Jeri's YOUkulele Notes

Sunday, August 7, 2016

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.

Saturday, August 6, 2016

Strumming & Singing with the F Chord

Helpful Online Resources

Explore chord diagrams and demos at UkuleleChords.com

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.

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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