Nov/23/08
24comments

Super Mario Bros Theme (Simplified Version)


Super Mario Bros (Tab)(PDF)

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MP3

First off, Seeso cropped up on Julia Nunes’ YouTube Live performance. The poor lad’s cable fell out (that should get the ladies clicking over). Wade Johnston looks like he’s going to be the next UkeTube hero that I just don’t get (beyond the fact no one can make a comment about him without using the words ‘cute’ and ‘adorable’). But if anyone’s opening a book on the Bushman Contest, I’ll have a tenner on him.

Down to business.

Dominator has already tabbed James Hill’s barnstorming version of Super Mario Bros Level 1 (you can download the tab here). Which is great if you’re a ukulele super hero like Dom and James but a bit beyond us mortals. So I thought I’d put together an easier version – heavily based on the James Hill arrangement.

Notice I said ‘easier’ not ‘easy’. There are still plenty of tricky parts. There’s a great deal of switching between picking and strumming and a few big jumps up and down the fretboard.

Buy Super Mario Bros. Theme
Visit James Hill’s website.

24 Comments

  1. Markus November 23rd, 2008 2:52 pm

    hi al,

    the super mario mp3 throws an error when loading…

    maybe something to fix?

    i´ll come back later and try again. thanks. markus

  2. Woodshed November 23rd, 2008 3:01 pm

    Thanks, Markus. It should work now.

  3. Markus November 23rd, 2008 3:45 pm

    yes, it works.

    what a pretty version of the tune! your simplifications give justice to the ancient gaming platform it comes from…

    thanks. markus

  4. newbie November 23rd, 2008 6:16 pm

    Just when I thought I couldn’t dislike Julia Nunes more…
    I know I’m going to get bashed for this because she has some followers but she makes me regret playing ukulele. And I’m not talking metaphorically: everytime I see a video of this girl I put the uke away for some days and go back to my bass guitar.
    I hate the uketube hype even if I fell for it.

  5. newbie November 23rd, 2008 6:17 pm

    As for the mariobros tab, thanks a lot.

    And sorry for the rant! :(

  6. zym November 23rd, 2008 9:24 pm

    im afraid i have to agree with you newbie.

  7. Paulyus November 23rd, 2008 9:43 pm

    I luv it, brings me back to when gaming was pure. No internet guides on how the beat a game, no cheat codes(at least not as many), and u didnt need three joysticks and eight buttons to play a game. Ah, to be six again, lol. Anyways thx for the simplified version, and altho I hadn’t heard of this Julia person, she’s a lil annoying. But nothing can make my put down my uke, not even when I couldn’t get an A string and had to use fishing line(blasphemy i kno but im ghetto that way)

  8. Emily November 23rd, 2008 10:51 pm

    Thanks Al!
    I’ll have great fun attempting to learn this.
    Theme tune sunday is brilliant =]
    xx

  9. Dragutin November 23rd, 2008 10:52 pm

    nice, a mario tab that’s playable =) thanks thanks thanks!!

    also, why so much hate on nunes? some of her songs are pretty emo and not very good but other stuff (like build me up buttercup) is really enjoyable and in the spirit of ukes

  10. amber November 24th, 2008 7:17 am

    I don’t know how anyone could dislike Julia or Wade, that’s like saying you dislike sunshine happiness and rainbows. A bunch of grumps, you!

    I got to see them in person and Seeso was so smooth I didn’t know his cable had fallen out until I got home and watched the video.

    My money is on either Wade or Evilhamster95 for the Bushman contest.

  11. Brian November 24th, 2008 7:42 am

    A Flame War on UKE HUNT??-that’s what I love about Ukers-civilised/restained and no f**king swearing !
    Ms Nunes ain’t that bad-just a bit syrupy .

    Brian
    p.s.-new Bester discoveries in the new year?-you bet!

  12. Chris November 24th, 2008 4:18 pm

    Don’t care much about Julia Nunes but the Super Mario tab I care very much about. The James Hill version always was so far beyond my skills, but this one seems to be doable. Great work Al!

  13. Woodshed November 24th, 2008 9:29 pm

    newbie and zym: That’s a lot further than I’d go. I don’t understand the big deal, but I don’t find her that bad. And a lot of people have picked up the ukulele because of her. She’s certainly not as annoying as the guy that introduces her.

    Paulyus: Pfft. You kids. I remember the days of the Commodore 64 when games took twenty minutes to load. That was real hardcore.

    Emily: Good luck with it.

    Dragutin: You’re welcome.

    amber: Don’t get me started on fuckin’ rainbows. Colourful bastards.

    Brian: You’re reading the cleaned up version. And bring on the Bester.

    Chris: Glad you like it.

  14. Alf November 25th, 2008 12:00 am

    Commodore 64? Luxury. We used to dream of a Commodore 64. We had a lowly ZX Spectrum. And our Dad used to slice us in two with a bread knife.

  15. Woodshed November 25th, 2008 8:58 pm

    Alf: I hope we can at least agree that gaming peaked with Jet Set Willy.

  16. Uke January 23rd, 2009 7:44 pm

    >:( argh im trying to learn to read tab music but just cant do it.. i cant change quick enough! it take me ages to read 1 chord and when i get there it sounds wrong!! :’( i need some help or i will stop playing Uke!!! i cant find enough good songs on chord music.

  17. Woodshed January 24th, 2009 8:34 pm

    Uke: Don’t give up. It’ll come with practice. Have you read the how to read tabs posts?

  18. Uke January 24th, 2009 9:15 pm

    yeah i have.. first thing i checked when i decided to learn tabs.. but when you need to play strings 2 and 3 i cant hit just them.. i end up hitting 1 2 and 3 or 2 3 and 4

  19. Woodshed January 25th, 2009 12:19 pm

    uke: When you say ‘hitting them’ are you trying to strum them? They designed to be fingerpicked. This might help:

    http://howtoplayukulele.com/how-to-play-fingerpicking-ukulele/

  20. michael June 19th, 2009 1:58 am

    i like this better than the game over version

  21. Woodshed June 21st, 2009 8:09 pm

    michael: Thanks.

  22. Insomniac August 29th, 2009 1:21 pm

    Nice tab!

    Only one issue though, the mp3 and the tab don’t seem to match at the point where it transitions from the ‘55 22 33 44 55′ section to the main riff that plays 4 times at the end.

    The part where it says to have the 9th and 12th frets fretted and then to slide down the neck between those two parts seems to be missing in the mp3.

    Hopefully that makes sense, its a bit difficult to explain what I mean.

  23. KerryCull September 23rd, 2009 10:33 am

    Well im doing alright at it, im sturggling abit with the bit where its very full on with all the chords.

  24. RosieSaysYes October 19th, 2009 3:46 pm

    This really would sound alot better on proper strings…Rather than my rubbishy nylon ones that came with the ukee.
    Ah well, bless Mahalo for giving me any at alll :)

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