely to arrive at the final effect. I learned something new today - this is a great way to dress up some regular old chord strumming.

Nice UB-2 by the way!
Click to expand...

Thanks a lot Tigershark, I'm really glad you got something out of this!

DavidFMarks said:
Just joined the forum and delighted to spot your post. I have just built a couple of banjo ukes and am trying to learn the split stroke. I have watched pretty well all of the tutorial videos on the subject and not one of them really helped . All of them simply showed the repetition of three strokes , apparently played continuously. As soon as they speed up however it is clearly not a case of constant repetition but they fail to explain it ! Your video tutorial is brilliant, best of them all ! Now I know what I have to do. ( a heck of a lot of practice !!!) Very many thanks.
Click to expand...

Well, you do honour me, thank you kindly for this high praise! I used to be a teacher, so I think the training and teaching experience does help. I'm fortunate that this has helped me to try to explain this tricky way of strumming! I really do need lots more split-stroke practice myself too - especially in switching the syncopation around. When you can do that, you've really got Formby style nailed!

thangdesign said:
Too good, I need this. It was a challenge, to try to be so.
Click to expand...

Thank you very much for your kind comment - much appreciated and I'm glad you got something out of it! Formby style and Formby songs are great fun!

G Hill said:
Hi David
There is a great book on how to play in the Formby style. It explains everything piece by piece and gives examples and exercises to build up your skill set, finishing up with a selection of actual Formby solo transcriptions for you to cut your teeth on.
Here is a link to where you can read more about it and purchase a copy.
I have a copy and can thoroughly recommend it.

http://www.georgeformby.co.uk/shop_pages/gf_solos.html

Cheers
Gary
Click to expand...

You're right, of course, Gary, this is an excellent book by Dave Partington, I have it myself. Dave is an excellent musician and really knows his stuff! Highly recommended......
 
BTW, when you think of it, this split stroke-technique as played by Formby is so complex that I think it's a miracle that it's ever been invented and that so many people play it so well. An identical syncopted rhythm is described by Ernest Kaai in his 1916 method, but Kaai's way of executing it is more natural by way of the fingers he employs and the stroke directions he uses. Here's one 4/4 bar:
Rhythm-- 1 2 3 - 1 2 3 - 1 2
Formby-- D U D - D U D - D U
Kaai------ D D U - D D U - D U
Formby uses the same finger (index) for the two subsequent downs, needing to double the stroke speed momentarily (which is the 'unnatural' part IMO), whereas Kaai uses index and thumb, one each, for the 'double downs', keeping the hand motion cooler. The audible result is slightly different too. Formby's syncopation is more accented, Kaai's is more 'soft'. Kaai's is very well suited for constant use as an accompaniment, Formby's is great for use in solo's, as we all know.;)
 
Pleasure Paul said:
BTW, when you think of it, this split stroke-technique as played by Formby is so complex that I think it's a miracle that it's ever been invented and that so many people play it so well. An identical syncopted rhythm is described by Ernest Kaai in his 1916 method, but Kaai's way of executing it is more natural by way of the fingers he employs and the stroke directions he uses. Here's one 4/4 bar:
Rhythm-- 1 2 3 - 1 2 3 - 1 2
Formby-- D U D - D U D - D U
Kaai------ D D U - D D U - D U
Formby uses the same finger (index) for the two subsequent downs, needing to double the stroke speed momentarily (which is the 'unnatural' part IMO), whereas Kaai uses index and thumb, one each, for the 'double downs', keeping the hand motion cooler. The audible result is slightly different too. Formby's syncopation is more accented, Kaai's is more 'soft'. Kaai's is very well suited for constant use as an accompaniment, Formby's is great for use in solo's, as we all know.
Click to expand...

Hey Paul,

Thanks very much for that interesting comparison of the main split-stroke! I've been playing the Formby one for years but the index finger always has the thumb pressing on it like a pick to give it more strength and I slightly hit the wood of the fretboard edge on each stroke as I learned in a Formby workshop in Canada a few years back.

I just tested out the Kaai method where you use the two downs with the index and thumb and index up and that really works too, but it is more soft. I like it very much as well. Thanks for sharing that. I love how the same rhythm can sound different and accented differently with the fingers. The Formby method I learned with the index-thumb pick allows a strong accent.

BTW- is the Kaai 1916 method in the public domain yet or still available for purchase?

Cheerio,

Petey
 
PeteyHoudini said:
Hey Paul,

Thanks very much for that interesting comparison of the main split-stroke! I've been playing the Formby one for years but the index finger always has the thumb pressing on it like a pick to give it more strength and I slightly hit the wood of the fretboard edge on each stroke as I learned in a Formby workshop in Canada a few years back.

I just tested out the Kaai method where you use the two downs with the index and thumb and index up and that really works too, but it is more soft. I like it very much as well. Thanks for sharing that. I love how the same rhythm can sound different and accented differently with the fingers. The Formby method I learned with the index-thumb pick allows a strong accent.

BTW- is the Kaai 1916 method in the public domain yet or still available for purchase?

Cheerio,

Petey
Click to expand...

Thanks Petey,
about the Kaai method, there's a facsimile reproduction (together with various other early methods) in a book that I own, called: "Hawaii, the early methods", edited by Ron Middlebrook. I got it from Elderly. A sister book called "Mainland, the early methods", apparently never saw the light of day, unfortunately. Thanks for detaling the Formby RH thumb/index position, and also the funny detail of hitting the edge of the fingerboard (so as not to miss the outer strings?). This afternoon I was attempting a rant about extended fingerboards, just for the reason of hitting their edges accidently, inevitably, unfortunately (I'm a nail player, that's why).
I love the Kaai stroke, as soon as you get it going in a song, it is magic. It elevates. Lots of sixties songs, Spector, Beach Boys etc..
Paul
 
Pleasure Paul said:
Thanks Petey,
about the Kaai method, there's a facsimile reproduction (together with various other early methods) in a book that I own, called: "Hawaii, the early methods", edited by Ron Middlebrook. I got it from Elderly. A sister book called "Mainland, the early methods", apparently never saw the light of day, unfortunately. Thanks for detaling the Formby RH thumb/index position, and also the funny detail of hitting the edge of the fingerboard (so as not to miss the outer strings?). This afternoon I was attempting a rant about extended fingerboards, just for the reason of hitting their edges accidently, inevitably, unfortunately (I'm a nail player, that's why).
I love the Kaai stroke, as soon as you get it going in a song, it is magic. It elevates. Lots of sixties songs, Spector, Beach Boys etc..
Paul
Click to expand...

Hi Paul,

Wow! I actually bought that volume about 8 years ago from that uke distributor in Texas! I haven't perused it much. Just grabbed it off the shelf now. Yep... it's on page 49 and another Kaai method with guitar and uke on 349! Thanks for that info.

Yes, I was originally surprised when I learned about hitting the fretboard edge only on the split-stroke parts. It took some time to get used it. The guy who taught that tutorial in Canada has recently come back from a GFS convention in Blackpool so I knew he was getting it from a reputable source. I want to make it to a GFS event next year.

I was trying out the Kaai stroke again with the Formby strum and it is indeed really nice too. Thanks!

Petey
 
Brilliant! Thank you for a very clear explanation of the style. It brought back memories of my Dad playing the banjo – and I never thought to ask him how. You have stimulated me to have a go myself.

Btw, it's interesting that the 1 2 3, 1 2 3, 1 2 rhythm (etc) is similar to the bluegrass style on the banjo, though there it's based on arpeggios rather than strums.

Had you thought of writing it out in tabs or notation? It should only take a page for the basics.

Thanks again, Harry
 
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