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Featured Ukulele Lessons
Learning Ukulele Strums - A Recipe for Success
click this link to view lesson...
A strum is the execution of a rhythmic pattern - in a specific style at tempo.
Learning Strums, A Receipe for Success covers how to go about learning the various rhythmic patterns that are strums.
Strumming requires a specific set of skills. They are: 1) Memorization of chords 2) The ability to switch chords smoothly and 3) The ability to choose and execute a suitable rhythmic strum.
This series of lesson's focus is on the execution.
Six Essential Scales for Ukulele
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The six essential scale are: Blues, Major Pentatonic, Mixolydian, Dorian, Aeolian, and Ionian.
There are two scales that can be the memorized and all other essential scales referenced from these two. These two scales are the Major and Natural Minor scales. The Major and Natural Minor scales are traditional scales and common scales in all forms of contemporary music. This lesson explores the Major and Natural Minor scales and their derivations.
From these two scales the Blues, Major Pentatonic, Mixolydiand and Dorian scale can be created.
Core Chords - Creating the Big Six from F7, 1st Voicing
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Taking a movable F7 chord, you can derive each of the 'big six' essential chords. 7, maj7, m7, m7b5, dim7, and aug7.
Featured Books 
Learning the Ukulele Fingerboard - C Tuning
Beyond knowing the names of the open strings most ukulele players find it hard to learn the whole fingerboard.
If your goal is to finally learn the names of the notes on the ukulele fingerboard. Then "Learning the Ukulele Fingerboard" is your answer. "Learning the Ukulele Fingerboard - C Tuning" has a step by step approach to finally mastering the ukulele fingerboard. FREE download.
The Blues Scale
Learn to play the Blues scale on ukulele. Available in "C" Tuning. Scale diagrams in the QuickStart format and chords chart for all keys. This book is a FREE download.
Ukulele Chords
NEW This small (1/2 size) chord book is a great little book to carry with you. Ukulele Chords covers basic open position and basic movable form chords. From these two chord categories a variety of songs and styles can be played.
A Guide to Ukulele Chords
This book is designed as a guide to ukulele (pronounced “oo-koo-lele”) chords. Covering basic ukulele chords that ALL uke players MUST know, movable chord forms, rock uke chords, how to transpose chords, learning the ukulele fingerboard and an introduction to 4-part “jazz” chords and more...
Ukulele For Guitar Players
Ukulele for Guitar Players is a guide to transferring the accumulated experience and knowledge gained as a guitar played to the ukulele.
A Guide to Blues Chord Progressions for Ukulele A to Z
Covers the key of C major and C minor, including a detailed accompanying text explaining the principles behind each progression and the chord substutitions.
Exploring "Jazz" Chords on Ukulele
Exploring "Jazz" Chords takes the core chords from A Guide to Advanced Chords for Ukulele and shows their use over a variety of common chord progressions based on songs from the standard jazz repertoire.
A Guide to Advanced Chords for Ukulele
If your goal is to expand your chord vocabulary, The Advanced Guide to Ukelele Chords Series is your answer. Commonly referred to as "jazz" chords. A Guide to Advanced Ukulele Chords Volume I provides detailed information on voicing 4-part chords.
The Advanced Guide to Guitar Chords
Commonly referred to as "jazz" chords this provides detailed information on voicing 4-part chords.
Harmonic Analysis For Scale Selection And Chord Substitution
Harmonic Analysis is the understanding of the functional sequence of chords. It is the process used to analyze the harmonic structure of a progression, song or composition. This analysis is then used to make scale selections for improvisation and chord substitution.
Ukulele - Reading Music Series
Reading Music in Open Position, Single Note Studies- Primer. Reading music is not as hard as one might think. It may be new and unfamiliar to you but is not hard when you have a proper plan of attack.
Featured Song/TAB
Blue Bossa
click this link to view song...
Blue Bossa is an instrumental jazz composition by Kenny Dorham (August 30, 1924 – December 5, 1972). It was introduced on Joe Henderson's 1963 album Page One. A blend of hard bop and bossa nova, the tune was possibly influenced by Dorham's visit to the Rio de Janeiro Jazz Festival in 1961. The tune has since been recorded numerous times by different artists, making it a jazz standard.
Includes: Play-along Lead Sheet, Ukulele TAB of Melody, Melody and Chord Ukulele rrangement, example chords and scales for accompanment and improv.
Over 1800 pages of
ukulele, guitar and music content. And 146 lessons for FREE or any donations.
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Curt Sheller • All Things `Ukulele and Jazz Guitar
The Basics and Beyond!!! Take your playing to the next level.
The Internet's largest collection of information for ukulele and jazz guitar.
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Songs, TABs & Chord Progressions
Playing a musical instrument is all about playing songs, whether there're your own songs or someone else's song. The late jazz guitarist Joe Pass once said, "Nobody goes around whistling chord progressions."
