Category Archives: All UkulelePlay! Blog Posts

Jingle Bells : Complete Sing-along & Ukulele Tutorial

Who would have thought that an 1857 song about a “one horse open sleigh” (the original title) would have had such legs? This song has been all over the world and is a perpetual favorite among the young and young-hearted. The first recording of Jingle Bells was in 1889 on an Edison cylinder – believed to have been the very first Christmas record. Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters, Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman, and Les Paul have all charted with Jingle Bells recordings, but it wasn’t until 2006 that Kimberley Locke brought the song to the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart.

In the Bleak Midwinter : Complete Sing-along & Ukulele Tutorial

The gorgeous setting of Christina Rosetti’s most famous poem by composer Gustav Holst (of The Planets fame) is one of the more modern carols in this series. The poem was published in 1872 in a collection by Rosetti and set by Holst 34 years later where it was published in the English hymnal in 1906. Whenever I sing the final verse I’m touched by the lyric:

What can I give Him,
Poor as I am? —
If I were a Shepherd
I would bring a lamb;
If I were a Wise Man
I would do my part, —
Yet what I can I give Him, —
Give my heart.

The Holly and the Ivy : Complete Sing-along & Ukulele Tutorial

Another carol we still enjoy due to the efforts of folk song collector Cecil Sharp. He transcribed the version we sing today in 1909, but the imagery of holly & ivy associated with Christmas dates back to Medieval times. I’ve heard a number of covers of this song that go at breakneck speed, but I actually prefer it at a more relaxed tempo, where the melody really shines as something to savor. Enjoy!

Here We Come a Caroling : Complete Sing-along & Ukulele Tutorial

What I love, love, LOVE about this traditional carol is the fun transition from 6/8 in the verses, to a cut-time feel in the choruses. Being a popular folk-tune, there are actually dozens of variants of the tune and words that have been gathered by Cecil Sharp and other folk song collectors. I feel like this carol is absolutely obligatory if you go out caroling with other singers.

Good King Wenceslaus : Complete Sing-along & Ukulele Tutorial

One of my favorite carols of all time is based on yet another Medieval tune, “Tempus adest floridum” (“It is time for flowering”), a 13th-century spring carol. As Alexandra Petri wrote in The Washington Post, where she chose it as her #1 out of #100 Christmas songs, “This is a GREAT song. I never tire of hearing about the only semi-impressive good deeds of this medieval monarch. He made the sod slightly warm! Hooray! Good for you, King Wenceslas! All the rhymes work! Every word is satisfying to sing! WENCESLAS! ON THE FEAST OF STEPHEN! DEEP AND CRISP AND EVEN! What a rollicking, hearty song. WENCESLAS! All songs should be like this. I wish we sang this song year-round.”

Good Christian Men, Rejoice! : Complete Sing-along & Ukulele Tutorial

Another fantastically beautiful song with Medieval origins … this carol started out as In Dulci Jubilo (In Sweet Rejoicing). It is thought to be about 700 years old, but the semi-modern English of Good Christian Men, Rejoice is only 167 years old.

Go Tell it on Mountain : Complete Sing-along & Ukulele Tutorial

This song has grown a lot on me over the years. I really didn’t know what to make of it when I was very young as it was so different from the kinds of songs I was used to hearing around Christmas. Thankfully, my choir director in high school exposed us to all kinds of spirituals and they have now become one of my favorite genres to listen to and to sing. This song dates back to at least 1865 and has been recorded by many artists. That we have it to enjoy today is thanks to John Wesley Work, Jr. as recounted on Gaither:

John Wesley Work, Jr., may not have originated the Negro spiritual “Go, Tell It on the Mountain,” but he can take credit for the fact that we still sing it every Christmas.  As the son of a church choir director, Work grew up in Nashville loving music.  Even though he earned his Master’s in Latin and went on to teach ancient Latin and Greek, his first love continued to be music, and he went on to become the first African-American collector of Negro spirituals.  This proved to be a daunting task for Work because they were passed down orally, from plantation to plantation; very few were ever written down.  But Work proved up to the challenge, publishing his first book, New Jubilee Songs as Sung by the Fisk Jubilee Singers, in Songs of the American Negro, six years later.  It was in this second volume that “Go, Tell It on the Mountain” first appeared.  The original singers of the song fulfilled the same important task the angels gave the shepherds that first Christmas night outside of Bethlehem, proclaiming, “that Jesus Christ is born!”  And thanks to John Wesley Work, so can we.

