Ukulele Crossword Puzzles

Posted on January 10, 2023 by Anne Ku

Recently I introduced different kinds of crossword puzzles to my ukulele community, before the 2022 Annual Ukulele Jeopardy Game. Earlier, during my years on Maui, I created bespoke puzzles and games to help my music students prepare for their final exams. These crossword puzzles and jeopardy games ranged from piano to music theory. Ukulele is my latest.

Continue reading →
Posted in ukulele | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Ukulele Crossword Puzzles

3 Chord Thursday HARMONICA class

Posted on January 10, 2023 by Anne Ku

On Thursday 9th February 2023 at 3 pm EST when we don’t have a scheduled song session, we will be having a harmonica class in Zoom. This is a prize from the 2022 Annual Ukulele Jeopardy Game. The one-hour class is FREE and open to everyone. Be sure to register in advance to get the Zoom link.

Continue reading →
Posted in ukulele | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on 3 Chord Thursday HARMONICA class

3 Chord Thursday BIRDS

Posted on January 9, 2023 by Anne Ku

On Thursday 30th March 2023, we will share songs about birds. To prepare for our third anniversary on 6th April, the opening warm-up lesson will cover how to play Happy Birthday in four different keys. Don’t miss it! We start at 3 PM EDT (8 PM BST) and end an hour later. 3 Chord Thursday, the thematic song session in Zoom, founded at the beginning of the pandemic, is open to anyone anywhere in the world, recorded on YouTube video for review and reflection.

Continue reading →
Posted in ukulele | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on 3 Chord Thursday BIRDS

3 Chord Thursday Irish Theme

Posted on January 3, 2023 by Anne Ku

On Thursday 16th March 2023, we will celebrate beloved songs about Ireland. Wear green else you’ll get pinched — or virtually pinched. Check out the song list and song sheets the previous times we’ve done this: last year (2022), Irish Playlist, 2021, and the song Ride On. Note: Daylight Savings Time: 3 EDT = 7 PM GMT (UK starts a week later) = 9 AM HST (Hawaii does not observe daylight savings)

Continue reading →
Posted in ukulele | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on 3 Chord Thursday Irish Theme

3 Chord Thursday RIP Burt

Posted on January 3, 2023 by Anne Ku

Thursday 2nd March 2023 is World Book Day on which we are paying tribute to Burt Bacharach who wrote more than 500 songs, of which 73 topped the charts. The multi-Grammy and Oscar winner passed away on 8 February 2023, leaving a massive musical legacy, including the Oscar winning song Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head. In this one-hour session Zoom, we will open with a short warm-up lesson on how to play this famous tune.

Continue reading →
Posted in ukulele | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on 3 Chord Thursday RIP Burt

3 Chord Thursday Hawaiian Love Songs

Posted on January 3, 2023 by Anne Ku

On Thursday 16th February 2023, we will be jamming on the island of Maui sharing love songs of Hawaii in Zoom, as it’s just past Valentine’s Day. For inspiration, check out the songs we did last year and videos from in-person kanikapilas (Hawaiian word for jam session) and timeless love songs. Be sure to wear your aloha shirt or mumu or something Hawaiian. Wear a lei. Bring your kazoo for this one-hour song session in Zoom at 3 PM EST (10 AM HST).

Continue reading →
Posted in ukulele | Tagged , , | Comments Off on 3 Chord Thursday Hawaiian Love Songs

3 Chord Thursday World Ukulele Day

Posted on January 3, 2023 by Anne Ku

Thursday 2nd February 2023 is World Ukulele Day. Last year we celebrated in style. This year, we will do the same. Share songs well-accompanied by the ukulele. Show off your ukulele! Join us in Zoom!

Continue reading →
Posted in ukulele | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on 3 Chord Thursday World Ukulele Day

3 Chord Thursday Chinese Zodiac Signs

Posted on January 3, 2023 by Anne Ku

On Thursday 19th January 2023, we celebrate Chinese New Year of the Rabbit (which falls on Sunday 22nd January) by sharing songs about any of the 12 signs of the Chinese Zodiac or songs in Chinese. We start promptly at 3 pm EST (8 pm GMT) with livestream (recording to YouTube) and a warm-up lesson.

Continue reading →
Posted in ukulele | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on 3 Chord Thursday Chinese Zodiac Signs

Chord Choreography

Posted on January 2, 2023 by Anne Ku

Fingering and switching chords on the ukulele (or the guitar) is akin to the way a pianist changes fingers to play different chords on the left hand. It’s easier to stay in the same position (that part of the keyboard) and play chord inversions than to jump around the keyboard playing root positions (of chords). What slows one down is having to look at the left hand, thereby risk getting lost or playing wrong notes. Similarly, ukulele and guitar players that have to move their eyes from the sheet music to the left hand and fretboard and to the right hand fingers may also risk getting lost or playing wrong notes.

Continue reading →
Posted in ukulele | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Morning Has Broken

Posted on January 2, 2023 by Anne Ku

The song I played on the guitar and piano as a teenager on Okinawa was fun because of the catchy piano introduction that’s also used between verses. It starts in the key of D but modulates to C for the first verse. Staying in C for the second verse, it returns to the D for the third verse and the modulates back to C for the fourth verse (which is a repeat of the first verse). Released in 1971, it is Cat Steven’s greatest hit. He took a relatively unknown Christian hymn first published in 1931, and harmonized it differently, most notably using a piano arrangement and performance by Rick Wakeman. The text was written by an English poet famous for nursery rhymes, and the hymn was set to an old Scottish Gaelic melody known as Bunessan.

Continue reading →
Posted in ukulele | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Morning Has Broken