Category Archives: All UkulelePlay! Blog Posts
All Glory, Laud & Honor (Thanksgiving Sessions)
Last week I shared the sheet music for All Glory, Laud & Honor; here is a video to go along with it (1st and 3rd verses).
Get the music for all 14 songs in the Thanksgiving! (2022) collection on Sheet Music Direct.
Thanksgiving Day is Very Near – Children’s Song (Thanksgiving Sessions)
A short little setting of a classic children’s poem, Thanksgiving Day is Very Near. I’m a little nostalgic for this childhood I never had (having grown up in the Southern California metropolis) …
When all the leaves are off the boughs,
And nuts and apples gathered in,
And cornstalks waiting for the cows,
And pumpkins safe in barn and bin,
Then Mother says, “My children dear,
The fields are brown, and autumn flies;
Thanksgiving Day is very near,
And we must make thanksgiving pies!”
Free pdf and mp3 for patrons at https://www.patreon.com/posts/74408481.
Sheet music is also available for purchase on Sheet Music Plus.
All Good Gifts : Ukulele Solo or Duet
M Ryan Taylor via DALL-E
I first heard the public domain text We Plough the Fields and Scatter when I performed as a teenager in a production of the musical Godspell, known there as All Good Gifts. I loved the text and I loved the setting, but I wanted my own version that I could sing whenever/wherever without worrying about copyright. So I wrote my own melody, included it in my Thanksgiving! songbook, arranged it for choir and sang it a few times with choirs I’ve conducted over the years.
Here is my 2022 revision for voice and ukulele chords:
- All Good Gifts – Solo (PDF)
I’ve also created a duet version as an exclusive for my supporters:
- All Good Gifts – Duet (PDF on Patreon.com/Uke)
I hope you enjoy it. Happy Thanksgiving!
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All Glory, Laud and Honor Solo/Duet
Some years ago I had the thought to pair Gustav Holst’s famous Thaxted theme (classical fans will know it as Jupiter from the symphonic masterpiece The Planets) with the words of the well-known hymn All Glory, Laud and Honor. I arranged it for choir, organ, piano and strings, adding a newly composed descant to the last verse.
Today I was going through music I’ve written for Thanksgiving (just around the corner!) and I thought this would make a great solo or duet. I transposed it, figured out appropriate chords and made an ukulele chord chart to tack to the back:
- All Glory, Laud & Honor (PDF): Solo/Duet lead sheet with ukulele chords.
I hope you take as much joy in this melody as I do! Let me know if you learn, perform or record this music … I’d love to share any videos or recordings here on UkulelePlay.com or on Uke & Me via FB (feel free to connect with me there!).
by M. Ryan Taylor via Night Café (Stable Diffusion)
A Christmas Carol Sing Along CHORD CHART
Back in July (for Christmas in July), I shared with you set of five Christmas sing-along songs (visit the original post). These included Hark! the Herald Angels Sing, God Rest Ye, Merry Gentlemen, The First Noel, Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabella, and Good King Wenceslaus. What these lead sheets didn’t have, to save space, were chord diagrams, just chord indications.
Over the years, I’ve personally come to feel that having chord diagrams in the music takes up unnecessary space and fosters a sense of reliance on the diagram (brains are lazy and won’t memorize something unless you make them – have the chords placed throughout the music becomes a crutch).
On the other hand, looking up chords in a chord dictionary can be a hassle. So, especially for my current crop of students (who are preparing for Christmas performances), I’ve created a handy cheat sheet: A Christmas Carol Sing Along CHORD CHART (PDF) to accompany the original Christmas Carol sing along handout (PDF). I’m glad to share this with my blog readers as well and wish you a merry time preparing for some holiday cheer! 🙂
Spooky Warnings (Happy Halloween)
My son and I wrote this last year together; I tried to get him on camera with me, but he became a bit camera shy … so it’s just me today (my videographer accidently cut off the end of the last note, but other than that its all there). Happy Halloween!
Uke & Me Patrons can download the sheet music free at https://www.patreon.com/posts/74048358
Purchase sheet music at: Sheet Music Plus or Sheet Music Direct
Celebrating One-Hit Wonders
Today is National One-Hit Wonder Day. Whether it’s “Come On Eileen,” “Eye of the Tiger,” “Spirit in the Sky,” “I Melt With You,” or one of my absolute favorites, “Take on Me” … we’re celebrating notable songs by artists that got their 15 minutes of fame. Some of these continued to make music for many years to a devoted fanbase, while others didn’t, breaking up or following other pursuits.
What one-hit wonders do you love to listen to? Do you have a story that surrounds one? Which ones do you love to play? Do you have a video? Please share your thoughts or videos in the comments. 🙂
Songwriting Adventures: Keeping a Journal
Journaling to mine your own experiences for lyric ideas is a staple of the songwriting craft. Keeping a daily record is a great practice, but if you’re like me and you’ve had some major lapses in that record, don’t let that stop you from starting again, or starting for the first time.
Journals can take many forms, but are commonly a record of the places you’ve been, the experiences you’ve had, the people you’ve met, the tasks you’ve accomplished and so on. For the purpose of writing powerful, emotion-based songs, you may have to go deeper than that, with a particular focus on exploring how you feel about events and why (this can include your reactions to what is going on the world).
The practice of using concrete imagery to express the emotions you felt during an encounter can bring your journal a step closer to making your experiences relatable to others. Let’s say you are tempted to write something like “I felt sad.” Labeled emotions like ‘sad’ or ‘happy’ tend to fall flat in poetry and lyrics. Although they state an emotion, they rarely invoke an emotion.
“I felt sad” could easily be expressed in a myriad of different ways that invoke the senses through which we feel and interpret the world. That sadness could feel like being ‘cut off,’ ‘punched in the gut,’ ‘drowned,’ or ‘loaded down.’ These expressions, though commonplace, invoke feelings more poignaintly than simply saying, “I’m sad.” Of course, coming up with a novel expression that is easily relatable is even better (some examples to follow).
The same is true for happiness. Would you rather sing about “I’m so happy” (Pharrell Williams) or “I’m walking on sunshine” (Katrina And The Waves)? Both songs were smash international hits, but which title has more emotional punch? What helps Pharrell’s song out of this pitfall is that much of the rest of the lyric translates the phrase “I’m so happy” into more concrete expressions: “like a room without a roof,” “sunshine, she’s here,” “hot air balloon that could go to space,” etc. … lots of repetition, a catchy groove, and ironic pairing with a hit film certainly help as well.
Of course, Elton John and Bernie Taupin sidestep this issue entirely by pairing ‘sad’ with ‘song’ to make it concrete in “Sad Songs (Say So Much).” This is a cool trick that could be applied to many emotions. “Angry Young Man,” “Shiny Happy People,” “Bleeding Love,” and “Creature Fear” are all titles that mix basic emotions with concrete imagery to help conjure feelings in us.
Once you have written a journal entry or two as a springboard, you can get started on your new song. One approach is to use this material from your life to tell a story in song form. Another is to mine your journal for highly-charged, emotional phrases and images and base a song around that. For the first, you’ll want to read the coming article on storytelling. For the latter, you’ll want to read the coming article on media mining (yes, your journal is now ‘media’).
Note: This is an excerpt from the book I’m currently writing, “The Songwriting Adventure.”
Songwriting Adventures: Using a ‘Found’ Text
Maybe you want to get straight to writing music and a text serves as inspiration. Maybe you feel daunted by writing your own lyrics. Maybe you have have a love of the antique or ancient and want to celebrate it in your own way. I’ve written my own lyrics and set a variety of ‘found’ texts, from Shakespeare to Christmas carols; both ways of getting started on a song have their own rewards and pitfalls.
First, if you want a laugh, do an internet search for ‘lyric generator ai‘ and try out some of these horrible abominations. While some of these ‘tools’ are actually better than others, they mainly serve to highlight how difficult it really is to write a great, coherent, soul-satisfying lyric. It’s possible you might find a cool phrase or two to base a lyric on, but if you’re looking for something to set to music immediately, you probably want to look elsewhere.
Poetry is a source of inspiration for many composers. Within my lifetime there have been popular settings of famous poems like The Lady of Shalott, and Hope Is the Thing with Feathers. While these have mostly been made by folk-inspired artists, I have heard rap versions of The Raven and Fox in Socks. The latter of these, by Dr. Seuss, is still in copyright. Be cautious about setting anything that is not in the public domain (written after 1922), unless it is just for your own personal enjoyment (getting permission to set copyrighted works by major publishers can be next to impossible). In classical circles, there are thousands of settings of poems, known as art songs, generally for voice and piano. Archives of public domain poetry on the internet are many. If you’re interested in a specific author, try gutenberg.org and look for collections of their poetry. I’d personally love to see more settings of poems in popular styles.
Scriptures have been set to music by composers for thousands of years. The most famous popular music example is undoubtedly Turn! Turn! Turn! by the Byrds. More recently, many songs by U2, as well as songs by Amy Grant and other Christian artists have been based in full or in part on scriptures. Once again, you’re going to need to be careful about what translation you use, as many modern translations of the Bible are going to be in copyright and you will need to get permission to publish your setting. The King James Version is classic and in the public domain. If you want to make it more modern, just restate archaic passages in your own way, switching out the ‘thou’ and ‘thee’ with you, etc..
Relatedly, some public domain hymns could use a modern makeover. While many powerful texts are still viable and relatable they may currently be paired with dated tunes that no longer sing to our souls. A notable example of a powerful makeover is Casting Crowns reset of the Christmas hymn “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day” which brings the text home in a completely different way than the traditional setting. Speaking of Christmas specifically, there are hundreds of Christmas Carol texts, both sacred and secular, that could use a similar makeover. One of my favorite sources for these texts is an older website, hymnsandcarolsofchristmas.com.
Other sources? The Italian composer Rossini famously bragged that he could set a laundry list to music. Composers have since done so, as well as other lists, recipes, crosswords, fortune cookies, axioms, sections of prose, posters and more. The Beatles song “For the Benefit of Mr. Kite” is based almost entirely on a circus poster. While a lot of these ‘found texts’ generally lead to more experimental and avante–guarde types of songs, they can be a fun way to mix things up from your regular songwriting routine.
Finding a text that excites you enough to want to set it to music can happen quickly, or it might take quite a bit of effort. Sometimes, I feel, writing my own lyric is often easier. Another option is to work with a living poet or collaborate with a lyricist.
BONUS CONNECTION: If you have found a text you’re excited about, share it on your social media, mention you’re thinking about setting it, talk about why you like it and get reactions from your followers. Be sure to interact with their responses.
Why isn’t this chord in my chord dictionary!?
I have a student that isn’t afraid to ask me questions, followed up with questions, sometimes followed up with questions. I thought our recent thread might be useful to some other players that were wondering, “Why isn’t this chord in my chord dictionary!?”
Student: “When I looked up the Bbadd9 chord, I didn’t see any variant that matched what I’d been playing. When I entered the notes I had been playing at Uke Buddy, it identified the chord as A#Madd9. Is that what you want us playing?”
Me: “Yeah, 3213 is a Bbadd9 or A#add9 … a BbMadd9 or A#Madd9 is just a lengthier way of saying the same thing.”‘
Student: “So why doesn’t 3213 show up when I search for the chord (either in my app or Uke Buddy)? Strange….”
LONG ANSWER
Because most chord libraries are not complete. Why incomplete? Because there are so many possible chords … any three or more separate notes can be combined to make up a chord, with 12 separate notes in standard Western music, that makes for 220 possible 3-note chords and 495 possible 4-note chords (ukulele can’t do 5-note chords with only 4 strings, but keyboard instruments can easily). That means there are 715 possible chords to play on the ukulele (not counting inversions). Not all of these are useful. Who decides which ones are useful? Whoever created the chord library. They are generally only going to include common chords and add9 chords aren’t as common. Why aren’t they as common? My theory is that it is because they don’t usually sound very good on guitar, so less songwriters use these chords (guitar being one of the predominant songwriting tools). But, add9 chords sound gorgeous on ukulele because of the ukulele’s reentrant tuning.
There’s a free Ukulele Magazine article on the ‘Don’t Lift a Finger’ set of chords by master ukulele player and teacher James Hill that makes a point of explaining Bbadd9 in relation to F and C.
To get more esoteric and useless, all of the following 3 and 4 note combinations (pasted below) are technically chords (though many of them might be described as discordant). Our chord naming system is based on major and minor third intervals, so naming some of these ‘chords’ with that system would become somewhat of a chore. For instance, the first set of notes could be described as Amaj7add9no3no5, which is pretty useless. Would you ever hear that three-note combination in music? Perhaps. It’s not impossible. Is it common enough to include in a chord dictionary? No, I think not.
However, for ukulele purposes, it wouldn’t hurt chord dictionary creators to include such a beautiful set as the add9 chords, despite being less common.
{A,Bb,B} {A,Bb,C} {A,Bb,Db} {A,Bb,D} {A,Bb,Eb} {A,Bb,E} {A,Bb,F} {A,Bb,F#} {A,Bb,G} {A,Bb,Ab} {A,B,C} {A,B,Db} {A,B,D} {A,B,Eb} {A,B,E} {A,B,F} {A,B,F#} {A,B,G} {A,B,Ab} {A,C,Db} {A,C,D} {A,C,Eb} {A,C,E} {A,C,F} {A,C,F#} {A,C,G} {A,C,Ab} {A,Db,D} {A,Db,Eb} {A,Db,E} {A,Db,F} {A,Db,F#} {A,Db,G} {A,Db,Ab} {A,D,Eb} {A,D,E} {A,D,F} {A,D,F#} {A,D,G} {A,D,Ab} {A,Eb,E} {A,Eb,F} {A,Eb,F#} {A,Eb,G} {A,Eb,Ab} {A,E,F} {A,E,F#} {A,E,G} {A,E,Ab} {A,F,F#} {A,F,G} {A,F,Ab} {A,F#,G} {A,F#,Ab} {A,G,Ab} {Bb,B,C} {Bb,B,Db} {Bb,B,D} {Bb,B,Eb} {Bb,B,E} {Bb,B,F} {Bb,B,F#} {Bb,B,G} {Bb,B,Ab} {Bb,C,Db} {Bb,C,D} {Bb,C,Eb} {Bb,C,E} {Bb,C,F} {Bb,C,F#} {Bb,C,G} {Bb,C,Ab} {Bb,Db,D} {Bb,Db,Eb} {Bb,Db,E} {Bb,Db,F} {Bb,Db,F#} {Bb,Db,G} {Bb,Db,Ab} {Bb,D,Eb} {Bb,D,E} {Bb,D,F} {Bb,D,F#} {Bb,D,G} {Bb,D,Ab} {Bb,Eb,E} {Bb,Eb,F} {Bb,Eb,F#} {Bb,Eb,G} {Bb,Eb,Ab} {Bb,E,F} {Bb,E,F#} {Bb,E,G} {Bb,E,Ab} {Bb,F,F#} {Bb,F,G} {Bb,F,Ab} {Bb,F#,G} {Bb,F#,Ab} {Bb,G,Ab} {B,C,Db} {B,C,D} {B,C,Eb} {B,C,E} {B,C,F} {B,C,F#} {B,C,G} {B,C,Ab} {B,Db,D} {B,Db,Eb} {B,Db,E} {B,Db,F} {B,Db,F#} {B,Db,G} {B,Db,Ab} {B,D,Eb} {B,D,E} {B,D,F} {B,D,F#} {B,D,G} {B,D,Ab} {B,Eb,E} {B,Eb,F} {B,Eb,F#} {B,Eb,G} {B,Eb,Ab} {B,E,F} {B,E,F#} {B,E,G} {B,E,Ab} {B,F,F#} {B,F,G} {B,F,Ab} {B,F#,G} {B,F#,Ab} {B,G,Ab} {C,Db,D} {C,Db,Eb} {C,Db,E} {C,Db,F} {C,Db,F#} {C,Db,G} {C,Db,Ab} {C,D,Eb} {C,D,E} {C,D,F} {C,D,F#} {C,D,G} {C,D,Ab} {C,Eb,E} {C,Eb,F} {C,Eb,F#} {C,Eb,G} {C,Eb,Ab} {C,E,F} {C,E,F#} {C,E,G} {C,E,Ab} {C,F,F#} {C,F,G} {C,F,Ab} {C,F#,G} {C,F#,Ab} {C,G,Ab} {Db,D,Eb} {Db,D,E} {Db,D,F} {Db,D,F#} {Db,D,G} {Db,D,Ab} {Db,Eb,E} {Db,Eb,F} {Db,Eb,F#} {Db,Eb,G} {Db,Eb,Ab} {Db,E,F} {Db,E,F#} {Db,E,G} {Db,E,Ab} {Db,F,F#} {Db,F,G} {Db,F,Ab} {Db,F#,G} {Db,F#,Ab} {Db,G,Ab} {D,Eb,E} {D,Eb,F} {D,Eb,F#} {D,Eb,G} {D,Eb,Ab} {D,E,F} {D,E,F#} {D,E,G} {D,E,Ab} {D,F,F#} {D,F,G} {D,F,Ab} {D,F#,G} {D,F#,Ab} {D,G,Ab} {Eb,E,F} {Eb,E,F#} {Eb,E,G} {Eb,E,Ab} {Eb,F,F#} {Eb,F,G} {Eb,F,Ab} {Eb,F#,G} {Eb,F#,Ab} {Eb,G,Ab} {E,F,F#} {E,F,G} {E,F,Ab} {E,F#,G} {E,F#,Ab} {E,G,Ab} {F,F#,G} {F,F#,Ab} {F,G,Ab} {F#,G,Ab} {A,Bb,B,C} {A,Bb,B,Db} {A,Bb,B,D} {A,Bb,B,Eb} {A,Bb,B,E} {A,Bb,B,F} {A,Bb,B,F#} {A,Bb,B,G} {A,Bb,B,Ab} {A,Bb,C,Db} {A,Bb,C,D} {A,Bb,C,Eb} {A,Bb,C,E} {A,Bb,C,F} {A,Bb,C,F#} {A,Bb,C,G} {A,Bb,C,Ab} {A,Bb,Db,D} {A,Bb,Db,Eb} {A,Bb,Db,E} {A,Bb,Db,F} {A,Bb,Db,F#} {A,Bb,Db,G} {A,Bb,Db,Ab} {A,Bb,D,Eb} {A,Bb,D,E} {A,Bb,D,F} {A,Bb,D,F#} {A,Bb,D,G} {A,Bb,D,Ab} {A,Bb,Eb,E} {A,Bb,Eb,F} {A,Bb,Eb,F#} {A,Bb,Eb,G} {A,Bb,Eb,Ab} {A,Bb,E,F} {A,Bb,E,F#} {A,Bb,E,G} {A,Bb,E,Ab} {A,Bb,F,F#} {A,Bb,F,G} {A,Bb,F,Ab} {A,Bb,F#,G} {A,Bb,F#,Ab} {A,Bb,G,Ab} {A,B,C,Db} {A,B,C,D} {A,B,C,Eb} {A,B,C,E} {A,B,C,F} {A,B,C,F#} {A,B,C,G} {A,B,C,Ab} {A,B,Db,D} {A,B,Db,Eb} {A,B,Db,E} {A,B,Db,F} {A,B,Db,F#} {A,B,Db,G} {A,B,Db,Ab} {A,B,D,Eb} {A,B,D,E} {A,B,D,F} {A,B,D,F#} {A,B,D,G} {A,B,D,Ab} {A,B,Eb,E} {A,B,Eb,F} {A,B,Eb,F#} {A,B,Eb,G} {A,B,Eb,Ab} {A,B,E,F} {A,B,E,F#} {A,B,E,G} {A,B,E,Ab} {A,B,F,F#} {A,B,F,G} {A,B,F,Ab} {A,B,F#,G} {A,B,F#,Ab} {A,B,G,Ab} {A,C,Db,D} {A,C,Db,Eb} {A,C,Db,E} {A,C,Db,F} {A,C,Db,F#} {A,C,Db,G} {A,C,Db,Ab} {A,C,D,Eb} {A,C,D,E} {A,C,D,F} {A,C,D,F#} {A,C,D,G} {A,C,D,Ab} {A,C,Eb,E} {A,C,Eb,F} {A,C,Eb,F#} {A,C,Eb,G} {A,C,Eb,Ab} {A,C,E,F} {A,C,E,F#} {A,C,E,G} {A,C,E,Ab} {A,C,F,F#} {A,C,F,G} {A,C,F,Ab} {A,C,F#,G} {A,C,F#,Ab} {A,C,G,Ab} {A,Db,D,Eb} {A,Db,D,E} {A,Db,D,F} {A,Db,D,F#} {A,Db,D,G} {A,Db,D,Ab} {A,Db,Eb,E} {A,Db,Eb,F} {A,Db,Eb,F#} {A,Db,Eb,G} {A,Db,Eb,Ab} {A,Db,E,F} {A,Db,E,F#} {A,Db,E,G} {A,Db,E,Ab} {A,Db,F,F#} {A,Db,F,G} {A,Db,F,Ab} {A,Db,F#,G} {A,Db,F#,Ab} {A,Db,G,Ab} {A,D,Eb,E} {A,D,Eb,F} {A,D,Eb,F#} {A,D,Eb,G} {A,D,Eb,Ab} {A,D,E,F} {A,D,E,F#} {A,D,E,G} {A,D,E,Ab} {A,D,F,F#} {A,D,F,G} {A,D,F,Ab} {A,D,F#,G} {A,D,F#,Ab} {A,D,G,Ab} {A,Eb,E,F} {A,Eb,E,F#} {A,Eb,E,G} {A,Eb,E,Ab} {A,Eb,F,F#} {A,Eb,F,G} {A,Eb,F,Ab} {A,Eb,F#,G} {A,Eb,F#,Ab} {A,Eb,G,Ab} {A,E,F,F#} {A,E,F,G} {A,E,F,Ab} {A,E,F#,G} {A,E,F#,Ab} {A,E,G,Ab} {A,F,F#,G} {A,F,F#,Ab} {A,F,G,Ab} {A,F#,G,Ab} {Bb,B,C,Db} {Bb,B,C,D} {Bb,B,C,Eb} {Bb,B,C,E} {Bb,B,C,F} {Bb,B,C,F#} {Bb,B,C,G} {Bb,B,C,Ab} {Bb,B,Db,D} {Bb,B,Db,Eb} {Bb,B,Db,E} {Bb,B,Db,F} {Bb,B,Db,F#} {Bb,B,Db,G} {Bb,B,Db,Ab} {Bb,B,D,Eb} {Bb,B,D,E} {Bb,B,D,F} {Bb,B,D,F#} {Bb,B,D,G} {Bb,B,D,Ab} {Bb,B,Eb,E} {Bb,B,Eb,F} {Bb,B,Eb,F#} {Bb,B,Eb,G} {Bb,B,Eb,Ab} {Bb,B,E,F} {Bb,B,E,F#} {Bb,B,E,G} {Bb,B,E,Ab} {Bb,B,F,F#} {Bb,B,F,G} {Bb,B,F,Ab} {Bb,B,F#,G} {Bb,B,F#,Ab} {Bb,B,G,Ab} {Bb,C,Db,D} {Bb,C,Db,Eb} {Bb,C,Db,E} {Bb,C,Db,F} {Bb,C,Db,F#} {Bb,C,Db,G} {Bb,C,Db,Ab} {Bb,C,D,Eb} {Bb,C,D,E} {Bb,C,D,F} {Bb,C,D,F#} {Bb,C,D,G} {Bb,C,D,Ab} {Bb,C,Eb,E} {Bb,C,Eb,F} {Bb,C,Eb,F#} {Bb,C,Eb,G} {Bb,C,Eb,Ab} {Bb,C,E,F} {Bb,C,E,F#} {Bb,C,E,G} {Bb,C,E,Ab} {Bb,C,F,F#} {Bb,C,F,G} {Bb,C,F,Ab} {Bb,C,F#,G} {Bb,C,F#,Ab} {Bb,C,G,Ab} {Bb,Db,D,Eb} {Bb,Db,D,E} {Bb,Db,D,F} {Bb,Db,D,F#} {Bb,Db,D,G} {Bb,Db,D,Ab} {Bb,Db,Eb,E} {Bb,Db,Eb,F} {Bb,Db,Eb,F#} {Bb,Db,Eb,G} {Bb,Db,Eb,Ab} {Bb,Db,E,F} {Bb,Db,E,F#} {Bb,Db,E,G} {Bb,Db,E,Ab} {Bb,Db,F,F#} {Bb,Db,F,G} {Bb,Db,F,Ab} {Bb,Db,F#,G} {Bb,Db,F#,Ab} {Bb,Db,G,Ab} {Bb,D,Eb,E} {Bb,D,Eb,F} {Bb,D,Eb,F#} {Bb,D,Eb,G} {Bb,D,Eb,Ab} {Bb,D,E,F} {Bb,D,E,F#} {Bb,D,E,G} {Bb,D,E,Ab} {Bb,D,F,F#} {Bb,D,F,G} {Bb,D,F,Ab} {Bb,D,F#,G} {Bb,D,F#,Ab} {Bb,D,G,Ab} {Bb,Eb,E,F} {Bb,Eb,E,F#} {Bb,Eb,E,G} {Bb,Eb,E,Ab} {Bb,Eb,F,F#} {Bb,Eb,F,G} {Bb,Eb,F,Ab} {Bb,Eb,F#,G} {Bb,Eb,F#,Ab} {Bb,Eb,G,Ab} {Bb,E,F,F#} {Bb,E,F,G} {Bb,E,F,Ab} {Bb,E,F#,G} {Bb,E,F#,Ab} {Bb,E,G,Ab} {Bb,F,F#,G} {Bb,F,F#,Ab} {Bb,F,G,Ab} {Bb,F#,G,Ab} {B,C,Db,D} {B,C,Db,Eb} {B,C,Db,E} {B,C,Db,F} {B,C,Db,F#} {B,C,Db,G} {B,C,Db,Ab} {B,C,D,Eb} {B,C,D,E} {B,C,D,F} {B,C,D,F#} {B,C,D,G} {B,C,D,Ab} {B,C,Eb,E} {B,C,Eb,F} {B,C,Eb,F#} {B,C,Eb,G} {B,C,Eb,Ab} {B,C,E,F} {B,C,E,F#} {B,C,E,G} {B,C,E,Ab} {B,C,F,F#} {B,C,F,G} {B,C,F,Ab} {B,C,F#,G} {B,C,F#,Ab} {B,C,G,Ab} {B,Db,D,Eb} {B,Db,D,E} {B,Db,D,F} {B,Db,D,F#} {B,Db,D,G} {B,Db,D,Ab} {B,Db,Eb,E} {B,Db,Eb,F} {B,Db,Eb,F#} {B,Db,Eb,G} {B,Db,Eb,Ab} {B,Db,E,F} {B,Db,E,F#} {B,Db,E,G} {B,Db,E,Ab} {B,Db,F,F#} {B,Db,F,G} {B,Db,F,Ab} {B,Db,F#,G} {B,Db,F#,Ab} {B,Db,G,Ab} {B,D,Eb,E} {B,D,Eb,F} {B,D,Eb,F#} {B,D,Eb,G} {B,D,Eb,Ab} {B,D,E,F} {B,D,E,F#} {B,D,E,G} {B,D,E,Ab} {B,D,F,F#} {B,D,F,G} {B,D,F,Ab} {B,D,F#,G} {B,D,F#,Ab} {B,D,G,Ab} {B,Eb,E,F} {B,Eb,E,F#} {B,Eb,E,G} {B,Eb,E,Ab} {B,Eb,F,F#} {B,Eb,F,G} {B,Eb,F,Ab} {B,Eb,F#,G} {B,Eb,F#,Ab} {B,Eb,G,Ab} {B,E,F,F#} {B,E,F,G} {B,E,F,Ab} {B,E,F#,G} {B,E,F#,Ab} {B,E,G,Ab} {B,F,F#,G} {B,F,F#,Ab} {B,F,G,Ab} {B,F#,G,Ab} {C,Db,D,Eb} {C,Db,D,E} {C,Db,D,F} {C,Db,D,F#} {C,Db,D,G} {C,Db,D,Ab} {C,Db,Eb,E} {C,Db,Eb,F} {C,Db,Eb,F#} {C,Db,Eb,G} {C,Db,Eb,Ab} {C,Db,E,F} {C,Db,E,F#} {C,Db,E,G} {C,Db,E,Ab} {C,Db,F,F#} {C,Db,F,G} {C,Db,F,Ab} {C,Db,F#,G} {C,Db,F#,Ab} {C,Db,G,Ab} {C,D,Eb,E} {C,D,Eb,F} {C,D,Eb,F#} {C,D,Eb,G} {C,D,Eb,Ab} {C,D,E,F} {C,D,E,F#} {C,D,E,G} {C,D,E,Ab} {C,D,F,F#} {C,D,F,G} {C,D,F,Ab} {C,D,F#,G} {C,D,F#,Ab} {C,D,G,Ab} {C,Eb,E,F} {C,Eb,E,F#} {C,Eb,E,G} {C,Eb,E,Ab} {C,Eb,F,F#} {C,Eb,F,G} {C,Eb,F,Ab} {C,Eb,F#,G} {C,Eb,F#,Ab} {C,Eb,G,Ab} {C,E,F,F#} {C,E,F,G} {C,E,F,Ab} {C,E,F#,G} {C,E,F#,Ab} {C,E,G,Ab} {C,F,F#,G} {C,F,F#,Ab} {C,F,G,Ab} {C,F#,G,Ab} {Db,D,Eb,E} {Db,D,Eb,F} {Db,D,Eb,F#} {Db,D,Eb,G} {Db,D,Eb,Ab} {Db,D,E,F} {Db,D,E,F#} {Db,D,E,G} {Db,D,E,Ab} {Db,D,F,F#} {Db,D,F,G} {Db,D,F,Ab} {Db,D,F#,G} {Db,D,F#,Ab} {Db,D,G,Ab} {Db,Eb,E,F} {Db,Eb,E,F#} {Db,Eb,E,G} {Db,Eb,E,Ab} {Db,Eb,F,F#} {Db,Eb,F,G} {Db,Eb,F,Ab} {Db,Eb,F#,G} {Db,Eb,F#,Ab} {Db,Eb,G,Ab} {Db,E,F,F#} {Db,E,F,G} {Db,E,F,Ab} {Db,E,F#,G} {Db,E,F#,Ab} {Db,E,G,Ab} {Db,F,F#,G} {Db,F,F#,Ab} {Db,F,G,Ab} {Db,F#,G,Ab} {D,Eb,E,F} {D,Eb,E,F#} {D,Eb,E,G} {D,Eb,E,Ab} {D,Eb,F,F#} {D,Eb,F,G} {D,Eb,F,Ab} {D,Eb,F#,G} {D,Eb,F#,Ab} {D,Eb,G,Ab} {D,E,F,F#} {D,E,F,G} {D,E,F,Ab} {D,E,F#,G} {D,E,F#,Ab} {D,E,G,Ab} {D,F,F#,G} {D,F,F#,Ab} {D,F,G,Ab} {D,F#,G,Ab} {Eb,E,F,F#} {Eb,E,F,G} {Eb,E,F,Ab} {Eb,E,F#,G} {Eb,E,F#,Ab} {Eb,E,G,Ab} {Eb,F,F#,G} {Eb,F,F#,Ab} {Eb,F,G,Ab} {Eb,F#,G,Ab} {E,F,F#,G} {E,F,F#,Ab} {E,F,G,Ab} {E,F#,G,Ab} {F,F#,G,Ab}
Christmas in July – Free Pack of Six Ukulele Friendly Carols
A Little Mid-Year Christmas Cheer
Here is a little pack of 6 Christmas carols I arranged to go along with my new short play adaption of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. They can be used in conjunction with the play for audience participation or on their own. I arranged them with the ukulele in mind, and even though they don’t include chord charts, they are all in ukulele friendly keys with ukulele friendly chords (Bbadd9 is used a lot, one of my favorite chords, fretted 3213).
Included in the pack of 6 Christmas carols:
- Hark! the Herald Angels Sing
- God Rest Ye, Merry Gentlemen
- The First Noel
- Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabella
- Good King Wenceslas
- Joy to the World
All six of these well-known traditional carols would also have been available to the public at the time Dickens’ first wrote his Christmas masterpiece.
Christmas in July Class & Festival
I’ll be teaching a free 3-week class on these carols, 4pm on the first three Wednesdays in July at my studio in American Fork, UT. This will be leading up to our first ever Christmas in July Festival, July 23rd 2022 in Highland, UT. If you’re interested in attending the ukulele class in person, feel free to email me at ryan@ukuleleplay.com
Ukulele Kids Club spearheads Ukuleles for Ukraine
The CEO of Ukulele Kids Club answers questions about their new Ukuleles for Ukraine initiative in this short Q & A:
Mozart Symphony No. 40 Opening Theme for Ukulele Tablature
A new instrumental arrangement of Mozart’s famous tune for Ukulele.
Level 2 (free for all at UkulelePlay.com) = Simple, melody-only tablature with some pull-offs for expression.
Level 3 (patron-exclusive) – An intermediate arrangement that combines the expressive pull-offs with chords and figured accompaniment (see example above).
Besides the PDFs for the melody (which can stand alone) and the duet part, members at https://www.patreon.com/uke have access to the source files for Musescore (a free notation program). These are useful for anyone that would like to edit the music, make their own arrangement or take advantage of file playback. I talk a bit about this software at http://ukuleleplay.com/making-ukulele-tabs-with-musescore-free-template/
Patrons have access to a large and growing library of ukulele sheet music, so make a pledge today at https://www.patreon.com/uke and support further posts, arrangements and videos. Thanks!
A Little Night Music (Eine Kleine Nachtmusik) Ukulele Tablature
A new instrumental arrangement of Mozart’s famous tune for Ukulele.
Level 2 (free for all at UkulelePlay.com) = Simple, melody-only tablature with some pull-offs and fast passages.
Duet Part (patron-exclusive) = This part for a second player supports the first with harmony notes and figured accompaniment.
Besides the PDFs for the melody (which can stand alone) and the duet part, members at https://www.patreon.com/uke have access to the source files for Musescore (a free notation program). These are useful for anyone that would like to edit the music or make their own arrangement. I talk a bit about this software at http://ukuleleplay.com/making-ukulele-tabs-with-musescore-free-template/
Patrons have access to a large and growing library of ukulele sheet music, so make a pledge today at https://www.patreon.com/uke and support further posts, arrangements and videos. Thanks!
Amazing Grace Ukulele Tabs
Two new arrangements of Amazing Grace for Ukulele.
Level 1 (free for all) = Simple, melody-only tablature for those beginning to read instrumental tablature.
Level 2 (patron-exclusive) = A more full arrangement in ‘root position’ using common chord shapes to accompany the melody.
Besides the PDFs for both arrangements, members at https://www.patreon.com/uke have access to the source files for Musescore (a free notation program). These are useful for anyone that would like to edit the music or make their own arrangement. I talk a bit about this software at http://ukuleleplay.com/making-ukulele-tabs-with-musescore-free-template/
Patrons have access to a large and growing library of ukulele sheet music, so make a pledge today at https://www.patreon.com/uke and support further posts, arrangements and videos. Thanks!
Making Ukulele Tabs with Musescore : Free Template
I recently started writing ukulele tablature in Musescore, not because I don’t love Finale (I’ve been using that as my main notation program since the late 90s and will still use it for publishing purposes), but because I wanted to see if it would be a good free option for my students to make their own sheet music who can’t afford Finale‘s somewhat hefty price tag. Bottom line, Musescore will make very nice looking tablature, but (like all software) comes with a somewhat frustrating learning curve that isn’t always intuitive. It’s not THAT painful though and you can’t beat the price (just your time to learn it). Download the free software at Musescore.org
If you’re interested in taking this learning leap and making your own ukulele sheet music in instrumental tablature, I’ve eased the process somewhat by creating a template to help you get started. You can download it here: Ukulele Tablature Template – Musescore File (Google Drive link).
A few tips:
- Notes can be entered by selecting the note value and clicking on the score.
- Note values can also be selected with the number pad on your keyboard (5 = a quarter note, 4= an eighth note, etc.).
- Once a note value is selected you can enter notes with a midi keyboard if you have one connected to your computer. I use a Korg Microkey, with my laptop so I can write anywhere, but any midi keyboard will work.
- You can edit fret numbers on the tablature by deselecting note entry, clicking on a number and then using up/down keys to change the number (if you’re getting a sharp showing up when you want a flat in the staff, go above the note and then back down to switch the accidental).
- Musescore has a reference page on tablature if you have other questions.
- Getting around in the program takes some learning and google searches, but once you get a few tricks down and get your first score finished you can go to ‘file,’ hit ‘export’ and turn out a pdf you can print or share with the world.
Now the #1 New Release in Guitar and Other Fretted Instruments
Uke & Me: Kid Vol. 1 is currently (as of this writing) the #1 new release in Guitar and other fretted instrument songbooks. 🙂
Learn 23 Chords, two at a time, with 21 Fun New Songs in Uke & Me : Kid Vol. 1
The best way to learn new chords is in pairs and the best way to get kids excited about making music is to give them a taste of ‘instant success’ for the work they do. That is the inspiration for this new book of 21 two-chord songs that progressively teaches the young (or the young at heart) 23 chords to add to their grab bag. Uke & Me: Kid Vol. 1 is now available in paperback and kindle formats on Amazon or in a downloadable PDF via Gumroad (best deal). Also available on Teachers Pay Teachers and Sheet Music Plus.
VIDEOS
All the songs in the book have play-through and tutorial videos. These can be viewed with this playlist on YouTube or directly on this page via the player below.
Book Contents & Chords Covered
- Little Things : Gmaj7 Am7
- The Mighty Oak : Fadd9 C7
- The Ostrich : C Fadd9
- Love Triangle : Fadd9 C7
- Rain : Am F
- Higglety Pigglety Pop : F C7
- Answers : G Am7
- Clouds : Bbmaj7 Fadd9
- Earth & Sky : Bbmaj7 Fadd9
- Stir, Stir, Stir : G Cmaj7
- When Timothy Snaps : F Dm
- The Girl with a Curl : G6 D7
- Bow Wow : A E7sus4
- Happy Thought : C G7
- If All the World was Paper : C G
- To Be Answered in Our Next Issue : Am E7
- The Old Woman : D A7
- Solomon Grundy : Gm F
- The Cats Have Come to Tea : Gm D7
- At the Zoo : Em B7
- The Lion and the Polar Bear : F9 C7no3
Field tested at 2021 ukulele youth summer camps and classes, these songs are sure to inspire learning and love for the ukulele. Get Uke & Me: Kid Vol. 1 now on Amazon or as a downloadable PDF via Gumroad.
