writesongs

Its for Everyone!But I Dont Write or Sing!The next time you are in your car, scan the FM dial.You will findthat there are many artists out there who can neither play nor sing,yet manage to make millions of dollars in the music industry. If Idrop the cynicism for a moment, what these performers are reallysuccessful at doing is connecting with whatever audience they arereaching. You can do that too. Songwriting is a great way to connectwith friends, family, fellow hobbyists, and perhaps even a largeraudience. Songwriters write to express and please themselves. Rightnow, songwriting happens to be a medium that is popular and acces-sible. If those artistic visions happen to connect with an audience,that is the icing on the cake!

I believe that anyone who plays a musical instrument can write a song. If you already love to expressyourself on your instrument, and if you have made observations about the patterns in the music your are play-ing, you have met the basic requirements for songwriting. Writing your own songs is just an extension of thatnatural destire to express yourself. What do you want to tell the world about yourself, about life, about yourunique life experience? Try communicating that in a song. Every facet of human experience and discovery isfodder for songs. Package those experiences in a clever metaphor, or just tell it like it is, and you have a song.

The inspiration of songwriting is sometimes seen as a mystical occurence. That is because everyone does itdifferently, and no advice should be considered the rule. In these pages, we will look at the elements ofsongwriting. You will develop ownership of your own songwriting process if you can put these elements to-gether in an order that fits your own style. There will be parts you will learn to ignore, and other parts that maybe helpful. The process of songwriting is a little different for everyone, but it is a creative process, and there areno hard and fast rules.

Be Like a Child: Play, Dont PracticeEveryone knows that practice can get dull and boring. Its more fun to approach practice time as playing time.This mindset might be necessary for songwriting. If you play your instrument like a child at play, the so-calledscrew-ups and side-trips can become a prime opportunity for discovery--and for discovering your own songs.Say youre practicing a musical selection and you finger some strings the wrong way or strum a chord with aslightly different voicing than the music calls for. Maybe you misread the chord progression, but the new chordprogression works. Does it sound good to you? Stop practicing and play with your discovery for awhile.Experiment by substituting different chords into the progression. Do you hear a melody? Lyrics? This could bethe core of the idea that turns into your new song. Many great songs begin this way. When youre playing andnot so worried about getting it right, youre going to be able to hear your mistakes as possibilities. Where isyour instrument leading you?

Finding your own style without ignoring othersIn songwriting, as with most creative endeavors, it is important to begin from a place where you are comfortableand happy. If you like Country and Western, write in that style. If you like roots music, blues, jazz, pop, orisland reggae, write in those styles. The best songwriting teacher is listening to other songs. What works forthose songs? For you? What do you think makes a song great? What do you want to hear? Where do you wantto hear the instrument go when you are playing it? Songwriting is about exploration.

Page 2Songwriting forRegular Folk

The ProcessPage 3Songwriting for

Regular Folk

Finished Song!Lyrics

ChordProgression

Song Pattern

Melody

Recording orPerforming

In A NutshellWhich comes first--the chicken or the egg? Order doesnt matter. Some begin with a chord progression, othershear a melody first, and some prefer to write lyrics before any music is made. The process is different foreveryone. But it is a process. While the occasional song might come quickly, one can approach songwritinglike a craft, experimenting with the pieces until something comes together. So while this booklet takesyou through some possible steps, those steps are really just suggestions anddirections to take for musical brainstorming. Dont look at the coming pagesas formulas, but as ways to clear writers block. This booklet is far fromexhaustive, but it is my hope that it will open up some avenues to theprocess via knowing the instrument better. Songwriting is rewarding andfun. Its a great way to communicate with other folk.

Accomplished songwriter Richard Thompson says this about songwriting: I think its an unpredictablestruggle, and its always difficult. Its endlessly frustrating, and occasionally rewarding. Theres no real way ofknowing how to write a song. I think you sit down, and you either start playing an instrument, or you get anidea in your head, or you start writing down some lyrics. There are endless ways to start, and whichever wayyou start really doesnt matter. Its what you end up with that counts.

If, at the end of this process, you end up with a song, youre a songwriter.

