Boroondara Ukulele Festival September 2021

‘I Got Rhythm, Uke Got Rhythm’ Workshop notes

Aims:

Explore a range of rhythms: Use of silence/gaps; backbeat; syncopation; non-standard time signatures.

Explore a range of right and left hand techniques: Dynamics; chunking; damping; triplets.

Songs and techniques:

We may not get through all this.

1. I We will Rock You (Am): Simple rhythm sitting behind more complex melody, then adding in chunking technique 1 2 slap. replace slap with chunking technique: 1 2 Chunk (two methods: palm of right hand & little finger of left hand); then 1 2 chunka chunka.

2. Got Rhythm, Uke Got Rhythm: Focusing on breaking out of standard strum patterns for emphasis and variety by using silence.

3. Iko Iko (C) start with 1 & 3. Then do it on 2 & 4 (‘ Backbeat’)

4. El Condor Pasa (Am): Triplet strumming technique

5. Hound Dog (C) (all in song): mixing tacit, 2 & 4, fastish triplets for those who can, and a syncopated beat.

6. Bun e Vinul (Dm) in 7-8 time - strum on 1,3,5 beats (Apple Apple Pineapple). This will be done to a recording of the melody as the focus is on the rhythm, not the melody.

22 Tynan St. West Preston Vic 3072 (03) 9478 0130 jandbwatson@gmail .com www.brucewatsonmusic.com

We Will Rock You (Queen)

Clap it first (clap/ clap /thighs /pause)

Focus on the missing beat, and the power of silence. Rhythm is sequences of sound

and silence.

Play it on Uke, with slap.

1 2 3 4

1 2 3 4

slap

Replace slap with chunking technique: 1 2 Chunk; (two methods: palm of right hand &

little finger of left hand)

Then 1 2 chunka chunka (little finger).

Am

Buddy you're a boy make a big noise

Playin' in the street gonna be a big man some day

You got mud on your face, you big disgrace

Kickin' your can all over the place

We will we will rock you

We will we will rock you

Buddy you're a young man hard man

Shouting in the street gonna take on the world some day

You got blood on your face, You big disgrace

Wavin' your banner all over the place

We will we will rock you

We will we will rock you

Buddy you're an old man poor man

Pleadin' with your eyes gonna make you some peace some day

You got mud on your face, you big disgrace

Somebody betta put you back into your place

We will we will rock you

We will we will rock you

We will we will rock you

We will we will rock you

I Got Rhythm, Uke Got Rhythm

The symbol represents a quick downstroke

followed by silence (tacit)

The move away from the usual strumming

pattern gives so much extra life to the song.

F Gm7 C7 I got rhy — thm, F Gm7 C7 Uke got rhy — thm, F Gm7 C7 We got rhy — thm, F C7 F Who could ask for anything more? F Gm7 C7 I got rhy — thm, F Gm7 C7 Uke got rhy — thm, F Gm7 C7 We got rhy — thm, F C7 F Who could ask for anything more?

Iko Iko Off beat, 2 & 4 (also called Backbeat)

(note that absence of strumming is a powerful rhythm technique)

Play tune with 1 and 3. Short sharp strums.

2 & 4 is same strumming, but by moving it one beat along, it totally changes the feel.

Think Oom Pah

Good with chunks instead of normal strums. Or lift fingers of left hand slightly off

strings just after strum

1 2 3 4

C My grandma and your grandma G(7) Were sittin' by the fire My grandma told your grandma C I'm gonna set your flag on fire

CHORUS: Alt C C Talkin' 'bout hey now (hey now) Hey now (hey now) G(7) Iko, iko un-ay Jockamo feeno ai nané C Jockamo fee nané

C Look at my king all dressed in red G(7) Iko, iko un-ay I betcha five dollars he'll kill you dead C Jockamo fee nané CHORUS

C My flag boy and your flag boy G(7) Were sittin' by the fire My flag boy told your flag boy C I'm gonna set your flag on fire

CHORUS

C See that guy all dressed in green G(7) Iko, iko un-ay He's not a man, he's a lovin' machine C Jockamo fee nané

CHORUS

El Condor Pasa Triplets: This involves two down strokes and one upstroke in one beat (i.e. not one

and, but one ah and).

Hold your thumb and first finger several centimetres apart, and strum down with

finger then thumb, and then up with either your thumb or finger. Each of the 3

strokes should be evenly spaced). Start very slowly. It takes a lot of practice to get

this up to speed. Check out YouTube see what it sounds like and to get instructions.

First try a triplet on every beat

/1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &/1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &/

T T T = Triplet

Triplets mixed with chunks (palm of right hand) /1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &/1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &/

T T T T = Chunk

/Am / /C /

I'd rather be a sparrow than a snail

/ / / / /Am / / / Yes I would, if I could, I surely would. Hmm mm mm mmm

/C / / / I'd rather be a hammer than a nail

/Am / / / / / Yes I would, if I only could, I surely would

/F / / /

Away, I’d rather sail away /C / / /

Like a swan that's here and gone /F / / /

A man gets tied up to the ground /C / / /

He gives the world its saddest sound

/ Am / / / Its saddest sound. Hmm mm mm mmm

/Am / /C /

I'd rather be a forest than a street / / / / /Am / / /

Yes I would, if I could, I surely would, hmm mm mm mmm /C / / /

I'd rather feel the earth beneath my feet /Am / / / / /

Yes I would, if I only could, I surely would

/F / / / Away, I’d rather sail away …

Hound Dog (Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller)

Start with Tacit

(note that absence of strumming is a powerful rhythm technique)

Then the off beat

Then a syncopated beat:

Then a thrash (single beats, but triplets for advanced)

C Tacit Off Beat You ain't nothin' but a hound dog, Cryin' all the time C7 F C (Syncopated) Off Beat You ain't nothin' but a hound dog, Cryin' all the time G7 Stop Well, you ain't never caught a rabbit F C Stop Thrash (triplets) And you ain't no friend of mine C Tacit Off Beat When, they said you was high-class, Well that was just a lie C7 F C (Syncopated) Off Beat When, they said you was high-class, Well that was just a lie G7 Stop Yeah, you ain't never caught a rabbit F C Stop Thrash (triplets) And you ain't no friend of mine

Bun e Vinul 7-8 time

Apple Apple Pineapple

7-8 time

1 2 1 2 1 2 3

Apple Apple Pineapple

/Dm /Gm /A7 /Dm / x2

/Gm /C /A7 /Dm / x2