Mumford & Sons – The Cave (Chords)
So we’re all playing ukulele because of Mumford and Sons. According to the London Evening Standard and STV. Having inspired a ukulele boom is quite an achievement considering:
a) they released their debut album long after the resurgence began;
b) they’re not much known across the pond;
c) they don’t play ukuleles and
d) their big hit is in the key of E guaranteeing annoyed ukers.
Yes, this one is in E. So I’ve taken the usual step of moving it up to F for ease of playing. That means you’ll have to tune down half a step if you want to play along with the original. But it’s a top notch tune so worth the bother.
Twiddly Bits
The Cave (Intro Tab)
Even with the tuning down, this one takes a bit of finagling on uke. The picking I use is:
g and C = Thumb
E = Index
A = Middle
Suggested Strumming
All you need here is simple Strum #1 from the Strum Book: all down strums. But in the exciting parts, feel free to throw in any up strums you deem fit.
Chord Inversions
From the D minor chord in the chorus, I like to use these inversions of the chords:
I think maybe STV is referring to Noah and the Whale. And London Evening Standard might be somehow referring to the Banjolin Song by Mumford & Sons. But still, both sorely wrong.
And Mumford and Sons is becoming increasingly more popular in the States, especially in the Midwest. Their shows in Minneapolis sell out almost instantly.