Over the Rainbow – Solo Ukulele Vocal Cover
This is my take on Over the Rainbow … a sort of mix of Garland & IZ styles. Over the Rainbow sheet music can be obtained at http://bit.ly/overtherainbowmusic
Pass on Your Ukulele Skills for Fun and Profit
The same ukulele bootcamp materials I have used to guide hundreds of new ukulele students through their first steps on the ukulele are now available to you to pass on your ukulele skills with the Ukulele Bootcamp 3.0 – Teacher Edition.
- These materials are recommended for teaching students 12 and up (10+ if highly motivated).
- The workshop takes between 2 – 2.5 hours to teach.
- I’ve taught as few as 4 in a session, but as many as 70 at one time.
- The cost is typically $45 per student, and has been hosted in arts centers, libraries and events centers.
- It can be taught in one day, or stretched out as a series of lessons.
The bootcamp covers:
- Setting SMART ukulele goals
- Getting to know the ukulele
- How to break down a song to learn it
- Stretches and Vocal Warmups
- Tuning & Holding the ukulele
- How to conquer the 3 streams by dividing them before integrating them
- Chord Diagrams, Strumming & TAB
- 7 Chords & 12 Songs
For additional support on how to teach this bootcamp, sign up for the online version at https://uke.thinkific.com ($15).
Links to purchase legal copies of the copyright music selections are included to pass on to interested students.
You get a fully editable Power Point presentation, so you can use the materials as they stand, or add/adapt to your hearts desire. So get your copy today and start passing on your ukulele skills and passion while earning a great income.
Sounds so Much Better When We’re Together
It IS more fun to make music together with other folk, and this cute ukulele centric song, Something About Our Sound, with a cute stop animation video from Amphibious Zoo, captures that sentiment in a snapshot.
Top Ukulele Picks & Recommendations for 2022
Best Beginner Ukulele
I have taught hundreds, yes hundreds (no exaggeration), of beginning ukulele students and get asked all the time about what instrument they should buy. There are a lot of great ukuleles out there, many at reasonable prices, but my top pick for beginners is the Enya Nova U concert-sized ukulele for the following reasons:
- It plays great, with a good action and a very nice tone (better tone than the soprano and tenor versions IMHO).
- It is nearly indestructible. I left one of these in my car all year in 2021 with temperatures in the car exceeding a hundred in Summer and below freezing in Winter. It has been stepped on multiple times by my son and wife. After all this it still cleans up, tunes up and plays great, with no signs of body or neck warping.
- Concert size is great for most body sizes and it comes with strap buttons installed (beginners have enough to worry about without learning to juggle the ukulele while playing it).
- You can always invest in a really nice wooden model of ukulele after you learn the ropes and know what to look for.
- The cost is really reasonable. They go for about ninety at the time of this writing, but I’ve seen them go on sale at times for eighty. No, this is not the cheapest, but I feel the value is stellar.
Most Accurate Ukulele Tuner
A tuner for fifteen bucks that has an accuracy of +/- 1 cent? I’ve bought two of these and use them regularly. I’ve been through many tuners over the last decade and none of them beat the simplicity and accuracy of the Fishman FT-2 … and when you’re trying to tune a whole class of ukuleles, fast, simple and accurate is important.
Best Ukulele Pick Ever
I hope to do a full video review on this later, as I had an injury that made me look at ukulele picks again more closely to relieve stress on my right index finger. I have tried lots of picks over the years (plastic, felt, leather, rubber), but I’ve never found one that was practical and sounded natural on the ukulele … that all changes with Honu Picks, which have a unique leather design that sounds more like a finger than anything else I have tried. Not everyone needs a pick, but if you do, these are simply amazing.
Best Overall Ukulele
Ha! There is no one-size-fits all ukulele that is best for all people in all situations. There is no substitute for going to a good ukulele store or festival and personally trying out every ukulele you can get your hands on. What should you look for? A good ukulele has …
- A good build, with no warping in the body or neck.
- Accurate fret placement, so the ukulele is in tune with itself. Frets should also be finished off properly with no sharp edges.
- Has a good tone (highly subjective – you love it when you play it).
- Aesthetically pleasing.
- Well-adjusted nut and saddle for good action (these can be adjusted by a luthier if it has all the above going for it).
There is such variability between hand-made instruments that it is impossible to recommend a particular make or manufacturer. I’ve played inexpensive ukuleles that looked the same where one sang and the other sounded like a brick with strings tied to it. The same is true of expensive ukuleles; I’ve played some with lofty price tags that had no projection, no tone, bad fretwork …
For those that don’t have access to a good local store, the best you can do is read the reviews and hope for the best, but don’t be afraid to return an instrument that doesn’t speak to you and try again.
Best Ukulele Strings
Double ha! Nothing is more debatable than which strings are the best. I personally like fluorocarbon strings (many brands, one material) and Daniel Ho’s PHD strings come in a variety of configurations if you’re looking for a standard or unusual set up, and are reasonably priced. Beyond that, it is all experimentation and personal preference. I find no area of ukulele lore more frustrating than string selection. Sometimes I think it isn’t that important, and other times it feels like a new set of strings has given new life to what I thought was a clunky instrument.
Favorite Ukulele Accessory
By far, my favorite ukulele accessory is the String Swing … I have over twenty of these mounted around the house with various ukuleles on display. They keep the ukuleles handy and quickly accessible (without being in danger of being sat or stepped on) … the more readily available a ukulele is, the more it will get played.
Wishing you the best in 2022!
I hope you take joy in your ukuleles and the folk around you!