The 3 Streams : Advice on Practicing to Put them All Together

Music-brainI was recently asked about singing, strumming and fingerpicking all at the same time by someone who attended the festival I organize each year. She wrote, “I am having a terrible time with this issue of singing and playing and wondered if you can give me any direction…?”

As far as singing and playing together goes, I do have some practice advice that I often share with my students. Chords, Strumming/Fingerpicking, and Vocals are 3 different streams of information. Just like a pianist practices the left hand and the right hand separately before putting them together, for best results we should plan to practice these 3 streams separately before trying to bring them together.

  1. Learn the song … not the chords, or how to play it … just listen to it. Or, if you read music, pluck out the melody. Once you feel you really know the song and can sing it confidently, you’re ready to start practicing your accompaniment.
  2. Scan through the song you are practicing and look for any chord combinations that you’ve never seen before. Any two chords that you’ve never seen side by side before ought to be practiced as a chord pair; go gently back and forth between these chords until you feel absolutely comfortable with the transition. Repeat this process for all new chord combinations. This is practice that is best done watching a documentary you enjoy (something that keeps your conscious mind engaged, but doesn’t prove too distracting to keep you from going back and forth, back and forth).
  3. Play through all the chords in order. This is not the time for any fancy strumming, just strum across each chord with a simple thumb strum. If there are any spots where you feel uncomfortable, go back to step 2 and practice those chord pairs.
  4. Once you’re sure you’re comfortable with all the chord changes you can start singing and strumming the chords. Once again, this is not the time for any fancy strumming or fingerpicking, just get those chords in the right places with your voice. This is a good time to break out a metronome to keep you accurate and honest. Practice slowly at first, a tempo where you can get everything right. Then, slowly increase your speed until you get it to the tempo you want.
  5. Fancy strums and fingerpicking techniques are icing on the cake. The cake will still be tasty without them. If you’re wanting frosting, it must be mixed separately and not baked with the cake. Strumming and fingerpicking should be practiced separately, without worrying about chords, melody or words. Again, this practice is best done with some kind of low-key television program running, because it is repetitive and dull and none of us really want to do it. We want to put it all together, now. Be patient. Practice the technique until you can do it and carry on a conversation at the same time. Go slow. Slow practice = fast progress.
  6. Once you’re absolutely sure your strumming and fingerpicking techniques are committed to your muscle memory and occupy not one wit your conscious effort, it is now time to try and put all 3 streams together. Once again, go super slow and work for accuracy, not speed. 10-20 slow passes through a song will be worth HUNDREDS of fast passes filled with errors. Time is on your side … don’t be in a rush … let it seep in deep.
  7. If you care to at this point, you can add decorations to your cake. These include things known as ‘intros’ ‘interludes’ ‘instrumentals’ and ‘fills’ where you can show off and add a professional touch. Honestly, I do not do this with the majority of my songs, because singing is my first love and I learned to play the uke to support my voice, not the other way around. But, some people, like James Hill, pull this off magnificently and are worth listening to for ideas.

If you’re interested in learning more about strumming, fingerpicking and soloing techniques, I put together a free website that covers a lot of material at http://powerup.ukuleleplay.com/ and if you’re looking to learn a bunch of cool songs with these principles applied, you can rehearse along with my group, The Happy Valley Ukes, from anywhere in the world by visiting our Patreon project at https://www.patreon.com/uke and pledging at the $4 a month level for full access to rehearsal videos and links to music.

What a Wonderful World with ‘up the neck’ chord diagrams

blue-planet-earth-globe-41953A new arrangement of the song IZ made a ukulele classic, now available on Sheet Music Plus.

What Sweeter Music? for Renaissance Guitar (or Ukulele)

  • What Sweeter MusicWhat Sweeter Music? : A new setting of Robert Herrick’s poem for Voice & Renaissance Guitar (opt. Ukulele)

WHAT sweeter music can we bring
Than a carol for to sing
The birth of this our Heavenly King?
Awake the voice! awake the string!
Heart, ear, and eye, and everything
Awake! the while the active finger
Runs division with the singer.

View a performance at https://www.facebook.com/uke.n.me/videos/732443843809213/

Peace I Leave With You

As a teenager, I wrote a choral version of this text that has stuck with me all these years. At times of stress I have fallen back on this text many times and the melody I wrote all those years back comes readily to mind. I long wanted a solo version of this and eventually put one together. The flute part on here was originally written for a penny whistle, and so has a very moderate range. I also transcribed it for clarinet, as I have a clarinet wielding friend.

Even More Music for Ukulele Ensembles

Visit For Ukulele Ensembles for the full list of pieces for Ukulele Ensembles.

Finally! New Music for Ukulele Ensembles

I’ve been stockpiling (quite unintentionally) a number of new arrangements for ukulele ensemble … I get them written for my group, The Happy Valley Ukes, and then never get around to posting them on the website. I can only plead the warcry of our day, “I’m so busy!” Anyway, here they are (links to Sheet Music Plus):

Find these and more arrangements on the For Ukulele Ensembles page of this site.

Bible Camp Songs for Ukulele

music-1781580_640This past Summer I was asked to teach ukulele as part of an Arts Camp at a local church. Once I was assigned the songs to teach, I formatted the music and changed the keys to make it all ukulele friendly. Here’s a free PDF:

Included songs are:

  • All Night, All Day
  • Zion’s Children
  • Go Now in Peace
  • Little David, Play on Your Harp
  • Michael, Row the Boat Ashore
  • Rise & Shine

Enjoy!

We Three Kings

A new arrangement of the classic Christmas / Epiphany carol:

  • We Three Kings : Vocal TRIO with chord voicings & fingerpicking instructions for one or more ukuleles

You can find more Christmas music for Ukulele groups, orchestras and ensembles at http://ukuleleplay.com/for-ukulele-ensembles/

Adoration_of_the_Magi_Tapestry_detail

Review of 123 Ukulele Play! a one-year curriculum for schools

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

Review by Karin Kott

Full disclosure: I received this curriculum for free to review. I am starting a ukulele club in my middle school and this curriculum will be one of my resources.

This curriculum is a great resource for teachers. Intended to be used at the elementary school level, it is jam packed with information. One thing that I particularly appreciated was Mr. Taylor’s inclusion of interesting historical tidbits to give context to the songs.

At first glance, it seems as though quite a few concepts are introduced all at once: strumming, rhythm and note reading, chord diagrams, basic music theory, to name a few. Reading through it again, it becomes plain that Mr. Taylor has actually built in a great deal of flexibility into his curriculum.

For instance, the introductory songs are short, which is good—having the students learn short songs sets attainable goals, and therefore gives students a sense of rapid progression and accomplishment; second, this allows the teacher to revisit the song at different levels (once the melody or chords for the song are learned, the students can then revisit it but with specific strums, etc). This structure allows the teacher the opportunity to layer (scaffold) concepts on a familiar song while encouraging mastery.

Of course, as the curriculum progresses, the song selection becomes more diverse, the songs longer and more challenging, with more complex meters and rhythms, with more challenging techniques, including (but not limited to) IUC, Island, chunk/chnk strumming, and even some finger picking.

If you are thinking about starting up a uke program, I’d recommend checking out this curriculum.

Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam (Calypso)

6/8 songs adapt really easily to a Calypso-style 4/4. Except for a couple of spots, I would rate this one as very easy. Enjoy!

Listen to the 6/8 version at LDS.org.

Lyrics
1. Jesus wants me for a sunbeam,
To shine for him each day;
In ev’ry way try to please him,
At home, at school, at play.