How to Use This Booklet: This is not tablature! It is a representation of your fretboard the wayyou look at it while you are holding your ukulele. Too long have players had to look at chord fingerings from anunnatural position. Most of the patterns in this booklet are outgrowths of the basic shapes on the GCEA strings--1114, 3211, and 3121; shapes you might use to make a Db, Bb and a Gb. All tunings are GCEA re-entrant.

GCEA 6 7(1)

KEY TO SYMBOLS

GCEA

2222

GCEA

min7 b5

AAAA

GCEA

For the 1114 shape above, the chords shown will usuallybe exactly relative to that fretboard position; however, asyou see below, there is a (1) on the third fret; that (1)corresponds to the first fret on the fretboard above. The sixand seven indicate the sixth and seventh quality.

The A dots in the top graphic indicates analternate fingering for the same chord. Below,the 2 dots indicate the chord to play second;play the black dots first, then the chords thatcorrespond to the numerical order.

A

6

7

(1)

Normal play.Alternate fingering.Altered sixth.Altered seventh.

Relative fret.

2 3 Play in numeri-cal order.

Major Scale Cheater GuideHave you every wondered why music teachers make their students learn scales? Its not just for muscle memoryand exercise. It also serves the purpose of memorizing the order of the 12 notes of each key with the sharps orflats. Learning the notes of your major scales have the side benefit of allowing you to speak the language ofchord progressions. Try saying the notes as you practice the scales. (There are six keys not shown.)

Key of CI ii III IV V vi VII IC D E F G A B C

Key of DI ii III IV V vi VII ID E F# G A B C# D

Key of EI ii III IV V vi VII IE F# G# A B C# D# E

Key of FI ii III IV V vi VII IF G A Bb C D E F

Key of GI ii III IV V vi VII IG A B C D E F# G

Key of AI ii III IV V vi VII IA B C# D E F# G# A

Far from an exhaustive list, below are some commonchord progressions. As you continue in songwriting,you will want to experiment and alter some of thesesimpler progressions as you write your own songs.Then again, many, many songs have been writtenusing only these patterns. A V chord commonlyincludes the seventh because it puts two notes--thethird and the seventh--a half step from the tonic triad.The ear loves resolution.

Here are some common 3- and 4-chord major pro-gressions that are repeated in popular and folk music:

I - IV - V(7) I - V - IVI - bVII - IV I - ii - V(7)I - III(7) - IV I - vi - IV - VI - ii - IV - V I - iii - ii7 - VI - iii -IV - V I - VII - IV - Viii - vi - IV - V - I iii - vi - ii - V - II - IV - I - V

Here are some common minor progressions repeatedin popular and folk music:i - VII - iv i - VII - iv - V7i - VII - iv - VI i - VI - III - VIIi - III - iv - VI i - iv - V7

Chord ProgressionsThe chord progression is the harmonic backbone of most songs. Its the partyou play while you sing your melody. As you have noticed from playingsongs, many of them share similar or identical chord progressions; its themelody, the rhythm, and spacing of the chords that is different. In Westernmusic, nobody has the corner on the market for chord progressions. Evenpopular songs that sound complex usually have simple underlying chordprogressions with some modified or altered chords thrown in for style. Thecircle of fifths (pictured right) allows you to see the relationship betweenchord progressions in an orderly fashion. For example, if you are in the keyof Ab, the IV chord is counter-clockwise, and the V chord is clockwise. Theii (lower-case means minor) chord will be 10 minutes away clockwise, and the vi minor 15 minutes awayclockwise. This is a great reference chart if you need actual chord names once you are in any given key.


Common ProgressionsMajor scale fretboard pattern:

GC

EA

1 2

3

876

54

GCEA

Tight Shapes for ProgressionsYour Ukulele is a Songwriters Dream!This page unlocks the fretboard relationships betweenchord shapes and chord degrees. Your ukulele is set upso that some of the chord relationships observed in thecircle of fifths and in the chord progressions on theprior page create tight fingering patterns--patternsand shapes within five frets--using four-finger chords.If you know the name of your I chord, that is your key.The relationships on this page work anywhere on theneck of the ukulele, allowing you to compose and playmost songs in any key. (The key to symbols is on page3.) Dont look at these as formulas, but as possibleways to move your progression when youre stuck.


