Subscribe to Blog via Email
Join 215 other subscribers-
Recent Posts
- What’s It Waltz for high G ukulele May 15, 2025
- Whirlwind Waltz for high G ukulele May 10, 2025
- From lead sheet to chord melody arrangement May 9, 2025
- Suss the Suss for high G ukulele May 9, 2025
- Pick Strum Scale for high G ukulele May 9, 2025
- Pick Strum Chromatic Scale for high G ukulele May 9, 2025
- Pick Strum C Major Scale May 9, 2025
- I Hear Ya, Andaluza for high G ukulele May 9, 2025
- Fingerstyle for Fun May 8, 2025
- May Day is Lei Day in Hawaii for ukulele May 1, 2025
- Cadencia Andaluza Por Favor for high G ukulele April 30, 2025
- Tulips in Triple Time for high G ukulele April 30, 2025
- Lament on Love and Loss for high G ukulele April 29, 2025
- C Minor Scale Waltz for high G ukulele April 25, 2025
- C Major Scale Waltz for high G ukulele April 25, 2025
- A Minor Motif for high G ukulele April 22, 2025
- Glistening Glass for high G ukulele April 21, 2025
- Up the Neck and Back April 21, 2025
- Call and Response April 19, 2025
- Z Before A April 18, 2025
Categories
Tags
- accompaniment
- arrangement
- Boston
- Chinese
- chord melody
- chords
- class
- composition
- course
- dad
- exercise
- fingering
- fingerpicking
- fingerstyle
- guitar
- harmony
- Hawaii
- high G
- instrumental
- jam
- London
- Massachusetts
- Maui
- melody
- music
- music theory
- notes
- pentatonic
- piano
- session
- sheet music
- sing
- solo
- song
- songs
- song session
- strum
- tablature
- uke
- ukulele
- video
- waltz
- work
- workshop
- zoom
Recent Posts: Concert Blog
REVIEW: Discovering Fingerstyle Ukulele Songbook by Colin Tribe
Colin Tribe’s new book offers new possibilities for ukulele players who aspire to fingerpick their way through thirty of the most popular songs of all time. These chord melody arrangements show a variety of ways the high G ukulele can be used for instrumental solo or duet (such as chord accompaniment and melodic fingerpicking) . […]
REVIEW: Piano Animals (duet) by Heleen Verleur
This 31-page book of four hand piano music is sheer FUN with a capital F. The composer Heleen Verleur knows just what pianists love playing: music that is easy to read, sounds hard to play, but is so much fun that you don’t want to stop until it ends.
REVIEW: Ukulele Picking Tunes Classical Gems by Paul Mansell
This 40-page book is the latest contribution to the ukulele repertoire by the UK-based ukulele and guitar composer Paul Mansell. Guitarists who play the ukulele are few and far between, for many adult learners pick up the ukulele without knowing the guitar. Yet it takes a guitarist who understands the possibilities of the re-entrant tuned […]
REVIEW: Modern Pieces for Ukulele by Paul Mansell
Review of first three pieces from the new book Modern Pieces for Ukulele by Paul Mansell
Group piano class in Zoom
Introducing my group piano class online: Group Piano Class in Zoom. The first series of seven weekly one-hour class started in June 2021. The second (continuation of the first) started in October 2021 at alternating weeks, until end of December (seven sessions). The third series of 16 consecutive weeks started at the beginning of 2022. […]
Tag Archives: chords
I Left My Heart in San Francisco for Ukulele Play Along
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 … Continue reading
Yankee Doodle
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” … Continue reading
3 Chord Thursday Musicals
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 … Continue reading
3 Chord Thursday Rest in Peace (RIP)
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, … Continue reading
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
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 … Continue reading
Game of Thrones
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 … Continue reading
3 Chord Thursday Preview Nutmeg Ukulele Festival
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 … Continue reading
My Country, ‘Tis of Thee or God Save the King
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 … Continue reading
God Bless America
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 … Continue reading
Correct fingering for error-free execution with ease
“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 … Continue reading