3 Chord Thursday 2025 Ukulele +

We launch the fifth year of 3 Chord Thursday with the theme of ukulele plus to anticipate World Ukulele Day and open our world to other instrumentalists. Which instruments go well with the ukulele? We’ve celebrated World Ukulele Day in past years but never addressed this question. Join us in Zoom to find out. See you on Thursday 30th January 2025!

Continue reading
Posted in sheet music, ukulele | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

World Ukulele Day Workshops

On the 2nd day of the second month, I will give two free workshops to celebrate World Ukulele Day. This annual tradition first started as National Ukulele Day in the USA and went around the world, gathering steam. If you own a ukulele, it’s time to whip it out and play. Join other ukulele players in my free workshops on Sunday 2/2/2025 at 2 PM EST and/or 2 PM HST.

Continue reading
Posted in personal development, sheet music, ukulele | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Happy Birthday for high G ukulele

It is entirely possible to play the same tablature written for low G ukulele on the high G ukulele. It will sound different. It is not wrong. In this blog post, I show an example. Then I transpose the popular “Happy Birthday” tune into another key and show new possibilities.

Continue reading
Posted in ukulele | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Happy Birthday for ukulele

One of the most searched phrases that viewers use to find my website is “happy birthday chord melody arrangement.” The term “chord melody arrangement” refers to an instrumental version of a song in which both the melody and chords are included. Happy Birthday is a short three-chord song that accompanies singing. Why would anyone want to do an instrumental version of it?

Continue reading
Posted in ukulele | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Friday I’m in Love for ukulele

The first thing I heard on Facebook this morning was a YouTube cover of The Cure’s 1992 hit “Friday I’m in Love.” A couple played and sang the four chord song in the key of G. This reminded me that I had tabbed out the catchy fingerpicking introduction (and interlude) in the keys of F and G and performed/recorded it on 3 Chord Thursday with my high school classmate and girl band mate as well as by myself for the 100 Days Ukulele Project. Let me share that instrumental segment here.

Continue reading
Posted in sheet music, ukulele | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Can’t Help Falling in Love with ukulele

Which song comes to mind when you hear the name Elvis? Today is Elvis Presley’s birthday. And I can’t help falling in love with playing the ukulele. Awhile ago I had tabbed out the lead sheet of the song in C major for low G ukulele hinting at the arpeggiated triplet fingerpicking accompaniment. It’s actually easier in the key of F major on the high G ukulele. You decide.

Continue reading
Posted in sheet music | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

We Shall Overcome on ukulele

In the days leading to Martin Luther King Jr Day on 20th January 2025, I hear “We Shall Overcome” in my head. We can strum or fingerpick the ukulele to accompany the song. The long melodic notes at the end of phrases and sentences give the opportunity to embellish with arpeggiation.

Continue reading
Posted in sheet music, ukulele | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Puff the Magic Dragon Travis Picking Variations

When a musician dies, we hear and play his or her music. When I learned of Peter Yarrow‘s passing this morning, I immediately heard “Puff the Magic Dragon.” Travis picking on the chord progression, which is very similar to that of Pachelbel’s famous canon, makes a lot more sense than the chords I chose in my previous blog post on travis picking exercises.

Continue reading
Posted in sheet music, ukulele | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Travis Picking exercises for ukulele

Travis Picking refers to a fingerpicking pattern that makes use of an alternating bass. On the four-string ukulele, the right hand can fingerpick outside strings alternating with the inside strings using two, three, or four fingers. We explore five different variations in exercises for both low G and high G ukuleles in this blog post.

Continue reading
Posted in ukulele | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Oh Susanna for ukulele

The universe has a strange way of directing me to my next song. I was looking at upcoming national days. The 13th of January every year is National Stephen Foster Day. Known as the Father of American Music, Stephen Collins Foster died on 13th January 1864 at the age of 37. At first, I thought of arranging “Beautiful Dreamer” but this morning, I woke up humming “Oh Susanna.”

Continue reading
Posted in sheet music, ukulele | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment