The Little
Song Book
soprano
concert
tenor
baritone
Contents
Tunning your ukulele
How to read a chord box
Holding your uke
Hand positions
Strumming
Rock That Uke
Singing In The Rain
Monkey Man
Five Foot Two
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Page
Page
Page
Page
5
6
7
8
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Tuning Your Ukulele
You will need to begin by tuning your ukulele. This will make your ukulele sound sweet
and make sure it plays properly. You can find the tuning notes online or use a piano,
but by far the best solution is to use an electronic tuner.
It is important to tune your ukulele every time you play.
The standard tuning notes for a soprano ukulele are GCEA. The thing
which makes the ukulele unique is that the G is high and pitched
above the C; this type of tuning is known as re-entrant. This type of
tuning gives the ukulele it’s happy, bouncy sound and makes it a
perfect strumming instrument.
Middle C
G- C- E- A
Electronic tuner
You can make tuning much easier with an electronic tuner.
tuner I would
advise everyone to get one. Clip the tuner to the headstock of the
ukulele and gently turn the tuning pegs until the correct pitch is
reached.
If the tuning pegs on your ukulele are slipping, gently tighten the screw found at the
back of the peg. You may also find that new strings need to be tuned lots of times until
they begin to settle in. Tuning can be tricky, when you begin it is the hardest part of
learning to play. Keep practising, with an electronic tuner you will soon get the hang of
it.
Other tunings
Baritone ukuleles, which are much bigger, are tuned D-G-B-E and have a more guitarlike tone. Some ukulele players tune their soprano instruments A-D-F#-B which gives a
very bright sound. This tuning is popular in Canada and with Formby style players,
however the vast majority of people use the standard GCEA tuning.
How To Read A Chord Box
Throughout this book you will see
that every song has a series of chord
boxes to show you how to play the
chords in each song.
The diagram (left) shows how a
chord box is used to work out the
position of fingers for a chord.
Which fingers are used will vary
with each song, in each case use an
arrangement of fingers that feels
comfortable.
Place your finger where the red dot indicates. In this case,
in the third fret box on the A string.
Holding Your Ukulele
The picture below shows how to hold the ukulele correctly. It is best to start in a sitting position with the ukulele resting on the top of your leg. The fret board should face
away from your body. Your right hand will be ready to strum and your left hand cradles the neck, with the thumb at the back and the fingers at the front.
As you develop your strumming skills you may wish to hold the ukulele while standing
up. This can be achieved, without a strap, by gripping the body of the ukulele between
the right fore arm and your chest. This should still allow your wrist to move freely, so
you can strum the ukulele.
Hand Positions
The right hand is used for strumming and is either an open or closed hand position.
The best way to start strumming the ukulele is to use your first finger.
Open hand
To strum with an open hand, hold your right-hand up as if to wave, spread
1) and point with your first finger away from your hand (2
2).
your fingers (1
Turn your hand over and gently brush down all four strings using the nail
of your first finger making them sound together. We call this an open hand
strumming.
Closed hand strumming
To strum with a closed hand, hold your right hand up and make a fist (3)
point your first finger and thumb away from your hand and pinch them
together (4)
3
Turn your hand over and gently brush down all four strings using the nail
of your first finger making them sound together. We call this a closed hand
strumming.
4
Whether strumming with an open or a closed hand you must always strum your
ukulele from the wrist. Your arm remains still and only your wrist moves up and
down. It is like shaking water off a wet hand.. Remember to strum gently.
Down And Up Strums
The two basic types of strum are the
down strum and the up strum.
Strum down with the nail of your fore
finger and up with the fleshy part of
the finger tip.
These strums can be made with an
Always strum over the 12th fret as this will
open or a closed hand.
produce the sweetest sound.
When written in a strumming pattern a down
strum is given this symbol.
When written in a strumming pattern an up
strum is given this symbol.
Thumb Strum
An alternative to the standard down and up strum using the first finger is to use
thumb to make the strums. The is thumb held firm and moved up and down by
wrist. This has the effect of making the down strum softer as the fleshy part of
thumb brushes across the strings. The up strum is much more emphasised as
thumb nail brushes across the strings.
When written in a strumming pattern a thumb
down strum is given this symbol.
T
When written in a strumming pattern a
thumb up strum is given this symbol.
T
the
the
the
the
Accent Strum
This is a down or up strum which is played a little more firmly than normal. It is
achieved by giving the wrist an extra hard flick as the strums are made. In practice, the
difference between a normal strum and an accented one is quite subtle but it can make
quite a difference to the over all sound of a strumming pattern.
An accented down strum is played with the first finger (sometimes second
and third fingers) and an accented up strum with the thumb.
When written in a strumming pattern an
accented down strum is given this symbol.
When written in a strumming pattern an
accented up strum is given this symbol.
Page 5
Rock That Uke
Lewis & Lewis—2009
Chorus
and rollin’ on the ukulele train.
[F]Rockin’
[F]
Rockin’ and rollin’ on the [C7]
[C7]ukulele train.
Rockin’ and rollin’ on the ukulele train,
again.
I’m gonna get myself [F]home
[F]
[F]Slippin’
and slidin’ on the ukulele train.
[F]
train.
Slippin’ and slidin’ on the [C7]ukulele
[C7]
Slippin’ and slidin’ on the ukulele train,
I’m gonna get myself [F]home
again.
