The song I’m sharing in honor of Juneteenth is an update to Julia Ward Howe’s Battle Hymn of the Republic. The Marching Song of the First Arkansas Colored Regiment was written by Lindley Miller, the captain of the regiment, in 1864. The song uses the same melody as Battle Hymn but comes from the perspective of the soldiers. And my goodness, it is powerful! As David Walls succinctly put it, “All in all, this song is one of the best outlines we have concerning the hopes and expectations of the black soldiers of that era.”
Read MoreBattle Hymn of the Republic — Ukulele Tutorial for Beginners
Singing The Battle Hymn of the Republic reminds me that there have always been people willing to sacrifice for what is right.
Read MoreUkulele Fingerpicking Patterns for Beginners
In my latest video tutorial, I show you how to play four different beginner-friendly fingerpicking patterns. Training your hand to play one of these patterns smoothly and evenly takes a lot of repetition so to make things a bit easier, I’ve paired these patterns with my favorite one-chord song, “Li’l Liza Jane.”
Want the handy-dandy PDF that goes along with the video?
Read MoreHow to Sound Good Singing While You Strum Your Ukulele
I’ve heard too many people state matter-of-factly that they can’t sing, but that’s simply not true. The trick is to know which keys are a good fit for your vocal range! With this video, you will learn how to identify the key of a song and how to use my Ukulele Chord Chart to easily change the key. Watch as I play two familiar songs in different keys so you can get the hang of this and start to figure out which keys are a more natural fit for your voice. Sing along as I play “You Are My Sunshine” and “When the Saints Go Marching In,” won’t you?
Read MoreThe Best Ukulele Chord Chart for Beginners
How is Shelter in Place going for you? With everyone at home, it’s been a challenge to find time to make tutorials and post on the blog, but I've finally been able to work on a project that I've been excited to share with you since last fall— my Ukulele Chord Charts!
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50+ Ways to Entertain Your Kids During the Coronavirus Pandemic
Please excuse this break from my usual ukulele-related content to address what’s become an immediate pressing issue for my community…
Yesterday I learned that my kids’ school is closing and, starting on Monday, we’ll be doing remote learning with the kids at home. My peers and I are trying to figure out what this means on a practical level. How will we manage our own work, assist our children with their school work, endure prolonged social distancing, and maintain our sanity, all at the same time? It’s a tall order, isn’t it? I cope better when I feel prepared, and planning for how I will manage the kids and our schedule helps me feel composed in this very unpredictable reality. You’ll find that many items on this list of ways to keep your kids entertained as we live through the Coronavirus pandemic are geared for elementary-aged kids (my kids are 9 and 7 years old) but many of them can be adjusted depending on the developmental stage of your kids. Here we go…
Read MoreEasy Ukulele Play-Along Video Tutorial for "When the Saints Go Marching In"
I love songs that are well-known and easy to learn, and “When the Saints Go Marching In” is both. I’ve set the song in the key of C using the C, F, and G7 chords—the first three chords most beginners start out with—which makes it incredibly approachable for new players. The video is accompanied by chord diagrams and lyrics, and after the play-along section I provide some history on the song, discuss why it’s such a great option for players of all skill levels, and offer up a few different challenges for more seasoned players. Play along with me, won’t you?
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Five Fun Duets to Play on Your Ukulele This Valentine's Day
Valentine’s Day is tomorrow, and what better way to celebrate than to make music? Here is a roundup of five duets to strum and sing with your sweetheart, and— here’s the good news for beginning ukulele players— two of them can be played with just C, F, and G7!
Read MoreHow to Achieve Your Ukulele Goals in 2020
Have you set any ukulele-related resolutions this year? January’s coming to an end, but there’s plenty of time for making music. Read on for my tips to help you achieve your uke goals this year. Ready? Let’s dig in!
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A Quick Tip to Help You Start Playing Again
January is a time when many of us take stock of our habits and choices and think about what changes we may want to make. And if you’re anything like me, your playing time drops during the holidays! It’s normal to fall out of the habit of playing ukulele when life gets busy, so today I’m sharing a simple tip to help you get back on track…
Read MoreAm I the Only One Not Feeling the New Year Vibes?
I remember January 2019 feeling spacious and chill, a calm after the Christmas storm. And I expected January 2020 to feel the same. This year felt promising— I was looking forward to turning 40 on January 6th and celebrating the start of a new decade.
