Go on, uke can do it!

Published on Thursday 21 April 2011 18:54

IT is an instrument which went out of fashion with George Formby.

MAKE IT SING: Sandra Kerr, left, and Laura Michael from Wester Hailes Education Centre have a go at the ukulele. Below, professional uke player Peter Baynes. Picture: IAN GEORGESON

But an unlikely bid is about to be made to re-introduce the joys of the ukulele in the unlikely location of Wester Hailes.

Professional musician Peter Baynes is confident his ukulele course will prove a hit and is aiming to get a group up and running - and ready to put on a live performance - after just four lessons.

Polwarth-based Mr Baynes, who is currently touring Germany with the United Kingdom Ukulele Orchestra, said the instrument was on the way back because it was cheap and easy for almost anyone to learn to play.

He said: "It's a very simple instrument that can be adapted for almost any style or arrangement, and you don't have to have been playing for five years before you can show your face in public.

"Essentially, there aren't the same levels of expectation that are levelled at musicians who play the guitar or violin."

The veteran player, who has been plucking the ukulele strings for more than 25 years, is revered for his incredible solo work on the instrument. He also sings and plays both accordion and piano.

A regular performer at the Edinburgh festival, he added: "For a number of years the ukulele was deemed uncool to play. Thankfully its popularity is growing, and this may be down to the fact that it is cheap to buy and easy to carry around.

"Maybe people are starting to realise that you don't have to be technically brilliant to play good music?"

Beryl Homan, a community education worker at Wester Hailes Education Centre, where the classes will be held, is excited at the prospect of taking part.

She said: "I'm really excited about the potential. It seems like a fun instrument to learn and hopefully won't be too hard to play. Ukulele groups have gone down well at recent Fringe events in Edinburgh so we are hoping that they will take off in Wester Hailes and become popular with all age groups."

While the ukulele is most famously associated with the singer and comedian Formby, it is a little known fact that he actually played a banjolele - a hybrid comprised of an extended ukulele neck with a banjo resonator body.

Mr Baynes, who plays a genuine ukulele, aims to form an orchestra in Wester Hailes if his lessons prove fruitful. No experience is required, and instruments can be purchased for just 15.

To take part in the lessons, which will take place between 11am-noon on May 14 and 28, and again on June 4 and 11, call the Wester Hailes Education Centre on 0131-442 2201.