All are welcome. Fun rehearsals on Tuesday evenings (7.00pm till 9.00pm) at…
The Swan, Clewer, Windsor, Berkshire, UK, SL4 5JG
Just bring a Ukulele and a smile. No Fee. No previous experience necessary.
Gigs
Friday 16th August 8.00pm – Swanfest at The Swan, Clewer
Sunday 13th October 2.00pm – Maidenhead Town Show, Maidenhead High Street.
(13th October will be our first gig anywhere outside Windsor, so does that count as going on tour?)
‘Swanfest’ 13th August 2023
Song List with chords (pdf)
Here are the songs we are currently playing for 2024. If you have a new song you want to play with us, come along on a Tuesday. We are up for pretty much anything.
Who is in the Windsor Ukulele Band?
You are! If you want to play… Welcome to the band.
Don’t worry too much if you don’t know how to play, you will pick it up soon enough. just come along and have fun. You don’t even need to be able to read music to be in our band. Usually between around 10 and 15 people come to our Tuesday night sessions (so you wont be alone).
Why play the Ukulele?
The ukulele is the perfect instrument for people who think they can’t play music.
- Ukes are small and portable, so you can take them with you wherever you go.
- Ukes only have four strings, so they are easy to learn at any age.
- Ukes are not very loud; practice without disturbing your neighbours.
- Ukes are just plain fun!
So get yourself a ukulele, join the Windsor Ukulele Band and next year you could be headlining the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury… (well, we can always dream).
Frequently asked Questions
Q: Is it really free to join the Windsor Ukulele Band?
A: Yes, we don’t charge anything because we don’t want to exclude people. The wonderful Swan Pub are currently letting us use a room for rehearsals for free, so we all try and buy a drink to say thank you, but it is not obligatory.
For certain live gigs we have been asked to provide public liability insurance so there may be a small fee (under a fiver per person per year) for that.
Q: Is the Ukulele really easy to learn?
A: When beginners join the band after just a few weeks of practice they begin to sound pretty good. Because there are quite a few of us, it is OK to stop if you get lost and rejoin the tune when you are ready.
Q: What if I can’t read music?
A: Most of the band cannot read music. We learn the chords (basic shapes for the left hand) and strum a rhythm with the right hand. Who needs to read music.
Q: How much time is required?
A: We meet for two hours on a Tuesday night. Aside from that, you decide how much time you spend ‘practicing’ which is just another way of saying having fun.
Q: Is it all old George Formby tunes?
A: There is nothing wrong with George but of the hundreds of songs we have played so far, only once have we tackled a Formby song.
Q: Which size of Ukulele should I get.
A: it doesn’t matter if you have a tiny soprano, a concert or a larger tenor. They all work in the same way. If you already know how to play guitar you might want to consider the larger baritone ukulele. Please note that baritones have a different tuning to the others, so baritones are not recommended for complete beginners to stringed instruments.
Q: Can I bring other instruments too?
A: Sure why not. Lets see what works! We would love to have drummers, saxophonists, mandolin players, triangle players or anyone else along for the ride. Bring ’em along and lets make some noise.
Q: Will I have to sing?
A: Not if you don’t want to. However if you like singing that’s brilliant. And if you know anyone who doesn’t want to play ukulele but does want to sing with a band… bring them along.
Q: Who is in charge?
A: Nobody is in charge. We are all in it for the fun. Chris Brown founded the group (in February 2023) and he runs the website for us, but we play whatever the group agrees to.