This is a follow on from the Hanging Tree tab in a few ways. As well as the Hunger Games connection, I’ve tried to keep the arrangement as minimal and easy to play as possible.
The arrangement draws heavily on Lorde’s sparse, minor key version. But it also includes elements of the Tears for Fears original since I couldn’t get that version out of my head.
I use thumb and two finger picking for my version but it’s arranged so you can play it all just using your thumb.
Time to test your chord knowledge and musical ear. It’s pretty low tech:
– Grab a pen and paper.
– Answer the questions (using a ukulele to help you is entirely allowed and encouraged).
– There might be spoilers in the comments.
– Check the answers here (no peeking).
– Return in triumph or despair and share you score in the comments(some of these questions are pretty tricky, so not too much despair). And I’d be interested to know which rounds you found easy and which were hard.
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Chord Diagrams
Name the minor chord from the chord diagram.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Chord Flavour: Diagrams
All these are C chords but are they C, Cm, C7, Cm7, or C9?
Each of these triads of notes makes up a major chord (e.g. the notes of a G chord are G, B and D). Which one? (The notes are listed in alphabetical order starting at C to make it harder.)
16. C, E and G.
17. C#, E and A
18. E, G# and B
19. C, F and A
20. D, F and Bb
Chord Progression
Match the MP3 to the chord sequence:
a) A – C – D – A
b) A – E7 – D – E7
c) A – D – E7 – A
d) A – Bm – D – E7
e) A – G – D – A
Johnny Cash is a big favourite for ukulele groups and jams. And The Poor Boys of Worcester’s version of I Got Stripes has me convinced that song should be added to Ring of Fire and Folsom Prison Blues in the repertoire.
There are a couple of weirdnesses that make the original a bit less appealing on ukulele. Firstly, it’s in C# so a capo on the first fret is needed to make things straightforward. And there’s a strange Bb chord at the start of the song which makes it feel like the song is in F.
The original version also has a key change to contend with.
Two Chord Version
I Got Stripes (Two Chord Version)
To make it really beginner friendly, here’s a two chord, no capo version based on The Poor Boys of Worcester’s version and the version from Walk the Line.
Suggested Strumming
This pattern should get you through the whole song:
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The Trumpton theme is ripe for a ukeing. The tune has an acoustic guitar backing with a high melody. I’ve mushed those two elements together but if, unlike me, you have a friend you can tease them apart and play them on separate instruments.
It’s about halfway through 2016 and it’s already shaping up to be another great year of ukulele music. It was tough to narrow it down to a reasonable length but I’ve deliberated, cogitated and digested and come up with a list I hope represents a good overview of the ukulele scene in 2016.
If you think I’ve missed something exceptional let me know in the comments.
I’m so excited that Orange is the New Black is back. As well as being fantastic, there’s often some ukulele tucked in there. There was Miss E’s Hummingbird in season three and O’Neill’s anti-nun banjolele song in season two. Season four features this ditty from superstar-progeny duo Folk Uke at the end of the first episode.
The song is just three chords and has easy strumming so it’s perfect for beginners.
Suggested Strumming
You can use the old faithful strum almost all the way through:
d – d u – u d –
In the chorus and the solo: Play that pattern twice for the C chords at the end of the first and third lines. Play it once for everything else. So it sounds like this:
The only place that strum doesn’t work is in the outro. There switch to just down-strums. One for the G at the end of the line and two for everything else. For the very last line go back to the main strum for two chords then end on a down-strum on the C.
Twiddly Bits
With a little octave shifting, the solo transfers neatly to ukulele:
