Check out the YouTube Playlist of recordings. Order the 80-page hyperlinked PDF for US$25 (or equivalent) or the high quality print edition US$35 with this FORM.
Owning a copy of this book gives you access to hybrid one-hour workshops, i.e. in person and in Zoom and selected 3-Chord Thursday song sessions.
- 3 Chord Thursday World Art Day on 4/18/2024 (Zoom only)
- 3 Chord Thursday Poems & Parodies on 3/21/2024
- Auld Lang Syne Workshop on 1/4, 1/11 (Zoom only), 1/16 (Zoom only), and 1/18/2024
- Holiday Songs Workshop on Thursdays 11/30/23, 12/7/23, and 12/21/2023 Boston, MA (hybrid)
- Fun with Uke & Wild Chocolate Song Session on Thursday 11/16/23 Cambridge, MA (in-person only)
Sign up for the Ukulele Enthusiast E-mail Blast to be first in the know
- Music arranged by Anne Ku
- Illustrations by Eve Myles
Available as a bidirectional hyperlinked PDF (80 pages) ORDER YOURS HERE.
What’s inside?
What owners of “Fun with Uke” said about the book
It includes all the childhood favorites that everyone knows. Anne did a great job putting it together in an easy to understand format where you can play by yourself or with others. The art work is so fun.
I love that every song is familiar and yet the arrangements give the songs a richer and more interesting sound. This book is fun for all ages and experience levels.
It is a great beginner/teaching book.
This is a wonderful book, Eve’s drawings are. So well done. So inviting. So much work and detail went into this effort by Anne as well as Eve. There is a wealth of different things to practice.
I like the music theory introduced in the book ; the classification pages ; terminology ; having notation as well as tabs ; the variety of suggested arrangements and alternatives ; the coloring pages.
The choice of songs is terrific, and the ukulele explanations, with suggestions for strums as well as tablature, are great! In addition, the illustrations are phenomenal! The best children’s uke book I have seen!
The simplicity of familiar tunes and the changing of keys that adapt to your voice. The whimsical and beautiful illustration.
Anyone interested in learning at any age, if you are grandparents and want to sing to your grandchildren or to teens as resource for babysitting.
I have always enjoyed these songs as a child. I enjoy playing them because of their simplicity. While taking a class from Anne and using this book, it was fun. I like that the tabs, and chords are simple and easy to follow.
This delightful book makes me want to play the songs of my childhood–and to color! Congratulations, Anne and Eve.
It’s very adaptable. I love that the arrangements can be played with a group of players who are at different levels. Beginners can strum the chords while intermediate and advanced players can play the melody or chord-melody. It’s great that the songs are familiar to almost everyone. I’m looking forward to playing the pieces for my grandbabies and teaching them the songs. And of course I LOVE the illustrations by Eve.
What ukulele composers, authors, and teachers said about “Fun With Uke”
Anne Ku has added a highly-detailed, creatively-charged, and multicultural learning tool to the ukulele book mantle. Her Fun with Uke Book will get beginning learners of all ages and learning styles involved in the beautiful art of making music by oneself or with others. The engaging artwork adds a dimension of playfulness to the well-laid out materials. It also doubles as a coloring book to help personalize the songs. It’s a surefire win for ukulele beginners!
– Kevin Carroll, USA, author of The Art of the Ensemble ukulele series and creator of edukecation.com
These are incredibly important songs for young folks to learn. They are the center of how we first learn rhythm and pitch. They are also one of the last things we hold onto as we age. When we visit nursing homes these are the ones that get people to join in and sing. Anne has added fantastic ways to study these songs on ukulele at any age, and the extra fun of making them your own is darned smart. This is a great community builder and bridge for anyone teaching all ages too. Well done!
– Daniel Ward, USA, author of Arpeggio Meditations, Melodic Meditations
My own addiction to the ukulele came as I was developing a new exam syllabus for VCM in the UK called “Self-accompanied Singing”
With her thoroughness and attention to detail, Anne’s delightful book could make an excellent introduction to the early grades of that exam for younger children – I wish it had been around when I was writing it and I will certainly put it in the next syllabus update!
