Category Archives: Ukulele Song Books

Power Up Ukulele

Photo: Kirt Edblom

Photo: Kirt Edblom

Some years ago I had this idea to create a step by step ukulele course around a game dynamic … Power Up Ukulele. I got it outlined as a site and added lots of ideas and material, but I never felt like I was finished with it, so I only shared it with a few students on a case by case basis. However, the site does contain a lot of information you might find useful, including paths for increasing your skills in:

  • Chords
  • Strumming
  • Fingerstyle
  • Soloing (Scales)
  • Instrumental (Tablature)

Something I am particularly proud of is a Strum Shorthand system I came up with for writing down strumming patterns that were more complex than ‘down, down up, up, down up’ using a number of odd characters that are readily available in the most common font typefaces.

Anyway, I chose recently to make all the materials public with the hope that they might inspire some to ‘power up’ their playing. Enjoy!

A one-year Curriculum for Teaching beginning Ukulele in the Classroom

123 Preview 1NEW! 123 Ukulele Play! : a curriculum for ukulele in the classroom
also on Teachers Pay Teachers and on Amazon. Find AUDIO here.

123 Ukulele Play! offers a step-by-step learning program for ukulele using developmental principles one might find in a Kodaly-based program, only with ukulele as a springboard for student enthusiasm. 73 songs are included in the student manual along with 48 lesson plans to help guide you through the process of teaching them. Also included are individual MP3 files for each of the songs, chord charts for the students as well as large chord charts to print and hang up on the walls.

123 Preview 2After the basics and Christmas units (secular alternates are included for any religious songs), classical masterworks are interspersed with units on New Years Goals, Americana (for President’s Day), Irish Dance and finally a trip around the world to various island nations (Japan, Tonga, Australia), ending with Hawaiian songs as a nod to the instrument’s birthplace.

123 Preview 3About the author: M. Ryan Taylor is the author of a number of ukulele books aimed at beginning players, including Two Chord Camp Songs for Ukulele, The Two Chord Companion, Two Chord Christmas Songs, Christmas on 34th Street and more that you can find on UkulelePlay.com. He is a Kodaly-certified developmental education specialist and has worked with elementary-age children as the director of the American Fork Children’s Choir since 2010. He also directs the Happy Valley Ukes, an adult community ukulele orchestra, and organizes The Original Utah Uke Fest, a full day of free concerts, open mics, workshops and more that promotes the guitar’s tiny cousin. Taylor also travels to teach Ukulele Bootcamps wherever the wind might blow him. Catch him singing at https://www.facebook.com/uke.n.me/ or http://ukuleleplay.com/uke-and-me/ or even https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FI-yslLxG-k&list=PLr6L7Q-AOghUzk4-VnmQku_-UISAgSfXO

123 Ukulele Play

12 Carols of Christmastime : Lyrics/Chords & Video

VIDEOS

All 12 Carols in one video on Facebook (opens in new window), or All 12 Carols in separate videos in a YouTube playlist (opens in new window), or watch here:

ABOUT THE CAROLS

These carols were selected and adapted from my two ukulele Christmas books, The Two Chord Christmas Songbook and Christmas on 34th Street. They were chosen firstly on their merit as great carols, secondly as fairly well-known songs of the season and thirdly to offer good variety in a set that makes sense for performing/caroling. The order of the songs may seem random, but they are placed so that no two songs are in the same key in a row and the carols alternate between slow and fast-paced tunes. None of the carols has more than 4 chords and a number have only 2, which makes them ideal for beginners. You need only add a bit of interesting strumming/fingerpicking or some chord inversions to keep intermediate and advancing players interested. I’ve posted the lyrics/chords below.

I created the videos as teaching aids for my students and we’re planning a carol sing & strum mid-December for which I created the lyric/chord charts. I thought the material might be of use to others, so here it is! Merry Christmas! and Happy Caroling!

LYRICS/CHORDS

HE IS BORN

CHORUS
[F]He is born, the divine Christ Child,
Loud let us sing to [C7]greet His coming;
[F]He is born, the divine Christ Child,
Sound the pipes, let the [C7]trumpets [F]play.

1. [F]We have waited a [C7]thousand [F]years
Since the prophets’ [C7]first foretelling;
[F]We have waited a [C7]thousand [F]years,
Hail, our new-born [C7]Lord this day. [CHORUS]

2. [F]How the light a[C7]bout Him [F]shines,
round this perfect [C7]child of heaven!
[F]How the light a[C7]bout Him [F]shines,
Sweetly casting [C7]fear away. [CHORUS]

3. [F]Starlit is His [C7]humble [F]crib,
Ox and ass be[C7]side Him sleeping;
[F]Starlit is His [C7]humble [F]crib,
See His throne, a [C7]bed of hay. [CHORUS]
_______

WHAT CHILD IS THIS?

