Wondering what to expect from our group?
Members of KalamazUkes range in age from teen to senior citizen. There are a lot of strummers and a few pickers. Experience on the uke ranges from zero to several years. We have slightly more fellas then ladies. Overall it is a smart, funny, cheerful group - as you will find is often the case in the ukulele world!
We meet at Marshall Music in Portage MI on the 2nd Saturday of each month at 11am.
What does a KalamazUke jam look like?
We are set up in a circle in the store - they provide chairs, so there is no need to bring one.. You may want to bring your own music stand but we often use the store's stands and that is fine. We introduce ourselves and then we start playing!
Sometimes we go in a circle and each person can choose a song and "lead" it. If you are the leader that means you are singing the melody and playing. You can pass if you want to - no pressure.
Some people have the skills to "solo" during a musical break. If there is no break spelled out in the sheet music, after the chorus you can just play but not sing a verse. It is helpful to hum along so you don't lose your place. Then you just chime in with the next verse. It is a learned skill, so don't feel silly if it takes a while to learn this part of jamming with others.
Every once in a while the kind folks at Marshall's set us up "open mic" style so you can try out what it is like to sing and play into a microphone! It's a great way to get acclimated to a "plugged in" style.
Right now there's no official club songbook, but one is being developed and will be available for download when it is ready.
What can you do to prepare?
If you would like to bring music with you to share, that is wonderful and encouraged! We're happy to take a stab at anything at all! For the best chance of success, try to keep it under five or six chords.
When jamming with others, it is a good idea to try learning your basic chord families. For example, if something is "in the key of G", you will know that the primary chords are going to be G, C, and D. Not sure what key your song is in? It's usually the last chord in the song.
You may want to bring a drink with you. Please make sure it has a cap, as the store is carpeted.
What does Marshall Music have to offer?
The great folks at Marshall host us every month. They also offer instruction in ukulele, among other instruments. They carry some ukuleles, strings, headstock tuners, and a pretty good selection of music for the uke. They offer instrument repair. Most importantly, they are happy to order just about anything you like.
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