Keep on the Sunny Side is an American folk song that I describe as being "relentlessly optimistic." The composer, Ada Blenkhorn, tells us that there is a silver lining, no matter how dark our storm cloud.

Gamify your music-making with my free Ukulele Bingo Cards! Use the pre-filled page to inspire your ukulele practice, or use the blank sheet to create your own.

Jennie Jenkins is one of the songs included in my newest book, Americana: 15 Easy Folk Tunes for the Ukulele, which is AVAILABLE NOW. Go check it out!

Wildwood Flower is a beautiful ballad that uses just three chords. In this tutorial, I show you how to play it in the key of G with a beginner-friendly fingerpicking pattern. Play along on your baritone uke (like the one I’m playing) or on your uke in standard tuning—I show the chords for both!

The baritone ukulele is a delightful instrument that combines the accessibility of the ukulele with the sound of a guitar. Like standard ukuleles, baritone ukuleles have four strings but with a tuning that’s similar to a guitar. Let’s compare…

Clawhammer strumming is typically associated with the banjo, but it's a great option for the ukulele as well. In this video tutorial, I break down the clawhammer strum into really manageable steps and share an easy play-along for Li'l Liza Jane, my favorite song for practicing new techniques.

Shoo-Lie-Loo is one of my favorite American folk songs, and its simple lyrics and call-and-response format make it an easy and inclusive song for groups to sing and strum. The hope and optimism in this song make it a joyful choice to sing any time, but especially this Juneteenth, as we celebrate the emancipation of all enslaved people in the United States.

Summer is quickly approaching, bringing a lot of wonderful opportunities to play our ukuleles. Today I’m sharing a very happy (and free) digital download to help you make the most of your music-making this summer, and there are a couple different ways you can use it.

For this third installment in my series on time signature, I break down what 12/8 time signature feels like for those of us who don't have degrees in advanced music theory! Learn technical terms like "dreamy" and "swishy" and learn how to spot 12/8 time by singing through two great examples of it—"Perfect" by Ed Sheeran and "O, Holy Night" by Mariah Carey.

There is a grand tradition of folk singers and musicians repurposing a melody to create a new song, and This Train is Bound for Glory is just one example. This Train shares a melody with The Crawdad Song, though the songs feel very different. The Crawdad Song has an easy-breezy quality to it, but This Train has much more of a raucous, rock-and-roll energy. Even though we’re using the same combination of chords and the same melody, we have two very different songs!

One of the things that appeals to me about Christmas music is that it is, essentially, a type of folk music. Each year we hear many of the same songs, and we often have our own favorite versions of those songs. And of course, new versions of those classic carols and pop songs get recorded every year. Today I'm sharing a song that was written three hundred years ago—it’s sung by artists and choirs around the world, and it’s one you may already know by heart.

Happy holidays! This is a wonderful time of year to be making and sharing music with loved ones, and even brand-new players should be able to join in on the fun. Here are play-along videos for the three easiest songs from my holiday songbook, Oh, What Fun! Christmas Songs for the Ukulele. Play them using just the C, F, and G/G7 chords, then use the guide in the book to learn how to play in different keys.

Ready to start making merry?