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Recent Posts
- Body Surfing for easy ukulele January 19, 2025
- 3 Chord Thursday 2025 Ukulele + January 15, 2025
- World Ukulele Day Workshops January 15, 2025
- Happy Birthday for high G ukulele January 13, 2025
- Happy Birthday for ukulele January 13, 2025
- Friday I’m in Love for ukulele January 10, 2025
- Can’t Help Falling in Love with ukulele January 8, 2025
- We Shall Overcome on ukulele January 8, 2025
- Puff the Magic Dragon Travis Picking Variations January 8, 2025
- Travis Picking exercises for ukulele January 8, 2025
- Oh Susanna for ukulele January 8, 2025
- Exercise for waltz accompaniment January 7, 2025
- Strum & Fingerpick Exercise in 3/4 Time January 7, 2025
- Accompaniment exercises in 3/4 time for low G ukulele January 7, 2025
- Accompaniment in 3/4 time for high G ukulele January 7, 2025
- Feed the Birds with ukulele January 6, 2025
- Auld Lang Syne in F for low G ukulele January 4, 2025
- On Top of Spaghetti in C for high G ukulele January 3, 2025
- Left Hand Techniques for ukulele January 3, 2025
- Auld Lang Syne for high G ukulele January 2, 2025
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Recent Posts: Concert Blog
REVIEW: Discovering Fingerstyle Ukulele Songbook by Colin Tribe
Colin Tribe’s new book offers new possibilities for ukulele players who aspire to fingerpick their way through thirty of the most popular songs of all time. These chord melody arrangements show a variety of ways the high G ukulele can be used for instrumental solo or duet (such as chord accompaniment and melodic fingerpicking) . […]
REVIEW: Piano Animals (duet) by Heleen Verleur
This 31-page book of four hand piano music is sheer FUN with a capital F. The composer Heleen Verleur knows just what pianists love playing: music that is easy to read, sounds hard to play, but is so much fun that you don’t want to stop until it ends.
REVIEW: Ukulele Picking Tunes Classical Gems by Paul Mansell
This 40-page book is the latest contribution to the ukulele repertoire by the UK-based ukulele and guitar composer Paul Mansell. Guitarists who play the ukulele are few and far between, for many adult learners pick up the ukulele without knowing the guitar. Yet it takes a guitarist who understands the possibilities of the re-entrant tuned […]
REVIEW: Modern Pieces for Ukulele by Paul Mansell
Review of first three pieces from the new book Modern Pieces for Ukulele by Paul Mansell
Group piano class in Zoom
Introducing my group piano class online: Group Piano Class in Zoom. The first series of seven weekly one-hour class started in June 2021. The second (continuation of the first) started in October 2021 at alternating weeks, until end of December (seven sessions). The third series of 16 consecutive weeks started at the beginning of 2022. […]
Tag Archives: guitar
3 Chord Thursday 2025 Ukulele +
We launch the fifth year of 3 Chord Thursday with the theme of ukulele plus to anticipate World Ukulele Day and open our world to other instrumentalists. Which instruments go well with the ukulele? We’ve celebrated World Ukulele Day in … Continue reading
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
Read Rotate Repeat
Playing in an ensemble is a sonic jigsaw puzzle. Until you play with other members of the ensemble, you’re never quite sure what it sounds like. Even better, rotate and play other parts. Repeat. It’s that simple and fun!
Wanted: ukulele players for guitar orchestra
The New England Guitar Orchestra invites ukulele players to join us this season. The unique characteristic of the ukulele makes a huge difference to the overall sound. Three hour rehearsals (with break) are scheduled for Saturday mornings 6/1, 6/15, and … Continue reading
Pachelbel Birthday Party
Johann Pachelbel’s exact date of birth is not recorded. Born in Nürnberg (Nuremberg), he was baptized on 1st September 1653, which means his 370th birthday is either happening soon or has already happened. We celebrated his greatest gift to the … Continue reading
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
Pachelbel Progression
When I learn of a musician’s departure, I instantly hear his or her music in my head. Last week, I checked my phone and read “RIP George Winston” in my Facebook feed. His Pachelbel Canon Variations entered my sound space … Continue reading
Chord Choreography
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) … Continue reading
Morning Has Broken
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 … Continue reading
Guitar transcriptions for ukulele
Is there a one stop shop for ukulele arrangements and transcriptions of guitar music? Given the right transposition and pitch range, what was originally written for the classical guitar can now be replicated and experienced on a smaller instrument such … Continue reading