All through the night

Had you predicted, last September when I enrolled on a Beginners' Ukulele Course, that I would make it to the advanced level two terms later, I'd probably have laughed. I would also have told you that I had no plans to progress beyond simple strumming and learning a handful of basic chords — sufficient to impress my uke-playing son, but no more. And had you thus predicted, you would have been right and I very wrong.

Yes, my ukulele lessons have recommenced, and I'm astonished to be on the Advanced Course.  The basics of ukulele playing have been learned and now it's time to consolidate those skills and tackle some more demanding pieces — a new one each week. In preparation, and in an attempt to get a bit of a head start, I bought a book of fingerstyle solos and have been learning a couple during the Easter break.  'Fingerstyle', by the way, entails the playing individual notes of a song, and not just the chords. I began with that classic piece, beloved (or is it 'loathed'?) of all budding ukulele players — Twinkle, twinkle, little star, then progressed to my favourite, so far, the Welsh song Ar Hyd y Nos (All Through the Night).  I've even added a few notes of my own to the published arrangement. Impressive, or what?

The first line of Ar Hyd y Nos with 'improvements' at my own fair hand

Practicing All Through the Night (read that
either way you wish).  The bottle in the
background is already empty.  'Nuff said!

So far, only three of us from last term's Improvers' Course have joined this one.  That's a big disappointment, as I'd grown used to them, formed a couple friendships and stopped worrying what they all thought about me.  This group is very different, as was evident even before the lesson started. When I arrived, a couple of guys were twanging their ukes very expertly, and definitely with far more finesse than my faltering attempts at All through the night.  Indeed, most of the group appear to be doing the course for at least the second time, or have already honed their skills elsewhere. One lady was even being congratulated on performing a solo piece at a local pub over the Easter break.  All extremely daunting, and my confidence took an immediate knock. I also felt that they were sizing me up and wondering what to make of me. Thankfully, though, Matt (our tutor) opened by explaining that, as three of us had come from the Improvers' Course, he would be taking things steadily and not assuming too much prior knowledge. Phew!

Perhaps being plunged into a group of clever folk will do me good, once I calm my nerves and settle to it.  As Matt often reminds us, he can only teach so much. The rest is down to us, with lots and lots of practice. If I'm to catch up that lot, it'll probably have to be all through the night!