Can’t Help Falling in Love in F for ukulele

Posted on February 4, 2025 by Anne Ku

With Valentine’s Day around the corner, I couldn’t help revisiting the all-time classic “Can’t Help Falling in Love” which I had transcribed in C major for low G ukulele in an earlier blog post. It’s even better when transposed to F major for both low G and high G ukulele, alike. I presented this song at the second workshop on World Ukulele Day 2025. I showed how to take a lead sheet and play a “chord melody” arrangement from it in more than one way.

Continue reading →
Posted in sheet music, ukulele | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

As Tears Go By (1964)

Posted on February 3, 2025 by Anne Ku

Something struck me when I learned of Marianne Faithfull’s passing on 30th January 2025. Her first single, “As Tears Go By” recorded and released when she was 17 years old, remains a hit today. Let’s look into how we can play it on the ukulele. She sang “As Tears Go By” in the key of C major.

Continue reading →
Posted in course, sheet music, ukulele | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Holy Cow for high G ukulele

Posted on January 30, 2025 by Anne Ku

In 2021, we celebrated Year of the Ox in 3 Chord Thursday with a handful of songs to do with cows, donkeys, chickens, and other farm animals. In Chinese, ox and cow are the same characters. With respect to the Chinese Zodiac Signs, I thought of the church hymns that are pentatonic. It’s fun to play the five notes in a pentatonic scale on the high G ukulele. Hence, “Holy Cow for high G ukulele” is born.

Continue reading →
Posted in Chinese, sheet music, ukulele | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Two Tigers for high G ukulele

Posted on January 29, 2025 by Anne Ku

One of the first songs I learned to sing in Chinese Mandarin was “Two Tigers.” The tune is not pentatonic. If I take out the one melodic note that is not part of the major pentatonic scale, I bet you will still recognize it. Unless you know the song in Chinese, you would disagree that it’s “Two Tigers.” You will know it by another name.

Continue reading →
Posted in Chinese, sheet music, ukulele | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Rabbit Hole for high G ukulele

Posted on January 29, 2025 by Anne Ku

One of the main reasons I prefer to “batch process” rather than do a little bit of this and a little bit of that is that each “little bit” can easily lead me down a rabbit hole. To avoid digging myself into a rabbit hole, I try to finish a piece as soon as possible and move on. I also avoid trying to do anything but compose (at this time). I call it “Rabbit Hole” for high G ukulele for this reason. This is my new pentatonic piece for high G ukulele. Yet another one based on the 12 Chinese Zodiac Signs.

Continue reading →
Posted in Chinese, sheet music, ukulele | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Dragon Born for high G ukulele

Posted on January 27, 2025 by Anne Ku

No sooner had I released “Year of the Snake” than I scaled the pentatonic world of possibilities. How could I write a tune for the snake without one for the dragon? Similarly, it wouldn’t be fair to exclude the rabbit, the horse, or any of the other signs in the Chinese Zodiac. Here is “Dragon Born,” my second pentatonic piece for solo ukulele.

Continue reading →
Posted in Chinese, sheet music, ukulele | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Year of the Snake for high G ukulele

Posted on January 27, 2025 by Anne Ku

With Chinese New Year just around the corner, I could not resist writing a new ukulele piece. “Year of the Snake” for solo ukulele mimics the snake’s movements. Go up and down the ladder (snakes and ladders). Hammer on. Pull off. Slide up and down the fretboard.

Continue reading →
Posted in Chinese, sheet music, ukulele | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

Music terminology

Posted on January 25, 2025 by Anne Ku

To help my readers understand the words I use in referencing my work, I am posting this page on music terminology and glossary of terms for reference. I am posting this page just after completing the “Daily Music Writing Project,” before I embark on the “Daily Getting My Music Published Project.” If I’ve missed a term that I use frequently, please feel free to ask.

Continue reading →
Posted in self-help, sheet music, ukulele, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Homage to Carcassi for low G ukulele

Posted on January 25, 2025 by Anne Ku

The Five Note Duet sounds so familiar that I had to dig through my stash of music. Has someone else composed it already? Or does it sound like a piece I’ve written? About four years ago I composed a homage to a guitar composer. There are similarities but the homage and the new ukulele duet are two very different instrumental solos. Let’s revisit my Homage to Carcassi, a solo piece I wrote for low G ukulele a few years back.

Continue reading →
Posted in review, sheet music, ukulele, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Take Five on Five ukulele duet

Posted on January 24, 2025 by Anne Ku

I woke up this morning to the tune of “Take Five” in my head. Since recording my new duet using only five notes and five chords, why not make it in 5/4 time? After all, “Take Five” got into my psyche in quintuple meter. Why can’t I add a note to every measure and make it 5/4 time? Take Five Chords on Five Notes. Take Five Notes on Five/Four Time. It clicks.

Continue reading →
Posted in sheet music, ukulele | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments