Little Donkey

Posted on February 15, 2021 by Anne Ku

Xiao Mao Lu (Little Donkey) is one of many Chinese children’s songs that I grew up singing long before I learned a single word of English. It’s a cute little tune that’s easy to sing and play. I wonder if it has been translated into other languages. This catchy little tune is one in a collection of popular Chinese songs I am arranging and transcribing for the ukulele. I will share and show this song at Three Chord Thursday Year of the Ox on 18th February 2021.

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Three Chord Thursday Dance!

Posted on February 8, 2021 by Anne Ku

We celebrate songs that make you wanna get up and dance. Boogie Nights! Dancing Queen! Dance the Night Away! Sway! Which 10 songs top the list? It just so happens that Thursday 29th April 2021 is International Dance Day. Join us for this Three Chord Thursday at 3 pm EDT. Bring your dancing shoes, hook up your ukulele straps so you can stand up and DANCE!

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Three Chord Thursday Earth Day

Posted on February 8, 2021 by Anne Ku

April 22nd is Earth Day, each year, every year, any year, anywhere in the world. It just so happens that our Three Chord Thursday session on April 22, 2021 at 3 pm EDT falls on a Earth Day. For this day, show yourself on screen with a plant or anything that’s ALIVE besides your lovely self. Of course, you can also wear something to do with this special day: flowers, plants, earth ….

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3 Chord Thursday Songs free of copyright

Posted on February 8, 2021 by Anne Ku

On a date to be scheduled, let’s share and appreciate songs that are free of copyright. No royalties collected or paid. Join us for 3 Chord Thursday.

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Three Chord Thursday Cobra Kai & Karate Kid

Posted on February 8, 2021 by Anne Ku

If you haven’t watched the Netflix Series Cobra Kai and then revisited Karate Kid movies, you’re missing out on the great songs featured. We invite you to share the ten best songs from these films. The date for this Three Chord Thursday session is postponed until cruel summer is in full swing.

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Three Chord Thursday Anniversary Ukulele Jeopardy Game

Posted on February 7, 2021 by Anne Ku

We celebrate our first year in Zoom. Join us for a ukulele jeopardy game at our Three Chord Thursday session on April 1st, 2021 at 3 pm ET. It’s no joke but we will sing silly and fun songs as well as form teams to play a jeopardy game in which your team responds by demonstrating (playing or singing or both). While we’re waiting for the team to respond, someone in the team will play the jeopardy jingle, whether plucked, strummed & hummed, with kazoo, or any other instrument for the jingle keeps time. We had our first jeopardy game on the 24th December 2020.

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Three Chord Thursday RIP 2020, 2021

Posted on February 7, 2021 by Anne Ku

Rest in Peace (RIP) those artists and composers who died in 2020-2021. We devote our Three Chord Thursday session on March 25th, 2021 at 3 pm ET to music of those who left. Let’s wear a sombre color – BLACK (or GREY)- for this session.

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Three Chord Thursday Chord Melody Arrangements

Posted on February 7, 2021 by Anne Ku

A chord melody arrangement refers to music that includes both melody and harmony. For ukulele players, it means instrumental ukulele played fingerstyle. We devote our Three Chord Thursday session on March 18th, 2021 at 3 pm ET to performances of this kind.

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Feng Yang Hua Gu (flower drum song) for ukulele

Posted on February 7, 2021 by Anne Ku

Feng Yang Hua Gu is a traditional Chinese folk song that I learned as a child. Only upon reading the lyrics today did I see that the words tell a different story, not a happy, cheerful one as painted by the music. Nonetheless, having arranged it for harp years ago, I am pleased to see how easily the notes transfer to the low G ukulele in the key of C major, in my quest to collect and transcribe them for ukulele, guitar, piano, and voice.

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Do Re Mi for ukulele

Posted on February 6, 2021 by Anne Ku

When I read that Christopher Plummer had died, the song “Do Re Mi” from The Sound of Music rang in my head. In the movie, Plummer played the widower Captain Von Trapp with seven mischievous children. “Do Re Mi” is an earworm that taught us, if not drilled into us, the alphabet of music. What a perfect application of a major scale for my music theory students! And a great example of pluck and strum for ukulele players!

There’s only one caveat to note. Julie Andrews, as Maria the governess, did not sing it in C major, as we’d expect.

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