2. Jesus wants me to be loving
And kind to all I see,
Showing how pleasant and happy
His little one can be.

Chorus
A sunbeam, a sunbeam,
Jesus wants me for a sunbeam.
A sunbeam, a sunbeam,
I’ll be a sunbeam for him.

Words: Nellie Talbot
Music: Edwin O. Excell, 1851-1921

Jesus Once Was a Little Child : Tablature – Vocal – Chords

This lovely little children’s primary song pulled at my heartstrings when I was 5 and still does today. You can listen to a piano version of the tune on LDS.org’s music site. Enjoy!

Lyrics
1. — Jesus once was a little child,
A little child like me;
And he was pure and meek and mild,
As a little child should be.
So, little children,
Let’s you and I
Try to be like him,
Try, try, try.

2. He played as little children play
The pleasant games of youth;
But he never got vexed if the game went wrong,
And he always spoke the truth.
So, little children,
Let’s you and I
Try to be like him,
Try, try, try.

Words: James R. Murray, 1841–1905
Music: Joseph Ballantyne, 1868–1944

Tell Me the Stories of Jesus : Tablature – Vocal – Chords

A beloved ‘primary’ song arranged for solo ukulele, or with vocals and chords (duet or trio). You can see/listen to piano sheet music in the key of Bb at Tell Me the Stories of Jesus at LDS.org

1. Tell me the stories of Jesus I love to hear,
Things I would ask him to tell me if he were here.
Scenes by the wayside, tales of the sea,
Stories of Jesus, tell them to me.

2. Oh, let me hear how the children stood round his knee.
I shall imagine his blessings resting on me;
Words full of kindness, deeds full of grace,
All in the love-light of Jesus’ face.

3. Tell me, in accents of wonder, how rolled the sea,
Tossing the boat in a tempest on Galilee!
And how the Master, ready and kind,
Chided the billows and hushed the wind.

Words: W. H. Parker, 1845–1929
Music: Frederic A. Challinor, 1866–1952
Arr.: M. Ryan Taylor

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

https://youtu.be/3F9dGuMXBa0

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

Ukulele Bootcamp : Utah I-15 Mini Tour

123 Ukulele Play! original mosaic by M Ryan TaylorUkulele Bootcamp will be on the road along the Utah I-15 corridor:

Learn to tune, hold, chord, strum, and sing along with your ukulele; all the basics you need to know to get you started on a life filled with ukulele bliss.

About the Teacher: M. Ryan Taylor of UkulelePlay.com is the organizer of The Original Utah Uke Fest (since 2012) and director of Happy Valley Ukes : Utahs Ukulele Orchestra, performing regularly across the Wasatch Front. Ryan also teaches Weekly Ukulele Classes in Utah & Ukulele Bootcamps. Ryan also leads the two Ukulele Youth Choirs of the American Fork Childrens Choir. In Ryans words, I came to the ukulele after seeing Jake Shimabukuros rendition of While my Guitar Gently Weeps on YouTube. Jake inspired me and after getting familiar with the basics I started a ukulele program through the American Fork Childrens Choir. It turned out there were just as many teens, adults, and seniors in the community who wanted to learn and I just kept going, creating new learning materials as I went. Ryan has degrees in Vocal Performance (Bachelor of Music) and Music Composition (Master or Music) and is a Kodaly-certified music education specialist. He has worked professionally as a performing singer, recording artist, composer of vocal music, and director of choirs.

Note: This All-Ages class moves at a fair clip and lasts for two and a half hours. Children under ten should be accompanied by an adult learner who can reinforce the concepts taught at home.

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!

Graph paper and the ukulele, it seems like such a simple idea, but…

Graph paper and the ukulele, it seems like such a simple idea, but I’ve never seen anyone use it before now (and I’ve seen a lot of ukulele ideas, tips and tricks). This idea comes from Patrycja Kozak, a member of the Ukulele Players (Uke Players) group on Facebook (shared with permission). She uses a graph paper notebook as her “song / chord / tip book,” and once you see it, you realize the perfect suitability of graph paper for this kind of notebook:

19275241_1957544054478447_3138238292150080779_n 19146179_1957544181145101_6111370444494042573_n 19113804_1957544177811768_3352115695060266552_n

As you can see, the graph paper provides a perfect template for chord diagrams, and still allows you to write notes on the grid as if you were using lined paper. Thanks Patrycja for sharing!

