Jolly Roger for the Holidays

037KickYerFannyFridaySantaCat

All of the modern stuff is in the member's section. Do you have a holiday you celebrate and there's no sheet music for ukulele that you like? Send me a note and let's work on it together.

HolidaysNew

Christmas-ish Songs on the Ukulele

Auld Lang Syne

AuldLangSyne

You play this once ever year and it's a Book 1+ level song so go forth and rawk. The B-flats are a little fussy. A few important details: The picture above is a Highland Cow famous in Scotland and the lyricist of this song is Scottish (and that's why they don't make any sense to the rest of society). Also, I'm told the correct order (as portrayed in "When Harry Met Sally") is the new year kiss followed by this song. Get the kiss first -- you never know how well or poorly your performance is going to go with these bar chords.

Christmas Time is Here

ChristmasTimeIsHere

I so often say "Play Slow" and none of us ever do, but seriously, play this one sloooooow. It's hard and weird and jazzy and nothing makes sense in it. Let the tones develop until you've channeled you inner Vince Guaraldi and Charlie Brown as a tag team. This is beyond Book 2 and waiting for you to bring the Christmas magic to life.

Deck the Halls

DeckTheHalls

This has a few awkward fingering moments, and I've added some wholly unnecessary decorative notes to try to jazz it up a bit, but I think mostly you'll find this a fun little workout with Book 1 level skills.

Dreidel Song

DreidelSong

Here's another fun holiday tune just right to play every day of Hannukah. Book 1 level skills and an earworm melody. What's not to like?

First Noel

FirstNoel

This is one of the first songs I ever arranged and I've updated a zillion times since and I still think it's worth playing. All Book 1 skills and a satisfying result if you don't go too fast and turn it into a race. It takes more singing skills than I've got especially since the words are kinda weird, so I'll stick with the TuffUke, but maybe you'll rawk it.

God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen

GodRestYeMerry

So the biggest problem with this song is trying to figure out why the comma in the title comes where it does. After that, you have some business to take care of with a minor key, a gorgeous melody, TuffUke, and even a fingerstyle Painful Ukulele line. Make sure to balance the chords at a lower volume while bringing out the melody clearly. The bar chords get a little intense on Page 2 and your pinky is going to get a workout.

Greensleeves

Greensleeves

Do not play this fast as that bar chord in measure 17 is going to punch you in the face four times and it's really important and beautiful, so get it right. Your pinky will play that 8 by itself if you can't pull the bar chord off in time. Let the tones linger in the air and make you feel like you're wandering around in a castle in a big poofy outfit.

I Want a Hippopotamus

IWantAHippopotamus

For whatever reason, this thing gets in your head and ruins the rest of your day. Be careful if you wish to proceed. Someone may fight you. The key technique here is to keep the rhythm bouncing along in an annoying non-stop way. The skills are all book one, except you'll have to scrunch up your G7 shape to include coverage for the B-flats that inexplicably keep the first fret wildly busy. So maybe just sing and strum this one?

I'll Be Home for Christmas

IllBeHomeForChristmas

This one gets out of control pretty quick and gets more and more intense as you go along, so probably a Book 2+ level arrangement. Lots of jazz chords make it sound complex on ukulele or baritone so I hope you love it.

O Come, O Come Emmanuel

OComeEmmanuel

Super weird old fashioned words, but a nice melody still hanging around from the 15th century. If you keep your eighth notes and quarter notes straight, this should drop right out of your ukulele onto Christmas time with big success.

Silent Night

SilentNight

I think this is sort-of required music for Christmas. Take some time to make it happen. The melody and chords are definitely Book 1 level, so it's quite accessible and the TuffUke only has one bar chord in it. The stretch in measure 23 will make you stronger and more beautiful.

Silver Bells

SilverBells

I've been playing this thing for about 20 years and I still like it. Definitely a few challenges in getting the timing correct, so play it slow. This is a Book 2 level song.

We Wish You A Merry Christmas

WeWishYouAMerryChristmas

It's required by musical law that you must always finish every holiday concert with this song and this is a legit ensemble version with a baritone part meant to be played along with the ukulele part. I also have a baritone solo part for those of you who want to impress without those pesky ukulele players hogging the spotlight. I really love this song, but there are plenty of challenging bar chords to master, so don't play too fast. The MP3 is set pretty fast, so don't take that marking seriously.

Here's What Else I'm Updating. Let me know if you need something sooner rather than later.

Adeste Fideles
Angel Gabriel
Angels from the Realms of Glory
Angels We Have Heard on High
Aspen Glow
Ave Maria by Shubert
Away in a Manger Medley
Bring a Torch Jeanette Isabella
Carol of the Bells
Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire
Christmas in Killarney
Christmas Is
Christmas Island
Colorado Christmas
Ding Dong Merrily on High
Do You Hear What I Hear
El Noi de la Mare
Entre le Boeuf et l’Ane Gris
Feliz Navidad
Frosty the Snowman
Good King Wenceslas
Hannukah Medley
Happy Xmas – War is Over
Hark the Herald
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
He Is Born
Here Comes Santa Claus
Hymn of Thanksgiving
I Heard the Bells on Christmas Morning
Imagine
In the Bleak Midwinter
Infant Holy
It Came Upon a Midnight Clear
Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring
Jingle Bells
Jolly Old St. Nick
Joy to the World
Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming
March of the Kings
Mele Kalikimaka
Ner Li: I Have a Candle
O Holy Night
O Little Town of Bethlehem
O Tannenbaum
Ode to Joy
Once in Royal David's City
Over the River and Through the Woods
Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer
Santa Claus is Coming to Town
The Holly and the Ivy
Twelve Days of Christmas
Up on the House Top
We Three Kings
Wexford Carol
What a Wonderful World
White Christmas
Winter Wonderland

Easter

These are in the Member's Area.

  • Peter Cottontail
  • The Easter Parade

Americana & Patriotic

America & God Save the Queen

AmericaGodSaveTheQueen

The queen's no longer with us and depending on who you ask that's a mixed blessing or curse. The biggest problem is the red haired kid and his mouthy girlfriend moved to Hollywood and are doing whatever it takes to stay on TV and at some point you're like, look, we get it, being royal isn't all it's cracked up to be, but honestly, we're moving on to whomever they've cast in the Bachelorette this season so maybe you could just go back to merry ole England and patch things up with your peeps. This song is written on a Book 1 level difficulty, but we already have a patriotic song there and this is just more of the same. It would make a nice little show for the kids you supervise sometime around July 4th.

America the Beautiful

AmericaTheBeautiful

According to legend, this tune was inspired by a visit to Pike's Peak in Colorado. As a kid growing up in the suburbs of Denver, I was taught (or perhaps just assumed) America was the best, Colorado was the best, Pikes Peak was a super important mountain, and life is beautiful. I'd have to say all of those assumptions have been challenged of late, but the song itself is pretty dang good and it fits onto the ukulele in the Book 2 tradition. In measure 7, you'll be sliding back and forth while keeping open strings and that'll sound amazing, you have solid work to do in measures 10 and 11 with bar chords, and the best moment in the song happens when you nail the diminished chord in measure 13. If you do a great job playing the tune, you won't care if the lyrics are true or not.

O Canada Ukulele Solo PDF ~ Baritone Solo PDF

Star Spangled Banner Ukulele Solo PDF ~ Baritone Solo PDF

Ukrainian National Anthem Ukulele Solo PDF