[F]
Chorus
[F]Jumpin’
and jivin’ on the ukulele train.
[F]
train.
Jumpin’ and jivin’ on the [C7]ukulele
[C7]
Jumpin’ and jivin’ on the ukulele train,
I’m gonna get myself [F]home
again.
[F]
Instrumental chorus x2
Chorus
[F]Snoozin’
and snorin’ on the ukulele train.
[F]
train.
Snoozin’ and snorin’ on the [C7]ukulele
[C7]
Snoozin’ and snorin’ on the ukulele train,
I’m gonna get myself [F]home
again.
[F]
A National Resophonic Soprano
Chorus
‘Simple down up pattern’
beat
strum
1
and
2
and
3
and
4
and
Page 6
Singing In The Rain
Freed & Brown—1929
[F] Doo-dloo-doo-doo-doo
Doo-dloo-doo-doo-doo-doo
Doo-dloo-doo-doo-doo
Doo-dloo-doo-doo-dooo
[F]I'm Singing in the rain,
Just singing in the rain,
What a glorious feelin',
I'm [C7]happy again!
I'm laughing at clouds,
So dark up above,
The sun's in my heart,
And I'm [F]ready for love.
Let the stormy clouds chase
Everyone from the place.
Come on with the rain;
I've a [C7]smile on my face.
I walk down the lane
With a happy refrain.
Just singin' and singin' in the [F]rain!
Repeat
Finish on Doo—dloo… fade out and tremelo
‘Hawaiian pattern’
beat
strum
1
and
2
and
3
and
4
and
Page 7
Monkey Man
Toots Hibbert—1969
|C
C
|C C C
|F F F G7G7G7|C C C
|C
C
|C C C
|F F F G7G7G7|C
Aye, aye, aye. Aye, aye, aye.
[F]Hugging
[F]
up a [G7]big
[G7]
monkey [C]man.
[C]
Aye, aye, aye. Aye, aye, aye.
[F]Hugging
up a [G7]big
monkey [C]man.
[F]
[G7]
[C]
I never saw you,
[F]Hugging
up a
[F]
I never saw you,
[F]Hugging
up a
[F]
|
|
I only heard of you.
[G7]big
monkey [C]man.
[G7]
[C]
I only heard of you.
[G7]big
monkey [C]man.
[G7]
[C]
It’s no lie. It’s no lie.
[F]Hugging
up a [G7]big
monkey [C]man.
[F]
[G7]
[C]
It’s no lie. It’s no lie.
[F]Hugging
up a [G7]big
monkey [C]man.
[F]
[G7]
[C]
Now I know that. Now I
[F]Hugging
up a [G7]big
[F]
[G7]
Now I know that. Now I
[F]Hugging
up a [G7]big
[F]
[G7]
understand.
monkey [C]man.
[C]
understand.
monkey [C]man.
[C]
Aye, aye, aye. Aye, aye, aye.
[F]Hugging
up a [G7]big
monkey [C]
[C]man.
[F]
[G7]
Aye, aye, aye. Aye, aye, aye.
[F]Hugging
up a [G7]big
monkey [C]man.
[F]
[G7]
[C]
Martin Style 0
soprano
ukulele
Aye, aye, aye. Aye, aye, aye.
[F]Hugging
up a [G7]big
monkey [C]
[C]man.
[F]
[G7]
Aye, aye, aye. Aye, aye, aye.
[F]Hugging
up a [G7]big
monkey [C]man.
[F]
[G7]
[C]
Repeat x2
Ending
|C
|C
C
C
|C C C
|C C C
|F F F G7G7G7|C
|F F F G7G7G7|C
C
C
‘Simple Groove pattern’
beat
strum
1
2
and
3
and
4
and
C
C
|
|
Page 8
Five Foot Two, Eyes Of Blue
Lewis, Young & Henderson—1925
Intro: [C[C-E7E7-A7A7-D7D7-G7G7-C-G7]
[C]Five
foot two, [E7]eyes
of blue
[C]
[E7]
But [A7]oh,
what those five could do,
[A7]
[G7]seen
my [C]girl?
[G7]
Has [D7]anybody
[D7]
[G7]
[C]
[C]Turned
[C]
up nose, [E7]turned
[E7]
down hose,
[A7]Never
had no other beaus.
[A7]
[G7]seen
my [C]girl?
Has [D7]anybody
[D7]
[G7]
[C]
Bridge:
Now if you [E7]run
into a five foot two,
[E7]
[A7]Covered
in fur,
[A7]
[D7]Diamond
rings and all those things,
[D7]
[G7]Betcha’
life it [D7]isn’t
[G7]her,
[G7]
[D7]
[G7]
[C]Could
she love, [E7]could
she woo?
[C]
[E7]
[A7]Could
she, could she, could she coo?
[A7]
[G7]seen
my [C]girl?
[G7]
G7]
Has [D7]anybody
[D7]
[G7]
[C]
Repeat instrumental
Repeat sung
Last time
Has [D7]anybody
[G7]seen
my
[D7]
[G7]
[D7]anybody
[G7]seen
my
[D7]
[G7]
[D7]anybody
[G7]seen
my [C]girl?
[G7
G7—
[D7]
[G7]
[C]
G7— C]
The Night Owls
‘Vintage Jazz Ukulele’