Valentine’s Day at Heartbreak Hotel ukulele jam

The approach of Valentine’s Day isn’t always welcoming for the heart broken. While lovers dine in restaurants or stroll hand in hand, the jilted and the scorned sit alone, at home, hiding from the rest of the world, mourning love’s labour’s lost, and drowning themselves in love songs that make them cry even more.

On this Valentine’s Day, I decided to do something entirely different. Rather than expecting an invitation to dinner or a card that says “Will you be my Valentine?” I will give a ukulele workshop at 6:30 pm followed by a jam session, to play and sing songs that will break your heart. The workshop helps to prepare newcomers to the ukulele on the basics needed to play the instrument. They are welcome to stay for the jam which begins with easy songs to warm-up at 7:30 pm.

Already my list tops 70 on Spotify. Not all songs sound sad or will make you cry however. Interesting there are several songs about women but none about men. Maybe I should add “Dear John Letter” and “Heartbreak Hotel”

Note: I’m also giving a “Beginner’s Basics” workshop for the ukulele on 7 Feb.

Wednesday 14th February 2018 at Walter Baker Artist Lofts in Historic Lower Mills, Boston

Valentine’s break-up songs line-up according to difficulty (this will be shortlisted and produced in a PDF file soon):

• Don’t Pass Me By: C, F, G (with harmonica)
• First Cut is the Deepest: C, G, F (create PDF)
• Runaround Sue: C, F, G, Am
• Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain: C, F, G7 (with instrumental interlude)
• Where Did Our Love Go: C, G, Dm (with Kazoo) – same as Supremes’ key
• When Will I Be Loved: G, C, D
• Cecilia: G, C, D
• Should I Stay or Should I Go: D, G, A
• Your Cheatin’ Heart: C, F, G7, D7
• Red, Red Wine: C, F/G, G7, G7sus4 (one page)
• Red, Red, Wine: C, F, G (3 pages) with beats paced out
• Jolene: Am7, C, Em7, G
• I Won’t Back Down: C, Em, D, G
• Angie: Dm, A7, C, Bb, F, Gm
• Bye Bye Love: C, D, A, E7, D7 or just C, F, G7
• Tennessee Waltz: in C
• Tennessee Waltz: F, F7, A7, C7, Bb
• Tennessee Waltz: in G major, interesting chord changes (2 pages)
• It’s a Heartache: C, F, Am, Bb, Dm
• It’s a Heartache: C6 (Am7), C7, F, C, Am, Dm, Bb
• Crying in the Rain: Am, C, Dm, E7, F, G7
• Only the Lonely (Ray Orbison): Bb, C7, F, F7, G7, Gm
• Cruel to Be Kind: C, Em, F, G, Am, Dm, A
• It Doesn’t Matter Anymore: G, D7, A7, Em, D, C
• Maggie May: D, A7sus4, Gsus2, A, G, Em, F#m – interesting pattern
• Help Me Make It Through the Night: C, Csus4, F, Am, Dm, G7
• I Don’t Want to Talk About It: Am, G, Dm, Gmaj7, Em7, C
• You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away: many easy chords but fast transitions (with harmonica)
• I’m Not in Love:  D, Dm, A, C#7, F#m, E7, C, G7, Am, G
• Love Hurts: G, F, C, D7, Em7, A, Em, B7, G7, Am
• Breaking Up is Hard to Do: many chords but fun
• Crazy: C major – 11 chords but slow song

RSVP Valentine’s Day Heartbreak Ukulele Jam in Historic Lower Mills

Each jam session will be preceded by a workshop. Next jam themes:

• Academy Awards (movie songs)
• St Patrick’s Day (Irish songs)
• Original songs for the ukulele (Tonight You Belong to Me, Moon Song, etc)
• Earth Day (songs about conservation, nature, the environment)
• Mother’s Day