The White Stripes – We’re Going to Be Friends (Tab)
Following on from These Days with another Cotten-picking arrangement: a rare White Stripes acoustic song We’re Going to Be Friends. But this is easier than These Days as the thumb alternating between the g- and C-strings through the whole song.
The melody is very simple and repetitive almost like a nursery rhyme. But there are slight variations between the verses that you need to include to create at least a little variety.
The only big variation comes in the bridge section where they go far out and include a fourth chord. But you’re still picking the same basic patterns.
Links
After Scott Morrison’s ill-advised ukuleling, the uke became a bit of a running theme in the Australian election with ukulele leaflets and losing MPs being dispatched by a ukulele robot overlord.
A bunch of ukulele groups have been doing great work raising money to aid Ukraine. If you want to give some direct help, give some support to Kharkiv-based ukers Alcohol Ukulele.
Martin have revealed a new range of tenor ukuleles.
Inevitably, NFTs have hit the ukulele world in form of UkeHeads. Like most NFTs, they’re hideous, procedurally generated monstrosities. But they do give you a chance to play on James Hill’s next album.
On Video
– An imaginative retelling of Jimi Hendrix finding a one-string ukulele and falling from the sky.
– Jimmy Buffett busts out his uke for a version of Margaritaville.
Patreon
A massive thanks to all Uke Hunt’s Patreon backers for keeping the site up and running this month. And double thanks go to these legendary patrons of the arts:
– Arthur Foley
– Colleen Petticrew
– Dan
– Elizabeth Beardsley
– Fi Keane
– Jameson Gagnepain
– Jeff K
– Jon Kenniston
– Kelby Green
– Kie77
– Leia-lee Doran
– Lisa Johnson
– Monika Kolodziejczyk
– Moses Kamai
– Nick Parsons
– Pat Weikle
– Pauline LeBlanc
– Robert
– T S
– Thorsten Neff
If you join Patreon at the Concert level or higher, you’ll get access to all previous exclusive tabs including May’s: Elizabeth Cotten’s Freight Train.
TLC – Waterfalls (Tab)
Here’s my attempt at TLC’s heartbreaking tale of Jason Waterfalls.
The intro is by far the trickiest part of the song. There are a bunch of chord stabs and some tasty licks.
The melody line is exceptionally straight-forward and easy to play. The only interesting part is the bluesy “Listen to me” at the end of the verse (bar 28). And I’ve thrown in a couple of licks inspired by the bass in bar 20 and at the end of the choruses.
Links
Black Books Theme
Despite sounding a whole lot like Tom Waits, the Black Books theme was written by Jonathan Whitehead who provided outrageous and contagious music for much of Channel 4’s comedy output of that era. You can listen to Chris Morris’s tribute to him here.
Curb Your Enthusiasm Theme
Learn this one for the meme value.
Conan O’Brien – Artie Kendall the Singing Ghost
One for the ladies from Conan’s Hitler-loving, Irish hating ghost crooner.
Justin Hawkins Rides Again
Lead singer of The Darkness, Justin Hawkins’s YouTube channel is well worth a follow. Loads of insider insights into the music industry, touring and the rock and roll lifestyle.
The Earliest Show Social Wall Theme
Funny or Die’s The Earliest Show starring Ben Schwarz and Lauren Lapkus has to be one of the most under-appreciated series on YouTube. And, for realism, it features some music that is both intensely annoying and an earworm.
Bob Marley & the Wailers – One Love (Tab)
One Love first came out in a ska version in 1965. But my arrangement is based on the later, more laid-back and more famous reggae version. You might have noticed that good-time island vibes and togetherness are not my métier. So I’m sure you can improve on my version.
I love the mix of textures on this track. Particularly the sharp guitar stabs, the rinky-dink piano and Marley’s smooth vocals. I’ve tried to include those in this arrangement as much as I can.
Links
Buy the original
More reggae tabs and chords
Uke Hunt Patreon
Tracklist
Jim Boggia – Growing Up
Uheuhene – Home Kapaka
Mike Haysom – James Bond Theme
Miracle King, G Herbo – My Dawg
4stringboy – Rain
EmiSunshine and Reed Elliotte – You Ain’t Woman Enough
Maia Mayeshiro – Vienna
Winchester 7 & the Runners – Riding High Again
We Will Rock Uke – The Adults Are Talking
Nico – These Days (Tabs)
These Days has been covered many times by acts including Elliott Smith and St Vincent. Even Miley did an excellent version. Drake, not so much.
But the song was written by Jackson Browne and first released by Nico. This arrangement is based on Nico’s version rather the more laid-back Jackson Browne version version. I couldn’t resist playing the Cotton picking guitar of the Nico version (played by Browne himself) on the ukulele. Which is a pain in the arse.
Intro: Setting up the cotton picking pattern along with the thumb alternating between the g- and C-strings, the index finger picking the E-string and the middle A.
Except in bars 1 and 3 you start on the g-string and in the others you’re starting on the C-string. I’ve done to complete the descending line on the g-string. That run goes C-B-A-G in the first bar and needs the F on the C-string to finish it off.
Verse: Some more switching of the pattern in this section. This time it’s because some of the melody notes go low enough to fall on the C-string e.g. the final C note in bar 6 and the C-string, second fret in bar 8.