Blue Skies Sing-along Video with Chords & Lyrics

https://youtu.be/DYoJt4fnAP8

“[Blue Skies] was composed in 1926 as a last-minute addition to the Rodgers and Hart musical Betsy… [It] was an instant success, with audiences on opening night demanding 24 encores of the piece…” ~Wikipedia

There are a boatload of chords in this song and some unusual progressions that come off as fresh but not weird (might be why it has stood the test of time so well – I particularly like the Cadd9 followed by the Daug). Here are the chords and their frettings:

[G 0232] [G7 0212] [C6 0000] [C7 0001] [Gsus4 0233] [Bm 4222] [F# 3121] [F#7 3424] [D7 2223] [B7 2322] [Em 0432] [Baug 0332] [C#m7b5 0102] [Cadd9 0005] [Daug 3225] [Bb7 1211] [Cm7 3333] [Cm 0333] [Eb7 3334]

Reading the above fret number chord diagrams for standard ukulele gCEA tuning:
1st digit = g string fret number
2nd digit = C string
3rd digit = E string fret number
4th digit = A string fret number

Blue Skies by Irving Berlin

 

[G]I was [G7]blue, just as
[C6]blue as [C7]I could [G]be [Gsus4] [G]
[G]Ev’ry [G7]day was a
[C6]cloudy [C7]day for [G]me [Gsus4] [G]
[Bm]Then good [F#]luck came a
[F#7]knocking at my [Bm]door [D7]
[G]Skies were [G7]gray, but they’re
[C6]not gray [C7]any[G]more [B7]

[Em]Blue skies [Baug] smiling at [G]me
[C#m7b5] Nothing but [G]blue skies [Cadd9]
[Daug]do I [G]see [B7]
[Em]Bluebirds [Baug] singing a [G]song
[C#m7b5] Nothing but [G]bluebirds [Cadd9]
[Daug] all day [G]long

[G]Never saw the [Bb7]sun
[Cm7]shining so [G]bright
[Cm]Never saw [G]things
[Eb7]going [D7]so [G]right
[G]Noticing the [Bb7]days
[Cm7]hurrying [G]by
[Cm]When your in [G]love
[Eb7]my how [D7]they [G]fly [B7]

[Em]Blue days [Baug] all of them [G]gone
[C#m7b5] Nothing but [G]blue skies [Cadd9]
[Daug] from now [G]on [Gsus4] [G]

For Educational Purposes Only

Ain’t Misbehavin’ (Fats Waller Cover) w/ Lyrics & Chords

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDKBVVxIDHw

AIN’T MISBEHAVIN’ (Fats Waller Cover)
Posted for educational purposes only.

Chords in this song: C 0003, C#dim7 0101, Dm 2210, G 0232, C7 0001, F 2010, Fm 1013, Am 2000, G7 0212, E7 1202, A7 0100 & D7 2223

Reading the above fret number chord diagrams for standard ukulele gCEA tuning:
1st digit = g string fret number
2nd digit = C string
3rd digit = E string fret number
4th digit = A string fret number

[C] No one to [C#dim7]walk with
[Dm] All by my[G]self
[C] No one to [C7]talk with
But [F]I’m happy [Fm]on the shelf
[C] Ain’t misbe[Am]havin’
[Dm]I’m savin’ [G7]my love for
[E7]you [A7] [D7] [G7]

