UKULELE LOVE

I LOVE strings! -- violins, guitars, violas, dulcimers, cellos, mandolins, basses, harps, banjos, and UKULELES. During my career as a musician and music educator, I've grown to appreciate the ukulele because of the simple pleasures and hands-on learning it provides. The ukulele is a rhythmic, harmonic, and melodic instrument that inspires joyful music making.

Over the years, I've collected and created a folk repertoire for teaching ukulele, based on a natural learning sequence and common patterns. Whether you're a teacher or student, I hope you find this site useful and enjoyable. This is my online offering to parents, children, self-starters and music educators. 


All material on this site is protected by an international Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 License.This means that if you use my materials in other than home or classroom settings, credit must be given for my work. Commercial use is not allowed, and you may not claim any part of this work as your own nor alter it. My logo/blog URL should be included on copies you make or share:  http://youukulelenotes.blogspot.com/. 
(CC BY-NC-ND 3.0)

Click on the tabs in the top menu bar to explore resources by keys, concepts, and levels. Use my Index and Teaching Sequence to guide the learning/teaching process. You may click on the embedded pages to enlarge them for projection or printing. Enjoy!

             ~ Jeri     

Index and Teaching Sequence

All material on this site is protected by an international Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 License.This means that if you use my materials in other than home or classroom settings, 
credit must be given for my work. Commercial use is not allowed, and you may not claim any part of this 
work as your own nor alter it. My logo/blog URL should be included on copies you make or share: http://youkulelenotes.blogspot.com/.

Basics
Getting to Know 'YOUke' - Parts of the Ukulele
'Youke' Can Tune - Open Strings, Tuning Tune, Suggestions, Tuner Links
From Folk to Fantastic - Pictures and Videos of Popular Ukulele Performers
Ukulele Playing Position - How to Hold and Strum the Ukulele
Frets, Fingers and Batman - Finger and Fret Numbers, Finger Placement, First Melody Pattern
The Chromatic (all colors) Fingerboard - Chart of the Ukulele Fingerboard
Strum Patterns - Eight Favorite, Progressive Strum Patterns
How to Read Ukulele Tablature (TAB) - Chart and Guide
Bass-ics: Adding Ukulele Bass - U-Bass Chart and Accompaniment Strategies


One-Chord Songs
Strumming and Singing with the C Chord - One-Chord Songs and Rounds in the Key of C
Melodies in C - One-Chord Songs with Melodies in TAB and on Staff
Strumming & Singing with the F Chord - One-Chord Songs and Rounds in the Key of F
Mini Melodies in F - One-Chord Songs with Melodies in TAB and on Staff

Two-Chord Songs in F
F & C7 Songs - Pattern #1 - Two-Chord Songs in the Key of F, Two Changes (with measures), Rounds and Partner Songs
F & C7 Songs - Pattern #2 - Two-Chord Songs in the Key of F, Two Changes (with measures)
Two-Chord Songs in F, Pattern #3 - F and C7, Two Chord Changes (mid-measure)
Two-Chord Songs in F - Pattern #4 - F and C7, Four Changes (one mid-measure)
Partner Songs in F - Chord Pattern #4 - Two-chords: F and C7, Partner Songs
Two-Chord Songs in F - Pattern #5 - F and C7, Four Changes (two mid-measure)
Two-Chord Partner in F, Pattern #5 - F and C7, London Bridge and Bunny Foo Foo
More Melodies in F - F and C7, Hot Cross Buns, Down by the Station, and More

Introduction of Minor Chords with One-Chord Songs/Rounds
One-Chord Minor Tunes and Rounds -

Introduction of G7 with C
Key of C - Two-Chord Songs - Pattern #1
Two-Chord Songs in C, Pattern #2
Two-Chord Songs in C, Pattern #3
Two-Chord Songs in C, Pattern #4
Celebration of Two-Chord Songs in C

Review C Chord and Combine with F Chord
Rounds with C and F Chords (I IV) - Rounds, Review C Chord with F (more difficult than F with C7, prepare for three-chords songs in C)

Three-Chord Songs with C, F, and G7

Three-Chord Songs in C - C, F, and G7
Accompaniments for Jambo Bwana -
12-Bar Blues in C

Songs with Four or More Chords
Four-Chord Pop Progression - Long list of pop songs which use the same progression - fun!
Easy Four-Chord 'Fifties' Progression - Another list of fun songs that use the same chord progression

Exploring Scales
C Scale on the Staff and Fretboard
Major Scale Pattern
Minor Scale Pattern
Blues Scale Pattern

Exploring Tablature and Melody Picking
Staff to Fretboard Chart
Folk Melodies in Tab and on the Staff - Introduction to tablature (TAB) and Melody Picking
America Melody and Chords, Staff and Tab
Simple Gifts Chords and Melody - Staff and Tab

Chord Charts
Big Three for Key of C  (I  IV V7)
Big Three for Key of D   (I  IV V7)
Big Three for the Key of G   (I  IV V7)

More to come... Feel free to request something in the comment box.