GCEA

GCEA

GCEA

GCEA

GCEA

GCEA

GCEA

GCEA

I vi(m)

IV V

GCEA

GCEA

GCEA bVII ii(m)

Chord patterns out of a 3121 shape. (Major.)

Chord patterns out of a 3211 shape. (Major.)I vi(m)

IV V7

ii7(m7)

I vi(m)

IV V

bVII ii7(m)

Chord patterns out of a 3331 shape. (Major.)

GCEA

GCEA

GCEA

GCEA

GCEA

GCEA

bVII

GCEA

GCEA

GCEA

GCEA

GCEA

i(m)

iv(m)

i(m)

iv(m)

V7

GCEA

V7

GCEA

GCEA

Chord patterns out of an3321 shape. (Minor.)

Chord patterns out of a3111 shape. (Minor.)

VI (VII up whole step)VI (VII up whole step)

GCEA

II

GCEA

II

GCEA

GCEA

III III

One of Us--Joan Osbornei - VI - III - VIIHouse of the Rising Suni - III - iv - VI - i - III - V7

GCEA

GCEA

GCEA

iii(m)

iii(m)

iii(m) Major Pop! Minor Pop!La Bamba--Ritchie ValensI - IV - VEarth AngelI - vi - IV - V

GCEA

III7

GCEA

III7

A

A

AA

GCEA

III7

7

7

7

7

7

AA

A

A

7

7

GCEA

GCEA

GCEA

GCEA

Varying Chord StructureSongwriting forRegular Folk

The ukulele seemspredestined for greaterchords than those of thesimple major and minorvariety. However,quickly finding thatseventh or ninth can besomewhat of a challenge.

The graphics to the rightaim to fix that by show-ing the relationshipsbetween the three basicmajor chord shapes andtheir added qualities.

But how does asongwriter know when touse a 7th, 9th, 11th, 13th,or suspended chord?Well, there is no easyanswer. It all depends onthe melody you have andhow you want the chordsto play against yourmelodies. Experimenta-tion is a must. The moreyou play with thesealterations, the moreinteresting your musicwill get. This list is NOTexhaustive.

Key: The black dots show thebasic chord shapes, and theopen circles show alternates--a circle with a 7 means thatfretting that space will changethe chord quality to a seventh.A circle with a 6 changesthe quality to a sixth. A circlewith the letter A means thatthis is an alternate fingeringfor the same chord. Whenthere is a number above thefret, it is a fret number relatedto the starting positions at thetop of the column.

Page 6

Broadening Chord QualitiesFinding the altered chordfrom the 3121 shape.

Finding the altered chordfrom the 3211 shape.

Finding the altered chordfrom the 1114 shape.

Seventh

High Seventh

Major Seventh

Major Sixth/vi/7

Seventh

High Seventh

Major Seventh

Major Sixth/vi/7

Seventh

High Seventh

Major Seventh

Major Sixth/vi7

GCEA

GCEA

GCEA

GCEA

GCEA

GCEA

GCEA

GCEA

GCEA

GCEA

GCEA

GCEA

GCEA

GCEA

(4)

GCEA

GCEA

GCEA

GCEA

GCEA

GCEA

GCEA

GCEA

GCEA

GCEA

GCEA

GCEA

GCEA

GCEA

GCEA

Minor/7th/6th6

66

66

6

7

7

7

77

(1)

Sus4

A

7

7

7

6/76/7

6/7

min7 b5

Ninth

Eleventh

Sus2

Minor/7th/6th

Sus4

min7 b5

Ninth

Eleventh

Thirteenth

Minor/7th/6th

Sus4

min7 b5

Ninth

Eleventh

Thirteenth

AAA(7)A

AA

AAAAA

AA

AA

AA

A

A

Progressive ProgressionsSongwriting forRegular Folk

Page 7

Walkarounds, turnarounds, and altered chords are all good tricks in thesongwriters handbag. Throwing them in can change a simple progres-sion to a something sublime. It can be as simple as shifting a barre chordby a half-step or adding some extras. As usual, experimentation is key.