[C] I know for [C#dim7]certain
[Dm] The one I [G]love
[C] I’m through with [C7]flirtin’
It’s [F]just you I’m [Fm]thinkin’ of
[C] Ain’t misbe[Am]havin’
[Dm]I’m savin’ [G7]my love for
[C]you [Fm] [C] [E7]

[Am] Like Jack Horner
[F] In the corner
[Am] Don’t go nowhere
[A7] What do I care?
[G] Your kisses [Am]are worth
[D7]waitin’ [G7]for
[A7]Be[D7]lieve [G7]me

[C] I don’t stay [C#dim7]out late
[Dm] Don’t care to [G]go
[C] I’m home a[C7]bout eight
Just [F]me and my [Fm]radio
[C] Ain’t mis[Am]behavin’
[Dm ]I’m savin’ [G7]my love for
[C]you [Fm] [C]

Home Host Ukulele Bootcamp for your Town and Get Ukulele Gear

Uke 'N Play 3x7 - PinterestI’m touring along the Wasatch this Summer in the months of July and August 2017 and I’d love to bring a ukulele experience to your town. I get a place to teach; you bring ukulele joy to friends and family while earning some ukulele swag:

  • Offer your home (or other space) with room to seat 15-20 people : get free attendance for yourself or a loved one.
  • Help find the minimum 4 additional attendees by inviting your friends : get a free 2-Chord Camp Songs book.
  • Help find 8 attendees : get the book and a free chromatic tuner.
  • Help find 15 attendees : get the book, tuner and a free Eddy Finn Minnow Ukulele.

Details on Camps:

  • Bootcamps are 2.5 hours in length and cover all the basics to get you started on the ukulele, including tuning, your first four chords, ten songs, the c-scale and much more.
  • Cost per attendee is fifty-five dollars for traveling bootcamps. Ukuleles, tuners, straps and books are available at an additional cost.
  • Available dates include Friday mornings, afternoons or evenings in July or August as well as the following Saturday mornings: July 1, 8, 22, 29, August 12, 19 & 26.
  • Camps will travel to cities along the I-15 corridor from Bountiful to Nephi (will travel farther for larger groups – or with a travel stipend).

How to Book a Bootcamp:

  • Send a photo or description of your space to hold the bootcamp in, along with dates that would work for you to ryan@ukuleleplay.com
  • Once we agree on a date and time, I’ll send a sign up link and five-dollar off coupon code you can send to your friends (when folk use the coupon I’ll know you sent them to the form).

An ‘About the Teacher’ You Can Copy and Share:

  • M. Ryan Taylor has helped hundreds upon hundreds of folk get their start on the ukulele. In addition to teaching ukulele camps for the Timpanogos Arts Foundation, Orem SCERA and the Spanish Fork Youth Arts Festival, Ryan is the organizer of The Original Utah Uke Fest (since 2012) and director of the Ukulele Youth Choir of the American Fork Children’s Choir as well as UFO HUM (Ukes for Others: Happy Ukulele Movement), an adult ukulele service group that performs regularly across the Wasatch Front. Over his years of teaching bootcamps, Ryan has refined a fast-paced and fun learning experience for those wanting to get going with the ukulele.

I Want Uke! Tee

I Want Uke on TeeChipI Want Uke T-shirt. New!

Uncle Sam invites Uke to show your true colors. Pick your color and get your shirt here: https://teechip.com/iwantuke for just $18.

Sizes Small-6X in a variety of cool and warm colors.

July 4th will be here before you know it. Order yours now and be prepared. 🙂

Cry Out, Cry Out : a new song

If you’ve been reading the blog lately, you’ll know I’ve been working on memorization. I started work on this song a couple weeks ago and wanted to get this out for Palm Sunday and just barely made it (lyrics and chords below the video – twitter me covers @mryantaylor – just 4 chords!). Hope you have a lovely Easter week. YouTube at https://youtu.be/SIOpUwD4xaI and audio at https://uke-n-me.bandcamp.com/track/cry-out-cry-out (for sharing). Hope you enjoy it!