Learning songs on a relatively easy to play instrument like ukulele is a lot of fun. the ukulele is the social instrument of the new millennium.
New & Updated Songs
- Blue Bossa
Solo ukulele arrangement added.
- Oh! Susanna
Solo ukulele arrangement in the key of F
- Feliz Navidad
Solo ukulele arrangement in the key of D
Each song has a downloadable chart, either hand written or prepared using a music software notation program. Example chords are shown for songs with simpler basic chords.
Links to the songs lyrics, videos and related song information are included.
Here are a few featured songs.
- My Favorite Things
- Blues Skies
- Brown Eyed Girl
Four chords and the classic intro and fills.
Song has Solo Arrangement, TAB and Std Music Notation.
Chord Lead Sheet with example, basic chords.
Studio recorded Play-along mp3 Track.
I
- I'll Remember April
by Gene de Paul with the lyrics by Patricia Johnston and Don Raye.
- Inspector Gadget
- Irish Washerwoman
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J
- Joy Spring
Ukulele and guitar solo arrangement available.
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K
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L
- Light My Fire - Am, MP3 and Lead Sheet
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M
- Misty
- Moon River
1961 Academy Award for Best Original Song and 1962 Grammy Award for Record of the Year
- Moondance
- My Favorite Things
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N
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O
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P
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Q
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R
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S
- Sailor's Hornpipe
- Satin Doll
- Shiny Stockings
- Spain
- St. Thomas
- Stairway to Heaven
- Star Spangled Banner
- Sunny
- Super Mario Bros
- Sway
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T
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U
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V
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W
- Walk Don't Run
- Wave
- While My Guitar Gently Weeps
The George Harrison classic.
- Witchcraft
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X
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Y
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Z
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Additional Chord Lead Sheets
The chords to additional songs can be found in my following books.
Exploring Jazz Chords on Ukulele takes the chords from A Guide to Advanced Chords on Ukulele and the lesson Core Chords, The Big Six and explores them using songs from the standard jazz repertoire. Songs include: All of Me, Autumn Leaves, All The Things You Are, Days of Wine and Roses, There Will Never Be Another You, Back Home In Indiana, Someday My Prince Will Come, Have You Met Miss Jones, Summer Samba, Sweet Georgia Brown, Yesterday, and Only A Paper Moon.
A Guide to Blues Chords Progressions on Ukulele From A to Z starts with a basic three chord, 12 bar blues and progresses up to a sophisticated jazz blues with multiple chord substitutions..
Each example includes detailed accompanying text explaining the principles behind each progression and its chord substitutions.
All examples are shown in C and G tuning. Suitable for Soprano, concert, tenor and baritone ukuleles. Get through this book and you'll have a solid jazz chord foundation to build on.
The book pages include audio examples of each progression or song played on ukulele.
All PDF downloads of my books are priced at $4.95
Copyright Issues
It's the melody and lyrics that can have a copyright, not the chords or even the title of the song.
As such, I'll make every effort possible to only show the lyrics or melody to songs that I have permission for or that are in the public domain. I'll provide links to sites that have the lyrics and let them fight it out with the lawyers.
A published arrangement to a song, even a public domain song can have a copyright.
Why No Lyrics?
Unless you are singing and already know and have the lyrics memorized to the song. Chords over lyrics are no help to you and most beginners if you don't already know the song and it's melody. You have on idea when to change chords, you might hear the change – but that's too late. Even knowing the lyrics, you might not have time to switch chords. You need to know ahead of time when to change chords and how many beats each chord lasts. This is critical for playing ANY song. It actually allows you to learn songs you have never heard or are only vaguely familiar with.
You can copyright the lyrics and the melody of a song. My "TAB" or songs, as presented here, make every attempt to not violate copyrights of the song owner and only present a road map of each song. With a very minimum of music knowledge you can read these or any chord chart. Charts and songs are presented for education purposes only.
Every song that is NOT in the public domain has links to lyrics. Preferably I can find links to the original copyright holders site. If not I'll link to one of the many lyrics sites available online and let their lawyers fight it out.
Public Domain
To prove public domain status in the USA, you MUST find a published copy of the song with a copyright date of 1922 or earlier. Most PD works have arrangements under copyright protection, and new arrangements must be derived from a PD source. PD status is determined by the laws of the country where the music is used. (from the PD Info site)
Standard Music Notation Practice (PDF)
This study, prepared by the Production Committee of the Music Publisher's Association, outlines a series of standards for music notation.
(Ed. This is great introduction and reference for standard music notation.
Reading Chord Charts
A chord chart (or chart) is a form of musical notation that in addition to writing out non-embellished melody, describes harmonic and rhythmic information. It is the most common form of notation used by professional session musicians playing jazz or popular music. It is intended primarily for a rhythm section (usually consisting of piano, guitar, drums and bass). In these genres the musicians are expected to be able to improvise the actual notes used to represent the chord and the appropriate ornamentation or counter melody.
