Strum & Fingerpick Exercise in 3/4 Time

Posted on January 7, 2025 by Anne Ku

Is it easy to switch from strumming to fingerpicking? Here’s an exercise that will get you to do both. When we strum, we are referring to block chords. However, it’s also possible to fingerpick a block chord. Similarly, it’s possible to strum a broken chord. Curious? Read on.

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Accompaniment exercises in 3/4 time for low G ukulele

Posted on January 7, 2025 by Anne Ku

This blog post is about a fingerstyle ukulele exercise for low G ukulele in the key of A minor. The time signature is 3/4 which means a count of three. The exercise supports the song “Feed the Birds” in a previous blog post.

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Accompaniment in 3/4 time for high G ukulele

Posted on January 7, 2025 by Anne Ku

So far in my daily music writing project I have arranged two pieces in 3/4 time. Both pieces are in minor keys. Both can be accompanied as a waltz or lullaby or ballad. What does this mean for playing on high G ukulele?

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Feed the Birds with ukulele

Posted on January 6, 2025 by Anne Ku

Where do I get my ideas for arranging music? Sometimes it’s a song that reminds me of something. Sometimes it’s a national day. For “Feed the Birds” from the movie Mary Poppins, it’s both and more.

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Auld Lang Syne in F for low G ukulele

Posted on January 4, 2025 by Anne Ku

The experience of writing for low G ukulele is entirely different from writing for high ukulele. Playing the arrangement is also something else. I daresay Auld Lang Syne in F on low G ukulele is easier to play than that my version in G major on high G ukulele. They sound different, too.

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On Top of Spaghetti in C for high G ukulele

Posted on January 3, 2025 by Anne Ku

The first thing I read after I got up this morning was whatever was on the dining table. It threw a curve ball at me. Instantly, the tune entered my head. The only way to get rid of that ear worm was to write it down. January 4th is National Spaghetti Day.

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Left Hand Techniques for ukulele

Posted on January 3, 2025 by Anne Ku

Left hand techniques refer to the different ways to produce sound with the fretting hand. In addition to preparing the pitch, these left hand fingers can also be employed to produce sound by sliding, bending, hammering on, and pulling off. We explore exercises for the high G ukulele, as applied to Auld Lang Syne for high G ukulele.

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Auld Lang Syne for high G ukulele

Posted on January 2, 2025 by Anne Ku

Between New Year’s Eve and Burn’s Night is the best time of the year for Auld Lang Syne. This time last year I ran several workshops in Zoom to explore different ways to play and accompany this popular song. Revisiting what I had arranged, I discovered even more, if not, better ways to play it — for high G ukulele specifically.

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Andalusian Cadence

Posted on January 2, 2025 by Anne Ku

The chord progression that accompanies the first section of Greensleeves (What Child Is This) is a common chord progression known as the Andalusian Cadence. You might have heard or played it in the song “Hit the Road Jack.” Can you think of other songs that use it?

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Greensleeves or What Child Is This for ukulele

Posted on January 2, 2025 by Anne Ku

What if …. What if I were to arrange or compose something every single day? A tune a day keeps the …. at bay. A tune a day keeps the …. away. The tune takes over and infests like an ear worm until it’s done. A new tune replaces the old. a tune a day keeps the earworm at bay. Or even away. Such is the story of how I revisited Greensleeves on New Year’s Eve.

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