Author: Pineapple Princess

The Log Driver’s Waltz in A

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Image result for Log Driver's Waltz CanadianMy hat is off to the Bytown Ukulele Group, aka BUG, for their arrangement of The Log Driver’s Waltz, which was the subject of yesterday’s posting. But I really had a hard time singing it in the Key of C. The verses are not a problem: the chorus is quite high.

While listening to the NFB of Canada video and reading the words on the print-out, I realized two things. First, each verse goes directly into the chorus without pausing, and secondly there are quite a few measures after each chorus.

I decided to transpose the BUG arrangement down to the Key of A. This was quite easy to do because I already have MS Word on my computer, and BUG provided a copy for downloading in both PDF and Word formats. If you download and open the Word format you can click on “Enable Editing” and then delete and insert to your heart’s content. I really like it when I don’t have to type out the words to a song beforehand when I decide to transpose to a different key from another source.

The Key of A enables me to sing the chorus without going into what I like to call falsetto mode. Or  opera-singer mode. I also changed the arrangement a bit, providing some chord sequences following each Chorus which you can play through once, or twice. Twice sounds better.

Another arrangement I added is underlining the few words in some of the stanza’s that are quarter notes, or to be sung quickly together. For example, “If you should” are quarter notes, sung quickly together, while the rest of the lyric line is sung in regular length. Bolded words are held. You will see a couple of tiny upwards arrows, just ignore those as far as strumming is concerned. I put those in there to remind myself to sing up instead of down. 😉

The Log Driver’s Waltz in the Key of A:  the-log-drivers-waltz-a

 

The Most Canadian Song of All Time

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Image result for The Log Driver's Waltz

Yes! Onliners have declared it: The Log Driver’s Waltz is the most Canadian song of all time (excluding Oh, Canada)!  The Log Driver’s Waltz is a Canadian folk song written by Canadian song-writer Wade Hemsworth (1916-2002). It celebrates the practice of log driving down the rivers in the lumbering industry, whereby the men’s movements resemble intricate dance steps.

The word in the chorus is often mis-heard as whirling or twirling, when it is actually, “For he goes birling down, a-down white water…”.  “Birl” is an old Scots verb meaning “to revolve or cause to revolve”, and in modern English means “to cause a floating log to rotate by treading”. Today, birling survives as a competitive sport. (Source: Wikipedia)

As an enduring classic of Canadian music the most famous version is probably by Kate and Anna McGarrigle and the Mountain City Four, which was used as the soundtrack for the 1979 animated short film by the National Film Board of Canada, as part of their Canada Vignettes program.

Another very famous version is by Alberta-based band Captain Tractor, a popular “rock Celtic” hit in the late 1990’s.

Those of you who are not familiar with the melody, and would like a sample of sheet music to help you learn the melody or play it out on a piano or other instrument, try this:

I do not have Word or even a pdf reader such as Adobe on the computer I am currently composing this posting on, yet this document opened up easily for me and printed with no problems at all. I got it from this website posting: http://sniff.numachi.com/pages/tiLOGDRIVR;ttLOGDRIVR.html

Image result for Wade HemsworthHemsworth made two recordings. His first LP, Folk Songs of the Canadian North Woods (1955, Folk FP 821), includes his ‘The Black Fly Song’ and ‘The Shining Birch Tree.’ He recorded one CD, The Songs of Wade Hemsworth, (Blackfly Music) in 1995.

For more information regarding Wade Hemsworth try searching his full name at the Canadian Encyclopedia dot com. I have not been able to determine what year he composed this song in, nor when he recorded it. So if anyone reading this happens to discover this information I would be really grateful if you could let me know in the comments. Thank you.

Image result for Wade Hemsworth

Here is the ukulele version of lyrics and chords from the Bytown Ukulele Group, the BUG’s:

4_the-log-drivers-waltz-pdf

 

 

 

Say That You Love Me

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Image result for christine mcvie 70s1976. Rural Ontario. Summer heat wave.  Radio blarin’ on the picnic blanket in the shade of the back yard. First crush, first kiss, holdin’ hands with that special someone. These are the memories evoked when I hear the iconic Fleetwood Mac song, Say You Love Me, performed by Christine McVie. Love it!

Say That You Love Me G 2

So here is a good video of the band performing this song in 1977.

Good Camp Fire Song

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Recently we went camping with my 17-year old daughter, my 16-year old daughter and her two girl friends. And Jeff. And a Whippoorwill that sang us to sleep each night.

Around the campfire songs ranged from My Bolognie Has A First Name to All About that Bass. It’s amazing how the consumption of marshmallows, chocolate and graham crackers can influence your music playing!

[C] “My bologna has a first name, it’s [F] O-S-C-A-R.

My [G7] bologna has a second name, it’s [C] M-A-Y-E-R.

[C] Oh, I love to eat it every day, and [F] if you ask me why I’ll saaaaaaaay:

Cause Oscar Mayer [C] has a way with [G7] B-O-L-O-[C] G-N-A!”

One of my first camping experiences occurred at a young age with my Girl Guides group. They had their own sing-along book called the Girl Guides of Canada Song Book. Made in the 50’s or 60’s probably. This is where I was able to get the lyrics of the Canadian version of This Land is My Land.

I don’t know if this song is in that publication but here is I Love the Mountains. You may recall this song from a Discovery Channel commercial. Those lyrics are included.

I Love The Mountains

P.S. I recently learned that Whippoorwills are small, nocturnal woodland birds!!

Whiskey in the Jar, Oh!

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Image result for Whiskey in the JarThis month I am starting off with a famous classic re-make, Whiskey in the Jar, recorded by the heavy metal band Metallica in 2004.

This was a standard radio song for at least four years, joined by the re-make rendition of Turn the Page, and the semi-romantic hits Nothing Else Matters and Unforgiven. Great band, great voices and wonderful subject material. Even though they were definitely in the ‘heavy metal’ category, they still embodied everything that is fun about Rock ‘n’ Roll.

A few years ago Jeff and I performed this song at a “Spooky Ukey” Hallowe’en theme song night, and dressed up as the characters. Jeff’s singing voice is similar to Rod Stewart/Dr. Hook and he really pulled it off – as well as anyone singing this song to an acoustic ukulele can….

I hope you enjoy our rendition of Whiskey in the Jar as much as we did!

Whiskey in the Jar Image result for Whiskey in the Jar

Songs From Our Uke Group

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Sometimes inspiration comes from others, as well as within. And when that happens, it makes playing music that much more enjoyable.

I have been putting together songs with and for members of our newly formed uke group, T’UkeS – Tillsonburg Uke Society. Some of them have been out there performing for the nursing home called Maple Manor, using their keyboard and guitar, and since joining our group and learning how to play their ukulele’s have  been asking us to transpose some of their repetoire songs and some of our teaching songs. It’s been lots of fun and I’m sharing the arrangements with everyone below.

One of our teaching songs is On the Wings of a Dove in C, which we transposed to the Key of G which some members found easier to sing.

On the Wings of a Dove

On the Wings of a Dove G

Another teaching song was I’ll Fly Away in the Key of D, used to teach the chords used in the Key of D. They liked to sing it better in the Key of C, so here are both versions:

I’ll Fly Away in D

I’ll Fly Away in C

Another song is Could I Have This Dance by Anne Murray, which we have on good ‘intel’ is a popular country jam song:

Could I Have This Dance

We also used Tiny Bubbles as a teaching song, and that went over really well.

Tiny Bubbles C G7

And this is a more sophistocated, or performance style version of Tiny Bubbles:

Tiny Bubbles C Performance

There are a couple more that are Irish tunes, but they aren’t on my computer so I can’t upload them. However, in the foreseeable future once I get some time to type them in and add chord boxes I will add another ukulele group post. For now I hope those of you who play in groups, are looking for group songs or nursing home/performance songs enjoy these few.

Video from Honolulu

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Some of you may have noticed the little countdown widget on my site, that says “Honolulu Bound” and the date is for February of 2015. Well, that little countdown widget was a lot of fun for the weeks and then days leading up to departure, and it has become a unique little keepsake of some great memories.