A Roadmap through a Song – Your roadmap through a song includes – the landmarks, traffic signs and directions to from one place, the beginning of the song, to another, the end of the song. For a song that would be the key and modulations, the sections, type of chords, codas, repeats and the music signs used to determine you path through the song.
A Chord Chart is simply these directions. It contain the chords and form of the song to play. I might not contain directions on where to put you fingers, chord diagrams or where to play any particular note. Depending on the intended final use of the chart it can as simple as the chords to completely written out instrument part for a recording.
All it should contain are the chords and form of the song. The lyrics are for the singers. Chord diagrams are for beginners who might not have a chord vocabulary of chords to cover all the chords in a given song. TAB serves a different function and is not needed in a chord chart.
Depending on the song, my chord charts might contain any signature licks and riffs for that song. These will be in standard notation on the chart. I'll provide TAB for ukulele players separately. Using standard music notation allows ANY musician that can read music to play the song on any instrument.
My Take on TAB!
TAB, short for tablature - Wikipedia states:
"An alternate usage of the word "tab" is common on the internet, where it can also refer to conventional chord symbols (for harmony), or note names (for melody)."
(Curt Sheller) This a departure from what has been traditionally known as TAB. There a lot of sites on the internet, especially ukulele sites popping up that claim to be TAB sites. These are mostly sites with the chords and lyrics to songs, with or without chord diagrams. Not really "TAB", but I guess we're stuck with an expansion of the definition of TAB.
Lesson Info
TAB, short for tablature is a form of musical notation using numbers and letters on a staff that that corresponds to the number of strings of fretted string instrument. Theses number tell a player which fret to place their fingers on rather than which pitches to play.
TAB has a history with lute music from centuries ago and has found wide use in the music publishing industry catering to the guitarist who can't or doesn't want to learn to read. TAB doesn't exist in mainstream music, primarily by some music magazines and on the internet.
Learning to read TAB can be accomplished in minutes. Learning to read standard music notation takes a little longer.
Lessons Link
click on below link for complete lesson.
- Go to full lesson: The Trouble with TAB
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Lesson Info
TAB or Tablature is a form of musical notation, which tells players where to place their fingers on a particular instrument rather than which pitches to play.
Generally speaking, tablature is commonly used by informally trained musicians in folk, popular and rock music.
Lessons Link
click on below link for complete lesson.
- Go to full lesson: Reading Ukulele TAB - Alternate Notation
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Lyrics
- Hapa Haole Songs - Lyrics to Hawaiian songs written in English between 1916 and 1978
Site is not longer being updated - but is a good resource for lyrics.
- HUAPALA, Hawaiian Music and Hula Archives
- Mele.com Hawaiian Lyric resources
- A Compilation of Sing-Along, Folk, & Rock Guitar Songs (with chords and lyrics) - link
Can be transposed to any key.
- Doctor Uke
provided by Doctor Uke for his students and/or patients. They are to be used for educational and/or medicinal purposes only.
Sheetmusic Collections
- Ukester Brown's Collection of internet site for vintage sheet music and recordings. - link
- Digital Tradition Folk Music Database - link
- Indiana University - Sheet Music Collection - link
- University of North Texas Music Library - link
- University of North Texas Music Library Special Collections - link
- The Sheet Music Consortium - link
- The Folktunes Archive - link
- William & Gayle Cook Music Library > Collections - link
- World War II Songs From The Belfer Audio Laboratory And Archive Syracuse University Library - link
- The American Folk Song Collection - link
Hard Copy Book: $12.95
PDF Download: $4.95
Ukulele for Guitar Players
This book is for current and former guitar players discovering the ukulele for the first time or returning to the instrument.
Ukulele for Guitar Players is a guide to transferring the accumulated experience and knowledge gained as a guitar played to the ukulele. Or exploring the possibilities that the ukulele offer. Covers chords, scale and an introduction to reading standard music notation on ukulele.
The ukulele is both a different instrument than the guitar and at the same time a lot like the guitar.
Guitar players that also play the ukulele find that it gives them a different and fresh look at how they also approach the guitar.
Thanks for visiting and checking out my site!
Content is always being added and updated. So check-in often. Thanks, Curt
P.S. You may think from the look of it that Curt Sheller Publications is a slick, profitable business, but it's actually not (maybe a car payment a month, cheap car). I spend a lot and time money creating the content, lessons and books for this site (a labor of love), so if you dig my content and want to see more of it. I could use your help by spreading the word and maybe buying a book or two if you haven't already, to help defray the cost of running the site. Thanks in advance for your help. This is a labor of love and I'd do it even if I didn't make a lot of money, hey I don't!
You can also make a donation to the lesson-site fund. Button in the sidebar of the site.
If I'm not teaching, I'm working on this site and new lessons, books and goodies.
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