The skillful arrangements with their superbly clear layout are easy to follow, both music and Tab. The tunes are suitable for both solo and ensemble playing and each one is enriched by the wealth of variations that Anne has provided – these allow for players of different abilities to play effectively together as a group – a fundamental aim of her teaching strategy – to make music and new connections.
Teachers and students will find the illustrations highly enjoyable and maybe a way of stimulating art work for the class.
– Colin Tribe, UK, author of Discovering Fingerstyle Ukulele
Fun with Uke’ by Anne Ku is a brilliant new book that will suit both beginners and those more familiar with finger picking. I believe it is also an excellent book for those teaching ukulele. All of the pieces are familiar nursery rhymes, arranged beautifully with both the melody and the chord accompaniment. The book also offers strumming patterns for the chords, as well as some simple but very effective picking patterns to accompany the pieces. All of the pieces can be played as solo’s or as duets – a feature that really appeals to me. Later on in the book there are some simple but well thought out chord melody arrangements. I know I will be using this book a lot with many of my students.
– Paul Mansell, UK, author of Classical Uke, Modern Pieces for Ukulele
“Songs for Everyone is a nicely laid out book, both in looks and content. Anne Ku has made a great labour in grading this ‘nursery’ repertoire and creating a a step by step ukulele course from it.”
– Choan Gálvez, Spain, author of 50 Miniature Studies for Ukulele, For Four Fingers
As a music teacher who works with elementary school age learners, this book is a wonderful resource. It is visually nice to look at, has a great selection of children’s music and by including lyrics, notation, tablature, strim patterns and chord diagrams, makes using the book very natural and organic. The keys chosen are very ukulele friendly and allow learners to start playing the songs right away without having to wait until difficult chords or unfamiliar fingerboard positions are mastered. The organization makes it a breeze for the teacher to present the songs and all in all it is lots of fun, which learning music as a child should be!
– Jeff Weinberger, USA, author of Fingerstyle Ukulele Etudes
Songs we know and love, expanded upon here in Anne’s book for ukulele. Don’t be fooled by the list of “simple” songs, there is a LOT to learn, from beginner basics to arrangements with hammer-ons, pull-offs, modulations and intricate strumming patterns. Using this repertoire lets the learner focus on new ukulele skills and concepts while feeling comfortable singing a familiar melody, or get a chance to introduce an old song to a new singer!
– Monica Dear, Canada, professional development for ukulele instructors
“Fun With Uke Book is both musically and visually pleasing and will appeal to beginners of all ages. These popular nursery rhymes are clearly presented in staff notation and tablature with chord boxes and lyrics also included. A variety of techniques are covered ranging from strumming patterns to basic finger picking techniques such as arpeggios and chord melody. This is an ideal book of first ukulele pieces for individual students or ukulele groups. Through this book students can learn the basic concepts of melody, harmony and rhythm while having fun with their ukuleles!”
– Samantha Muir, UK, author of 35 Scottish Folk Tunes for Ukulele, and other books
Anne and Eve have produced a great resource which will be of use to a wide range of learners from those in the classroom to those teaching themselves.
– Lindsay Higgs, UK, author of Music Teachers’ Board (MTB) ukulele syllabus
This is a delightful book, perfect for young children just starting to play the ukulele. As well as presenting these well known tunes as solos, great care has gone into arranging them to be played in groups as well. Arpeggio accompaniments have been included, along with chord diagrams for those who want to strum. The music itself is in both notation and Tab. The author has thought of everything!
The final finishing touch is the beautifully illustrated pages that children will love to colour in, forever making the association between playing ukulele and enjoying themselves!
The book should find its way into every school where ukulele is taught and it is sure to be a huge success.
– Tony Mizen, UK, author of From Lute to Uke, The Baroque Ukulele, The Romantic Ukulele
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