Tag Archives: fingerstyle

Body Surfing for easy ukulele

Virtuosic instrumental ukulele performances woo and awe us. Master ukulele shredders like Taimane and Jake Shimabukuro play so fast and furiously that sometimes you can’t see the fingers at all. They play up and down the neck, covering the entire … Continue reading

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Can’t Help Falling in Love with ukulele

Which song comes to mind when you hear the name Elvis? Today is Elvis Presley’s birthday. And I can’t help falling in love with playing the ukulele. Awhile ago I had tabbed out the lead sheet of the song in … Continue reading

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Travis Picking exercises for ukulele

Travis Picking refers to a fingerpicking pattern that makes use of an alternating bass. On the four-string ukulele, the right hand can fingerpick outside strings alternating with the inside strings using two, three, or four fingers. We explore five different … Continue reading

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Accompaniment exercises in 3/4 time for low G ukulele

This blog post is about a fingerstyle ukulele exercise for low G ukulele in the key of A minor. The time signature is 3/4 which means a count of three. The exercise supports the song “Feed the Birds” in a … Continue reading

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Accompaniment in 3/4 time for high G ukulele

So far in my daily music writing project I have arranged two pieces in 3/4 time. Both pieces are in minor keys. Both can be accompanied as a waltz or lullaby or ballad. What does this mean for playing on … Continue reading

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On Top of Spaghetti in C for high G ukulele

On Top of Spaghetti is a parody on the traditional tune of “On Top of Old Smokey” accompanied as a waltz or ballad with three chords, arranged for easy and fun fingerstyle ukulele chord melody instrumental solo by Anne Ku, with video and tabs. Continue reading

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Canon for a Wedding

Why did Pachelbel write the Canon in D? He was an organist not a violinist. Yet he wrote the Canon and the Gigue for three violins, later accompanied by basso continuo (e.g. harpsichord, lute, or cello). One speculation is that … Continue reading

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Correct fingering for error-free execution with ease

“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 … Continue reading

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Pluck & Play

Pluck & Play refers to a new fingerstyle ukulele course with a focus on fingerpicking technique for dexterity and better tone, to be offered in November 2022. Pre-requisite: have taken Tab & Pluck or equivalent introduction to fingerstyle course, instrumental … Continue reading

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Ode to Joy of Uke

In my quest to find an arrangement for the ukulele to join the orchestra and the choir of 10,000 and participate as any other instrumentalist, I came across many versions in various keys: C, D, F, and G. Some have … Continue reading

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