What [Dm]child is this, who, [C]laid to rest,
On [Dm]Mary’s lap is [A7]sleeping?
Whom [Dm]angels greet with [C]anthems sweet
While [Dm]shepherds [A7]watch are [Dm]keeping?
[F]This, this is [C]Christ the king,
Whom [Dm]shepherds guard and [A7]angels sing;
[F]Haste, haste to [C]bring him laud,
The [Dm]Babe, the [A7]Son of [Dm]Mary!

So [Dm]bring him incense, [C]gold, and myrrh;
Come, [Dm]peasant, king, to [A7]own him.
The [Dm]King of kings sal[C]vation brings;
Let [Dm]loving [A7]hearts en[Dm]throne him.
[F]Raise, raise the [C]song on high,
The [Dm]virgin sings her [A7]lullaby;
[F]Joy, joy, for [C]Christ is born,
The [Dm]Babe, the [A7]Son of [Dm]Mary!
_______

O CHRISTMAS TREE

O [F]Christmas Tree, [C7]O [F]Christmas [Dm]Tree,
How [C7]steadfast are your [F]branches! :||
Your [F]boughs are green in [C7]summer’s clime
And through the snows of [F]wintertime.
O [F]Christmas Tree, [C7]O [F]Christmas [Dm]Tree,
How [C7]steadfast are your [F]branches!

O [F]Christmas Tree, [C7]O [F]Christmas [Dm]Tree,
What [C7]happiness be[F]falls me! :||
When [F]oft you’ve given [C7]us delight
In brightly shining [F]Christmas light!
O [F]Christmas Tree, [C7]O [F]Christmas [Dm]Tree,
What [C7]happiness be[F]falls me!

O [F]Christmas Tree, [C7]O [F]Christmas [Dm]Tree,
Your [C7]boughs have truly [F]taught me; :||
That [F]hope and love will [C7]ever be
The way to joy and [F]peace for me.
O [F]Christmas Tree, [C7]O [F]Christmas [Dm]Tree,
Your [C7]boughs have truly [F]taught me.
_______

GO TELL IT ON THE MOUNTAIN

CHORUS
[G]Go, tell it on the mountain
[D]Over the hills and [G]every[C]where
[G]Go, tell it on the mountain
[C6]That [G]Jesus [D7]Christ is [G]born.

1. While [G]shepherds [C]kept their [G]watching
O’er [D7]silent flocks by [G]night,
Be[G]hold through[C]out the [G]heavens
There [D]shone a [C]holy [D]light. [D7] [CHORUS]

2. The [G]shepherds [C]feared and [G]trembled
When [D7]lo above the [G]earth
Rang [G]out the [C]angel [G]CHORUS
That [D]hailed our [C]Savior’s [D]birth; [D7] [CHORUS]

3. Down [G]in a [C]lowly [G]manger
The [D7]humble Christ was [G]born;
And [G]God sent [C]out sal[G]vation
That [D]blessed [C]Christmas [D]morn. [D7] [CHORUS]
_______

I SAW THREE SHIPS

I [F]saw three [C7]ships come [F]sailing [C7]in
On [F]Christmas Day, on [C7]Christmas Day;
I [F]saw three [C7]ships come [F]sailing [C7]in
On [F]Christmas Day in the [C7]morn[F]ing.

And [F]what was [C7]in those [F]ships all [C7]three,
On [F]Christmas Day, on [C7]Christmas Day?
And [F]what was [C7]in those [F]ships all [C7]three,
On [F]Christmas Day in the [C7]morn[F]ing?

Our [F]Saviour [C7]Christ and [F]His la[C7]dy,
On [F]Christmas Day, on [C7]Christmas Day;
Our [F]Saviour [C7]Christ and [F]His la[C7]dy,
On [F]Christmas Day in the [C7]morn[F]ing.

And [F]all the [C7]bells on [C7]earth shall [F]ring,
On [F]Christmas Day, on [C7]Christmas Day;
And [F]all the [C7]bells on [F]earth shall [C7]ring,
On [F]Christmas Day in the [C7]morn[F]ing.