Cry Out, Cry Out
Music & Lyrics by M. Ryan Taylor

{Verse 1}
I was [C]born to this [Am]world by blood and [F]water, [C]
Yet the [C7]world turned my [F]heart into a stone, [Am]
In the [C]darkness I [Am]called on my Re[F]deemer, [C]
Where the rock once op[Am]pressed me a new [F]heart has grown. [C]

{Chorus}
[C]Cry out, cry out, lift your [F]palms to the [C]sky,
Cry out, cry [C7]out, sing and [F]let your voice [C]fly!
The Kingdom is [Am]coming on the [F]wings of a [C]Dove,
Cry out, cry [C7]out, sing the [F]praise of His [C]love.

{Verse 2}
Hear Him [C]calling these [Am]stones to be his [F]children, [C]
See the [C7]wonder of [F]what they will become, [Am]
Feel the [C]cool of the [Am]Fount of Living [F]Water [C]
As they shout and sing [Am]praises to the [F]Holy One. [C]

{Chorus}

{Verse 3}
Come and [C]lift up your [Am]praise, ye broken [F]hearted, [C]
Come and [C7]lift up your [F]sorrows to your King, [Am]
Ev’ry [C]sorrow He [Am]turns to hymns of [F]gladness, [C]
Lay them down at His [Am]feet and feel the [F]music ring. [C]

Copyright © 2017 M. Ryan Taylor | Vocal Works Publishing

#PRINCEofPEACE

Memorizing Songs : a compendium of ideas for building your set list

Music-brainLast spring I set out to memorize a half hour set of original songs to perform at an outdoor concert in just a few weeks. I was rewarded with a successful performance (for the most part), and was all ready to make a habit of regularly memorizing new music, but then life happened . . . a summer full of performances with my ukulele ensemble, another Original Utah Uke Fest to organize, music to prepare for the fall season for my children’s choirs, then our house was flooded and by the time we got that all fixed up it was Christmas and time to prepare music for the next semester.

So, here I am, a year later and ready to take another shot with a goal to memorize two songs a week (four down already). I’d love to increase that number, so I’ve been poking around online to collect tips on memorizing faster with better retention. Below are my summary notes from a number of articles; please visit the originating articles for more in-depth information on the techniques.

The Techniques

Singer’s Secret talks specifically about lyrics in this article:

  • Listen and copy the phrases of the song, using a reference recording and a minus track as your tools.
  • Slow down and make sure you understand what you are singing about.
  • Write the lyric down yourself, by hand. Note: I know this works. It’s so tempting to just copy and paste off a website (guilty as charged), but the act of writing the lyric out long-hand helps me embed the song in my memory.

Pamelia Phillips offers another lyric suggestion:

  • Turn your lyric into a monologue, “If you keep forgetting the words, speak through the text quickly until you no longer stumble on the words. You can also use key words in phrases to help you remember what comes next. Create a system to help you remember the order of each phrase’s key word. Just knowing whether the list has some common characteristics can help you remember key words to get to the next phrase.”

Tennyson Williams has a five-point method that starts with breaking the song down into bite-size chunks (this is basically what I did last year with my half-hour set):

  1. Isolate and memorize one phrase of the song.
  2. Work on the phrasing for this section until you’re satisfied with it musically.
  3. Repeat the above with the next phrase.
  4. Practice the transitions between phrases.
  5. Rehearse the song as a whole.

StringKick makes a strong argument for rehearsing a song from end to beginning as a more efficient way to memorize a song, claiming that practicing with the end in mind can cut your memorization time down by half and be more fun and motivating: “with the backwards strategy, things get easier and easier as you go along. It’s like rolling down hill.”