GCEA

GCEA

GCEA

GCEA

GCEA

GCEA

GCEA

2

2222

I ii V

I ii7walkdown to ii7

To the lower right is a simple I,ii, V progression. Nice, but notvery interesting. We can add alittle spice by adding somesevenths and walking into theii chord. In the lower row, playthe black bubbles first, then the2 bubbles.

Adding Some Spice

V7 (2=+/aug)

GCEA

GCEA

On the way to there, try going here....Sometimes half the fun of going somewhere is what you do to get there. Music is no different. The lowest tiersof these columns (and the middle in the last) represent places you might want to go in your songs--

to get there...

on the way...

GCEA

stop here...

GCEA

GCEA

to get there...

on the way...

GCEA

stop here...

GCEA

GCEA

back here...then up

before you reach...

GCEA

here (the written chord)...

2

2222

Blue Cheese: Like the blues? Howabout spicing up that standard progression with some altered chords?

GCEA

GCEA

GCEA

GCEA

GCEA

GCEA

GCEA

32

We can all agree the shufflebelow is a great place to start.

32

2222 43

I

IVBut instead of playing the milktoastprogressions along the top, trywhats underneath!

play I again...

2

22

2

222

2

play I again...

2222

II7 to V7 end on V

GCEA

GCEA

GCEA

GCEA

Spice up standard progressions...Ever get bored with standard progressions, like I, vi, IV V? Here are a couple of ways to modify it.

GCEA

GCEA

7

7

7

7

I

vi or vi7 Instead of a IV,try this (ii6)

Instead of a IV,try this (IV 7)End witha V7

End witha V7

Ending A Ending B

Lyrics for SongsSongwriting forRegular Folk

Song Patterns

Page 8

Melody & Hook

Perhaps there is nothing more intensely personal and subjective in songwriting as writing lyrics. There arebooks and books filled with advice and guidelines, but the truth is, everybody has something different to say,and different subjects interest different folk. While I may prefer to spare myself the emotive love songs, young,good-looking songwriters do a fairly convincing job with them. Some even make a fairly decent living at it.

I think the best advice for lyric writers was the advice given to Smokey Robinson by his mentor Berry Gordon.Robinson, speaking about that advice, says, When I first used to write, I could always rhyme very well. But mysongs had no continuity because the first verse had nothing to do with the second verse, nor did the second orfirst verse have anything to do with the bridge. They were all different stories within the same song. Berrytaught me to make my songs have continuity. He said to think of songs like a short story or a short film, whereeverything tied in. He used to say that a song should have beginning, a middle and an ending that tied togetherand told the person what youre trying to convey. What I like about this, especially, is that the content of thesong takes priority over clever rhymes. So without beating it to death, heres the short list, the fab four:

1. Think about your audience--who are you singing to? Do your words show that what youre singing isimportant to you? Would the subject matter to your audience or be of interest to them? I have found the moreyou try to relate to your audience through your song, the stronger their response. 2. Tell a story--this has al-ready been mentioned above, but I cant say enough about it. Listen to folk singers who tell good stories. TPAtunes from the early part of the 20th century also weave some nice stories together. 3. Show, dont tell--anaxiom of all journalism, it works for songs; dont say that youre in love, reveal what you do when youre inlove; dont say she betrayed you, instead show listeners what that feels like. 4. Avoid Clich--Everyones loverseems to have great eyes. And most everyone seems to think about his or her lover during the nighttime. Allexperience loneliness, and everyone wants to just hold on or spend one more minute with his or her respec-tive lover, especially while walking down by the river or waking up in the morning.

Verse 1

ChorusBridge

SOLOor

Verse 3CHorusChorus

Verse 2

Chorus or refrain? If its long, its a chorus. If its a line, its a refrain.However good your verse melody was, this has to be better. Chorus workdoes not benefit from too many chords in the progression; simple changesand strong melodies make for strong hooks. If you cant stop singing it, its agreat chorus, and will probably hook listeners too. Lyrically, the chorus is themain point, the thesis (if you will), of the song.