And [F]all the [C7]Angels in [F]Heaven shall [C7]sing,
On [F]Christmas Day, on [C7]Christmas Day;
And [F]all the [C7]Angels in [F]Heaven shall [C7]sing,
On [F]Christmas Day in the [C7]morn[F]ing.
_______

INFANT HOLY, INFANT LOWLY

Infant [G]holy, Infant [Am7]lowly,
Lying [G]crad[C]led [D7]in a [G]stall.
Oxen [G]lowing, little [Am7]knowing
That the [G]Babe [C]is [D7]Lord of [G]All.
Swift are [C]winging, [Am7]Angels [D7]singing,
Nowells [Em7]ringing, [Am7]Tidings [D7]bringing
That the [G]Babe [C]is [D7]Lord of [Em7]All,
[D7]That the [G]Babe [C]is [D7]Lord of [G]All.

Stars were [G]gleaming, shepherds [Am7]dreaming
And the [G]night [C]was [D7]dark and [G]chill.
Angels’ [G]story, manger [Am7]glory,
Shepherds [G]heard [C]it [D7]on the [G]hill.
Ah, that [C]singing! [Am7]Hear it [D7]ringing,
Earthward [Em7]winging, [Am7]Christmas [D7]bringing.
Hearken! [G]We [C]can [D7]hear it [Em7]still!
[D7]Hearken! [G]We [C]can [D7]hear it [G]still!

See the [G]clearness and the [Am7]nearness
Of the [G]bles[C]sed [D7]Christmas [G]star,
Leading, [G]guiding, wise men [Am7]riding
Through the [G]des[C]ert [D7]dark and [G]far.
Lovely [C]showing, [Am7]shining [D7]growing,
Onward [Em7]going, [Am7]gleaming [D7]glowing,
Leading [G]still, [C]our [D7]Christmas [Em7]Star.
[D7]Leading [G]still, [C]our [D7]Christmas [G]Star.
_______

JINGLE BELLS

[F]Dashing through the snow
In a one horse open [Bbadd9]sleigh
O’er the hills we [C]go
Laughing all the [F]way.
Bells on bobtail ring
Making spirits [Bbadd9]bright.
What fun it is to [C]ride and sing
A sleighing song to[F]night. [C7]Oh!
[F]Jingle bells jingle bells
Jingle all the way!
[Bbadd9]Oh, what fun it [F]is to ride
In a [G7]one horse open [Cadd9]sleigh!
[F]Jingle bells jingle bells
Jingle all the way!
[Bbadd9]Oh, what fun it [F]is to ride
In a [C7]one horse open [F]sleigh!

[G]Dashing through the snow
In a one horse open [C]sleigh
O’er the hills we [D7]go
Laughing all the [G]way.
Bells on bobtail ring
Making spirits [C]bright.
What fun it is to [D7]ride and sing
A sleighing song to[G]night. [D7]Oh!
[G]Jingle bells jingle bells
Jingle all the way!
[C]Oh, what fun it [G]is to ride
In a [A7]one horse open [D7]sleigh!
[G]Jingle bells jingle bells
Jingle all the way!
[C]Oh, what fun it [G]is to ride
In a [D7]one horse open [G]sleigh!
_______

JOLLY OLD ST. NICHOLAS

[F]Jolly old St. [C]Nicholas,
[Bbadd9]Lean your ear this [Dm7]way!
[Bbadd9]Don’t you tell a [F]single soul
[C]What I’m going to say.
[F]Christmas Eve is [C]coming soon!
[Bbadd9]Now, you dear old [Dm7]man.
[Bbadd9]Whisper what you’ll [F]bring to me;
[C]Tell me if you [F]can.

[F]When the clock is [C]striking twelve.
[Bbadd9]When I’m fast a[Dm7]sleep,
[Bbadd9]Down the chimney [F]broad and black,
[C]With your pack you’ll creep.
[F]All the stockings [C]you will find
[Bbadd9]Hanging in a [Dm7]row;
[Bbadd9]Mine will be the [F]shortest one,
[C]You’ll be sure to [F]know.

[F]Johnny wants a [C]pair of skates.
[Bbadd9]Susy wants a [Dm7]sled,
[Bbadd9]Nelly wants a [F]picture book;
[C]Yellow, blue and red;
[F]Now I think I’ll [C]leave to you
[Bbadd9]What to give the [Dm7]rest;
[Bbadd9]Choose for me, dear [F]Santa Claus,
[C]You will know the [F]best.
_______

PATAPAN

[Dm]Willie, take your little drum,
With your whistle, Robin, [A7]come.
When we hear the fife and [Dm]drum,
Turelurelu, [A7]patapatapan;
When we hear the fife and [Dm]drum:
Make your Christ mas [A7]frolic[Dm]some!

