One of the biggest things that has prevented me from writing "how to play" or "tunebooks" of my own has been the fear of copyright infringement. I'm not sure of what trouble one can get into for using a copyrighted tune in a book,but never wanting to get myself into trouble,I opted for the "safe" solution of not writing.
Until I contacted an online friend who has written some ukulele books and they were more than generous in directing me to a site that is as fascinating as it is helpful. Ladies and Gentlemen,I present to you.......... PD Info ! (warning: this site really envelops you as you get fascinated with learning what songs came out when....so you may end up spending a lot of time browsing.)
As a helpful tip for those considering Christmas Carols,I found the ones considered to be more modern such as "White Christmas" "Holiday Inn" "Frosty the Snowman" are copyrighted tunes and cannot be used without getting proper permission first-which is a disappointment. (unless you have a book deal with a publisher and then it's their job to get the permission for you!)
Now I have no excuse for writing a book,and neither do you. :-)
Memorial Day Weekend/4th of July
********************************
What are you going to do for these days- planning to play at any BBQs or get togethers? Now is the time to get those patriotic tunes going. Memorial Day is fast approaching,but it you start now it should be easy to have a few songs under your belt-and by the 4th you should be absolutely golden.
Just be sure to take your "street worthy" uke with you and not one of your prized babies. Never know who's going to want to try it out.
Buskers should have a ball on the 4th. Be sure to wear some red,white,and blue on the 4th and don't be shy about drawing attention in the way of wearing oversized uncle sam hats,glitzy red white & blue sunglasses,or dressing as a colonial soldier bearing a ukulele.
And most important-don't forget to take water with you-in the warmer weather staying hydrated is every bit as important as wearing sunscreen and a hat!