Your verse work is the meat of the song; thats where you tell yourstory and follow up on it throughout the song. The fewer versesyou can say it in, the better, but thats just my opinion. Versesbenefit from a strong melody and a solid progression; fulfill yourmusical obligations; does the melody lead naturally -to the chorus?

To Solo or Not to Solo? Thats up to you,but if you want to explore that verse orchorus progression, go for the solo; its a nicebreak from the words, and a great opportunityto push the melody into new directions.

Bridges of Understanding: The elusive bridge has amusical and lyrical function. The musical function isto break the monotony, and gets a new progressionand new melody. Lyrically, the bridge can furtherexplain the story, or introduce a twist or clincher.

End it, already!Enough said, buttry not to borelisteners.

Verse 4

The song pattern found below is one among infinitepossibilities. As with all aspects of songwriting, thistoo is open to artistic license. You may hear this patternin a lot of pop music today, but many folk tunes of thepast have deviated from this formulaic path.

Carly Simon says, Melodies bring lyrics to life. I liketo think of good melody as an interplay between ten-

sion and resolution; think of it as a sentence with notes.A great melody hooks you; that hook is the part that

gets stuck in listeners heads.

GC

EA

Songwriting forRegular Folk

Page 9

GC

EA

1 2

3

876

54Run, Forrest, Run!Remember that major scale? Not only can you use it tobuild chords and compose melody, but you can also use itto inject harmonic runs into your songs. This is where the uke gets cool (as if you were not already convinced).Not only do you have the intervals in the major scale, but the fourth string (the G string on a GCEA tuned uke)is tuned a fifth away from your tonic on the same fret. That means you not only have the opportunity to pluckthirds using the second and fourth string, but also the outside strings! Lets look at some fretboard intervalrelationships instead of chord relationships and some runs. Practice plucking the two strings at once.

What the hey is an inversion? Can I do em on the uke?Maybe youve seen something that looked like this: G/D, C/E, etc. These slash chords are not two chords inone; the second letter signifies that a bass note should be played in place of the root. If the second note ispart of the major triad, it is called an inversion because if one were playing the chord on a piano keyboard,one would begin with the note under the slash. Although the uke does not technically have a bass note, the3211 major shape actually carries the third of the chord on the third string--the lowest string. The 3121major shape carries the fifth on the lowest string. So when you play a Bb (or any related shape) on the uke,you are really playing Bb/D. If you are playing a Gb (or any related shape), you are actually playing Gb/Db.My practical advice when seeing slash chords is to play the basic chord that is charted. Later, you can goback and see if it is possible to voice the chord the way it is written.

Embellishments

{ {Seventh {{Sixth

Minor thirdMajor third {

{Minor third

Major third

=Octave

GC

EA

4

4

3

3

2

2

1

14

4

3

3

2

2

1

1A run in thirds out of the 3121 position.

A run in sixths out of the 3211 position.

GC

EA

An outside run for a blues ending.

4

4

3

3

2

2 1

15

55

566

66

What will you find

?

Polishing and Recording: Three Simple Items

Saving Your Ideas & SongsSongwriting forRegular Folk Page 10

The Breakout Box/Input Box packageson the market (firewire or USB) are agreat way to pack some needed featuresinto one unit; through multiple inputs,you can record in real time with othermusicians, set channel levels for differentinstruments, and best of all is that itsportable. No strain on the CPU, and nosouncard to install. You various versionsof these from $100 to $500 and up.

Holding on to Song IdeasLike Bon Jovi said in that horrible song, Youve got to hold on to what youve got. Truer (and more cliche)words have never been sung. Once you start writing songs, the ideas will flow. With the help of modern tech-nology, you can catalogue those ideas for later. In the old days, my piano teacher would to call it a sock drawertape, but with a home computer, a duplex sound card, and PC microphone, it takes but a moment to recordyour ideas and keep them safe for later.

The benefit of saving song ideas is that it allows you to finish the songs you are already working on, and toworry about other ideas later. Once you have a catalogue of ideas, you may find that as you audition them, acouple of ideas work together to make a song. Such is the magic of sognwriting; some ideas, like, well, good

wine, need time to develop.

