Daily Music Writing Project

On the first day of the year 2025, I declared my intention to write music every day. My daily music writing project is a testimony of my commitment to arranging and composing music for the ukulele so that I will publish and make my work available to a wider audience. Towards that end, I am offering the music listed on this page as indicated on this Request & Feedback Form.

This blog post explains the motivation behind the project, ukulele skill levels, access to my work, and a table of contents of my daily output with relevant links to individual blog posts. Finally, I list upcoming free workshops and classes.

The Project

To get feedback, I share my writing daily through samples (extracts, excerpts), video recording, and sometimes the full work by PDF free for download.

Why daily?

To get good at something, I believe in doing it regularly and frequently. The constancy not only provides a steady pace but also helps build momentum.

Weave it into your daily schedule. Make it routine. Don’t allow time to “think about it” or give excuses. Just do it.

Along with doing it daily, I believe in making many. Recall the parable of the pottery class. Conclusion: quantity leads to quality.

I have personally benefitted from participating in daily projects. The 100 Days of Ukulele in 2022 and 2024 helped improve my playing and video recording / editing.

It’s not necessary to participate in an existing project with other people, though doing so gets support (words of encouragement) from members of that group. You can start your own.

This time last year I started my own challenge of swimming every day. The Netfliex movie Nyad, about the swimmer who aimed to swim from Cuba to Florida, inspired me greatly. It made me ask myself, “How long can I swim without a break? How far can I swim? What do I need to do to swim without a break for as long as possible?”

You can just declare your intention, like I’m doing now, and build your own tribe to give support and feedback.

Making time

To open up my schedule for this daily music writing project, I announced to start 3 Chord Thursday thematic song session in Zoom later than usual and to meet only once per month, a total of 12 pre-scheduled Thursdays in the entire year.

How else to make time? I am taking a sabbatical from giving seasonal courses in piano and ukulele. This will be the first time I’m doing so since I started teaching online. This doesn’t mean that I won’t be offering classes and workshops, just not seasonal courses.

The Content

Writing Music

What do I mean by writing music?

When my students request to learn to play a song, I research to find song sheets, lead sheets, scores, video tutorials, covers etc. If I can’t find anything, I have to create the written material from scratch.

If I find something, I adapt it such as transcribing from notation or by ear, transposing to another key, or simplifying to make it possible to play at the skill level required. Often I arrange different versions for different skill levels and show different possibilities.

My students have asked for exercises to prepare to play a particular song. This means composing new music. Some have asked for video recordings but recording takes longer as it requires setting up and editing. I have to choose: write music or record it?

My final goal is to get my work published. Otherwise, only my students will see my arrangements and exercises — for THAT particular ukulele course or workshop.

Chord Switching Exercises

Since publishing my first ukulele book in 2020, I have been producing chord switching exercises (such as the one shown above) to get my students to think outside of the context of any particular song.

Practising such exercises without looking at your fretting hand and fingers will help you

1. navigate the ukulele fretboard and learn to trust your fingers
2. reduce errors in fingering and switching chords
3. increase the speed in fingering and switching chords
4. expand your chord vocabulary
5. exercise your hands and fingers
6. improve motoric coordination between eyes and fingers

My new book “Ukulele Exercises: Finger Fitness for Flexibility” contains 45 progressive chord switching exercises which explore what I call chord choreography.

Chord Representation by Fret Numbers

The numbers below the chord diagrams shown in the above image refer to the frets to press on each string.

Chord representation by fret numbers is an alternative to the visual method by chord diagrams.

The fret numbers are four digit numbers corresponding to the frets to press on the strings of the ukulele in order of G, C, E, A. Read and recite the numbers from the left to right as you are looking at the ukulele fret board.

One way to build your chord vocabulary is by memorizing chords. I have created many puzzles to help with this in my classes and the Ukulele Jeopardy Games in 3 Chord Thursday.

Ukulele Crossword Puzzles can refer to both words and numbers. Here’s an example from my Ukulele Puzzles book, which contains 12 puzzles not all of which are crossword. Some are fill in the blanks.

Access to the Sheet Music

Since my declaration to write music every day, I have posted daily blogs about my music, sometimes multiple versions of the same song in one post, sometimes multiple posts about one song or piece. The sample images in the blog posts will hopefully provide some insight into my work.

• Annual subscribers to 3 Chord Thursday 2025 may request and receive these new arrangements as part of their package, for supporting the thematic song sessions for 2025.
• Visit the REQUEST & FEEDBACK form to see details of how to request ths music listed here.
• For arrangements, exercises, and other work by Anne Ku, use the ORDER FORM.

Notification of New and Updated Work

There is no ONE way to find out. The best way is ALL the ways below — just to be sure.

1. Subscribe to this website to get instant notification of these daily tabs. Use the form at the top right hand corner of any webpage.
2. Sign up for the celebrated Ukulele Enthusiast e-blast (newsletter) to get on the mailing list for notification of such new arrangements. Use the Google Form.
3. Subscribe to the YouTube Channel to get notification of new livestreams and uploads. It’s my intention to record my new work within a week of publishing on this website.
4. Sign up and participate in my free workshops – 3 Chord Thursday in Zoom, World Ukulele Day in Zoom, in-person in Cohasset, MA and forthcoming classes at the Boston Public Library in Massachusetts.
5. Follow me on Facebook. Join 3 Chord Thursday on Facebook.

Ukulele Playing Skill Level

This list, currently shown chronologically, will be re-organized according to skill level. I will post a separate blog about factors that contribute and determine skill level, including a diagnostic. The following bullet list is a preliminary set.