There’s a break from the alternating picking when you switch to one-finger-per-string picking in bar 12. That continues until you ease back into the alternating style in bar 16.
Solo: My take on the solo is a bit more in the Jackson Browne style. Particularly with the country bend in bar 26. I’ve also taken a hint from the descending bass-line and used a descending line harmonised with thirds in bars 24 and 34. The rest is plucking the chords with a few references to the melody thrown in.
Of course, you’re allowed and encourage to do whatever you fancy in this section and make it your own.
Links
Buy the Nico version
More 60s tabs and chords
Uke Hunt Patreon
Uke Hunt turned 15 years old a few months ago. Meaning it’s lasted 14 years longer than I expected. According to WebMD a 15 year olds may, “Get taller and more muscular.” Which is something to look forward to.
A massive shoutout to everyone who has generously supported the site via Patreon over the last year. Not only are they the reason the site is still up and running, they’ve also suggested almost all the tabs I’ve done (and 100% of the popular ones).
Here’s a round-up of my favourite tabs and the goings-on of the last year.
May 2021
– Ukuleles had the largest percentage increase in sales of sales of any instrument during the pandemic.
In tabs: Phil Collins’s In the Air Tonight, Cat Stevens’ Morning Has Broken, U2’s With or Without You and, if you’re feeling fancy, Schumann’s Vanitas Vanitatum Mit Humor
Patreon tab: Alicia Keys – If I Ain’t Got You
June 2021
In tabs: A very folk/country month with Bob Dylan, Iris Dement and Ryan Adams and some TV stuff with Parks and Rec and Taskmaster.
Patreon tab: Jose Gonzalez – Heartbeats
July 20201
– The Big Chord Quiz 7
– Sam and Fred Kamaka got Congressional Medals and Biden nominates Jake Shimabukuro.
– Best videos of the year so far.
In tabs: R.E.M. – Losing My Religion, Travis – Why Does It Always Rain on Me?, Beyonce – Halo and a medley of Louis Armstrong’s What a Wonderful World and Sam Cooke’s Wonderful World
Patreon tab: Pink Floyd – Comfortably Numb
August 2021
– Seven Movies About Music You Haven’t Seen.
In tabs: The Beatles – Till There Was You,
Portishead – Glory Box, Sufjan Stevens – Casimir Pulaski Day and Guns N’ Roses – Patience
Patreon tab: Nina Simone – I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free
September 2021
– SpaceX launch a ukulele into orbit.
In tabs: A David Lynch double bill with In Heaven from Eraserhead and Roy Orbison’s Crying (from Mulholland Drive). Plus David Bowie – Space Oddity and Frank and Nancy Sinatra – Something Stupid.
Patreon tab: Eric Clapton – Tears in Heaven
October 2021
In tabs: For the spooky season: Zombie by The Cranberries and The Buffy the Vampire Slayer Theme. And a Dolly double bill of Jolene and I Will Always Love You.
Patreon tab: The Smashing Pumpkins – Tonight, Tonight
November 2021
In tabs: Red Hot Chili Peppers – I Could Have Lied Somewhere from West Side Story and Childish Gambino – Redbone.
Patreon tab: Cavatina from The Deer Hunter
December 2021
– My ukulele favourites of 2021.
In tabs: Cyndi Lauper – Time After Time, Bruce Springsteen – I’m On Fire and The Temptations – My Girl
Patreon tab: The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl – Fairytale of New York
January 2022
In tabs: Thank You for Being a Friend (Golden Girls Theme), The La’s – There She Goes and The Fray – How to Save a Life.
Patreon tab: Commodores – Easy
February 2022
In tabs: Joni Mitchell – Both Sides Now, Radiohead – Fake Plastic Trees and The Cranberries – Linger.Patreon tab: Pearl Jam – Jeremy
March 2022
In tabs: A very 90s month with Nirvana – Smells Like Teen Spirit, Blind Melon – No Rain, Marcy Playground – Sex and Candy and some Britpop riffs.
Patreon tab: Nina Simone – I Put a Spell on You
April 2022
– Luthier, Rick Turner passed away.
In tabs: Foo Fighters – My Hero, David Bowie – The Man Who Sold the World and The Monkees – Daydream Believer.
Patreon tab: Toto- Africa
R.E.M. – Man on the Moon (Tab)
I tabbed R.E.M.’s Losing My Religion a while back. So high time I did a song from their follow-up Automatic for the People: Man on the Moon
Intro: Plenty of room to play around with ideas in the intro. I’m just picking out notes from a few chord inversions.
Verse: Just two chords (C and D), a stately pace and a contained melody.
Pre-Chorus: A classic pre-chorus, building up the energy into the chorus. So it starts at the same level as the verse, builds complexity and moves up the neck in bars 26 and 27. Then switches from picking to strumming in bar 28.
Chorus: The trickiest part of the song with chord changes coming thick and fast.
Solo: Another place you can introduce your own ideas. Mine is a similar idea to the intro with notes coming mostly from the chords. I’m also doing plenty of sliding around to emulate the slide guitar in the original.
This arrangement goes straight from the solo in the chorus. So I’ve taken a hint from the pre-chorus and ending the solo with a move up the neck and then some strumming.
