The Ukulele and the Troops

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Australian Soldiers WW2

On Anzac Day, the 25th of April, we remember Australians at war.

Although the ukulele was introduced to Australia before 1915, there is little evidence that it was played during World War One by Australian troops at Gallipoli or on the Western Front in Europe.  It was not until after 1918 that the huge popularity of the ukulele in America ensured it spread to the rest of the world Ref. 1 .  By World War Two Australian soldiers adopted the ukulele as part of their unofficial kit, as they tried to bring some cheer to their lives at camp and at the front.

In America during the 1920s and 1930s, Buster Keaton (and his ukulele), was an established star of silent movies and Cliff “Ukulele Ike” Edwards was famous as a singer and ukulele player in Vaudeville.  Both starred in the film “Doughboys” (1930), that loosely depicts Keaton’s wartime experiences during his service in France during  WWI  Ref 2.  One great scene shows Buster and Cliff playing the same ukulele while Cliff sings and Buster scats.

In Australia the ukulele gained popularity during the interwar period. It was appreciated as an entertainment by soldiers in a hospital for war veterans.  The Argus (Melbourne, Vic, 25 May 1932, p.6) newspaper reported that Lady Chaytor entertained the patients with her ukulele at the Caulfield Military Hospital.  Lady Chaytor was from County Durham, England and had flown to Australia as a passenger in a two seater Gypsy Moth to commence a series of lectures on fashion.  Her only luggage was one small suitcase and her ukulele.  She visited Caulfield Hospital saying “she felt that she was of the A.I.F., for her brother, who at an early age ran away from home, had enlisted from Queensland”.  She visited each of the wards, sat on the piano and sang many songs playing her ukulele and accompanied by the singing of the men.

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Lady Chaytor with her ukulele in Sydney, Australia, 1932

During World War II George Formby is well-documented entertaining British and allied troops at the front with his banjo ukulele.  It is much harder to find photographs and videos of Australian troops being entertained by Australian ukulele performers.  Unlike Britain and America, Australia had only a small contingent of entertainers for the diggers during World War Two.  The ukulele appears to have been a more private instrument that men could take with them to the battlefield.

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Sheet music for the ukulele became prolific and patriotic during World War Two.

The ukulele and music were very important to many American soldiers during their time in Australia.  Jack Earle an American gunner, was recovering in Perth from shell-shock.  For him music was “half his life”and he appealed for an instrument in the newspaper after losing two while on active duty.  It was quickly replaced the next day by an anonymous female donor  (Daily News, Perth W.A. Tues. 16 Sept. 1941, pg. 16) which was only possible due to the popularity of the ukulele in Australia.

USA Marines Ballarat 1943

U. S.  Marines with ukulele, Ballarat, circa. 1943, Charles Edward Boyles (National Library of Australia).

 

Adelaide

World War 2 Australian Soldier

P.O.W. Whittling Starts WA Ukulele Industry.

Boredom-killing whittling in Changi prisoner of war camp has started up an in-dustry in Western Australia that might become a dollar-earner.  Partner in JMG Industries at Jolimont Les O’Connell, filled in his spare time at Changi using a knife on coconut shells and pieces of tea chests to make a ukulele. Heartened by his success he made a carved top ukulele which musicians in the camp hailed as a topline instrument. O’Connell decided to go into the business on his liberation. This story was told today by his partner Jack Maskiell who was with O’Connell in Changi. He said that it took six months to produce the first local ukulele. From then on the ukuleles were marketed throughout Australia with great success. ‘We got a bit cheeky,’ said Maskiell. ‘We sent them to Singapore and Ceylon and now dollar-earning samples are in the U.S.. ‘We also have them in Britain.’ The firm has now produced 3000 ukuleles and 700 guitars…… Maskiell lost a leg in Changi. (The Daily News, Perth, 16 May 1950, pg. 9)

 

Rats of Tobruk Ukulele

Rats of Tobruk ukulele 1943

After the siege of the Garrison at the Libyan port of Tobruk in 1941 Ref. 3, this ukulele (pictured above) was adopted as a permanent record of the West Australian Battalion known as The Rats of Tobruk.  It was owned by a Corporal Smith and played before and during the siege, but became a memento of the event.  Pictures of rats were scratched at the headstock with the word Tobruk, then 200 signatures were scratched on the front and back of the ukulele by the men of the unit. It was returned to Western Australia after Corporal Smith was taken prisoner (Daily News, Perth, W.A. Wed, 21 April 1943, pg. 7).

