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.
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Free Resources for Ukulele Teachers to Use in the Classroom
If you’re a teacher looking for resources to use in the classroom, look no further! Today I’m sharing a roundup of some of my most popular resources, all of which can be used FOR FREE in the classroom setting.
Read MoreCelebrate Juneteenth with Shoo-Lie-Loo, a One-Chord Folk Song That's Full of Joy and Optimism
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.
Read MoreDesign Your Music-Making This Summer with This Happy and Free Digital Download
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.
Read MoreMaking Sense of 12/8 Time Signature (with Video Tutorial) - Music Theory Made Easy
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.
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Why Learning to Play an Instrument Can Feel So Frustrating (and What You Can Do About It!)
I was introduced to The Four Stages of Learning through a podcast (can’t remember which one, though!) a handful of years ago, and it’s a concept that’s really stuck with me. I find myself reflecting on it when I’m teaching and also when I’m thinking about my own development as a musician. If you’ve ever felt impatient by the pace of your progress, I think you’ll find this framework to be really valuable as you continue on your musical path. First I’ll explain the framework and then I’ll share a few tips on how to handle the frustration that inevitably arises when we’re learning something new. Ready?
Read More"This Train is Bound for Glory," a Video Tutorial with Free Download for Beginning Ukulele
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!
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Five Easy Two-Chord Songs for the Ukulele
I love sharing folk and children’s songs because they’re usually pretty simple, have lyrics that are easy to memorize, and have catchy tunes that make them fun to sing. Today’s post features five easy songs that use only two chords, and I’m sharing two videos for each song— one instructional video where I teach you how to play the song as well as a play-along video (less instruction, more playing). If you’re very new to the ukulele, I recommend watching the “How to Play” videos before watching the play-alongs. All five of these friendly songs are included in Let’s Play! The Ukulele Handbook for Beginners. Buy your copy today!
The Itsy, Bitsy Spider
How to Play The Itsy, Bitsy Spider
Play-Along Video for The Itsy, Bitsy Spider
2. Hot Corn, Cold Corn
How to Play Hot Corn, Cold Corn
Play-Along Video for Hot Corn, Cold Corn
Hush, Little Baby
How to Play Hush, Little Baby
Play-Along Video for Hush, Little Baby
The More We Get Together
How to Play The More We Get Together
Play-Along Video for The More We Get Together
There Ain’t No Bugs on Me
How to Play There Ain’t No Bugs on Me
Play-Along Video for There Ain’t No Bugs On Me
Check out my main Videos page to find more two-chord songs, music theory instruction, and more!
"Come All Ye Fair and Tender Ladies," a Beautiful Three-Chord Song for the Ukulele
"Come All Ye Fair and Tender Ladies" is a beautiful ballad that's great for helping us build up our strumming endurance. For this tutorial, I share six of my favorite verses and a strum that pairs very nicely with ballads like this one. If the key of G isn’t a great fit for your vocal range, use my chord chart to easily change the key to one that is. And just for fun, here's a bonus verse that I will often sing in place of verses four and five.
Bonus Verse
I wish I (G) was on some tall mountain
Where the ivy rocks are black as (D) ink
I'd write a (Am) letter to my lost true (G) lover
Whose cheeks are (Am) like the morning (D) pink
DOWNLOAD THE PDF FOR FREE WHEN YOU SIGN-UP FOR MY NEWSLETTER!
Want to hear what the more Irish version sounds like? Check out this beautiful rendition by Lumiere.
One more thing: folk songs are not precious or sacred. If there’s something you don’t like about this song (or any other folk song), change it! To modify and re-mix elements of folk songs is to participate in a grand tradition of music-makers that dates back centuries. Listen to different artists singing this song and see if there are any other verses you'd like to include! Or, of course, you could contribute your own verses or use this song as inspiration for your own melody. Dolly Parton’s “Little Sparrow” is a great example of how to use a traditional folk song to create something new.
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Practical Advice for New Ukulele Players
Many people take up a musical instrument at the beginning of a new year, but making a habit out of playing consistently is hard! In this video I give you some things to think about, so that you can go forward with your new instrument in a way that’s more purposeful and practical, so that you can build a practice that will last a lifetime.
Read More"I've Got the Joy" and "In My Family's House" — Two Easy Songs You Can Play with Your Kids
Today I have a very easy song to share with you! It uses only two chords, it’s really short, and it has very simple lyrics. I’ll show you how to play it in two different keys, and then I’ll show you how to turn this into a holiday song so you can sing about your own family traditions.
Read MoreSing and Strum "Joy to the World" in Two Different Keys, A Christmas Ukulele Tutorial
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.
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Three Easy Christmas Songs for Beginning Ukulele
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?
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Cute, Cozy, and Practical Gifts for the Ukulele Player in Your Life — My 2020 Holiday Gift Guide
I’m spending so much more time at home these days, and as a result I’ve been looking for ways to make my environment as welcoming as possible. Since coziness and comfort are on my mind, I focused on curating a gift guide that would spark joy and/or make playing your ukulele more convenient or comfortable. I love trying to pick out the perfect gift for my loved ones, and I hope this list helps you find a thoughtful gift for you or your favorite ukulele player. Ready? Let’s get gifting!
Read More"Don't This Road Look Rough and Rocky," An Easy Three-Chord Ballad for Beginning Ukulele
What is it about sad songs that make them so fun to sing? “Don’t This Road Look Rough and Rocky” is a three-chord ballad that packs a lot of melodrama and melancholy into its chorus and three verses, and it was one of the very first songs I memorized the chords and lyrics to.
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Ukulele Permission Slips
Oftentimes, we musicians can be quite hard on ourselves when we aren’t mastering skills as quickly as we think we should. But the problem isn’t our skill level, it’s our expectations.
Read MoreLearn to Play "Down in the Valley," An Easy Ukulele Tutorial in 3/4 Time Signature
Down in the Valley is a two-chord song in 3/4 time, so it's a great choice for experimenting with different waltz strums. And because the lyrics are so simple, you can probably memorize the first verse after playing it just a few times!
Read MoreWhat A Pick-up Note Is and What You Need to Know About It (with Video Tutorial)
Often times, we ukulele players start our musical journey by learning how to play a few songs with a basic down-up strum. Then we might learn a more complicated strum pattern only to find we’re having little trouble matching the strum to a song. Often times this is because a song has pickup notes. And the good news is that this is something you can make sense of even if you’ve never had a formal music lesson or learned any music theory before.
Read MoreI'll Fly Away — An Ukulele Play-Along Video for Beginners
During overwhelming times such as these, we can take comfort in strumming songs that have been played by generations of humans who have survived their own hardships. Spirituals in particular tend to help us cope with life when it feels like the sky is falling, and I'll Fly Away is an easy three-chord folk song that sparks my hope for the future.
Read MoreAn Easy Three-Chord Song That's Perfect for Summer Ukulele Strumming
Summer is the perfect time to take our ukuleles outdoors and find a place to strum in the sun. My latest play-along song is a fun one to play indoors or out, and it gives us a lot of flexibility in terms of choosing our tempo. I normally like to play it pretty fast, but for this video I chose to play it at a more relaxed speed.
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