How to Play the Ukulele for the Complete Ignoramus
Welcome to the Ukulele! ...........................................................................................................4
A Brief History of the Uke .........................................................................................................5
Choosing a Ukulele....................................................................................................................6
How to Hold the Ukulele...........................................................................................................9
Tuning the Ukulele ..................................................................................................................10
Left Hand Chording..................................................................................................................11
Right Hand Strumming........................................................................................................... 13
More Strums............................................................................................................................ 15
Waltz Strums ........................................................................................................................... 16
Following the Song Charts ...................................................................................................... 17
Playing the Melody .................................................................................................................. 18
Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star................................................................................................ 19
What a Typical Page Looks Like .............................................................................................20
Go Tell Aunt Rhody............................................................................................................. 21
Whole World in His Hands.................................................................................................22
Buffalo Gals .........................................................................................................................24
When the Saints Go Marching In .......................................................................................26
Camptown Races.................................................................................................................28
Oh, Susanna ........................................................................................................................30
Clementine ..........................................................................................................................32
Amazing Grace ....................................................................................................................34
This Little Light of Mine .....................................................................................................36
Do Lord ...............................................................................................................................38
Molly Malone (Cockles & Mussels).....................................................................................40
Wabash Cannonball ............................................................................................................42
Home on the Range.............................................................................................................44
The Water is Wide...............................................................................................................46
Down in the Valley ..............................................................................................................48
On Top of Old Smoky..........................................................................................................50
She’ll be Comin’ ‘Round the Mountain...............................................................................52
Red River Valley..................................................................................................................54
Aloha ‘Oe .............................................................................................................................56
Aura Lee .............................................................................................................................58
Simple Gifts.........................................................................................................................60
Down by the Riverside ........................................................................................................62
Skip to My Lou ....................................................................................................................64
Michael Row the Boat Ashore.............................................................................................66
Shortenin’ Bread .................................................................................................................68
Shady Grove ........................................................................................................................70
Man of Constant Sorrow .....................................................................................................72
Bring Me a Little Water, Silvie............................................................................................74
Swing Low, Sweet Chariot ..................................................................................................76
Take Me Out to the Ballgame .............................................................................................78
Driftless Rag....................................................................................................................... 80
Kickapoo Rag ...................................................................................................................... 81
Ukulele Boogie-Woogie.......................................................................................................82
Careless Love.......................................................................................................................84
Trouble in Mind .................................................................................................................86
I’ve Been Working on the Railroad ....................................................................................88
Auclair de la Lune ...............................................................................................................90
House of the Rising Sun......................................................................................................92
Scarborough Fair.................................................................................................................94
Fingerpicking the Ukulele .......................................................................................................96
The Chord Study......................................................................................................................97
Ukulele Chords ......................................................................................................................100
Ukulele Strums ...................................................................................................................... 101
About the Authors ................................................................................................................102
Song Index .............................................................................................................................103