Have you ever woken up with a tune that sounds so familiar that you spend the rest of the morning trying figure out where you heard or played it? The tune in my head was so loud and enduring that I had to find a home for it. Here’s what happened. It was a minor motif. I didn’t hear it on the high G ukulele but it’s very possible to play it.
I rushed to play the tune on the piano so I could hear it in my head better. It was in the key of A minor — just over an octave. I could easily play the entire motif on the low G ukulele.
But I am writing for high G ukulele at this time. I would need to transpose to C minor and change one note.
Where have I heard this tune before?
It sounds so familiar that I had to shazam myself playing the tune. Shazam found it hard and couldn’t identify the tune.
Could it be a hymn? Someone else’s piece?
As usual, to “get rid” of a sticky tune, i.e. an ear worm, I have to write it down and “be done with it.”
I begin in C minor, then move to its parallel C major with a few exceptions. From there, I move up to D minor and D major. In the last and 5th section, I return to D minor with added eighth notes.
Earth Day – reduce, recycle, reuse
Reusing the same motif while keeping additional notes to a minimum is an example of conservation. Reduce takes discipline. Re-use and repurpose takes imagination. Recycle requires technology and energy.
Today is Earth Day — observed on 22nd April each year.
I’ve hosted Earth Day themed song sessions at 3 Chord Thursday in previous years
and while teaching in Hawaii (earth day jam piano workshop; music for the earth).
UPDATE at 6 PM EDT
While waiting for the light at the nearby intersection, I suddenly knew where the tune came from.
It’s an old hymn tune named after the province in northern France. Whether’s it’s a French carol or folk song, it dates back as early as the 17th century.
I will thus rename my piece now that I traced the origins. Incidentally, organists regularly reharmonize and modulate hymn tunes. I have a book of 400 hymn tunes and several pages of omissions. This is a project in itself – to get all the hymn tunes, different harmonizations, AND chord names labelled on them. Most books do not have chord names.
I also revised the ending to a Picardy third, i.e. a major chord ending of a minor piece.
No longer confused about the origins of this ear worm, I can now move on.
Pick! Pluck! Play!
“A Minor Motif” belongs in the second level of the book “Pick! Pluck! Play!”
The last page “Ukulele Chords” of the new book contains a table of ukulele chord diagrams ordered alphabetically for the chords used in the book.
I’m thrilled about releasing these two books as a precursors (prerequisite) to the 12 Chinese Zodiac Suite, which contains three skill levels.
I am recording all my new compositions in the 100 Days of Ukulele 2025 project. To me, this challenge means uploading a new video recording of a new piece each consecutive day from 1st March to 8th June 2025.
For other recent compositions and arrangements by Anne Ku, please visit the Daily Music Writing Project or scroll through the consecutive blog posts.