[Dm]Thus the men of olden days
Loved the King of Kings to [A7]praise;
When we hear the fife and [Dm]drum,
Turelurelu, [A7]patapatapan;
When we hear the fife and [Dm]drum:
Let your joyful [A7]voices [Dm]hum!

[Dm]God and man are now become
More at one than fife and [A7]drum;
Listen to this fife and [Dm]drum,
Turelurelu, [A7]patapatapan;
Listen to this fife and [Dm]drum,
And you never [A7]will suc[Dm]cumb!
_______

WHAT SHALL WE GIVE?

[C]What shall we [G7]give to the [C]Son of our [G7]Mary?
[C]What can we [G7]give that the [C]Child will en[G7]joy?
[C]First, we shall give Him a [G7]tray full of [C]raisins,
Then we shall offer sweet [G7]figs to the [C]Boy.
Tampatamta, give a [G7]tray full of [C]raisins,
Tampatamta, and sweet [G7]figs to the [C]Boy.

[C]What can we [G7]give the Be[C]loved of [G7]Mary?
[C]What can we [G7]give to her [C]beautiful [G7]Child?
[C]Raisins and olives and [G7]nutmeats and [C]honey,
Candy and figs and some [G7]cheese that is [C]mild.
Tampatamta, olives, [G7]nutmeats and [C]honey,
Tampatamta, and some [G7]cheese that is [C]mild.

[C]What can we [G7]sing Him? A [C]song of sweet [G7]beauty?
[C]What if we [G7]sing as those [C]angels a[G7]bove?
[C]”Peace and goodwill to the [G7]sons of the [C]morning,
Glory and praise to the [G7]Author of [C]Love.”
Tampatamta, all ye [G7]sons of the [C]morning,
Tampatamta, praise the [G7]Author of [C]Love.
_______

THE LITTLE CRADLE ROCKS

If [F]anybody asks you who I am,
[Bb7]who I am, [F]who I am,
If anybody asks you who I am,
[Bb7]Tell him I’m a child of [F]God.

CHORUS
The [F]little cradle rocks tonight in glory,
[Bb7]in glory, [F]in glory,
The little cradle rocks tonight in glory,
[Bb7]Christ child born in [F]glory!

[F]Peace on earth, Mary rock the cradle,
[Bb7]Rock the cradle, [F]rock the cradle,
Peace on earth, Mary rock the cradle,
[Bb7]Christ child born in [F]glory! [CHORUS]

The [F]Christ child’s passing, singing softly,
[Bb7]Singing softly, [F]singing softly,
The Christ child’s passing, singing softly,
[Bb7]Christ child born in [F]glory! [CHORUS]

If [F]anybody asks you who you are,
[Bb7]who you are, [F]who you are,
If anybody asks you who you are,
[Bb7]Tell him you’re a child of [F]God.
_______

SILENT NIGHT

[C]Silent night! Holy night!
[G7]All is calm, [C]all is bright,
[F]Round yon Virgin [C]Mother and Child!
[F]Holy Infant, so [C]tender and mild,
[G7]Sleep in heavenly [C]peace!
Sleep in [G7]heavenly [C]peace!

[C]Silent night! Holy night!
[G7]Shepherds quake [C]at the sight!
[F]Glories stream from [C]heaven afar,
[F]Heav’nly Hosts sing [C]Alleluia!
[G7]Christ, the Savior is [C]born!
Christ, the [G7]Savior is [C]born!

[C]Silent night! Holy night!
[G7]Son of God, [C]love’s pure light;
[F]Radiant beams from [C]Thy Holy Face,
[F]With the dawn of re[C]deeming grace,
[G7]Jesus, Lord, at Thy [C]Birth!
Jesus, [G7]Lord, at Thy [C]Birth!

First Melodies for Ukulele : Free eBook

March 24th 1927 - Actresses Joan Crawford & Dorothy SebastianNew FREE eBook:

  • First Melodies for Ukulele : 18 familiar tunes to help folk get started with tablature. Includes tablature and staff notation so you can get to know the notes on your fretboard better at the same time.

I put this together for my beginning ukulele students, but thought others might benefit as well. Enjoy!

Christmas is Coming!

Get more ukulele books for your friends and loved ones this holiday season . . .

The Daily Ukulele : To Go!

2016-02-23 16.44.57Just in case you didn’t know . . . The Daily Ukulele is now availble in a palm-sized edition. This book is awesome with a great selection of songs, is a standard at many ukulele jams, and now fits in the pocket of your ukulele case!