• Level 0 means no pre-requisites – complete beginner, just learning to hold and tune the instrument.
• Level 1 beginner who can read chord diagrams, execute down and up strokes and basic strum patterns; fingerpick with thumb
• Level 2 advanced beginner who can read tablature and fingerpick with correct fingers and have memorized the basic chords such that there’s no need to see chord diagrams
• Level 3 intermediate who can do the above but also produce good tone (sound), play barre chords, derive chords through moveable chord shapes, and fingerpick with thumb and index finger.
• Level 4 advanced players can read from a lead sheet and produce a chord melody arrangement, transpose and modulate on sight, play the scales up and down the neck, play higher positions (higher frets), can improvise, and play or derive all the chords needed

Catalog of New Work by Anne Ku

also known as Table of Contents of the Daily Music Writing Project

Day	Title / Topic	Keys	Type	Comments	Level
1	Greensleeves / What Child Is This	Em, Fm, Gm, Am	Lead Sheet Chord Melody	sample score, video
2	Andalusian Cadence	Am, Gm	Arpeggio Accompaniment	sample score
3	Auld Lang Syne for high G ukulele	F, G	Lead Sheet Chord Melody	sample score, playalong video
4	Left Hand Techniques	G	Lead Sheet	definition, sample score	2
5	On Top of Spaghetti	C	Chord Melody	playalong video	0, 1
6	Auld Lang Syne in F for low G ukulele	F, C	Chord Melody	playalong video
7	Feed the Birds	Em, Am	Lead Sheet, Chord Melody	sample scores
8	Accompaniment in 3/4 Time	Am	High G ukulele	sample scores
9	Accompaniment exercises in 3/4 Time	Am	Low G ukulele	sample scores
10	Strum & Fingerpick Exercise in 3/4 Time	C	high or low G ukulele	sample scores
11	Exercise for Waltz Accompaniment	C	high or low G ukulele	sample scores
12	Oh Susanna!	C	high or low G ukulele	sample scores	0, 1
13	Travis Picking exercises	C	high and low G ukulele	sample scores
14	Puff the Magic Dragon 7 Travis Picking variations	C	high and low G ukulele	sample scores
15	We Shall Overcome	C	high and low G ukulele	sample scores	0, 1
16	Can’t Help Falling in Love	C, F	high and low G ukulele	download lead sheet
17	Friday I’m in Love	F, G	high G ukulele	scores, play along videos	2, 3
18	Happy Birthday for ukulele	F	high & low G ukulele	lead sheets, chord melody, score
19	Happy Birthday for high G ukulele	F, C	high G ukulele	chord melody scores
20	Body Surfing for easy ukulele	Gm	high and low G ukulele	samples of scores	2, 3
21	Daily Music Writing Project		ukulele	chord switching exercise cross fret number puzzle	0, 1
22	Body Surfing for easy ukulele transposed	Am	high G ukulele	sample score, chords	2, 3
23	Simplifying Omoide for ukulele	Am, Dm	high G, low G	sample scores, chords	3, 4
24	Dance on Open Strings	C	high G	score, videos	0, 1, 2
25	Dance on Mostly Open Strings	C	high G	score, exercises	0, 1, 2
26	Harmonized major scale exercises	C	high G	score, videos	1, 2
27	The pedal tone — Bless This House	C	low G	score	1, 2
28	Fill and connect melody with passing notes – Auld Lang Syne	G	high G	samples	2
29	The Five Note Dance	F	high G	score, video	0, 1
30	Take Five on Five Duet	F	high G	score	0, 1
31	Homage to Carcassi	F	low G	samples	2, 3
	Year of the Snake		high G	play along video	0, 1
	Dragon Born		high G	play along video	0, 1
	Rabbit Hole		high G	play along video	1, 2
	Two Tigers		high G	play along video	1, 2
	Holy Cow		high G	score samples	1, 2
	As Tears Go By	C, G		score samples
	Can’t Help Falling in Love	F		score samples
	12 Chinese Zodiac Tunes		high G	score samples	1, 2, 3
	Terminology / Glossary		work in progress	definitions, examples, illustrations

Declaration on 22nd January 2025

I commit to posting blogs of my daily music writing progress and sharing samples of my work for all 31 days in the first month of 2025.

After January, I will compile my musical work to publish them so that they are available in full (not just extracts, excerpts or samples).

I will record my work in the 100 Days of Ukulele 2025 project which begins on 1st March 2025. This means 100 consecutive videos (performance and tutorials) on my YouTube Channel.

FREE WORKSHOPS & CLASSES

I will give workshops and classes which introduce and use my work.

The following are FREE to all participants. Registration is needed to reserve your space and

• 3 Chord Thursday (on one Thursday per month, total of 12 in 2025) – one hour in Zoom
• Sunday 2/2 at 2 PM EST and HST on World Ukulele Day (one hour in Zoom)
• Sunday 2/9 at 2 PM EST in Cohasset, Massachusetts (two hours in person)
• Wednesday evenings in April and May: a six week course at the Boston Public Library (one hour in person)

BONUS

As a test to see who is reading my blog post, here’s a challenge.

Write an exercise for the ukulele with all 12 chords from the puzzle shown above. Can you arrange the twelve chords so that they sound nice? Alternatively, can you order the chords in a progression that’s easy and fun for the fretting fingers? How about both? Can you write an instrumental piece or a song that uses these twelve chords?

Anyone who responds to the challenge with a piece (with notation, tablature, and chords) can request one piece from the list above, gratis.

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Music requests

The music listed on this webpage is available by request with the caveat of providing feedback before the second and subsequent requests are granted. See request & feedback form for details.