Tag Archives: song

Nine ukulele strum patterns for four beat songs

One of the most often asked questions by my ukulele students is “how do you know which strum pattern to use?” There are many possibilities which I show in my video. Deciding which is the most appropriate depends on the … Continue reading

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Songs from Ireland: Ride On

Tonight we will be playing and singing songs from Ireland at the local library and going to a nearby pub afterwards — in Historic Lower Mills, a unique part of Boston, Massachusetts. One of these Irish songs is “Ride On” — … Continue reading

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Charlie on the MTA for ukulele

Newcomers to Boston will soon learn that nearly every Bostonian knows the song “Charlie on the MTA.” There will be an aha moment when they realise that the card they use to enter the metro system is the Charlie Card. … Continue reading

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Songs I lead

I’m building a playlist of songs I can confidently and competently lead a ukulele group. The secret to successful song leading is to do it in a key with the entire melody falling within my most comfortable vocal range. In … Continue reading

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The Handy Man Can

When my friends posted a video of their business called “The Handy Man” on Facebook, I was suddenly reminded of a parody I wrote years ago on the song “The Candy Man” because I was so fascinated by what one … Continue reading

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Leavin’ on a Jetstream

It’s easy to get sidetracked when you’re in a bathroom store buying your first bath tub together. You just want a no frills tub for two for a small bathroom. Each tub you try not only gets bigger but comes … Continue reading

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Happy Birthday chord melody arrangement for ukulele

A chord melody arrangement is one in which the melody (of a song) is embedded in the chord. While you can play the melody separately from the harmony, the idea is that the notes you need for the melody is … Continue reading

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I Left My Heart in San Francisco for solo piano

One of my oldest friends requested me to play “I Left My Heart in San Francisco.” Not that he and I have ever travelled together to this city of the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, and the cable trolley. I did, however, … Continue reading

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Anak for piano solo

When I lived in Singapore in the late eighties, I hung out with my Malaysian neighbors off River Valley Road. One of their friends, named Cel, sketched me (below). I’m not sure if he was the one who introduced me … Continue reading

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