The Friendly Beasts : Complete Sing-along & Tutorial

This carol has truly medieval origins, stemming from the Latin song Orientis Partibus. It was sung as part of The Donkey’s festival, a celebration of the flight into Egypt, in which a donkey was led or ridden into the church as a way of thanking the donkey Mary rode upon. The tune has undergone many lyric pairings over the centuries, but the current words we normally associate with it weren’t written until the 1920s by Robert Davis. When I was young, I thought this a rather strange lyric, but now I think its sweet.

The First Noel : Complete Sing-along & Ukulele Tutorial

I grew up only ever singing & hearing two verses of this delightful carol. It wasn’t until a few years ago, in compiling this collection, that I found that there were more verses that featured the wise men. An interesting oddity of this melody is that it both starts and ends on the third degree of the scale; as a result, I feel it leaves you floating, rather than coming back down to Earth, as if you were one of the angels singing.

Ding Dong, Merrily on High : Complete Sing-along & Ukulele Tutorial

A French renaissance dance tune, with lyrics of 20th-century origin by George Woodward … This carol is just a delight to sing, as long as you take a really deep breath for the Glorias!

Deck the Hall : Complete Sing-along & Ukulele Tutorial

The origin of the phrase ‘Tis the Season,’ this sixteenth century Welsh melody married to a Romantic era text by Scottish musician Thomas Oliphant (1862) has become one of our most recognizable caroling tunes. This is not the only carol to borrow an ancient tune and put seasonal lyrics on top (Good King Wenceslaus, What Child is This, etc.), but it is the one that puts the ‘fa la la’ into Christmas.

The Coventry Carol : Complete Sing-along & Ukulele Tutorial

Is The Coventry Carol the most melancholy Christmas carol ever? Maybe. I’ve heard a lot of carols and I don’t know of any others that feature the mothers of Bethlehem singing to their lost children that have made it into the Christmas canon (though I doubt you’ll hear it on pop Christmas radio). I first encountered it as a high school student in choir, but lest you think it something only classical types like … some of the famous folk that have covered this song include:

Tori Amos
Anúna
Joan Baez
Chanticleer
Charlotte Church
John Denver
The King’s Singers
The Kingston Trio
Annie Lennox
Mannheim Steamroller
Loreena McKennitt
Mediæval Bæbes
Jessye Norman
Pentatonix
Sting
Suzanne Vega … and many, many more.

Christmas is Coming (Round) : Complete Sing-along & Ukulele Tutorial

I admit, this song confused the heck out of me when I was 5 years old. What does Christmas have to do with a goose getting fat? Why am I supposed to put a penny in the old man’s hat? What on earth is a hay penny? … Of course, all these questions were answered for me long ago. Geese were once a traditional dinner. The old man is a beggar. The hay penny is a half pence … and if you don’t have one, then YOU need a blessing.

Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabella : Complete Sing-along & Ukulele Tutorial

The French have contributed some really lovely carol tunes, but there was a time when this was not my favorite carol … not because it wasn’t beautiful, but because I found it hard to sing without straining my voice. It hangs out in my upper register no matter what key you put it in, and I really had to learn to manage those upper notes with ease before I started enjoying singing it (which took a long, long time). Also, I’ve heard a lot of covers of this song that go at breakneck speed; now that I can sing it, I prefer a rather relaxed tempo. Anyway, hope you enjoy!

