A lovely lovely song, if you like this sort of thing (which I do). It works best on piano, can be done well on the guitar, but the uke is tough for this one – you can’t just bash the chords out here… So – there’s no chord chart this time – you’ll have to use the tab – but it’s not too difficult – just a little adventurous! There are really only two sections to learn… and we’re in C so the shapes are familiar.
It’s the feel-good hit of the previous century this time folks. It might seem easy peasy, with just four chords making up the bulk of the song – but there are a few subtleties in this one. That riff for a start… I’ve finally found a way to play it on the uke that I’m happy with. And then you have the bridge – whatever key you play this song in, either the verse or the bridge will use chords that you don’t like…
However, it’s a lot of fun to play!
A smooth love song from the star of the early 21st century singer/songwriter world, Ed Sheeran (and co-written by Amy Wadge), Thinking Out Loud is a romantic pop tune, played on electric guitar originally.
Actually, it’s perhaps not written entirely by Ed or Amy, as he was sued by the owners of Marvin Gaye’s classic – Let’s Get It On – which has an undoubtedly familiar bass line and groove to it – but what the heck – you can’t copyright a chord sequence! (can you?)
I’ve moved it down to our favourite key of C (from the original in D), and even tabbed out the solo for you – aren’t I nice? There aren’t too many challenges technically in this piece, although the last line of the chorus might give you a wobble when suddenly you get all 7 chords of the song in quick succession!
The key thing here is to get the 1 (and 2 ) AND (3 and 4 and) groove right, and to not over play it. The twiddle at the end of each line of the verse is optional but a good exercise in hammer-ons for the more adventurous.
Everyone knows this song – even if you haven’t seen the film. It works well on the uke too. I’m struggling to think of another song that has 5 different major chords (7 if you count the 7ths!) in the chorus and no minor chords at all… it must be a happy song!
We do get a sneaky F->Fm in the verse, and some classic jazz ii V I progressions too, but it’s not too difficult to play. Make sure you get a good solid swing on the quavers/eighth notes to properly get the feel.
My old friend Chris got me to play this with him at his wedding – and he’s reprised the favour for the performance video – thanks Chris!
The wistful notes of this melancholic cry for a wanderer to come home work well on the uke, and we can even play it in the original key (harder to sing than play). Most of the chords should be familiar, and even the unfamiliar ones aren’t too hard – the Cm6 sounds scary, but is just two fingers, and the rhythms are fairly straightforward. The chords are mostly G, G7, C, Em, and D – and although they change a lot, it’s really not as hard as it might seem… You can skip out the B7 and the quick Ds if preferred.
I’ve even tabbed out the intro and outro as played on piano – they can really sound good on the uke. Keep it steady and not too fast, and even the quick chord changes at the end should prove doable. It’s often voted one of the finest songs of all time (494th in the All Time List according to Rolling Stone – I think it should be higher).
A gem of a song to play around a campfire when the mood is right.
I’ve added tab for the verse and chorus in case you fancy having a go at the fingerpicked twiddles I put in on the performance…
Chords: https://www.sheetmusicdirect.com/en-US/se/ID_No/1426556/Product.aspx
Full Score: https://www.sheetmusicdirect.com/en-US/se/ID_No/1426552/Product.aspx
If you don’t want to sing – then Ukulele Hunt have an excellent instrumental arrangement (I borrowed the intro from here!) – it’ll stretch your fingers more than your vocal chords https://ukulelehunt.com/2020/09/29/eagles-desperado-tab/
In the middle of a hauntingly sad song about life and love, a distant voice is heard from the back of the festival tent – “PLAY TOP GUN!”. I used to get heckled by this during my fleeting festival gig career – well, here it is. On ukulele.
This is an instrumental piece, but there are 4 or five parts to choose from if you fancy getting a family ukulele orchestra going…
It’s as easy as 1-2-3… Actually, it’s got 5 chords in, but they are pretty straightforward. It’s a happy song, with a good melody, easy chords, and positive lyrics. What’s not to like?
At the very least you can clap along with this one. It’s Muse at perhaps their most radio-friendly, and another song that works surprisingly well on the uke (so long as someone has a bass) – a really strong riff, and great melody and not too many chords make this one a great uke choice.
You will need some sort of bass and rhythm section to make this sound convincing though, as several of the verses are really just drums, bass and melody. However, there are lots of parts to get involved with, including a catchy clapping rhythm, a cool riff, some simple chords (and some more adventurous options), and even a wailing backing vocal – so it can be fun for the whole family!
Here it is folks! The first ever Adventurous Ukuleles Collaboration Video attempt. The Final Countdown…
Basic instructions:
Video yourself playing / singing / dancing along with one of the guide tracks – and send it to me using the dropbox link below.
Detailed instructions:
Film yourself in landscape, with the best audio quality you can. Play along with the backing track (in headphones). You can play the rhythm part, the lead part and/or the solo part, and you can also do a singing part as well if you’re up for it! Kazoos, bass and other instruments also welcome! I will try to use everything you send, but no guarantees. Please just send me ONE take (per person) of each part you attempt.
Send your finished videos to me using this link:
https://www.dropbox.com/request/hs1vRNmQvon4Kwk8PoF9
Tips for recording:
It’s my favourite Christmas song – but Greg Lake says it’s not a Christmas song. Go figure. However, the line “I wish you a hopeful Christmas, and I wish you a brave New Year” resonates with me like no other Christmas song. I recorded this one last year, but who knew we’d need so much hope and bravery for 2020 – not me…
The bit pinched from Prokofiev is simply magnificent and works really well on the uke – it’s my go-to thing to play when trying a uke out for the first time. The chords work well too – they’re very similar to Feelin’ Groovy (although the feel is somewhat different). All the modfied chords LOOK scary, but they’re really quite straightforward. The Bb might stretch a few fingers but that’s as hard as it gets. Who knew a Gadd11 and an Fadd9 could be so easy?
Enjoy!