Lamorinda Ukulele Club

The Lamorinda Ukulele Club (LMUC) is a group of ukulele fans who meet at Lamorinda Music every Monday evening to play and sing together. The club is run entirely by volunteers and has been going strong for more than 5 years. On average, more than 40 people attend the weekly jam.

What kind of music does the group play?

Much of our material is drawn from popular songs of the 1920s to the 1970s, but we play plenty of other music, too. We’ve done everything from traditional folk songs to the Beatles, country classics, Bruno Mars, Hawaiian music, holiday tunes, and more!

We play songs from three sources: The Daily Ukulele: 365 Songs for Better Living (aka the “Yellow Book”), The Daily Ukulele - Leap Year Edition: 366 More Songs for Better Living (aka the “Blue Book”), and individual chord sheets. The Yellow Book and Blue Book are available for purchase at Lamorinda Music, while individual chord sheets are distributed to our members online. All of the songs for the weekly jam are generally chosen and announced in advance.

What is the format of the jam?

The doors usually open at around 6:15 p.m. We start playing at 7 p.m. Our standard format is to play songs from the Yellow Book or Blue Book for the first half, followed by a 15-minute break for refreshments. During the second half we usually have a few minutes of open mic time and then play a selection of songs from individual chord sheets. The jam ends at about 9 p.m.

Who leads the group?

We use a rotating leadership model. Any member or group of members can sign up in our calendar to lead a jam. These volunteers choose the music for the jams they lead. We are lucky to have many fantastic members who share their talents.

Is instruction provided?

The club does not provide instruction, but lessons are available at Lamorinda Music. Check out the lesson page here or contact the store for more details.

Who can attend?

We are a friendly, low-key bunch, welcoming players of all skill levels. Anyone can participate in the jam on any week. Simply show up with your ukulele and a contribution of $5 to help pay for the room rental and other club expenses. Music stands are provided. Members bring their own copies of the song list and music, but if you don’t have those the first time you attend, don’t worry. We’ll get you set up! We recommend early arrival for the best choice of seating (though no earlier than 6:15 p.m.)

How do I join the mailing list?

The Lamorinda Ukulele Club has created a group called LMUC on Groups.io to handle our email list, provide an online discussion forum, and support a sign-up mechanism for leaders. Visit our web page to learn more (a new window will open.)

If you would like to subscribe to the LMUC group, send an email message to main+subscribe@LMUC.groups.io. We screen requests to join our online community in order to maintain the group's privacy and to prevent spam. Please provide your first and last name in your email message so that we know that the request is coming from a legitimate source.

Is the group active during the pandemic?

Yes! The club's main activity before the pandemic was the weekly Monday night jam at Lamorinda Music, as described above. Those jams are currently suspended. We hope to reinstate them soon, but in the meantime, the club has adapted its activities to fit the ever-changing situation and the needs of its members. All club jams that are currently taking place are announced through the mailing list.