The full sized version of this is in my library, marked with about 100 post it notes. Time to start transferring my notes over. 🙂

One minor quibble I have with this, and the original book, is that many of the songs are in keys that are a little low for your average singer. However, if you learn how to transpose songs (and every player should at some point learn how to), then there is ‘no problem.’

Ukulele Christmas : Projector Collection

Some of the best tunes from The Two Chord Christmas Songbook and Christmas on 34th Street, now formatted for projectors and smartboards with group ukulele jams and classrooms in mind. Landscape formatted PDF files include . . .

2ChordChristmasSongbookAway in a Manger
Behold that Star
Bring a Torch
Christ Was Born on Christmas Day
Christmas is Coming
Coventry Carol
Deck the Hall
Ding Dong! Merrily on High!
Go Tell it on the Mountain
Good Christian Men, Rejoice!
Good King Wenceslaus
He is Born
Here We Come A-Wassailing
Hey, Ho, Nobody Home
I Saw Three Ships
Infant Holy, Infant Lowly
Jingle Bells
Jolly Old St. Nicholas
Joy to the World
Mary Had a BabyChristmas on 34th Street small
O Christmas Tree
O Little Town of Bethlehem
Oh Come All Ye Faithful
Once in Royal David’s City
Patapan
Silent Night
Sleep of the Child Jesus
Still, Still, Still
The First Noel
The Friendly Beasts
The Holly and the Ivy
Up on the Housetop
Wassail, Wassail, All Over the Town!
We Wish You a Merry Christmas
Wexford Carol
What Child is This?
What Shall We Give?

Titan M’s 2 Chord Companion : 157 songs in Ukulele-Friendly Keys

Get the 2 Chord Companion at . . .

Author’s Note:

!FRONT COVER thumbWhat kind of obsessive-compulsive person catalogs over 400 two-chord songs, then carefully selects the cream of the crop and painstakingly typesets 157 of them to publish in a single volume? That would be me, a self-proclaimed music nerd and ukulele enthusiast.

Why would I spend months doing such a thing? I spend a lot of time teaching people to play the ukulele, and two-chord songs are great for a lot of things:

  • Introducing basic chord pairs
  • Hammering the transition between those pairs
  • Teaching chord relationships
  • Training the ear to hear these relationships
  • Gaining practice in transposing songs
  • A feeling of accomplishment for beginners
  • A jumping off point for intermediate players to begin embellishing chords
  • A blank slate for advanced players to begin working on chord substitutions and arranging
  • A safe place for players of all levels to jam

So, whether you’re new to the uke or a veteran player, this book is for you. I hope you’ll visit http://j.mp/UkulelePlayYouTube and subscribe to follow along as I explore many of these wonderful songs and some of the various things you can do with them.

Enjoy!
TITAN M
a.k.a. M. Ryan Taylor

Contents : By Topic

AMERICANA & HISTORICAL
Bought me a Cat
Bound for the Promised Land
Buffalo Gals
Chickalileo
Cotton Eye Joe
Darling Cory
Doodle Dandy
Down in the Valley
Freedom Train
Hymn for Nations
I’ll Sell My Hat
I’m Gonna Sing
In Wisdom’s Lovely
Pleasant Ways
Jerry
John Henry
Little Birdie
Mary Ann
No More, My Lord
Old Joe Clark
Old Stewball
Polly Wolly Doodle
Rockin’ By the Baby
Rocky Mountain
Santy Anno
Shady Grove
Shortnin’ Bread
Simple Gifts
Sinner Man
Skip to my Lou
Springfield Mountain
Streets of Laredo, The
Sweet Betsy from Pike
Tom Dooley
Train’s Off the Track
Ut Queant Laxis
Welcome Here
Wondrous Love
Yellow Rose of Texas, The

AROUND THE WORLD
Arirang
Day-O (Banana Boat Song)
Four White Horses
Land of the Silver Birch
Lukey’s Boat
Mary Ann
My Paddle’s Keen and Bright
Ode to Joy
Shalom Chaverim
She Moved Through the Fair
Shoheen Sho
Sosban Fach : Little Pot
Stewball
Sweet Molly Malone
Wild Mountain Thyme, The

LOVERS
Are Ye Sleeping Maggie?
Arirang
Black is the Color
Buffalo Gals
Clementine
Cocky Robin
Cotton Eye Joe
Darling Cory
Down in the Valley
Green Bushes
I’ll Sell My Hat
Johnny Has Gone for a Soldier
Little Birdie
Long, Long Ago
Love Somebody
Love will Find Out a Way
My Bonny Boy
My Horses Ain’t Hungry
Pretty Little Miss
Reuban and Rachel
Shady Grove
She Moved Through the Fair
Sweet Betsy from Pike
Time I’ve Lost in Wooing, The
Train’s Off the Track
Walking on the Green Grass
Water is Wide, The
Wild Mountain Thyme, The
Yellow Rose of Texas, The

