12 Chinese Zodiac Tunes

Posted on February 15, 2025 by Anne Ku

For me, knowing the Chinese Zodiac sign helps me approximate a person’s age. Knowing that person’s Western Zodiac sign helps me anticipate the timing of a birthday in the year. Having just finished writing twelve pentatonic instrumental pieces for the high G ukulele, one for each Chinese Zodiac animal, I am eager to share how these original tunes relate to the Chinese Zodiac signs.

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Guinea Pig for high G ukulele

Posted on February 14, 2025 by Anne Ku

Last but not least, the pig arrives to claim the 12th animal in the Chinese Zodiac Cycle. The cat was still asleep, for the mouse did not wake him up. That’s why the cat has been chasing the mouse ever since. The story now ends with guinea pig, as the twelfth pentatonic tune for high G ukulele. I use the three remaining major pentatonic scales in this solo instrumental piece.

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Gift Horse for high G ukulele

Posted on February 14, 2025 by Anne Ku

Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth. My days of waking up naturally, stumbling to my computer, picking up my high G concert ukulele, and sitting in my office chair to compose music for the ukulele are ending. Such is the luxury of time. All the time in the world to compose. The third project (record my music) should start on 1st March 2025. Already late in starting my second project this year (get my music published) I will have to multi-task or parallel process to compose, publish, and record. The gift of time. The gift of freedom. The horse is the 11th animal sign in the 12 Chinese Zodiac Tunes I’m writing.

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100 Days of Ukulele 2024

Posted on February 14, 2025 by Anne Ku

The 100 Days Ukulele Project invites you to document 100 consecutive days of doing something with the ukulele. At the extreme, you can record 100 videos of yourself playing 100 different pieces. At the minimum, you can post a picture of you and your ukulele. The project is about committing yourself to play the ukulele. Does writing new music for the ukulele count? What about practising every day for 100 consecutive days?

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Monkey Around for high G ukulele

Posted on February 13, 2025 by Anne Ku

Monkeys have four limbs that are not only independent but also extremely flexible. They can climb, leap, run, hang, flip, and do almost everything except fly. Some monkeys can even swim. If ukulele players treat their fingers like monkey limbs, what’s possible? Let’s monkey around and see.

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Ukulele Chord Chart or Chord Table

Posted on February 7, 2025 by Anne Ku

Apparently the single most important piece of paper for ukulele players is a ukulele chord chart or ukulele chord table. Whether you’re a complete beginner or advanced beginner, you will need to look for the chord diagram, if it’s not on the song sheet and you don’t know it by heart. I have created many varieties of ukulele chord charts in jam sessions and my classes. But where is THE one I can use on my website?

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Doggy Bag for high G ukulele

Posted on February 7, 2025 by Anne Ku

REALLY? I can hear dog lovers scream. “Is this the best name you can come up with?” My ninth original piece from the 12 Chinese Zodiac Tunes is dedicated to the dog. I choose the letters D – G and B A G, which spell “Doggy Bag.” The instrumental piece is pentatonic for high G ukulele.

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Chopin Waltz in A minor for low G ukulele

Posted on February 7, 2025 by Anne Ku

Upon seeing a reduced version of Chopin’s Waltz in A minor for easy piano, I couldn’t get the tune out of my head. It’s one of many posthumous pieces that sound beautiful on the piano. Is it possible to play it on the ukulele? With so many octaves, only the low G ukulele offers a chance. And still, the range on this instrument is insufficient. How can I compromise to play this Chopin Waltz on the low G ukulele?

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Chicken Feed for high G ukulele

Posted on February 6, 2025 by Anne Ku

Memorize the four notes on the fifth fret of the ukulele with an acronym: chicken feed all day. CFAD. When I first heard it used, I thought that chickens eat all day. Then I realize that “chicken feed” could refer to a noun, as in small or negligible amount of money, wage, or anything. Hopefully my new pentatonic piece using the notes of C, F, A, D is not chicken feed! It’s the eighth piece in the 12 Chinese Zodiac Tunes I’m writing at this time.

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Rat Race for high G ukulele

Posted on February 6, 2025 by Anne Ku

Join the rat race to get to the top. In Chinese, the character for rat and mouse is one and the same. Singular and plural are also the same. Whether it’s one rat racing about or many mice running around, there doesn’t seem to be any order except for a lot of movement. I chose the Bb major pentatonic scale as the basis for this instrumental piece for high G ukulele.

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