It’s the halfway point of the year and time for a roundup of my favourite videos so far. And it’s been a weird year. Which is reflected in the videos which are split between live clips and socially distanced edited videos.
If there’s anything great I’ve missed, send me a link in a message or a tweet.
This tab was requested by Patron Fiona. She asked for a version that, “lets you play up the neck as well as in the lower end where it’s comfortable”. I don’t know if I’ve entirely fulfilled that brief. The melody is contained within an octave and I don’t like to move around unnecessarily. But for the second solo we do go adventuring up the neck. The chords for the two solos are inspired by the version Sara Evans recorded with Old Crow Medicine Show.
I’ve arranged the verse three different ways. The first time is simple G, C and D chords. The second has chromatically rising notes up from the fifth (the D on the C-string, 2nd fret). And the third has notes falling from the root note on the E-string, 3rd fret.
About once a year a pop song manages to pierce my grumpiness and make me grin. This year it’s been Dua Lipa’s Don’t Start Now.
There’s a lot to recommend the song: the jazzy chords, the funky bass, the cowbell. But my favourite aspect is the one-note chorus. Adam Neely recently made an outstanding video about the worst solo of all time that’s a must-watch on this subject.
Contrary to whatmorons like Ben Shapiro will tell you, not having a melody doesn’t mean it isn’t music. The static A note (in this arrangement) adds a different flavour to each chord. So it changes the Em into Emadd11, the C into C6 and G into Gsus2.
It also means there’s more room to play about with other aspects of the song. So there’s a little chromatic run-up to the root note of the chord (inspired by the bass line). And, in the second chorus, I throw in some harmonics on the E-string 5th fret to imitate the cowbell. I don’t think I entirely pull it off but it is fun.
I ventured into TikTok the other day to find out what the kids are into. Turns out they love hyper-literal dance moves, handing over their data to the CCP, syncopation and jazz chords. I’m entirely on board with those last two. So here’s a selection of songs that became popular on TikTok.
The chord progression of this one is tasty. It’s Em7 – A7sus4 – Dmaj7 then adds B7sus4 – B7 the last time around. The strumming pattern is also interesting. The odd bars are strummed directly on the beat and the even bars have a syncopated strum.
Similar to Say So in that it shares the minor 7 chords and has the same syncopated rhythm (albeit shifted in the bar). But uses them in a more punchy way to produce a more aggressive sound.
As well as sharing the same level of verve, both these tunes use an F to D move (in this key) in their turnarounds. A move that John Fogerty was inspired to make by the opening of Beethoven’s 5th Symphony.
The arrangement is mostly strumming basic chords with melody notes thrown in. So it’s a good one to bash out without worrying too much about exactly what you’re playing.
The arrangement is based primarily on the Martha Reeves version. But I do slip in the bass riff from the Bowie/Jagger version which first pops up in bar 4. It helps to break up the long G chord that last the entire verse.
Don’t worry about hitting every note in the tab perfectly. So long as you’re holding the right chord and hitting the melody notes it should work.
Time for the Uke Hunt Annual Chord Quiz. Test your chord knowledge, theory knowledge and musical ear. The method is as low-tech as ever.
– Grab a pen and paper.
– Answer the questions (using a ukulele to help you is entirely allowed and encouraged).
– Check the answers here (no peeking).
Each of these triads of notes makes up a major chord (e.g. the notes of an A minor chord are A, C and E). Which one? (The notes are listed in alphabetical order starting at C to make it harder.)
16. C, E, G
17. C, F, A
18. D, F, Bb
19. C#, E, A
20. D, F#, A
Chord Progression
Match the MP3 to the chord sequence:
a) A – E7 – A – E7 – A
b) A – E7 – D – E7 – A
c) A – D – A – E7 – A
d) A – F#m – Bm – D – A
e) A – Em – Bm – G – A