Copyright information: All material on this site is protected by an international Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 License. This means that if you use my materials in other than home or classroom settings, credit must be given for my work and a link to this site must be included. Commercial use is not allowed, and you may not claim any part of this work as your own nor alter it. My logo / blog URL should be included on any copies you make or share: http://youkulelenotes.blogspot.com/. (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0)

From Folk to Fantastic

Ukes can take us 

In recent years, ukuleles have become very popular. 

Ukes are now appreciated as much more than a simple 

folk or beginner's instrument, thanks to artists such as these: 

                                                 Elvis Presley                          'Iz" - Israel Kamakawiwo'ole                  Jake Shimabukuro
                                                                                            Somewhere Over the Rainbow                 While My Guitar Gently Weeps                

                                                                                  The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain          
                                                                               Concert Performance of James Bond Theme  

Getting to Know 'YOUke'

   

'Youke' Can Tune

Soprano, Concert and Tenor ukuleles are tuned to these notes:

Here's a little ditty I wrote (based on "My dog has fleas") to help students solidify the tuning pitches in their ears. Sing it first and then pluck strings on "my dog has fleas" as you sing. A teacher may add the optional chordal accompaniment.

Here are some links to great online ukulele tuners: 
YouTube Ukulele Tuner 1    
YouTube Uke Tuner 2  
https://ukutuner.com/     
Pineapple Pete's Uke Tuner

Ukulele Playing Position

'Youke' Can Have Excellent
Posture & Technique

      Sit straight and forward on your seat (or stand).

      Right arm cradles the uke against your ribs.

      Right arm is generally parallel to the neck.

      Left arm is relaxed and slightly away from body. 
      Left hand comes forward @ 90 degrees.

      Left  palm faces upward.

      Fingers curve as if holding a baseball.   

      Thumb rests against back of the neck.

      Left fingers bend toward the fingerboard.   

      Fingertips press the strings against the  

           fingerboard just behind frets:

           first finger in the first space,

           second finger in the second space,

           and third finger in the third space.

    

      Strum downward (to begin) with the side 

            of your thumb or the back (nail) of   

            your index finger (a built-in pick). 
      Strum near the point where the neck joins the body.


Holding the Ukulele - Video by Bernadette Teaches Music

Ukulele Notes on the Staff and Fretboard

This chart is a useful reference when finding singing pitches or figuring out tunes or chords on your own.

Frets, Fingers and Batman

Frets, the metal strips across your fingerboard, create different contact or end points for strings, which changes the pitch. (Pitch refers to a specific note/frequency and how high or low it sounds).

When an open string is pressed to the fingerboard just behind a fret, the string touches the fret instead of the nut, and the length of the string that can vibrate changes.  Experiment with frets and how they change the pitch of a string by pressing your left index finger in different frets while picking the string with your right index finger. Listen. Does a shorter string length sound higher or lower?

Left hand fingers are numbered starting with the index finger as #1. Frets are numbered according to their relationship to the nut, with #1 being closest to the nut. As you begin to learn to play ukulele, your finger numbers should match fret numbers as in the picture above. 

Practice pressing the first three notes on the first string (A with A#, B, C). Keep your left hand and fingers in their correct positions. Then pick the string with your right hand while pressing fretted notes. Now, use the fret numbers in the "Batman Theme" box to play your first melody. 

The Chromatic (all colors) Fingerboard

"Chromatic" means all colors. The chromatic scale uses all twelve half-steps in the western music system. Frets are placed in the fingerboard one half-step apart. The sharp and flat signs indicate that a note has two names. For example, the note between C and D is called C-sharp (up one half-step from C) in some keys/chords, and D-flat (down one half-step from D) in others.

Favorite Strum Patterns

Strumming and Singing with the C Chord

Helpful Online Resources
Explore chord diagrams and demos at UkuleleChords.com

You'll find many of the above songs in the Utah State Board of Education's Children's Songbook (online): USBE Song Sheets and Audio Files.