Spending 10 days in Honolulu, Hawaii was the opportunity of a lifetime to spend time with other Uke enthusiasts, learn from Hawaiian musicians, do some sight-seeing, ride the Waikiki Trolley, do some A-B-C shopping and stroll the famous Waikiki Beach. Heck, we even ate at the world-famous Duke’s on Kuhio Beach – literally! Our table was in the sand, ON the beach, and guess what? there was a sunset, too!!!

One thing we enjoyed each day was making our way over to the Moana Terrace on Kalakaua, located at the Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort, directly across from the beach, offering guests plenty of unimpeded sunset views over Waikiki.  Every night they had local Hawaiian entertainment of some kind. Sometimes it was a singer with back-up band, sometimes a duet, and sometimes a family band, and each member contributed a talent to the songs. We sometimes ate right there in the padded lounge chairs, sometimes we just ordered an after-dinner tea or coffee. But every night, right about dusk, buskers would appear on Kalakaua street and play their instruments. I was especially interested in those playing Ukulele’s. It took me a while to get it downloaded to Youtube, but here is the video I took of two Hawaiians playing Lovely Hula Hands. About half-way through you might notice a lady donating money to them. That was my travel companion, Barb.

Here is my arrangement of the song for those of you who missed the posting: Lovely Hula Hands.

A Song of the 50’s Progression

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Today’s song is an iconic composition of the 50’s music genre. This song uses a version of the common chord progression now called “the 50’s progression”, which has been called the “Stand By Me’ changes” after the song.

50’s Chord Progression 

There are many iconic songs from this music time era, where the song moves rhythmically from the first chord, to the second, to the third, to the fourth and back to the first, always in the same order. These songs are strongly associated with the “Doo Wop” genre as well, and may be referred to as “Heart and Soul” chords. The first song known to have used this sequence extensively was Blue Moon written in 1933 by Richard Rodgers. The progression is represented in a  key as I, VI(m), IV, V(7). The sixth chord may/may not be minor depending on the key; the fifth chord may/may not be a 7th depending on the tone. When not played in the first to fourth sequence, the same four chords are used in a turn-around manner (see You Send Me, below).

Examples

A Teenager in Love (1959): (4/4 Timing) [C] Each time we [Am] have a quarrel, [F] it almost [G7] breaks my heart, [C] cause I am [Am] so afraid, [F] that we will [G7] have to part. [C] Each night I [Am] ask the [F] stars up a-[G7]bove, [C] why must I [Am] be a teen-[F]ager in [G7] love?….

This example shows only 2 strums per chord, whereas, to play A Teenager in Love you would play a full 4 strums per chord. 🙂 

You Send Me (1957): (2/4 Timing) Darling, [G] You -oo-[Em]oo, [Am7] send me [D7]. I know, [G] You -oo-[Em]oo, [Am7] send me [D7]. Darling, [G] You -oo-[Em]oo, [Am7] send me, [D7] honest you [G] do, honest you [Am7] do, honest you [G], [D7] Whoa-oh-oh-oh…. (Repeat, replacing “send me” with “thrill me”.)….

Stand By Me ~ Ben E. King 

Stand By Me was composed in 1959, recorded and released in 1960, by Ben E. King. In addition to the iconic 50’s chord progression in the Key of A, the song departed from the sound of the “doo wop” background singers and used a strong, low bass-line instead. Baaa baaa, ba-ba baa baa, ba-ba-ba baa baa, ba-ba baa baa, etc.

The arrangement I offer you today is presented in the ORIGINAL KEY OF A, which on a soprano ukulele is pretty much unattainable. It is best played on a tenor uke or a uke that is strung with a LOW G STRING. This way you can attain that perfect tone of pitch moving from the low chords to the higher chords.

If you want to transpose it to a higher Key, keep in mind that the second, third and fourth chords change depending on what sharps and flats are in each key, using the Key formula outlined in the paragraph above titled “50’s Chord Progression”. For example, if you truly don’t want to sing it in the original Key that Ben E. King recorded it in (no pressure), then the Key of F would be F, Dm, Bb and C7. (And don’t we all just looooove that Bb!) The Key of C sequence is C, Am, F and G7, which is easier to play but much higher to sing.

