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!

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

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)

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

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!

Continue reading →
Posted in ukulele | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on 3 Chord Thursday Preview Nutmeg Ukulele Festival

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

Continue reading →
Posted in sheet music, ukulele | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

America the Beautiful

Posted on July 5, 2023 by Anne Ku

A parishioner requested “America the Beautiful” to include in the programme on the weekend before Independence Day. For Catholic mass, I played it as a recessional hymn on the organ while the young cantor lead the congregation who sang more loudly than usual. This request, along with other comments on my post in Facebook, prompted me to look into arranging the unofficial national anthem for easy piano and instrumental ukulele solo on Independence Day, 4th of July 2023, a rainy day in Boston, Massachusetts.

Continue reading →
Posted in sheet music | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

God Bless America

Posted on July 3, 2023 by Anne Ku

Irving Berlin initially penned the words to “God Bless America” while serving as a sergeant at an army camp in 1918. As typical of many of his songs which didn’t fit the occasion at the time, it was put away in a trunk. Twenty years later, opportunity knocked on his door. Berlin pulled out this song for Kate Smith, the singer to debut at Armistice Day (now Veterans Day) in 1938. For many Americans, it became the unofficial second national anthem. [See the other national anthems.]

Continue reading →
Posted in sheet music, ukulele | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Correct fingering for error-free execution with ease

Posted on June 20, 2023 by Anne Ku

“Pencil in your fingering for both hands. Use a pencil in case you want to erase later. Decide on the fingering. Practice with the fingering you wrote in the score.” Why? The students in piano and ukulele classes ask. Why is correct fingering important?

Continue reading →
Posted in course, sheet music, ukulele | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Correct fingering for error-free execution with ease