3 Chord Thursday Rest in Peace (RIP)

Posted on July 11, 2023 by Anne Ku

On Thursday 2nd November 2023, we observe the Day of the Dead by honoring the music of those musicians who passed away this past year and recent years. Rest in Peace (RIP) Christine McVey, Harry Belafonte, Tina Turner, Gordon Lightfoot, Tony Bennett, Sinead O’Connor, …. See the list of musicians who died in 2023. Join us for this special session of 3 Chord Thursday. Please wear solid solemn color of either black or white or both. (Gray is also acceptible.)

Warm Up Lesson

At 3 PM on 2nd November, I will show different ways to end a song. This portion will not be publicly livestreamed but will be recorded and available to all paid subscribers and registered students in Fall 2023. [At our previous 3 Chord Thursday session, I showed several ways of introducing a song.]

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Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

Posted on July 10, 2023 by Anne Ku

Who wrote the original tune to “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star? The same melody used in the alphabet song “A, B, C, D, E, F, G”? The popular nursery rhyme “Baa, baa black sheep, have you any wool” also uses this melody. Wolfgang Amadeus famously wrote twelve piano variations on this theme, the French song “Ah vous dirai-je, Maman.” It’s the last piece we analyzed in my 8-week Music Theory Melody course in Zoom.

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Game of Thrones

Posted on July 10, 2023 by Anne Ku

I was living on Maui when “Game of Thrones” premiered on American cable TV HBO in Spring of 2011. I must have watched one episode of it on someone else’s television and concluded that the main theme was an ear worm. In other words, once the tune is in my head, it would be difficult to get rid of it. I decided that I shouldn’t watch the series.

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3 Chord Thursday Teachers

Posted on July 8, 2023 by Anne Ku

Thursday 5th October 2023 is World Teachers Day. We open the Autumn 2023 season by dedicating this 3 Chord Thursday to all those who teach or have taught for a living. We invite you to teach a song in this one-hour thematic song session in Zoom. For this occasion, we have invited Erin Ash Sullivan, an educator and singer song writer in Massachusetts, to share her new work and stories of her touring since her album release. She will teach us a new song in her next album. You can meet her in Zoom and a copy of her CD autographed for you!

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3 Chord Thursday Peace

Posted on July 8, 2023 by Anne Ku

Thursday 21st September 2023 is International Day of Peace. We celebrate with songs of peace in 3 Chord Thursday. There are many songs with Peace in the title but even more songs about peace. Check out this list of 20 songs about peace in 2022. This is the last session of the Summer 2023 Season. Register EARLY for music classes in Zoom and get a 3 Chord Thursday special offer.

Dress Code: yellow and blue (Ukraine colors)

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3 Chord Thursday Preview Nutmeg Ukulele Festival

Posted on July 8, 2023 by Anne Ku

On the first Thursday, 7th September 2023, we give a preview of the 2nd Nutmeg Ukulele Festival, a one day event in Simsbury, Connecticut. In this one hour session in Zoom, 1) get a taste of ukulele bootcamp, 2) learn how to correctly play Brother Iz’s famous “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” and 3) sing and play along to the songs selected for the ukulele festival. Register in Zoom to get the link and info!

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3 Chord Thursday Blue Moon

Posted on July 8, 2023 by Anne Ku

Thursday 31st August 2023 is the 5th Thursday of the month and also a full moon. Blue moon refers to the 2nd full moon of the month. 3 Chord Thursday has celebrated many moons since we began in April 2020, including a full moon session in August 2022 and in June 2021. Do you know the famous Chinese Mandarin love song The Moon Represents My Heart? Choose your best key and make your own song sheet HERE.

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3 Chord Thursday Massachusetts

Posted on July 8, 2023 by Anne Ku

Thursday 17th August 2023 is National Massachusetts Day. As we are part of the Ukulele Union of Boston, let’s celebrate songs about our state in 3 Chord Thursday. There are songs about Boston, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, New England … see this blog post. Wear something that has “Boston,” “Harvard,” or anything else that’s in Massachusetts on it.

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3 Chord Thursday Golden Oldies

Posted on July 8, 2023 by Anne Ku

On Thursday 3rd August 2023, let’s revisit the golden oldies — the most memorable songs of the 50’s and 60’s. We have previously celebrated three sessions of 60’s songs in 3 Chord Thursday but not yet 50’s songs. Elvis Presley had the most number of top hit songs in the fifties. Check out Betty Lou’s List of number one hits in the fifties. RIP Tony Bennett, who sang many of the beloved songs from the fifties and sixties.

Register via this Google Form. We will warm up with a short lesson on the chords in “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” in C major. Read about the background.

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My Country, ‘Tis of Thee or God Save the King

Posted on July 6, 2023 by Anne Ku

On an American air base in the island of Okinawa, I grew up singing “My Country, ‘Tis of Thee” before I learned that the same tune was known as “God Save the Queen” or “God Save the King” depending on the monarch in the United Kingdom. In fact, it is the official national anthem of Great Britain. Interestingly, the hymn known as “America” is considered one of five national anthems in America, along side “God Bless America” and “America the Beautiful.” In this blog post, I introduce an instrumental solo arrangement for the high G ukulele.

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