However, like I already stated, I have arranged it in the Key of A as originally recorded, and tried extremely hard to have the lyrics in the style that Ben E. King sang them. The only part I don’t have tabbed out for you is the Instrumental, but you can probably find that on the internet somewhere 🙂 and you will have to find someone willing to accompany you doing the “baa baa, ba-ba baa baa” bass-line.

Cheers! Stand By Me A

Below is a wonderful video of Ben E. King singing Stand By Me, with some of the cast members from the 1986 coming-of-age movie “Stand By Me”: Will Weaton and River Phoenix. You can play the chord progression from my arrangement along with this video if you are good at hearing chord changes. Enjoy!

 

R. Alex Anderson

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Today’s musical offering is On A Coconut Island, composed by R. Alex Anderson in 1936. Before I tell you about Alex Anderson and some of his famous works, I have to first give you a blurb to read explaining the musical genre known as “hapa haole”.

“Hapa Haole” Music Genre 

Definition =  Hapa is a Hawaiian word that was originally part of the full phrase hapa haole, which was a derogatory term for someone half Hawaiian and half “white foreigner.” Today, the phrase has been shortened to simply “hapa” and generally refers to anyone part Asian or Pacific Islander and part Caucasian.

Haole = a person who is not a native Hawaiian, especially a white person.

*Music term = a type of Hawaiian music in which the tune, styling, and subject matter is Hawaiian, but the lyrics are partly, mostly, or entirely in English. This style was born during the mid-to-late 1800’s when Westerners began settling on the Hawaiian islands, and producing songs in some combination of English and Hawaiian language. They started gaining popularity outside of the Territory of Hawaii between 1912 and 1919. During the Depression years this song genre exploded in composition because the North American population yearned to hear songs full of nostalgia and far-away places; and the distraction of the silly antics of native Hawaiians (On the Beach at Waikiki; Little Brown Gal). The era of the War Years generated still more composition of hapa haole songs because people wanted to hear songs that re-affirmed the peace and war movement, and songs about Hawaii were a reminder of survival after the attack on Pearl Harbor and while also embodied the promise of return. Popular songs were those that evoked nostalgia and yearning, yet reassured us.

Examples of composers of this genre: Sol K. Bright – Sophistocated Hula; Harry Owens – Sweet Leilani; Jack Pitman – Beyond the Reef; Bill Cogswell, Tommy Harrison and Johnny Noble – (I Wanna Go Back to My) Little Grass Shack; Don McDiarmid, Lee Wood and Johnny Noble – Little Brown Gal.

R. Alex Anderson ~ 

R. Alex Anderson  was an American composer who wrote many popular Hawaiian songs within the Hapa Haole genre including Lovely Hula Hands (1940) and Mele Kalikimaka (1949), the latter on of the best known Hawaiian Christmas songs (in the U.S.).

Alex Anderson was born in Honolulu, Hawaii,  June 6, 1894, and died on Oahu on May 30, 1995. (Note: Just shy of his 101st birthday!!)

He attended the Punahou School on Oahu where he wrote the school’s anthem in his senior year. He went on to graduate from Cornell University in 1916 with a degree in mechanical engineering, but returned to his home on the Hawaiian island of Oahu for the rest of his life.

During his career he wrote in excess of 200 songs on piano and ukulele. *He is considered the “most Hawaiian” of the Hapa Haole song writers.

A frequent visitor to the Hawaiian islands, and to Alex Anderson’s home, was Bing Crosby who was frequently his avid golf partner. Bing Crosby had recorded Mele Kalikimaka and it went all around the world on the B-side of Crosby’s hit song, White Christmas on 45’s.

When Anderson wrote On a Coconut Island in 1936 it was immediately recorded by the world-famous crooner and trumpet player, Louis Armstrong.  Lovely Hula Hands was recorded by Harry Owens and the Royal Hawaiian Orchestra in 1940, Teresa Brewer in 1961 and Bing Crosby in 1963. Don Ho included it on his world-famous album, Hawaiian 30 Favorites in 1979.