Jazz saxophonist Bob Reynolds uses a Trello-like system on a white board to learn 20+ songs in a week (he definitely got my attention with this article). He also is an advocate of transcribing the song into your head, rather than onto a sheet of paper using looping software. This Kanban-style project approach involves:

  • A white board
  • Painter’s tape
  • Different colored sticky notes (to ‘triage’ the songs into different categories)

The SonicBids blog offers a 4-step process that includes:

  1. Mapping the structure of the song
  2. Practicing one section at a time (paying particular attention to transitions)
  3. Running through the song with a recording
  4. Running the song without the recording (no safety net)

Aside from a few paragraphs about why you should be memorizing your songs, Hub Guitar offers these suggestions:

  • Divide and conquer : breaking it down into bite-sized pieces means you’ll have a strong middle, not just a strong beginning and ending.
  • Experiment with different methods of memorization and ditch the ones that don’t work for you.
  • Do small gigs to put yourself to the test.
  • Be choosy about what you memorize as it takes effort to do it. Only memorize what you love or what you need to for professional reasons.
  • Review: rotating your songs so they can be played in any order. Three different ideas on how to review your songs based on your goals.

Dorit on Guitar World suggests “the best way to start memorizing a song you didn’t write is to listen to it as much as possible.” I know that sounds like common sense, but as someone brought up on sheet music, I can say that for some of us it is not so common. Other suggestions include:

  • Memorizing the lyrics as a monologue, without the rhythms of the song.
  • Write out the chord progressions on their own and practice them separately.
  • Repeat, repeat, repeat.
  • Begin with the end.

GuitarHabits posts a list of ten ways to help memorize lyrics (visit the site if some of these feel cryptic to you):

  1. Go into detail with your analysis of the lyrics.
  2. Let the feelings of the song become part of you.
  3. Write down the song repeatedly.
  4. Visualize the song.
  5. Learn the lyrics separately from the melody (monologue it).
  6. Use karaoke to your advantage.
  7. Repeat the words in short phrases.
  8. Go slowly.
  9. Sing yourself to sleep.
  10. Create a list.

WikiHow also has a number of suggestions on how to memorize a song:

  • Listen to the song repeatedly
  • Read/study the lyrics
  • Map out the song
  • Learn the melody
  • Analyze the lyrics in more depth
  • Study the song in sections
  • Create memory aids to help you sing the song back. Among the flashcard ideas, this one struck me as one that I might enjoy, “If you want to challenge yourself to come up with all of the words on your own, try drawing pictures on the flashcards that depict specific sections of the song to help you remember the lyrics.”
  • Sing with a recording
  • Sing without a recording

Off Beat Band blogs on how to memorize songs (this is one of my favorites as it offers some ideas not seen elsewhere and tells a good story as well):

  • Be correct (don’t learn the song wrong).
  • Use mnemonics and emotional triggers to remember lyrics.
  • Practice the harder parts more often.
  • Stop after you can play the song through and wait until tomorrow to review it.
  • Review regularly, but don’t play a song 100 times in a day (counterproductive).
  • Make a list of songs you’ve memorized. Review one time a day, no more. Correct any parts that gave you problems and move on.
  • Don’t use crutches (lyric sheets, tabs, sheet music, fake books, etc.).
  • Try using Spaced Repetition Software, like Anki, to review songs.

Conclusion

Although there is quite a bit of overlap, there are some unique ideas that I’d like to give a go. I’ve already downloaded Anki and plan to try it out. I also liked the article that highlighted a Trello-like white board. Creating some visual aids could be fun as well, but might be too time-consuming for my schedule. It was interesting to learn that practicing in reverse order may actually save time. Something most of the authors agree on is to break it down into small chunks which I believe is sound advice.

Hope you enjoy this survey of articles and find something helpful in your memorization efforts. If you have additional ideas, please leave a comment. 🙂

An exciting innovation for beginners . . . check out the Populele

Populele = a very cool idea, LEDs in the fretboard teach chord shapes, etc. . . .