The Boar’s Head Carol : Complete Sing-a-long & Ukulele Tutorial

This traditional carol from old England cracked me up as a kid when I discovered it in an international book of Christmas carols that my father had purchased. In time I grew to really love it. It’s just so much fun.

Away in a Manger : Complete Sing-a-long and Ukulele Tutorial

Away in a Manger is one of my favorite carols. This version includes two of the three famous melodies that go along with the text. After the sing-a-long I talk about the chords, fingerpicking and strumming patterns.

Recording or Streaming Video Setup

I was asked by friends in a local arts organization for a camera / audio interface proposal for recording live events and workshops. I’ve done a lot of research in this area and I thought some of you might be interested as well (recording jams, festivals, or at home to stream / post video, etc. … with your beloved ukuleles of course).

Here is my currently recommended setup:

VIDEO & PHOTO
Sony A6600 with 18-105mm lens
I currently use the A6600, I chose it specifically for events as it has no record time-limit (most cameras have an artificial cap at 30 minutes … due to lower tariffs for cameras than camcorders), and it has an enormous battery that lasts for hours. Between these two things, it is ideal for ‘set and forget’ situations where you need to put the camera in place, press record and go about your business. The camera also has clean HDMI output, so is good for hooking up to a laptop in a single or multi-camera setup to record straight to the hard drive or stream to the web. The lens in this kit allows for a lot of leeway in where the camera is set up, from fairly close to mid-range.

In multi-camera video setups … If shooting video and then editing later, this is all that you would need for the video end of the production. However, if you want to live stream or capture a video switching between cameras on the fly, additional equipment is needed … A laptop with a dedicated USB port for each camera, HDMI to USB adaptors, and enough cable to put the cameras where you want them as well as gaff tape. The free OBS studio software is a great solution that I use frequently for managing recording/streaming multi camera video. This cuts down on editing time later on (for a lower editing cost) as you are mixing the video on the fly, but what you have at the end is what you get, you can’t remix it later.

AUDIO
Zoom F6 Field Recorder
I also currently own one of these and chose it specifically for its 32-bit float point recording which allows you to set your levels and walk away without having to monitor it constantly. One of the problems of classical/band/theater music and recording is the huge range in volume that can be had in a single song. In the past, you would have to watch your levels like a hawk to avoid digital clipping (which ruins recordings). 32-bit recording removes that problem by making TWO recordings at the same time, one at a lower level and one at a higher level and then mixing them together into one file … no more clipping, no more ruined audio. You can be as loud or soft as you want and it will still turn out great. You can then go in an edit everything later without worry that you didn’t get a good recording to work with. It has six mic inputs, which should be sufficient for most studio and live setups. Mics, stands and cable, of course, are separate.

I also have two Rode NT4 stereo mics that work well with this recorder. They have been a good and simple solution for a lot of applications. One would be enough for most live situations – hearing as an audience member would. Two or three mics for detailed, mixable recordings for Band/Orchestra/Choir etc..

Anyway, if you’re looking to record yourself, your group, your festival, etc. with something a little more pro-looking than a phone, this is a great setup. There is a learning curve to each of these devices, so be sure to budget the time you need to get to know them well before trying to capture a live event.

Memorize “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer” for Ukulele in Minutes

My son started ukulele this year (he’s 7) and really wants to learn “Rudolph” for Christmas. I quickly ran through the song in my head and figured out the chords … and they are soooooooooooo easy, following a few predictable patterns.

My wife got in on the action when we started up ‘family band’ once again at my son’s request; she wanted something visual to practice with, so I whipped up this ‘cheat sheet’ which includes just the chords above the words that the chords change on (technically not breaking any copyright laws this way as chord progressions are not copyrightable and I’ve only put key words in from the lyrics).

I thought others might enjoy this and I’d bet if you’ve learned these chords you can commit it to memory in minutes.

Right-click the image for saving options.