On A Coconut Island ~ 

One of the things I love about this song is it’s simplicity. It has a swaying quality to it as you go back and forth between C7 and F for the verses. Of course, Louis Armstrong’s version has a lengthy instrumental part, presumably for hula dancing LOL – but you can play the song as slowly or quickly as you like, just play it twice through and tag the ending a couple times. Of course, I’ve got a Hawaiian vamp to open it with, and you strum once downwards on C7 and let it ring as you sing those first three magical words, “On a coconut…”.

R. Alex Anderson wrote this song with an innovative way of rhyming the lyrics. Not just at the end of each stanza – heck no that would be too obvious! – but in mid-stanza with the word “island”. How many words in the English language rhyme with “island”? None to not many. Instead, he chose to break up the word between two measures so that you sing it as “eye land”, which has many rhymes: “while and”, “mile and”, “smile and”, etc. and so forth.

I have found different wording for the chorus on the internet. I am using the wording from R. Alex Anderson’s original composition, and the last verse is the wording from Louis Armstrong’s recorded version of the song in 1936. A sort of homage to Louis, if you will.

Hope you enjoy it! On A Coconut Island 2

Louis Armstrong and The Polynesians, (c) 1936:

 

 

 

A Good Luau Solo

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A good choice for a solo performance when you are out with your ukulele group as the entertainment for a Hawaiian luau is Lovely Hula Hands, by R. Alex Anderson, 1940. This is a great “hapa haole” composition featuring wonderful prominent Hawaiian imagery and the Hawaiian translation for the title, “kou lima nani e”.

Currently, these are my choices for solo-ing, and even better if you can get the wildest dressed guy in the group to dance a little hula for you:  Pineapple Princess, Ukulele Lady (as a duet), Beautiful Kaua’i and Lovely Hula Hands.

Of course, we can’t always have Betty Boop doing a hula for our solo’s. Wouldn’t that be great?

Luau’s are my favorite. I get to dress up in a flowered dress or skirt, or my muu muu, put a flower lei around my neck and flowers in my hair.

Ev and Cat XOXO
Evelyn and me at the Port Dover Yacht Club, 2014

That being said, my experiences entertaining at luaus here in Canada have been quite limited. I’ve participated with a group at 6 of them, and they were so much fun, and at one they even provided the food for us! Through researching Hawaiian music, it is really interesting to take note of the difference between Canada and the US in regards to being Hawaiian, and of growing as a nation with the creation of Hawaiian music being part of your actual (US) history.

For the past month I have been searching the internet and downloading as much Hawaiian tunes arranged for ukulele as I can find, and the majority of them seem to be in the Hawaiian language.

Even more surprising was how limited my knowledge of Hawaiian songs is. Pearly Shells and Tiny Bubbles. Oh, and Hawaii by the Beach Boys. The ukulele songbook, Jumpin’ Jim Goes Hawaiian, was invaluable, and also, illuminating!

Many good songs in this one, including an original composed by Jim Beloff entitled I’m Carrying a Tiki Torch for You. I wish I knew how it goes because the lyrics are great!

When I was in Honolulu in March last year, the street performers come out at dusk and play songs on the prominade all night. There’s a short wall that is the perfect height for sitting on that goes along the edge of the sidewalk on the street by the beach in Waikiki – Kalakaua – plus trees and bushes. This is usually where they congregate, one or two per block all up and down Kalakaua avenue. Barb and I had taken a liking to an eatery up above street level called the Moana Terrace where they had some form of live entertainment every single night. Sometimes it was a one-man band, other times it was a duo or a family group playing the old authentic Hawaiian tunes in the language and having a nice time and good time. One of these such bands actually took requests from the audience. So one night, right at sunset over Waikiki Beach, Barb and I happened upon a Hawaiian musician sitting on this wall on the sidewalk, playing his electric ukulele, accompanied by a guy on a drum. And they were just a rockin’ this Hawaiian song called Lovely Hula Hands. I had never heard it before so I got my phone out and recorded the performers.

11698988_10152839404681890_1348754284183246155_o

If I can ever figure out how to upload it from my smart phone I will for sure post it on my site. For now, we’ll just have to enjoy my arrangement: Lovely Hula Hands.