Posts by UkoOno
Solid Rock
I was lucky enough to go to the Port Fairy Folk Festival in March 2020 – just before the world closed down – and I did a singing workshop and got to sing this fabulous song with Shane Howard himself – on the main stage (of the last day when nearly everyone had left)! So…
Read MoreBudapest
I had to call in the big guns for this one. Some of my SMUG members will remember ‘Budapest’. It’s a fabulous song by the gorgeous George Ezra that we tried a couple of years ago – but I think it deserves a come back. Besides it was written in 2013 so it’s almost modern!…
Read MoreIsland Strum
I’ve included two videos to help with the classic ukulele ‘Island Strum’. The first runs through the strum pattern, breaking it down and giving you time to get a handle on the actual strum, using our 4 main chords (C, Am, F and G). The second video is a run-through Stand By Me – the…
Read MoreBlue Skies
Michelle did the arrangement for this one – here are her thoughts to share… The song was composed in 1926 by Irving Berlin, as a last-minute addition to the Rodgers and Hart musical ‘Betsy’. Although the show ran for only 39 performances, ‘Blue Skies’ was an instant success, with audiences on opening night demanding 24…
Read MoreC Major Scale Improvisation Exercise
It’s time to start improvising – and the easiest place to start is with the C Major Scale. Download the instruction sheet, which has two sets of notes to pick; the first pattern being the C Major Scale – and the second pattern being notes of the C Major Scale starting on G to G.…
Read MoreOutside/Inside pinching – Imagine
In this lesson we apply the ‘outside/inside pinch’ picking pattern for the 5-chord version of Imagine (it also works beautifully on the 8-chord version). We start on the ‘outside stings’ (G and A) and we pinch those two string together and then pinch the ‘inside strings’ (C and E) together. We pinch the outside strings…
Read MoreAlone With You
Here’s a tutorial for the Sunnyboy’s ‘Alone With You’ including the fingerpicking for the introduction.
Read MoreLove Her Madly
I’ve made three videos for the fabulous ‘Love Her Madly’ by The Doors. Video 1 funs through the main strum (Island) first verse and the main riff; Video 2 focuses on the ‘All Your Love’ section and strum pattern; and Video 3 on the second ‘All Your Love’ section and into the riffing at the…
Read MoreHo Hey
Ho Hey is a great, but not easy song – although it has easy parts. I have put together 5 videos to help with the song. Video 1 runs through the basic strum pattern; Video 2 looks at the end of verse chord change; Video 3 takes us from Verse 2 into the Chorus; Video…
Read MoreCrazy
Here’s another great tutorial from Michelle. With some help from a friend named Oliver English, Willie Nelson wrote the song ‘Crazy’ in early 1961. It is said that “Musically the song is a jazz-pop ballad with country overtones and a complex melody”. Well that covers a lot of genres! The lyrics describe the singer’s state…
Read More