The Beauties of a Lyric Sheet w/Chords : Ex. What a Wonderful World

As someone that grew up in a very ‘classical’ family (meaning my dad was a band director and we had lots of traditional sheet music available to us all the time, piano lessons from an early age and the expectation that we would choose an additional instrument well before entering high school), winning me over to the beauties of a simple lyric sheet with chords took quite a long time. I still believe traditional notation is important and it would be great if everyone learned how to ‘read’ music, as it is such a big part of our lives, but a lyric sheet with chords also has some distinct advantages:

  • If you already know a melody, there’s really no point of having it notated if it is already in your brain.
  • Lyric/chord sheets are easy to create/edit in a simple word processor or even on a sheet of paper, allowing you to make quick changes to reflect your interpretation of the song.
  • May eliminate page turns.
  • Simplifying the bare bones ‘lead sheet’ (that has a melody notated in addition to lyrics and chords) may help facilitate memorization for singers who are accompanying themselves (like myself).

What a Wonderful WorldOn this last point, take a moment to look at a traditional lead sheet of What a Wonderful World from Sheet Music Plus. There are THREE lines of information here:

  1. The lyrics
  2. The melody above the lyrics
  3. The chords above the melody

This is awesome if you don’t know the song, because you can learn a basic sketch of it from this information. However, it is lousy at forming a mental picture of the song in your mind because you’re trying to deal with 3 separate lines of info (trying to read left/right and up/down at the same time). By getting rid of the melody (which hopefully, we already know) and condensing the chords and lyrics of the song to a single line, we make it easier to memorize the chord patterns in the song. For example, as you look at the first lines of each of the verses of this song, the chord pattern and the one place it deviates (an A7* before the third verse) become really obvious and easy to commit to memory:

What A Wonderful World
By George David Weiss and Bob Thiele

I see [D]trees of [F#m]green, [G]red roses [F#m]too
[Em7] I see them [D]bloom for [F#7]me and for [Bm7]you
And I [Bb]think to myself [Em7] what a [A7]wonderful [D]world [Bm7] [Gmaj7] [A7]

I see [D]skies of [F#m]blue and [G]clouds of [F#m]white
[Em7] The bright blessed [D]day, and the [F#7]dark sacred [Bm7]night
And I [Bb]think to myself [Em7] what a [A7]wonderful [D]world [G] [G] [D]

The [A7]colors of the rainbow so [D]pretty in the sky
Are [A7]also on the faces of [D]people going by
I see [Bm7]friends shaking [F#m]hands saying [Bm7]how do you [F#m]do
[Em7]They’re really [F#dim7]saying [Em7]I [F#dim7]love [Em7]you

[A7]I hear [D]babies [F#m]cry, [G] I watch them [F#m]grow
[Em7] They’ll learn much [D]more than [F#7]I’ll ever [Bm7]know
And I [Bb]think to myself [Em7] what a [A7]wonderful [D]world [Fdim 2020] [B7]
Yes I [Em7]think to myself [A7] what a [C#dim7]wonderful [D]world [G6] [Gm6] [D]

In this version, I was also able to quickly fix errors the original transcriber made in both lyrics and chords, change the key, substitute some jazzier chords, and note that an Fdim (without a 7) is fingered 2020 on the ukulele fretboard.

That said, traditional lead sheets and full scores still play an important role in musical learning, so don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater. 🙂

*Of course, another way of looking at the A7 is that it really belongs to the end of the bridge section, in which case it should be moved to the end of ‘I love you’ in the previous line. If you think of it this way, all three first lines of the verses have an identical pattern.

More Music for Ukulele Ensembles! Blackbird, Over the Rainbow & More.

I just finished a round of arranging songs for UFO HUM‘s next concert; these 100% legal arrangements for ukulele ensembles (royalties make their way back to the copyright holders) are available through a special arrangement with Sheet Music Plus. Here are the new titles:

You can check out more titles released before Christmas on the For Ukulele Ensembles page of this site.