Music in miniature
He may not be as famous as George Formby, but music teacher Colin Tribe is doing his bit to raise the profile of the ukulele.
Mr Tribe (63) of Trent Villas, Newark, has developed a love of the instrument since starting to play it two years ago.
He will lead a ukulele workshop at RST Music, on Cartergate, Newark, teaching people to play popular songs specially adapted for the instrument, which is experiencing a resurgence in popularity.
Mr Tribe, a retired head of music in London, has played the guitar for 55 years but decided to take up the ukulele because so little had been done with it.
He has since arranged around 200 pieces for the instrument — what he called music in miniature — and has developed ukulele exams for the Victoria College of Music.
Mr Tribe has his own YouTube channel, which includes video tutorials on how to play different arrangements.
He has developed a style of playing which he has dubbed ‘uniquelele,’ combining classical, plectrum and flamenco styles of guitar-playing.
Apart from its size, the main difference between a ukulele and a guitar is that it has one less string.
The instrument was developed in Hawaii by Portuguese instrument makers who worked as immigrants in the sugar cane fields.
It gained popularity in the United States from about 1915 and was made famous by the likes of George Formby in the 1940s and 1950s. Modern players include television comedian Phill Jupitus.
Mr Tribe said he liked the immediacy of the instrument. He said it was a happy, cheerful instrument and it was natural to sing along to.
Mr Tribe takes his ukulele with him wherever he goes and plays it on trains and in airports, often attracting a crowd.
He said the instrument also worked well in primary schools because it suited smaller hands and required no musical expertise to play.
“I can teach anybody to play a chord of C and sing Frere Jacques,” he said.
For those reasons the popularity of the instrument is growing, with ukulele clubs being set up all over the country. There are even plans to start a ukulele orchestra in Newark.
Mr Tribe is a world record-holder for the instrument, having been part of the largest group of people to sing and play the ukulele at one time during an event in London last year.
His workshop at RST Music will teach ukulele to perform pieces in Faber Music’s Ukulele Playlist books. It takes place at 7.30pm on February 24 and costs £10, with a copy of the book included.
