Instrumentals, part II

Thanks for hosting, Dave! :)
Sometimes when I pick up a uke and strum it feels like it’s the first time I ever tried to play it. So I’ve evolved a short warm up routine that I play over and over until things feel more natural again. I really enjoy playing this, simple though it is. I’ve overdubbed some synth bass for a little more depth, and I’ve only played it through twice so it’s quite short. :)

 
SOTU 493 - "Sunny Side of Heaven" - Danny Kirwan, one of the several great guitarists who played with Fleetwood Mac, wrote this song for the 1972 Mac album "Bare Trees". Thanks a bunch to my friend Matthieu for contributing the guitar part. We actually could have used one more player to really do the song right, but this was fun.

 


Here is my current process on making instrumentals: I basically create a drum track with the SDrum pedal. I play rhythm with the drum track and record the whole song that way. I then play the looped song and record overdubs on top. That is how I get the harmonies, solo and the bass. I play the song in its entirety for each layer, so I'm essentially playing live with myself.

It's not super efficient, but it is a lot of fun and has opened up a lot of new possibilities for me this past month.
 
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I guess this qualifies for the Season, an improvised tune on the 8 string...

We've just said a tearful goodbye to our beautiful boy, Bertie.
He was the most handsome of all cats, a big, strong, feisty beast. A fighter and a killer but a big, affectionate softy underneath who loved a cuddle.
His life was far too short but he lived a good one. He always looked like he'd live forever.
I'm absolutely heartbroken.
Yeah, he could be an asshole...but I loved that damn cat.

Sleep tight, Berts...X

 
In the style of Leon Redbone, very loosely ... A song from 1868!!!

The spit valve on my kazoo needs some work.

 
If I Had You - Irving King inspired by Marcy Marxer's playing.

I did this song as a vocal in an earlier Season. I learned this version of the song from Marcy Marxer & Cathy Fink's CD Rockin' The Uke. Marcy plays a wonderful rendition and I sat with this CD for a long time trying to get it right. I probably should sit a lot longer.

Rockin' The Uke is a CD that I highly recommend. Every uke player who is properly fanatical should own this CD.

Rockin'The Uke.jpg

 
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hi again, Dave!
I played something random on my Leho laminated soprano ukulele today and sent it to Jon to play over. As usual he replied minutes later with something he had improvised over on his Black Bear concert ukulele.
The natural, instinctive way he reacts to music is so lovely.
Thank you for your passion and music, Jon! <3
The footage was taken at Burghley Ave, Singapore

 
Hi again, everyone!
And hi again, Dave! :--)

this is part 2 of a random improvisation i did on the soprano ukulele today.

I sent to Jon to improvise something over... very grateful that he did.
I don't consider myself a musician...very moved by what i heard when it came back to me.
Thank you so much for playing over, Jon!

 
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At the open mic a few weeks ago I asserted that Local Hero was my favourite film, and it also just happens to have one of my favourite film themes, so I've had a go at it. I'm terrible at doing melodies on the uke, although I will keep trying... so I tried it on keyboard instead.



It's also the tune that my football team, Newcastle United, run out to, filling all the supporters with optimism and hope, just before they inevitably lose 1-0 to the team at the bottom of the league.

(I've kind of lost interest in football over the last few years, but that's okay because I think my team have too...)
 
Here is my second submission this season. It's two short tunes I mashed together from some improvising I was doing in the park while waiting for Carmen's Mum to be discharged from hospital (heart palpitations / arrhythmia) - she's fine now. I was watching the sun go down, over a hideous industrial landscape, thinking on mortality and wishing I had a drone to capture the scene. Later, I was watching the moon rise above a whole regiment of tower blocks. Later, when I had the tunes recorded properly (without all the traffic noise and parrot shrieks) - I went looking for some images on the net to accompany the tunes and these are what I found.

Hope you "enjoy" my rather primitive whistle playing. it is certainly improving since I invested in a "Wild" Whistle.

 
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