And although most PCs are already set up to do basic soundrecording, you may find that the sound quality is not whatyou envisoned when you wrote the song. Maybe you want toshare your music with friends, family, or even demo yourmusic so you can play gigs.

All of that can be done in a PC-based home studio. Whatused to cost thousands of dollars now costs a bit over $300.Sure, were not talking studio mastering and crystal clearproduction. But its pretty darn wonderful nevertheless.

You can get a good qualitycondenser microphone for around$100. This is not a gigging mic,but one that uses a preamp toboost sensitivity. There areseveral on the market in this pricerange, and most are more thanadequate for good home record-ing productions.

Sonar, ProTools, and othersoftware-based hard-diskrecording programs are excel-lent and packed with features.But if youre not the payintype, try Audacity at http://audacity.sourceforge.net. Youcan multitrack to your heartscontent, adding backup vocalsand instrumentation.

Want that professional sound? Three (relatively) cheap items can do wonders for your computer-based sound.

Songwriter ResourcesSongwriting forRegular Folk

Page 11

http://www.openmikes.org/Got an itch to play in front of an audience?This is a community-input model that seems towork: if you know about an open mike in yourarea, you can send the info and theyll post it.There might be something in your area--justclick on your state and browse the calendar.

http://www.performingsongwriter.com/This bi-monthly journal publication is available at Bordersbookstores. While the songwriting styles vary, the inter-views often center around the songwriting process. In thecurrent July/August 2005 issue, Dwight Yoakam, RichardThompson, Carly Simon, Smokey Robinson, Rickie LeeJones, and Brian Setzer are interviewed and all share aboutthe songwriting process. Theres even a shot of JakeShimabukuro in the issue, whom the editor claims to love.Who knows--maybe hell get an interview in a future issue.

http://www.ezfolk.comezFolk.com is where the home-based folkies hang out.This online community not only shares and trades awealth of information about ukulele, but also includesother instruments: dulcimer, banjo, guitar, mandolin, andanything else that might be considered a folk instrument.The best part about this site is that we also share songs:everyones invited, and everyones music has the chanceto be appreciated, whether youre a pro with a band or ahome-based musician willing to share some acousticrecordings. The .mp3 hosting is currently FREE withunlimited uploads, and there are about 300 contributingartists. The forum community likes to talk about newmusic and is very encouraging to songwriters. This is aplace worth visiting, and its a music sharing websitewhere your music will actually get played.

http://audacity.sourceforge.net/What are you waiting for? Take advantage of somefree multitracking software and start recording athome today!

http://www.justplainfolks.orgJust Plain Folks is a national networking commu-nity of songwriters, producers, and others who wantto share their knowledge of the music biz. Althoughthere is no audio hosting here, if you sign up fortheir forum, members are more than happy to givesome honest critiques of your work--you just haveto link to the .mp3 file. Youre more likely to gethelp if you comment on the work of others. Thisorganization also franchises itself for grass-rootssongwriting clubs.

http://www.sdsongwriters.org/The San Diego Songwriters Guild has a chapterthat meets in San Diego County, but manymajor cities have songwriter guilds that gettogether for critiques, discussions, and some-times, opportuntities to pitch original work.

GCEA

GCEA

GCEA

GCEA


Page 12

Appendix AFlukifiedWords & Music: John Rockwell

GCEA

GCEA

GCEA

GCEA

GCEA

GCEA

GCEA

2

22

2

2

22

2

3

22

2

2

2

3

2

2

2

2

2

3

2

22

2

2

3

GCEA

GCEA

GCEA

GCEA

2222

2

222

3

2

32

[V1]You have (1)Martin and Kamaka, KoAl(2)oha and the like. They are all good ukes but they will set you(3)quite a ways behind.[V2]There are (1)those who need that flashy uke to(2)match that playing style--but Im not a fancy, jazz-romancy,(3)fingerpickin guy.