This song is in AABA or 32-bar form (‘Over the Rainbow’ form). An A-section is stated, then repeated with different words, followed by a B-section with contrasting music, and then another A-section (sometimes new words, as in this song, or a repeat of previous lyrics). The A-sections of this song contain just two chords, C & G7 (usually some of the first chords ukulele players learn). The B-section is a little more involved, cycling through F C G7 C G Bdim D7 & G7 … if you’re new to any of these chords, I’d suggest cycling through these a number of times (I imagine that would be the bulk of any practice you might need on this song).

Want the ChordPro code to format this in the editor of your choice? Here you go:

{title: "Rudolph" Memorization Cheat Sheet}
{artist: FOR EDUCATIONAL USE ONLY}

[C]Rudolph ... [G7]nose ... [C]glows ... [G7]names ...
[C]games ...

<br>
[F]Then ... [C]Christmas ... [G7]Santa ... [C]say ...
[G]Rudolph ... [Bdim]nose ... [D7]won't ... [G7]sleigh ...

<br>
[C]Then ... [G7]glee ... histo[C]ry ...
[G7]You'll ... histo[C]ry.

{comment: Formatted by M. Ryan Taylor of UkulelePlay.com}

If you’re looking for traditional sheet music with ukulele chords for Rudolph, look no further: Rudolph The Red-nosed Reindeer Lead with Ukulele Chord Diagrams

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Ukulele Questions: Apps for Making & Printing Ukulele Tablature?

2-part tablature example realized in Finale

Today’s question comes from Ramille Matsoukis of the Mother Pluckers Ukulele Ensemble:

The ukulele instrumental trio I play in have been loving your book, Christmas Carols for Ukulele Orchestra. We ladies are strictly instrumentalists, and enjoy your arrangements immensely. One of our members reads only tablature. In addition to your book we also play some pdf songs which I rearranged from an old book of recorder ensemble music.

I would like to make some post-Christmas arrangements for us to play, and am having no luck finding an app which will let me compose with ukulele tablature. Everything is either guitar tab or bass with notation on top. Do you have a specific app for writing ukulele tab? … Any advice or lead on composing with a ukes tab would be much appreciated.

As far as notation software goes, I’ve used Finale since the late 90s and think it is a great program. It is pretty pricey though and has a learning curve that people often complain about. It produces great looking music though.

A free option is Musescore, which I know will do ukulele tablature, but I don’t have much experience with using it myself. You can get it free at https://musescore.org and they have a section of their manual dedicated to tablature at https://musescore.org/en/handbook/tablature … you might also check out https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34DIkmmVIv0 to get an overview.

No matter which program you use, tablature always seems to be a little harder to input than standard notation, so there’s a learning curve.
I also found this interesting online program that will only deal with one ukulele at a time: http://www.pluckinukes.com/tabcreator … simple, but lacking rhythm indications.

As far as arranging tips, I usually find that two or three ukulele parts plus chord indications for rhythm players make for a nice sound.

  1. Melody (may include double/triple stops or ‘chord melody’ if you have players that can handle that)
  2. Harmony / Countermelody / Descant (at times optional, at others really needed)
  3. Bass (always great for less-experienced players or giving someone a break)
  4. Chord Indications (with some strumming or fingerpicking indications, where desired)

Anyway, I’d love to see what you come up with. Best of luck in your endeavor!

Ukulele Questions: What makes a ukulele a ukulele?

aiUke1A by FolsomNatural

Today’s question comes courtesy of Tom Maxwell via the Ukulele Players group on Facebook:

“The question came up recently so now I’m curious: what makes a ukulele a ukulele? Not string count. I’ve seen 4, 5, 6, 8, and more than 12 strings. Hi G and low G. Tuned “my dog has fleas” or tuned in like a violin. Electric or acoustic. Steel strings or gut strings. Made of wood, carbon fiber, plastic, cigar box. Solid or hollow. Gorgeous or ugly. Thoughts??”