More ukulele stories, photographs and artwork of Australian soldiers can be found in the Australian War Memorial.

The Australian War Memorial – “A Sentimental Song”

Soldiers 1941 – Australian War Memorial

Soldier in Hospital with ukulele – Australian War Memorial

Zilla

Bayside Ukes member.

Ten Good Reasons for Playing the Ukulele

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  1. The Uke makes even a sad song sound cheerful
  2. You can own many Ukes and they won’t take up a lot of space
  3. Because it is so light, you can play the Uke for hours without getting backache
  4. You can play the Uke in the middle of the night without disturbing your neighbors
  5. You can take a Uke on a plane without needing to book an extra seat
  6. A Uke is easy to hide before playing in a Flash Mob and while fleeing the scene
  7. You can play a Uke anywhere: up a tree; on a raft; while dancing; even in Space

8. If you are bopping to the music you won’t whack the person next to you in the face because the Uke has a short neck

9. You can do a speech as a Uke song.  It makes this less painful for both you and the audience

10. If you play the Uke you belong to a worldwide community of fellow ukers and you need never play alone

So make the most of your Uke. It is such a versatile instrument

Kat

Bayside Ukes member

Easy Ukulele Methods

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For ukulele aficionados out there, I have discovered a very old uke music book.  I was going through my late mother’s music collection and found this:

” The E easy Z

METHOD FOR UKULELE AND UKULELE-BANJO

A very easy and practical system

containing just the necessary material for

SELF-INSTRUCTION.”

 Mum was a classical and Jazz pianist in the 1930s and played professionally.   I am not sure why she had a uke book.  It was probably for someone in the band.  It cost four shillings and sixpence or eleven pence posted.  This edition was published in Australia by J. Albert & Son Pty Ltd, Sydney, circa. 1935.  While the manual has the original copyright for W. J. Smith Music Co. Inc., New York for 1924, it also has two illustrations with the copyright for 1934 and 1935.  It must have been an effective teaching method because it is still in print and new editions of this book can be found online.

Interestingly, the tuning of the strings was different: ADF#B.  Apparently this was popular in the 1920s and 1930s and considered to make the uke sound brighter and more compatible with guitar chords if you were playing in a band.  This would be like playing from the third fret of the soprano ukulele tuned to GCEA.

The book contains a mixture of traditional and old popular songs, including Play It On Your Little Uke.

The EZ method was also considered suitable for other instruments such as the Tiple, Uke-I-Tar, Guitar-Uke, Taropatch.   In the book it says that the Guitar-Uke and Uke-I-Tar are other names for the Tenor Guitar that is played like a ukulele.  The Taropatch has 4 pairs of strings, each pair tuned to the same note.  The Tiple (Tee-plee) is a ten stringed instrument played in pairs or triplets.

EZ Ukulele Method cover

A story aside… On the same day I discovered the uke book, I was looking at an old book of Mendelssohn Concertos that my Mum played and three fifty-dollar notes fell out.  Paper notes in fact and probably from the 1980s.  Imagine?  A voice from the grave I reckoned.

Now I am a pretty average uke player, so my tips are not really for the experts, but I play ‘easy’ as they say.  My sorry old fingers don’t always reach with appropriate pressure to give a good sound.  So I cheat a little.  I frequently only play the bottom 2 or 3 strings of a chord, making sure to only strum those strings accordingly.  It works very well for say an F Minor or B Flat, or B and many others.  This depends on your own fingering capabilities really.  Really handy for quick changes and not really noticed in group playing!