By the(1)time you finally pay them off you wont(2)have another dime. And youll (3)never want to pull them out, forIf you(1)saw the way I treat my ukes, itd(2)make you want to cry. And (3)even at the ukie show, you

(1)fear youll commit that mortal crime and (2)ruin that (3)perfect(1)see the nice ones and you know: dont (2)touch, theyre (3)just for

(1)shine.CHORUS: Thats why Im (2)Flukified, ukified, (3)infatuated with rubber sides(1)show. If Im (2)ever caught on a desert isle, (3)Flukie Ukie by my side

Thats why Im (2)Flukified, ukified, in (3)polystyrene paradise: Does it cost too much for a (2)hoop-pine top, if it (3)sounds as good as ukes twice its

cost?

(1)Expensive wood is (2)drastic, so (3)dip me in platstic.(1)Its perfect for the (2)shipwrecked: (3)food bowl, head-rest.(1)Built by friends and (2)neighbors: (3)no child labor!(1)Who cares if it starts (2)rainin? (3)Ill still be playin!

How to use these diagrams: the lyricshave markers for which chord chartyou should be using; once you get tothe chart, play the black chord shapesfirst, and then move on to the othershapes in numerical order.

Intro: Vamp on I - IV in the key of C.

1 32

1 32

1 32

1 32

321

2(play: ) 2(play: )

2(play: ) (play: )32 2

(play: )32 2

Fmaj7 F6 E6 F6

G7 F#7 G7 C B C

A7 A7+ A7

C

F7 Cdim7

C A7 Am6 Ebm6 Dm6

C C6 C+ C B7A A6 A7 A6

Dm7 Gsus G Cmaj7 C6 Fmaj7 F6


Page 13

Appendix B

[V1] (1)I love my ukulele its with me all the (2)time: its (3) better than a pretty girl cause it doesnt nag or[V2] (1)I love my ukuleles, I have one of every (2)kind: (3) baritone and tenor for candlelit dinners and concert when Im playin[V3] (1)I take my ukulele with me for every thing I (2)do: If theres a (3)lull in conversation, I pull it out and play a

(1)whine. I love my ukulele, its my favorite little (2)axe; it dont talk (3)back unless I(1)Hawaiian. For ragtime applications, this (2)soprano does just fine--I like to (3)yuck it up with some corny(1)tune. If ever you should see me alone in my street (2)car--a traffic (3)jam is just another

(1) ask and if I want it quiet, I just (2) put it in its (3) sack.(1) stuff and fade into a (2) better (3) time.(1) chance to strum a few (2) familiar (3) bars.

(1) dogs and now all I have is this (2) ukulele to get me through the night--its a (3) lonely, lonely plight

I Love My Ukulele!Words & Music: John Rockwell

Intro: Play twice.

1 32

321

321

321

321

GCEA

2 3

GCEA

GCEA 2

22

2

(play 3X)GCEAGCEA

23

3

23

32

2

GCEA

32

GCEA

22

22

GCEA

22

22

GCEA

22

22

GCEA

22

22

GCEA

23

33

3

GCEA

22

2

2 GCEA

3

3

33 2

GCEA

222

2

GCEA

322

22 G

CEA

22

22 G

CEA

22

22

Bridge: (1) Life played some lousy games on (2) me, yes it did, baby. My (3)wife left me, took the

(1) but I will do just fine with my (2) four-string wonders, do-do-do-do-do, (3) do-do-do-do-do

321GCEA

22

22 G

CEA

22

22

GCEA

32

Order:Verse 1Verse 2BridgeIntroVerse 3Bridge

How to use these diagrams: the lyricshave markers for which chord chartyou should be using; once you get tothe chart, play the black chord shapesfirst, and then move on to the othershapes in numerical order.

(play 2X)

B B6 B7 B6 B B6 D#7(3X) C#m6 F#7+

(2X) B B6 B7 B6 D#7 E7 Gdim7 B

Cdim7 C#7 Dm6 C#m6 B B6 F#7+

B B6 C#7C#m6 F#7+ Dm6 C#m6

Dm6 B B6 B7 B6 Cdim7 C#7 Dm6 C#m6

B B6 B7 B6 Cdim7 C#7 Dm6 C#m6

(2x) B Bdim7 Gdim7 Edim7

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