I’ve heard it argued that the only ‘true’ ukulele is a soprano-sized instrument, with peg tuners, strung re-entrant gCEA, and is made of Koa … if it doesn’t meet these requirements, it is a hybrid. The ukulele itself being a hybrid of traditional Madeiran folk instruments and tunings with Hawaiian wood.

The original guitars of the Renaissance were about the size of a modern baritone ukulele, had four courses and were tuned gGCCEEA (7-strings), everything that came after was a hybrid on that theme. Baroque luthiers added a fifth course and Classical luthiers added the sixth, enlarging the instrument and lowering the tuning. They’re all, including the ukulele, part of the same family.

But for practicality’s sake, I’d agree with the person in the thread that said if you can use the same ukulele tabs to play a song, then call it a ukulele.

I personally feel that the re-entrant gCEA tuning of the ukulele is a big part of what makes a ukulele sound like a ukulele, but tell that to major players like James Hill who are big proponents of linear tuning … they do very well with that and are awesome. So, I think that really divides the ukulele world into two camps, and ever shall they debate. 🙂

And speaking of debate, Mitsuru Ogami wrote me to say:

That’ funny, I didn’t know James Hill like linear tuning. All videos I see on youtube, he plays re-entrant tuned ukulele, all the songs in his book “Duets for one” are for re-entrant. Jake shimanukuro, John king… most of my favorite pro players prefers re-entrant.

“There are advantages and disadvantages to both low 4th string tuning (a.k.a. “linear” tuning) and high 4th string tuning (a.k.a. “re-entrant” tuning); otherwise I’d just travel with one ukulele and forget about it. Re-entrant tuning is great for vocal accompaniment, jazz chording, and campanella-style playing (à la John King). Linear tuning is better for ensemble melody picking, classroom instruction, lead picking and solo arrangements that involve moving bass lines. Different tools, same tool kit.” ~ James Hill

James Hill is a big, and vocal, proponent of linear tuning for educational use. His Ukulele in the Classroom books aimed at providing a comprehensive ukulele curriculum for grade school students only makes concession for reentrant tuning because of its ubiquity, but the series is aimed at a linear model.You are right that John King (particularly as a pioneer of campanella-style playing on the ukulele) and Jake Shimabukuro favor reentrant, but there are plenty of great solo players that favor linear. The most famous example might be Israel Kamakawiwoʻole’s cover of ‘Over the Rainbow’ which uses linear to great effect. Then you have Taimane Gardner, which with her 5-string set up, essentially using both systems at the same time.

Fun Finds: Ukulele Bottle Opener

My good friend, Daniel Hulbert over at Circuits & Strings, recently came up with a new ukulele bottle opener design that he’s now offering in stainless steel on his Etsy shop. Check it out!

When I see this, I want to burst out in the Coca-Cola song … “I’d like to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony …”

Ukes in Space : Humorous Block Prints

Ukes in Space linocut block print portrays an Ukulele Space Ship amidst the stars, flying past a Saturn-like planet. As it flies it blasts out musical joy from it’s note canons. Perfect gift for the ukulele buff who is also a sci-fi fan.

First edition of 8 prints.

Ukul-Alien Art Prints

UKUL-ALIEN hand-tinted linocut block prints : First edition print of 6. Alien holds Ukulele and sings, hovering amid the stars and planets in it’s hot-rod UFO. Perfect gift for the ukulele lover with a Sci-Fi bent. Original artwork by M. Ryan Taylor.

Uke are Hot – Original Ukulele Framed Art

One of a kind, dimensional paint, 16 x 13 framed UKE ARE HOT ukulele art on Etsy, by M. Ryan Taylor of UkulelePlay.com … Perfect to remind you or your partner just how hot you/they are. See the listing on Etsy for additional photos. 🙂

The Addams Family Theme – Uke & Me

Kicking off October with this solo version of The Addams Family Theme.

Sheet music available at https://bit.ly/AddamsFamilySheetMusic

Would you like to participate in a group video of this song? See https://www.patreon.com/posts/addams-family-to-42261805