Ukulele Songs for Guitar Players
The truth is that all songs can be a ukulele songs. Just like any musical scale can be a guitar scale or ukulele scale. This page is for both guitar players and newbie players of the ukulele (non- guitar players if you will...) to explore the possibilities for playing songs of your own choosing in styles of your own choosing as ukulele songs. In other words songs adapted for arrangement to suit playing on a ukulele. This may include blues, rock, pop, country, jazz, classical, reggae you name it!
Example Beginning Ukulele Songs
Soprano Ukulele on tea towel with coffee mug as size referenceBelow are some good simple ideas in bluesy and classic rock/pop formats just to get you starting to play and develop your dexterity and technique on these rather small ( but perfectly shaped :-) ) fret boards!
Remember to try to mentally absorb the *“function” of each chord used and memorise the connective patterns of the progressions to the point of making the muscle memory second nature. Here is the *Diatonic Chord Chart PDF from the Ukulele chords page for download if you don’t already have it. If this chart makes no sense go to the ukulele chords page and/or explore this site for more on music theory.
Click here for the Master I IV V Chord Chart PDF
Click here for the Master A-G Major Minor Dominant Chord Chart PDF
Try this little I IV V ("one four five") riff in the video below to get you warmed up.
Download the Guitar Pro File here (After clicking go to your default downloads location)
The TAB notation and hand shot video should give you the idea! If you have some previous experience or a little theory knowledge try transposing this riff into different keys, it may be easier than you think!
Some Groovin' Little Songs
Leo Sayers' Long Tall Glasses (I can dance) can make pretty good use of our little "A" key riff. Just adapt it for your own tempo and groove. Listen here: https://youtu.be/_P7EkR8UjFs
Long Tall Glasses Leo Sayer Get PDF
Can’t Hold Out can be done in any key that you or someone can sing it in. I usually hear it in E (Clapton does a great version listen here: https://youtu.be/gWobe4Y998w) but hey... why not try it in the "A" key to get the hang of transposing??
Can’t Hold Out Elmore James Get PDF
For Wild Thing you may want to use these particular voicings in the image below. Listen to it here: https://youtu.be/Hce74cEAAaE
Wild Thing Chip Taylor Get PDF
Ok I'm afraid that's all I have time for at the moment but I will keep updating the RSS feed very time I add a uke song so stay tuned!
Happy playing!
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