Another tip I’m working on is Substitute Chords.  Playing at home some of the chords I read are seemingly impossible, or infrequently used and easily forgotten.  You can play around and get ‘close’.  Once again I’m cheating.  For instance G Minor instead of B Flat 7, or C9 instead of EM7 Flat 5.  I’m sure many folk know many more.  But have a play and see how you go!

Cheers, Helen.

Bayside Ukes member.

The Benefits of Standing when Playing the Ukulele

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Many players always sit when they are playing their ukuleles.  While this is fine when doing this for your own pleasure or at ukulele group sessions, it is not ideal in a performance situation and it is better for you physically to stand.

We are repeatedly being told by health care professionals that sitting around for long periods is bad for our health and that it is important to keep moving.  Sitting for a long time can make you feel more tired than when doing some physical activity.  Playing the ukulele standing up allows your body to move easily in time to the music and is a fun way to lessen sedentary behavior.  In addition, it is more difficult to sing strongly in a sitting position because this can constrict the diaphragm.  When standing up you can take deeper breaths and it is easier to sing and maintain breath control, something that is also good for the health.

Standing uke drawing copy

In a performance situation it is usually necessary to stand, especially when playing with a large group that takes up the whole stage or where there are several players on a small stage.  Often there is not enough room for everyone to sit, or a supply of chairs to make this possible.  If there is no stage at all or one that is low, standing puts the players above the audience and makes it possible to connect with those beyond the front row.  It is easier when standing to share music stands amongst several people if needed.  This also allows  different song leaders on a set list to change positions on stage without any fuss.

Some people find it difficult to play standing up, often because they find it hard to hold their ukulele without resting it on their seated body.  It can be tricky balancing your uke without any support, especially the larger sizes, so the obvious solution is to buy a strap.  If you have a strap button at the base of the uke, you can use the kind that is a smaller version of a guitar strap and tie the top end under the strings above the neck.  Also smaller Mandolin straps are sometimes suitable.

If there is no button on your ukulele it is not recommended that you have one attached, as there might by no internal support into which you can drill the hole.  Doing so might cause damage to the body of the ukulele and rather than taking this risk it is better to use the kind of strap that hangs around your neck with an end that hooks into the sound hole to hold the uke.  Various types of ukulele straps can be purchased from the same music stores that sell ukuleles, or you can choose from the vast assortment to be found online.  Having a strap will allow you to learn to play the ukulele in the standing position and contribute to your enjoyment and performances.

You can build up your stamina by standing for short periods, then increasing the length of time as you get used to this position.  Once you can play the ukulele while standing, you will find it is much more fun to be able to move around with the uke, and you will feel more energetic and healthier as a result.

Note: If you need to sit for health reasons make sure that you have frequent breaks from playing and move around.

Kat & Zilla

Bayside Ukes members

Happy Holidays

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Now the Easter break is upon us it is time to get in the holiday spirit and kick back, relax and play your ukulele.  Gracie Allen had the right idea in the 1939 movie Honolulu.  In this clip she is playing her ukulele and singing the song “Honolulu” to Eleanor Powell.  It then gets really crazy and they go “tapping” all over the deck.  So Hollywood but great fun.

Happy Holidays.

Bayside Ukes

I Took my Uke to a Party…

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After several years of singing and playing the guitar I decided to buy a ukulele so that I would have a smaller, more portable instrument to carry around.  As seems to be the case for anyone who takes up this instrument, I became obsessed with the uke and had some lessons.  Then the fun really started.

Unlike in that old Gracie Fields song I Took My Harp to a Party but Nobody Asked Me to Play, you don’t need to hide your uke under your coat.  The little ukulele actually attracts an audience, as I discovered when I took my ukulele to play a few songs at a picnic with some friends.  After this great day, where we all had a lot of fun together, these friends began to ask me to bring the uke along to parties and other social events.  The happy nature of the ukulele sound seems to break down barriers and encourages people to participate and we would have sing-alongs with lots of laughter and conversation.  This also gave me the opportunity to perform some of my own songs, which I have been writing for years, in front of a non-threatening audience.