CHILDREN
Ah, Poor Bird
Black Socks
Bluebird, Bluebird
Bought me a Cat
Bow Belinda
By’m Bye
Chickalileo
Cocky Robin
Down by the Station
Fair Rosa
Farmer in the Dell, The
Fire Engines
Four White Horses
Ghost of John, The
Go Tell Aunt Rhody
Grand Old Duke of York, The
I Went to the Pictures Tomorrow
I’m Gonna Sing
Itsy Bitsy Spider
I’ve Been to Harlem
I’ve Got a Car, It’s Made of Tin
Land of the Silver Birch
Little Johnny Brown
London Bridge
Love Somebody
Mactavish is Dead
Mamalama
Maria’s Gone
Mary Had a Little Lamb
More We Get Together, The
My Aunt Came Back
My Paddle’s Keen and Bright
My Zuzette
Oats and Beans
Old, Old Shack
One, Two, Three Alairy
Peter Rabbit
Poor Little Kitty Cat
Reuban and Rachel
Rosy Apple, Lemon and a Pear
Samba Lele
Skim, Skim, Skim
Skin and Bones
Sosban Fach : Little Pot
Sweet Potatoes
Telephone Song, The
Ten Little Indians
Throw it Out the Window
Where, Oh Where Has
My Little Dog Gone?
Who Did Swallow Jonah?
Who’s That?

EERIE & MORBID
Ah, Poor Bird
Are Ye Sleeping Maggie?
Bury Me Not on the Lone Prairie
Clementine
Cocky Robin
Darling Cory
Ghost of John, The
Go Tell Aunt Rhody
Jerry
Mactavish is Dead
Mary Golden Tree, The
She Moved Through the Fair
Sinner Man
Skin and Bones
Sometimes I Feel Like
a Motherless Child
Springfield Mountain
Streets of Laredo, The
Sweet Molly Malone
Three Blind Mice
Tom Dooley
Walking on the Green Grass

SPIRITUALS & HYMNS
A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief
Bound for the Promised Land
By an’ By
Go Down Moses
Good News
He’s Got the Whole World
Hymn for Nations
I’m Gonna Sing
In Wisdom’s Lovely
Pleasant Ways
Jacob’s Ladder
Joshua Fought
the Battle of Jericho
Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee
Let me Fly
Mary and Martha
No More, My Lord
Nobody Knows
the Trouble I’ve Seen
Ode to Joy
Oh, Mary Don’t You Weep
Old Arks’s A-Moverin’
Palms of Victory
Rock of Ages
Rock-a My Soul
Simple Gifts
Sinner Man
Sometimes I Feel Like
a Motherless Child
Trampin’
Ut Queant Laxis
Wade in the Water
When the Train Comes Along
Wondrous Love

NONSENSE
Black Socks
Buffalo Gals
Clementine
Cotton Eye Joe
Grand Old Duke of York, The
Haul on the Bowlin’
Hurrah for the Cook
I Went to the Pictures Tomorrow
I’ll Sell My Hat
I’ve Got a Car, It’s Made of Tin
Love Somebody
Lukey’s Boat
Mary Ann
More We Get Together, The
Old Joe Clark
Old, Old Shack
One, Two, Three Alairy
Polly Wolly Doodle
Pretty Little Miss
Reuban and Rachel
Rockin’ By the Baby
Samba Lele
Shortnin’ Bread
Skip to my Lou
Sosban Fach : Little Pot
Sweet Betsy from Pike
There was an Old Fellow
Throw it Out the Window
Time I’ve Lost in Wooing, The
Who Did Swallow Jonah?

ROUNDS
Ah, Poor Bird
Down by the Station
Freedom Train
Here’s a Health
Kaeru No Uta (Frog Song)
Kookabura
List to the Bells
Little Tom Tinker
Make New Friends
My Paddle’s Keen and Bright
Oh, How Lovely is the Evening
One May Begin
Orchestra, The
Row, Row, Row Your Boat
Shalom Chaverim
Sing, Sing Together
There was an Old Fellow
Three Blind Mice
We Thank Thee for Our Daily Bread