Read MoreThe Twelve Days of Christmas — A Four-Chord Christmas Ukulele Play-Along Video for Beginners
Is there a more divisive holiday song than “The Twelve Days of Christmas?” Kids generally love any song that involves counting, and this song is no exception. But many adults feel differently— we go Christmas caroling with a group of neighbors each year and one woman feels so strongly about this song that she insisted we ban it from our set!
“The Twelve Days of Christmas” is an interesting opportunity for anyone looking to get more comfortable with time signatures, as this song switches between 4/4 time and 3/4 time several times. Soon, I’ll post a separate video explaining when those changes occur. But in the meantime, try strumming along with this play-along video! Can you make it all the way to the twelfth day without getting annoyed? 😂
Read MoreSilent Night — Three-Chord Christmas Ukulele Play-Along Video for Beginners
“Silent Night” is another three-chord Christmas song, so it’s quite friendly for even very new ukulele players. Like “The First Noel,” this song is set in 3/4 time and when we play we have to strum and count 1-2-3, 1-2-3. If this is a song you’re familiar with, you already know what it’s supposed to sound like and that can help you intuitively find the rhythm of the song. If Time Signature is a new concept for you, play this song with a very basic down or down/up strum.
Read MoreRudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer — A Christmas Ukulele Play-Along Video for Beginners
“Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer” is a Christmas song that’s beloved by all ages. In this play-along video, I’m strumming the Island Strum with a couple of chucks thrown in. Chucking (sometimes called chunking) is a right-hand technique of muting strings while strumming, adding a rhythmic element to your playing. Chucks are indicated in the strum pattern by an X, so the strum pattern is DOWN - REST - CHUCK - UP - REST - UP - CHUCK - UP. Sounds kind of gross when you say it out loud, doesn’t it? If chucking’s not your thing, play this song with your strum of choice!
Read MoreJoy to the World! — A Three-Chord Christmas Ukulele Play-Along Video for Beginners
“Joy to the World” is probably the easiest song in my Christmas songbook, so if you’re a very new ukulele player, this might be the place to start! I’m playing it in the key of C using the first three chords most beginners learn— C, F, and G7. Because this song only uses three chords, it’s a great candidate for experimenting with playing in different keys. Oh, What Fun! Christmas Songs for the Ukulele includes songs formatted using the Nashville Number System and a chord chart so you can easily transpose (change the key of a song) into five popular keys. After trying it out in a few different keys, I’ve discovered that playing this song in the key of G is a good fit for my natural (and quite average) vocal range. But if you only know C, F, and G7— the three most important chords for the key of C— there are still plenty of songs you can play, and I hope you’ll click play on the video and strum and sing along with me this holiday season.
Read MoreLearn to Play Mele Kalikimaka on the Ukulele — Easy Play-Along Video for Beginners
Is there a better Christmas song for the ukulele than Mele Kalikimaka? The chords are not too bad, so even if you’re a brand new player it’s worth giving it a try! In this video I’m playing it in the key of C with the C, D, F, G, and Am chords and the Island Strum. Give it a go, won’t you?
Read MoreHow to Play We Wish You a Merry Christmas on the Ukulele
Here’s a simple, beginner-friendly ukulele play-along video for the classic Christmas waltz, "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" using one of my favorite strum patterns for songs set in 3/4 time signature. In this video, I’m playing it in the key of C with the following chords: C, D, Em, F, G, Am (please note the fingering for the Em chord at the beginning of the video— it makes it so much easier to play! :)
Read MoreHark! the Herald Angels Sing, a Christmas Ukulele Play-Along Video for Beginners
“Hark! the Herald Angels Sing,” what a jubilant song! There’s a lot of joy to be found in these old hymns, and I particularly love the lyrics— when nowadays do we come across such phrases as “Veiled in flesh the Godhead see” and “Join the triumph of the skies?” I love it, and I hope you have fun singing and strumming along with me.
Read MoreThe First Noel, a Christmas Ukulele Play-Along Video for Beginners
"The First Noel" is another classic Christmas carol set in 3/4 time. Songs in 3/4 time are also referred to as waltzes, and when we play we have to strum and count in sets of three: 1-2-3, 1-2-3. This song is so sweet and gentle that I almost consider it a Christmas lullaby.
Read MoreDeck the Halls, A Very Merry Ukulele Play Along Video
"Deck the Halls" is a Christmas song that is especially fun to sing with children— they love all the fa-la-las! Strum and sing along with me as I play this classic Christmas carol in the key of C using the C, D, F, G, and Am chords and a very basic down-up strum. Play along with me, won’t you?
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