I Left My Heart in San Francisco for Ukulele Play Along

Posted on August 1, 2023 by Anne Ku

Tony Bennett’s 1962 recording of “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” was a double whammy. It made him famous. It made the song famous. He sang it in the key of C major. But it’s not a three chord song by any means. How do you reduce it to something manageable yet retain the harmonic color? Enroute to producing a one-page song sheet, I made a play along video with lyrics and chord names against my piano video.

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Fingerstyle ukulele pluck & strum session

Posted on July 18, 2023 by Anne Ku

Test drive Anne Ku’s new arrangements for instrumental ukulele in this in-person session in Boston, Massachusetts.

Meet Eve Myles, the artist

Get your own copy of Fun with Uke Book signed by the authors

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Yankee Doodle

Posted on July 12, 2023 by Anne Ku

As a child, I sang “Yankee Doodle” without understanding what a Yankee Doodle was. The Dutch say the word “Yankees” comes from the names of two guys, Jan (pronounced Yan) and Kees (pronounced Case). Further research shows that “Yankee Doodle” was an insult that backfired (see story). Arranging the music here in Boston, Massachusetts, I recognize the familiar locations of Lexington and Concord. Any visitor to Boston should follow the “Freedom Trail” and visit the USS Constitution, among other historic sites. What about the music? Is it easy and fun to play on the ukulele or the piano?

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Star Spangled Banner

Posted on July 11, 2023 by Anne Ku

The national anthem of the Unites States is not easy to sing due to big interval leaps and huge vocal range (more than 1.5 octaves). In the key of C major, the melody spans from middle C to the second G above it. For non-vocalists, it may be easier to play on the piano, ukulele, or other instruments, than to sing it. I introduce different arrangements I made of “The Star Spangled Banner” for instrumental players.

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3 Chord Thursday Musicals

Posted on July 11, 2023 by Anne Ku

On the last Thursday in November, 30th November 2023, let’s appreciate songs from Musicals – musicial productions in 3 Chord Thursday, the thematic song session in Zoom. Check this list of 50 broadway hits of all time and 101 Greatest Showtunes of All Time. Scroll down to see some suggestions. Join us in Zoom or in-person at the Walter Baker Building in Boston, Massachusetts. As usual, set-up starts at 2:30 PM EST. If you can’t join, you can always play along and follow our publicly livestreamed YouTube recording. Subscribe to my YouTube Channel to get instant e-mail notification of the URL, which works even after the video is unlisted.

Our warm-up lesson will be strumming exercises to support the line-up, including alternating bass.

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3 Chord Thursday Rest in Peace (RIP)

Posted on July 11, 2023 by Anne Ku

On Thursday 2nd November 2023, we observe the Day of the Dead by honoring the music of those musicians who passed away this past year and recent years. Rest in Peace (RIP) Christine McVey, Harry Belafonte, Tina Turner, Gordon Lightfoot, Tony Bennett, Sinead O’Connor, …. See the list of musicians who died in 2023. Join us for this special session of 3 Chord Thursday. Please wear solid solemn color of either black or white or both. (Gray is also acceptible.)

Warm Up Lesson

At 3 PM on 2nd November, I will show different ways to end a song. This portion will not be publicly livestreamed but will be recorded and available to all paid subscribers and registered students in Fall 2023. [At our previous 3 Chord Thursday session, I showed several ways of introducing a song.]

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Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

Posted on July 10, 2023 by Anne Ku

Who wrote the original tune to “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star? The same melody used in the alphabet song “A, B, C, D, E, F, G”? The popular nursery rhyme “Baa, baa black sheep, have you any wool” also uses this melody. Wolfgang Amadeus famously wrote twelve piano variations on this theme, the French song “Ah vous dirai-je, Maman.” It’s the last piece we analyzed in my 8-week Music Theory Melody course in Zoom.

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Game of Thrones

Posted on July 10, 2023 by Anne Ku

I was living on Maui when “Game of Thrones” premiered on American cable TV HBO in Spring of 2011. I must have watched one episode of it on someone else’s television and concluded that the main theme was an ear worm. In other words, once the tune is in my head, it would be difficult to get rid of it. I decided that I shouldn’t watch the series.

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3 Chord Thursday Teachers

Posted on July 8, 2023 by Anne Ku

Thursday 5th October 2023 is World Teachers Day. We open the Autumn 2023 season by dedicating this 3 Chord Thursday to all those who teach or have taught for a living. We invite you to teach a song in this one-hour thematic song session in Zoom. For this occasion, we have invited Erin Ash Sullivan, an educator and singer song writer in Massachusetts, to share her new work and stories of her touring since her album release. She will teach us a new song in her next album. You can meet her in Zoom and a copy of her CD autographed for you!

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3 Chord Thursday Peace

Posted on July 8, 2023 by Anne Ku

Thursday 21st September 2023 is International Day of Peace. We celebrate with songs of peace in 3 Chord Thursday. There are many songs with Peace in the title but even more songs about peace. Check out this list of 20 songs about peace in 2022. This is the last session of the Summer 2023 Season. Register EARLY for music classes in Zoom and get a 3 Chord Thursday special offer.

Dress Code: yellow and blue (Ukraine colors)

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