GAMES & DANCES
Bluebird, Bluebird
Bow Belinda
Chickalileo
Cocky Robin
Fair Rosa
Farmer in the Dell, The
Four White Horses
Little Johnny Brown
London Bridge
Mamalama
Maria’s Gone
My Aunt Came Back
Old Joe Clark
One, Two, Three Alairy
Peter Rabbit
Poor Little Kitty Cat
Pretty Little Miss
Rocky Mountain
Rosy Apple, Lemon and a Pear
Samba Lele
Shady Grove
Skim, Skim, Skim
Skip to my Lou
Telephone Song, The
Walking on the Green Grass

LULLABYS
Hush Little Baby
Hushabye, Don’t You Cry
Rockin’ By the Baby
Shoheen Sho

OCEAN BLUE
Drunken Sailor
Haul on the Bowlin’
Hurrah for the Cook
I’ve Been to Harlem
John Kanaka
Lukey’s Boat
Mary Ann
Mary Golden Tree, The
Pay me my Money Down
Santy Anno
Spanish Ladies

COWBOYS
Bury Me Not on the Lone Prairie
Doney Gal
I Ride an Old Paint
My Horses Ain’t Hungry
Old Chisholm Trail, The
Railroad Corral, The
Streets of Laredo, The

Christmas Carols for Ukulele Orchesta now on Amazon

AND . . . it is already the #1 bestseller in New Releases for Ukulele Songbooks, and I haven’t even started promoting it. Check out Christmas Carols for Ukulele Orchestra on Amazon and be the first to leave a review!

More new demos for The Haunted Ukulele

I recorded 5 more demos yesterday for my new book, The Haunted Ukulele:

Enjoy the entire Haunted Ukulele Playlist:

6 New Haunted Ukulele Demo Videos

I finished 6 new demo videos for The Haunted Ukulele today (for a total of 39 of the 59 songs in the book):

I’ve added these to the playlist:

Review: Ukulele Duets

Ukulele DuetsUkulele Duets, released by Mel Bay.

As a blogger and an ukulele book author, I generally try to be as kind and positive as I can about any ukulele book I come across. I try to imagine who would enjoy the book, rather than whether I would find it personally useful.

I had great hopes for this book. I teach ukulele groups and a book of duets would be a wonderful resource. The formatting is nice and clean; it includes melody and tab lines for each of the ukuleles.

Problems started to arise though, when I played through the book. One ukulele plays through the melody, which is no surprise. Where I was dissapointed, and frankly think makes this book useless, is that the harmony part on the second uke is almost entirely, in every arrangement, a parallel third or fourth above the melody. Anyone could figure out how to play in parallels. Who needs a whole book for it?

In short, there is no real arranging here, just a formula used over and over again. The ears get tired of this kind of thing really quick. For this book to be useful, I would expect to some good/interesting counterpoint.

Thankfully, Amazon refunded my purchase.

Review: Cowboy Songs for Ukulele

Cowboy Songs for UkuleleCowboy Songs for Ukulele from Hal Leonard includes a nice selection of tunes from the classic days of cowboy songs, before cowboy turned into country; think Gene Autrey, Johnny Cash, Roy Rogers and various cowboy folk songs. Some songs I might work up myself include Back in the Saddle, Ghost Riders in the Sky, Happy Trails, and various of the Gene Autrey songs that are included.

Who this book is for:

  • Folks that love cowboy tropes and songs; these are full of wonderful cliches about trails, cowgirls, gunfights and more.
  • Folks that prefer a chords-over-melody-line-and-lyrics format (like The Daily Ukulele). I enjoy having a melody line to help learn unfamiliar songs without having to look up a recording.
  • Folks that are comfortable improvising/making up their own strum/fingerpicking patterns on the fly.

Also worthy of note, the chord level in this book is fairly easy, making it a great selection for groups with mixed levels of players or advancing beginners.

Review: Two-Chord Songs (Guitar Chord Songbook)

two chord songsTwo-Chord Songs (Guitar Chord Songbook) by Hal Leonard has an eclectic mix of rock, pop and country songs that I’m excited to explore more. Some songs I am familiar with (Paperback Writer, ABC, Day-O, etc.), and others I’m going to have to get on youtube or spotify and look up, but with these easy resources for learning the melodies of songs freely available, I’m just not too worried that there are songs I don’t know in the collection.

Although I was a little puzzled when Hal Leornard sent me a guitar book for review, it doesn’t take much imagination or skill to turn ANY songbook with chords into an ukulele songbook; all you need is a ukulele chord reference (chart, dictionary or online app) and the patience to look up the chords and write them into the music. Actually, you don’t even need much patience when it comes to songs that only have two chords!

As a teacher, I love two chord songs (yep, I’ve even published two songbooks dedicated to them). When practicing transitions between chords, I find it best to focus on two chords at a time and two chord songs offer almost instant gratification to the student as a reward for their dilligence.

