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.
My one-page PDF of the lead sheet for low G ukulele can be used as a duet. One person fingerpicks the melody while the other accompanies with chords.
Given it’s Elvis’ birthday, I decided to tab it out to see how exactly one would fingerpick the accompaniment.
The version I relate to appears in the 2018 movie “Crazy Rich Asians.” It’s so poignant and beautiful that I have to share it here.
The introduction is important to set the mood and tempo. Play the first verses as written and then move to the middle section below.
Return to the previous segment for verse three. And there you have it!
Born in Tupelo, Mississippi on January 8, 1935, Elvis Aaron Presley died in Memphis, Tennessee on August 16, 1977.
If you have a high G ukulele, you may be tempted to play the song in F major. See another blog post for transposition to F major.
Valentine’s Day is only a month away! We are celebrating it with love songs in 3 Chord Thursday on 6th February 2025 at the usual 3 PM EST in Zoom. Free to participate in the one-hour song session BUT you do need to subscribe to get on the mailing list for the Zoom link.
Practice suggestions
Familiarize yourself with the song. Fingerpick the melody notes. Finger and strum the chords. Then attempt to fingerpick the arpeggiated (broken) chords.
More information
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