The Z Chord or “Zed Chord”

Posted on April 17, 2025 by Anne Ku

In the very first ukulele class I give, I introduce the Zed Chord. Before we even start tuning our ukuleles and introducing ourselves, I get everyone to hold the ukulele and make the Z or Zed Chord. What is this famous chord?

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Roman Hands & Russian Fingers

Posted on April 16, 2025 by Anne Ku

It is so easy to get complicated. As usual, before I opened my eyes while still in bed, I was mulling over how to simplify “One Finger at a Time.” All the best laid plans of mice and men went awry when I tried to develop the instrumental piece last night. Were there bits I could re-use in a new piece for Level I of my new book? I heard “roaming hands and rushing fingers” as a teenager. When translated to the ukulele it’s suddenly “Roman Hands & Russian Fingers” for the high G ukulele!

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One Finger at a Time

Posted on April 16, 2025 by Anne Ku

One of the first pieces I learned to play on the classical guitar was an earworm that I still remember decades later. It was a simple melody in a minor key. Pressing one left hand finger at a time, sliding on the fretboard with the right hand fingers in a predictable fingerpicking pattern, I committed the piece to memory. Does such a piece exist for the ukulele?

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Major Minor Magic

Posted on April 15, 2025 by Anne Ku

No sooner had I posted “Major Minor Menagerie” than a new idea surfaced. What if I remove the third and sixth degrees from the C major melody? How would that affect the harmonic possibilities? This thinking is akin to baking a cake and asking if I could get away with fewer ingredients. Which notes are essential? Which notes are not? In “Major Minor Magic” I explore the piece that emerges from such contemplation.

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Major Minor Menagerie for ukulele

Posted on April 15, 2025 by Anne Ku

Can a melody live in both major and minor worlds? Before my eyes open to embrace the day, I am already composing a melody in my head. Which chords are necessary to “force” a major melody into its parallel minor? Do the notes need to change? Let’s take a simple melody and find out in the “Major Minor Menagerie” for ukulele.

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A Minor Moment to C for high G ukulele

Posted on April 15, 2025 by Anne Ku

The classical guitar literature is blessed with melodious study pieces by Carulli, Carcassi, Sor, Giuliani, to name a few. The piano literature is also replete with Burgmuller, Czerny, and even more composers. These pieces are written to exercise and develop technique but are also beautiful to play and hear in their own right. Inspired by these greats, I try my hand at creating something for the ukulele. The piece starts in A minor and eventually ends in C major, hence the title “A Minor Moment to C.”

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3 Chord Thursday Festive Full Moon

Posted on April 14, 2025 by Anne Ku

The first Thursday in December 2025 is a full moon. We will celebrate the theme of “festive full moon” on Thursday 4th December 2025 at the usual time of 3 PM EST. Every year, we add to our collection of songs about the moon in 3 Chord Thursday. Join us in Zoom on our final song session this year.

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3 Chord Thursday Halloween

Posted on April 14, 2025 by Anne Ku

As the fifth Thursday in October 2025 is the day before Halloween, we choose that date to celebrate songs of spook and scare on 30th October 2025 at the usual time of 3 PM EDT. Wear a costume, wig, and/or mask and disguise yourself for this event in Zoom for 3 Chord Thursday. Check out the song ideas.

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Thumb Through All That for high G ukulele

Posted on April 11, 2025 by Anne Ku

Here’s a short piece that requires using the right hand thumb to fingerpick throughout. Specifically, I’m asking the ukulele player to use a straight thumb to produce the so-called “rest stroke.” The thumb lands on the next string. The title “Thumb Through All That” really means to use your right thumb to fingerpick the entire piece, so that you can focus on switching your left fingers.

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Untitled Waltz for high G ukulele

Posted on April 10, 2025 by Anne Ku

Towards simple melodies with easy accompaniment on the high G ukulele, I use the basic elements and fragments of ascending and descending relative major and minor scales on the G and A strings for the melody and a sliding movement of the fretting fingers to reach those notes and simple chords. The waltz is untitled for now. Sometimes the title emerges later. Hopefully it does.

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