So, if you’re a beginner, or just like it easy, consider ignoring the guitar on the cover of this book and picking up a copy to add to your ukulele songbook collection. You might also consider picking up the Hal Leonard Ukulele Chord Finder: Easy-to-Use Guide to Over 1,000 Ukulele Chords for less than six bucks to make writing in your ukulele chord symbols a snap (I use this book all the time).

 

Review: The Best Songs Ever (Ukulele Chord Songbook)

best songs everThe Best Songs Ever (Ukulele Chord Songbook) from Hal Leonard is an interesting selection of songs in the chords-over-lyrics format many ukers are accustomed to.

Who this book is for:

  • Players of a certain age to whom these songs are familiar. I’m in my early forties and hadn’t heard of many of the songs in this book (maybe half). However, my mother flipped through this book and knew almost every song (she’s in her early seventies).
  • Players who want the songs in the original keys and are not afraid of learning large sets of (sometimes difficult) chords. Many songs feature over 20 chords.
  • Players who prefer the chords-over-lyrics format and don’t want to be bothered with treble cleff, notes, or tabs.

If you fit the above profile, this book may be a good addition to your library.

I was sent a review copy of this book from Hal Leonard.

New Book Reviewed on Got a Ukulele

Read Barry Maz’s review of my new ukulele songbook Christmas on 34th Street:

Barry is the author of a number of great ukulele books for beginners that are available on Amazon.

Christmas on 34th Street : 34 3-4 Chord Classics for Ukulele and Baritone Ukulele

Christmas on 34th Street small

34 Christmas Classics arranged for Ukulele (GCEA) and Baritone Ukulele by M. Ryan Taylor of UkulelePlay.com, each with only 3-4 chords each and presented in multiple keys to allow you to choose which is best for your vocal range and playing ability (also allows for easy modulating between verses).

Selected and arranged with ukulele clubs, jamming groups and classrooms in mind, where players may range from beginners to advanced players. Most of the songs have been placed in keys that allow a standard ukulele strung with traditional / re-entrant / high-g GCEA tuning to pluck the melody, allowing groups to create simple duets between pickers and strummers on the fly.

Songs include:
Away in a Manger
Boars Head Carol
Bring a Torch, Jeannette Isabella
Christmas is Coming!
Coventry Carol
Deck the Hall
Ding Dong! Merrily on High!
First Noel, The
Friendly Beasts
Go Tell it On the Mountain
Good Christian Men Rejoice
Good King Wenceslaus
Here We Come A-Wassailing
Holly and the Ivy, The
In the Bleak the Midwinter
Infant Holy, Infant Lowly
Jingle Bells – free sample!
Jolly Old St. Nicholas
Joy to the World
March of the Three Kings, The
Masters in this Hall
O Come, Little Children
Once in Royal Davids City
Rocking Carol
Shepherd! Shake Off Your Drowsy Sleep
Silent Night
Sing We Now of Christmas
Sussex Carol
Twelve Days of Christmas, The
Up on the Housetop
Wassail, Wassail, All Over the Town!
We Wish You a Merry Christmas
Wexford Carol, The
What Child is This?

Want more simple, but awesome Christmas songs to add to your repertoire? Check out The Two Chord Christmas Songbook.

The Two Chord Christmas Songbook eBook released

My new Christmas songbook is now out; 34 hand-picked songs, each requiring only two chords. Charts are included for ukulele, guitar and baritone ukulele. Check it out here: The Two Chord Christmas Songbook

Thirteen for Halloween : Ukulele Edition

New for 2012! The long-awaited ukulele editon of Thirteen for Halloween (link goes to tradebit.com) is now available for instant download. This Halloween songbook contains ukulele chords (C tuning) AND chords for baritone ukulele.

Includes all the songs from the Thirteen for Halloween album:

  1. Welcome Said the Spider
  2. The Ghost of John
  3. Three Little Ghostesses
  4. Mactavish Is Dead
  5. Skin and Bones
  6. Queen Nefertiti (The Mummy)
  7. Old Witch, Old Witch
  8. Witch, Witch, Where do you Fly?
  9. Im a Mean Old Witch
  10. Unlikely Company
  11. The Ghost Ship
  12. Were Back!
  13. Five Little Pumpkins

Get the matching “Frankenstein on the Beach” ukulele t-shirt (link takes you to printfection.com)!

For more Halloween fun, visit ThirteenforHalloween.com.  For more ukulele awesomeness, visit UkulelePlay.com.