Hey Soul Sister

So- End of the year is nigh and the BBQ is looming on the horizon. Interested ukers will meet this Friday (6/7) to see what we can drum up for our last song(s) of the year.

Mr. Melvin and I have pitched Train's "Hey Soul Sister" as the song to end with.

• Aidan James, 8 year old covers it
• The Glee, Warbler's version

If you have any other ideas / songs bring them on Friday. Without further ado, here's the chords and music for it.

Strum: D- D- d u d u         OR         D- D- -u d u

Hallelujah

~ Hallelujah ~

Leonard Cohen  (Singer/Song Writer) / Jeff Buckley (1994)

A haunting song covered by many over the years, "Hallelujah" has found its way into numerous films and TV episodes. While Cohen wrote the song, it was John Cale's and later Jeff Buckley's version that most have listened to and downloaded and then listened to on repeat.

On TV it has made appearances in The West Wing, Scrubs, Crossing Jordan, The O.C., Ugly Betty, House, ER, The Shield, and many other shows as well as in Shrek in one of my favorite scenes from the movie. The chords on the uke are very straight forward and the music slow enough that with a little practice the song should be a fun addition to your song book.

Brett McQueen of UkuleleTricks has a great version he performs on the uke with a free video lesson and chords and is the version I'm learning from.

C Am C Am

 C                 Am
I heard there was a secret chord
     C                   Am
That David played and it pleased the lord
    F                G               C        G
But you don't really care for music, do you? 
        C                  F           G
Well it goes like this the fourth, the fifth
    Am                 F
The minor fall and the major lift
    G            Em             Am
The baffled king composing hallelujah

Chorus:

     F           Am          F           C    G   C
Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah

     C                        Am
Well your faith was strong but you needed proof
    C               Am
You saw her bathing on the roof
    F              G             C            G
Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew you
C                   F       G
She tied you to her kitchen chair
    Am                        F
She broke your throne and she cut your hair
    G                  Em            Am
And from your lips she drew the hallelujah


     F           Am          F           C    G   C
Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah

C              Am
Baby I've been here before
     C                       Am
I've seen this room and I've walked this floor
  F             G             C          G
I used to live alone before I knew you
C                          F      G
I've seen your flag on the marble arch
    Am                    F
But love is not a victory march
       G               Em          Am
It's a cold and it's a broken hallelujah

     F           Am          F           C    G   C
Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah

Click here, or here, or here for the rest of the lyrics and the video lesson

See how easy it is? Now get strumming!!

Ding! Welcome to Round Two!

After last week's Uke meeting three songs came up...

By popular request here they be:

• Jason Mraz- "I'm Yours" (2008)
• In the uke friendly key of C

• Israel Kamakawiwo'ole- "Somewhere Over the Rainbow/Wonderful World"(1993)
• Covered on American Idol Season 7, Glee, ER, Scrubs, Cold Case, Life on Mars (UK)
• Used in several films from Meet Joe Black, 50 First Dates, Fred Clause, Finding Forrester...
• When people think of the ukulele- one of the first songs they mention is this one

• Deep Purple- "Smoke on the Water"(1972)
• just the intro
• the link uses the same fingering below but adds in the g at the same time

 For Smoke- start on the C-string (g-C-E-A) and pluck along it, no strumming necessary

Note: 0 = open string, no fretting needed while a number 1+ tells you which fret to use

0 - 3 - 5 - 0 - 3 - 6 - 5 - 0 - 3 - 5 - 3 - 0

Welcome back from the Holiday Break!

From what I've heard through the JH grapevine, the "F.U.N. Song" and "Run, Run" was a breakout hit for the Jumping Fleas. Now that we're back in full swing, I noticed a Science project to make a song about simple machines. What better way to write/perform it than to set it to an established song?! Say a certain eensy weensy barnyard classic or a Supercalifragilistic one. Check out November's post for some other ideas.