Tag Archives: music theory

Workshop: the Hawaiian vamp

Posted on January 13, 2024 by Anne Ku

Also known as the Hawaiian turnaround, the famous Hawaiian vamp refers to a short chord sequence that can introduce and end a song, intercede between verses and choruses. The chords depend on the destination key.

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Write your own song

Posted on October 19, 2023 by Anne Ku

Have you ever dreamed of writing your own song? Not a re-make of someone else’s, but your original lyrics set to music, your idea. Or a tune that’s been going around your head that you want to put into words… … Continue reading →

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Taster Workshop on song writing and composition

Posted on April 16, 2023 by Anne Ku

The ukulele culture of sharing songs and sightreading song sheets sometimes leads to writing your own songs. It may start with a famous poem with words that seem to suit a tune whose origins you’re not sure of. Convinced it’s … Continue reading →

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Music Theory MELODY

Posted on March 20, 2023 by Anne Ku

Of the essential elements of music, melody is the single most important ingredient in a song. You can think of melody as a series of notes, one after another, defined by the distance in pitch (interval) and duration. What makes … Continue reading →

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Music Theory: HARMONY

Posted on January 11, 2023 by Anne Ku

What’s the difference between melody and harmony? Both require notes to define and describe them. One is ordered sequentially through time. The other can also be stacked vertically. We associate melody with words and harmony with emotions. Is there more?

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Music Theory for Song Writing

Posted on September 13, 2022 by Anne Ku

How do you get others to learn your song without listening to your recording and reading a song sheet? Do you need to know any music theory to write a song? How can you make a song last beyond you … Continue reading →

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Ode to Joy of Uke

Posted on March 25, 2022 by Anne Ku

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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Music theory for ukulele

Posted on November 19, 2020 by Anne Ku

Music Theory for Ukulele is a new course in Zoom that answers questions about music. Continue reading →

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Hum & Strum: sing in tune & in sync

Posted on November 19, 2020 by Anne Ku

Hum & Strum is a new online, interactive course in Zoom focusing on singing in tune and in sync while playing the ukulele at the same time. Continue reading →

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Upcoming ukulele classes: technique vs theme-based

Posted on November 3, 2020 by Anne Ku

Describing a class by its skill level, such as beginner, intermediate, and advanced, doesn’t say enough about the content. By naming my courses after technique, e.g. strum, pick, pluck, bootcamp, and fingerstyle, I convey the how of playing the ukulele … Continue reading →

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