Ralph Shaw - The Ukulele Entertainer: Powerful Pointers for Players and Performers

Copyright 2011 by Ralph Shaw

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without prior written permission of the publisher.

Prol Thacker Publishing

Vancouver, BC, Canada

www.ralphshaw.ca

LAYOUT AND DESIGN: Mauve Pag, Page & Design (mauvepage.com)

FRONT COVER IMAGE: Andrea Paterson

BACK COVER IMAGES: Tomek Pryzstupa

PART TITLE ILLUSTRATIONS: Setareh

Ashrafologhalai

STRINGING UP (page 37): Illustrations drawn by Ben Bonham. Reprinted by permission of Ben Bonham.

EDITING AND INDEX: Naomi Pauls, Paper Trail Publishing

HOW TO REMEMBER LYRICS PART 1: On the Sunny Side of the Street lyrics by Dorothy Fields, music by Jimmy McHugh. Copyright 1930 Shapiro, Bernstein & Co., Inc., New York, and Cotton Club Publishing for the USA. Copyright renewed. All rights controlled and administered by EMI April Music Inc. Reprinted by permission of Hal Leonard Corporation.

LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES CANADA CATALOGUING IN PUBLICATION

Shaw, Ralph, 1964

The ukulele entertainer : powerful pointers for players and performers / Ralph Shaw.

Includes index.

ISBN 978-0-9732452-7-1

ISBN: 9781623092016

1. UkuleleInstruction and study.

2. UkulelePerformance.

I. Title.

MT645.S535 2011 787.89193

C2011-907012-X

Printed in Canada by Island Blue

Printorium Bookworks

To the memory of Dennis Taylor, who in 1996 changed my life by insisting I join him at the Yorkshire Ukulele Circle. His kind-hearted sharing of the joys, techniques and rewards of ukulele playing has been a model for me to follow ever since.

To my parents, who have lovingly accepted all my career changes: from physicist to clown to King of the Ukulele.

And to Happy Jack Feder for his book The Independent Entertainer, which showed me how to be a self-employed performer. The light went on and never went off.

CONTENTS

Are you with me? he shouts into the microphone. Yes, Ralph!! we answer. And with that he launches into another wickedly entertaining set, crooning like Cliff Edwards, whistling like a bird and gyrating like the King himself. The only safe prediction: hes gonna steal the show.

Ralph, like many of my favourite performers, is an unlikely character. Ill never quite understand how such a man came to be: a physicistturnedclownturnedukulele ambassador and teacher. Ralph is a genuine mystery. Hes a man with a knack for engaging an audience and keeping them right in the palm of his hand. Hes also a man whos able and willing to help others understand the art of performance. Hes a rare mix, our Ralph: an ber-talented performer with the soul of a teacher.

Ive known Ralph for years now; Ive seen him grow and change as a performer and come into his own as a teacher. Its interesting: Im not sure if Ralph even makes a clear-cut distinction between performing, teaching and facilitating. Hes an entertaining teacher/facilitator and an enlightening performer, the best of both worlds. So when I heard that hed started writing a newsletter, I signed up immediately. I was only a little bit skeptical. After all, I thought, does the world really need another ukulele blog and/or newsletter, even if it is from Ralph?

I should have known better. Ralphs newsletters were (and still are) a breath of fresh air. His insights go far beyond strum patterns and chord progressions. Contrary to what his often-maniacal stage presence suggests, Ralph is quite a philosophical guy. Pearls of wisdom abound in his well-crafted writings; often hilarious, occasionally cryptic, sometimes sarcastic, his musings are quintessentially Ralph. I mean, where else can you learn to play the wimpy-strong strum from a man who actually touched Liam Neesons wig?

Im thrilled to see this book in print. Its the collection of Ralph Shaw wisdom weve been waiting for. Keep it in your ukulele case, under your pillow, in your car anywhere you might need a little inspiration from a true entertainer and a gifted teacher.

Are we with you? Yes, Ralph!

James Hill, May 2011

James Hill is an internationally known ukulele virtuoso and composer based in Nova Scotia with a special interest in ukulele pedagogy.

Throughout my education and career, I have been helped by so many individuals that to try to list them all here would be both difficult and foolish. Difficult because there are so many of them. And foolish because Id certainly forget to include some important figures, and that would be regrettable. Categories of folks who have changed me for the better include entertainers, audience members, friends and family. Every soul who started a ukulele club or ukulele festival, I salute you. As I do all the smiling volunteers who give of their time, hard work and skills to make get-togethers and festivals happen.

Others have furthered my progress with timely advice and assistance, or they influenced me by dint of their talent and abilities. Their input has been of great value, possibly greater than any amount of money can buy. But sometimes there is no substitute for cash. Without cold hard currency I could not have paid the many costs that self-publishing entails. The following people are my Major Supporters. They not only gave me their friendly verbal encouragement, but also donated generously towards the financial costs of this book. I thank each and every one of them dearly: Harry Agger, Cynthia Armstrong, Ralph Blaser, Marianne Brogan, Jack Carter, Oksana Choulik, Guy Costanzo, Michael DaSilva, Bill Dunlap, Dennis Hudson, Karin McClune, Ruth Raymond, Patty Sage, Ray Silver, Lindy Sisson, Sharon Wagner and Steve Williams.

Id like to thank James Hill for contributing the foreword.

Thank you to my editor, Naomi Pauls. She has entertained and educated me by polishing my imperfect prose in more ways than I could possibly have imagined.

A big thank-you to Daphne Gray-Grant (www.publicationcoach.com). One of her tasks in life is to help us writers write better, faster. She went ahead of me on the book publishing path and in doing so she learned a lot. The generosity with which she passed on her knowledge has been supreme.

And, finally, thanks must go to my wife Kathryn and my daughter Aletha, who somehow accept what I do for a living as being normal.

Welcome to The Ukulele Entertainer, a book to help ukulele players and other musicians with their playing and performance skills. This book brings together several of my interests and desires:

To play ukulele. I have almost never lived in a house that didnt have a ukulele in it, and rediscovering the ukulele as an adult has been a great joy.

To entertain. I get a thrill out of performing and entertaining.

To sing. I have loved to sing since I was a small child.

I also like to teach these skills. More recently, I rekindled a love of writing that, except for my songwriting, had been more or less dormant for many years. When the idea of creating an e-newsletter came, I realized an opportunity to communicate my ideas about ukulele playing and musical performance.