Playing the ukulele has opened up my life to new people and experiences, especially after becoming one of the founding members of Bayside Ukes, where I have met a great bunch of friendly ukulele obsessives like myself.  In belonging to this group, I have learnt so much from playing with others and have become more confident when performing before complete strangers.  Helping to organize a ukulele group has also allowed me to make a small contribution to my local community.

Now I have joined with a fellow ukulele devotee.  We sing harmonies and play pop songs together.  Recently we were asked to entertain around 60 people at a birthday party. After overcoming some pre-performance nerves we really enjoyed ourselves.  Afterwards another ukulele player, who we did not know, came up and said how much he liked our singing and playing and we had a wonderful chat about the joys and techniques of learning to play the uke.  We also inspired one guest to get their ukulele out of the cupboard.  The ukulele is a fantastic icebreaker, as so many people are just taking it up themselves or know someone who plays the uke.

Who would have thought that this small instrument could have such a big impact on one’s life?  So don’t sit at home with your ukulele.  Get out there and share your enjoyment of playing with others.  You never know where this will lead.

Kat

Bayside Ukes member

 

Start Your Working Day With a Ukulele Song

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Play your ukulele on Monday the 14th March to celebrate the Labour Day Holiday in Victoria.

We have the Eight Hour Movement of 1856 to thank for introducing the eight hour day to Victoria.  The group advocated 8 hours of work, 8 hours of recreation and 8 hours of rest.  So let us celebrate those 8 hours of recreation that gives us the time and energy to play our ukuleles.

In 2015 a happy ukulele song really brightened up the morning journey to work for these commuters in Perth, Australia. What a great way to start the working day.

So get out there and play your ukulele.

Happy Labour Day, Melbourne and Victoria.

Zilla

Bayside Ukes Member

Beware Uke Sizings

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Being a self-taught uke player (ukist?), I found there hasn’t been any shortage of help on the web for learning techniques of playing.  Ukists around the world are generous beings, sharing their skills and knowledge to help their fellow humans join the fraternity of world ukists.

There is, however, a shortage of information on one matter: uke sizes.  I’m not talking about the difference in size between soprano, concert and tenor ukes.  That info is widely available.  I’m talking about the variation in size between ukes of different brands and how this can impact on the player.

The first uke I ever bought was a tenor Lanikai.  I bought it online (from a local store) and was very happy with it.  In fact, this is the uke I use mostly today.  After having this instrument sit in a green Woolworths shopping bag for months, I decided to buy it a proper home.  So I ordered a tenor uke gig bag from the same shop.  When it arrived in the post, I was quite cross when I discovered it was the wrong size for my uke – it was way too small.  When I rang the shop, they told me that it was definitely a bag for a tenor uke, however, I was told that it was common knowledge (!) that Lanikai ukes are larger than the standard uke.  Luckily enough, the music store was kind enough to swap it over with a case (a better quality one, at that) which fitted my slightly over-sized uke.  Moral of the story, always take your uke along when buying it a new case.

There is yet another sizing matter people need to know about.  After fitting my Lanikai with a low G string (my preference for playing strummed chords), I bought a different brand uke so that I could keep the high G on it to play tabs that need a high G.  I tested out ukes during a local uke festival.  Price right, tone good, so I bought the uke (it also came with a bag!).  I’ve been taking this uke out from time to time when I have the urge to play something more complex.  Trouble is, I wasn’t really getting much better at the harder tabs.  Then I realised that part of the issue wasn’t me – my newer uke actually has a much wider neck and fingerboard than my Lanikai.  I measured the fingerboard of the new uke at the nut and it was 3.8cm, compare to 3.4cm on my trusted Lanikai.  For someone with short fingers like me, this makes a real difference.

So why, you may ask, does a short-fingered person like me play tenor ukes?  I was totally inspired by the sound made by Jake Shimabukuro on his tenor uke.  Here’s one of my favourite performances of him playing his uke:

It’s not very likely that I’d ever play anything that complex – especially with the minimal amount of practice that I do – but hey, one can dream about it.

Mirrie

Bayside Ukes Member