3 Chord Thursday Preview Nutmeg Ukulele Festival

Posted on July 8, 2023 by Anne Ku

On the first Thursday, 7th September 2023, we give a preview of the 2nd Nutmeg Ukulele Festival, a one day event in Simsbury, Connecticut. In this one hour session in Zoom, 1) get a taste of ukulele bootcamp, 2) learn how to correctly play Brother Iz’s famous “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” and 3) sing and play along to the songs selected for the ukulele festival. Register in Zoom to get the link and info!

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3 Chord Thursday Blue Moon

Posted on July 8, 2023 by Anne Ku

Thursday 31st August 2023 is the 5th Thursday of the month and also a full moon. Blue moon refers to the 2nd full moon of the month. 3 Chord Thursday has celebrated many moons since we began in April 2020, including a full moon session in August 2022 and in June 2021. Do you know the famous Chinese Mandarin love song The Moon Represents My Heart? Choose your best key and make your own song sheet HERE.

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3 Chord Thursday Massachusetts

Posted on July 8, 2023 by Anne Ku

Thursday 17th August 2023 is National Massachusetts Day. As we are part of the Ukulele Union of Boston, let’s celebrate songs about our state in 3 Chord Thursday. There are songs about Boston, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, New England … see this blog post. Wear something that has “Boston,” “Harvard,” or anything else that’s in Massachusetts on it.

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3 Chord Thursday Golden Oldies

Posted on July 8, 2023 by Anne Ku

On Thursday 3rd August 2023, let’s revisit the golden oldies — the most memorable songs of the 50’s and 60’s. We have previously celebrated three sessions of 60’s songs in 3 Chord Thursday but not yet 50’s songs. Elvis Presley had the most number of top hit songs in the fifties. Check out Betty Lou’s List of number one hits in the fifties. RIP Tony Bennett, who sang many of the beloved songs from the fifties and sixties.

Register via this Google Form. We will warm up with a short lesson on the chords in “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” in C major. Read about the background.

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My Country, ‘Tis of Thee or God Save the King

Posted on July 6, 2023 by Anne Ku

On an American air base in the island of Okinawa, I grew up singing “My Country, ‘Tis of Thee” before I learned that the same tune was known as “God Save the Queen” or “God Save the King” depending on the monarch in the United Kingdom. In fact, it is the official national anthem of Great Britain. Interestingly, the hymn known as “America” is considered one of five national anthems in America, along side “God Bless America” and “America the Beautiful.” In this blog post, I introduce an instrumental solo arrangement for the high G ukulele.

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America the Beautiful

Posted on July 5, 2023 by Anne Ku

A parishioner requested “America the Beautiful” to include in the programme on the weekend before Independence Day. For Catholic mass, I played it as a recessional hymn on the organ while the young cantor lead the congregation who sang more loudly than usual. This request, along with other comments on my post in Facebook, prompted me to look into arranging the unofficial national anthem for easy piano and instrumental ukulele solo on Independence Day, 4th of July 2023, a rainy day in Boston, Massachusetts.

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God Bless America

Posted on July 3, 2023 by Anne Ku

Irving Berlin initially penned the words to “God Bless America” while serving as a sergeant at an army camp in 1918. As typical of many of his songs which didn’t fit the occasion at the time, it was put away in a trunk. Twenty years later, opportunity knocked on his door. Berlin pulled out this song for Kate Smith, the singer to debut at Armistice Day (now Veterans Day) in 1938. For many Americans, it became the unofficial second national anthem. [See the other national anthems.]

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Correct fingering for error-free execution with ease

Posted on June 20, 2023 by Anne Ku

“Pencil in your fingering for both hands. Use a pencil in case you want to erase later. Decide on the fingering. Practice with the fingering you wrote in the score.” Why? The students in piano and ukulele classes ask. Why is correct fingering important?

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Pachelbel Progression

Posted on June 12, 2023 by Anne Ku

When I learn of a musician’s departure, I instantly hear his or her music in my head. Last week, I checked my phone and read “RIP George Winston” in my Facebook feed. His Pachelbel Canon Variations entered my sound space immediately. Although I was on my way out, I couldn’t resist but record a short video clip on my piano. Since then I have been noodling over how to introduce his music to my piano students. Today I will show the eight-chord progression as an exercise in block and broken chords and inversions in my piano harmonization class in Zoom.

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Omoide 思ひで for ukulele, theme from Midnight Diner

Posted on May 31, 2023 by Anne Ku

One occupational hazard of being a musician is the susceptibility to ear worms. Certain tunes creep into your existence and take over your sound space. You can’t get rid of it until you’ve written it down, performed, recorded, published it, or let another ear worm take its place. Omoide, the song that opens every episode of the Netflix series Midnight Diner, is such an ear worm. Fingerpicked on the folk (steel-string) guitar, Mr Suzuki’s song has interesting origins. I had to transcribe it for the low G ukulele.

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