Beth's Notes is a fantastic resource for many of these songs and more: Beth's Notes Alphabetical Song Index

Check out these Five basic Strumming Patterns from UkuleleTricks.com.

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Play along with the Coconut Song with Harry Nilsson

How to Read Ukulele Tablature (TAB)

You will find this chart helpful in understanding and reading ukulele tablature. With your ukulele in playing position, turn it over so the strings are facing you. Visualize each string as a TAB line. Try playing a short melody while reading TAB and holding your ukulele this way. Are you better able to read TAB now? Then it's time to hold your ukulele the correct way! 

There are many simple TABs in my melodies folder on this site. Check them out! When reading a melody in TAB, try switching back and forth between staff notation and TAB to build skills in both types of notation.

Mini Melodies in C

Here are some C-chord songs with simple melodies that only use two or three notes. The melodies are written in tablature (TAB for short) and on the staff. TAB is written as if the player is looking at the fretboard, so it is often helpful to turn your ukulele toward you (upside down) and practice the fingerings, and then turn it back around to normal playing position.

'Youke' can play the melody by reading the tablature (TAB). The TAB will help you see where the notes are on the ukulele. Then you can read and play the melody on the staff. One person or group can play the melody while another plays the chord so you have both melody and harmony.

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Mouse, Mousie: This one-chord song has a simple three-note melody that uses notes only from the C chord. Try playing the melody while someone else strums the chord. Add a bass part by alternating between C and G notes (starting with C).

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More Melodies in C

Diggy-Diggy Dong is a more challenging C-chord song with a wider melodic range. It sounds great as a round/canon with simple C-chord accompaniment. If you are up to the challenge of playing the melody, play the quarter notes slowly so you will have time to fit the four sixteenth notes into one beat. For the faster notes, try alternating index and middle fingers or alternating picking direction (down-up-down-up). 

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Way Down Yonder in the Brickyard: Although this is a one-chord song, the melody and rhythm are quite complex. Play the melody slowly at first and focus on rhythm accuracy. Using a pick and playing the repeated sixteenth notes 'down-up-down-up' can be helpful. Add a bass part by alternating between C and G notes (starting with C).

Note: This is an excellent piece for older beginners and students who want a challenge. Less experienced students can simply strum the chord accompaniment, or they might sing the 1st, 3rd, 5th, and 7th measures, and pick/play the 2nd, 4th, 6th, and last measures.

Strumming & Singing with the F Chord

Helpful Online Resources

Explore chord diagrams and demos at UkuleleChords.com

You'll find many of the above songs in the Utah State Board of Education's Children's Songbook (online): USBE Song Sheets and Audio Files.

Beth's Notes is a Fantastic resource for many of these songs and more: 
Beth's Notes Alphabetical Song Index

Check out these Five basic Strumming Patterns from UkuleleTricks.com.

Mini Melodies in F

Here are two F-chord songs with simple melodies. Compare these to the the same songs in the key of C. Which is easier to play? Which is easier to sing? 

These melodies are written in tablature (TAB for short) and on the staff. TAB is written as if the player is looking at the fretboard, so it is often helpful to turn your ukulele toward you (upside down) and practice the fingerings, and then turn it back around to normal playing position.

'Youke' can play the melody by reading the tablature (TAB). The TAB will help you see where the notes are on the ukulele. Then you can read and play the melody on the staff. One person or group can play the melody while another plays the chord so you have both melody and harmony.

More Melodies in F

Hot Cross Buns and Down by the Station

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Draw a Bucket of Water has a simple pentatonic melody (five notes: C D F G A) and interesting rhythm. Because this song in pentatonic, a one-chord accompaniment (F) works very well. When playing this song with others, add a bass pattern using F and C notes only (starting with F).

When playing the melody, alternate index and middle fingers on the sixteenth notes to help fit them in (or try down-up picking). 

Draw a Bucket of Water includes a fun singing game. Here are the directions: 

Formation: Four persons stand in a square. Each pair (facing each other) holds both hands. One pair’s hands are above the other’s. Hold onto partners’ hands throughout and sway while singing.

 
Procedure: On the last line, the pair whose hands are on top swing one of their arms/hands up and over a person from the other pair, putting their arms around her/his back as s/he ducks under into the center. The top-hands pair does this again (with the other arm and opposite person) as everyone sings “second one pops right under.” Now the second pair (who are in the center) swing an arm over a person from the other pair as everyone sings “third one pops right under.” They repeat with the other arm and other person for the fourth verse. Now everyone should be tightly linked. All four persons stay entwined and go around in a circle while singing, and on the last line, they all jump apart/back.

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