The Ditty Bops - (I Wish I Could Shimmy Like My) Sister Kate

(I Wish I Could Shimmy Like My) Sister Kate (Chords)

The version of Sister Kate by occasional ukulelists The Ditty Bops might be the most famous and Bob Brozman’s version the most musically adept, but the ukulele version by, Blue Stone Folk School alumni, Pholly is certainly my favourite.

However, I’ve gone with my own favourite way of playing the chords. It’s in the same key as all those versions but with a few changes the quick chord run. It’s actually closest to Bob Brozman’s guitar version. I also like to throw in a few variations on the D7 and G chords: sliding in from one fret lower at the change to each chord and throwing in the occasional E note to create D9 and G6 chords.

If this is your first visit here, you can find the chords/tab in those posts by clicking on the song title in red.

Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra - It’s A Heartache

Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra - It’s a Heartache (Chords)

You can hear this track on their MySpace.

I thought I hated this song. What I actually hated was Bonnie Tyler’s voice because I love the version by WIUO, everyone’s favourite ukulele orchestra (well, everyone who matters).

The best part is the intro with one uke playing the melody and one uke providing fingerpicked backing.

It’s A Heartache Intro (Tab)

If you have no friends, you can still fill in your own chord accompaniment if you move the melody around a little. For example, you can play bars five and six like this:

Buy their EP on the WIUO website.

Requested by Andrew

Shorty Long - Vipermad

Shorty Long - Vipermad

This song is way too much fun. I’ve got a sore strumming finger after playing along with this on too hard and too long. I’m sure you don’t need me to tell you that Shorty Long’s Pops Bayless and Bob Guz are ukulele legends.

I couldn’t find Shorty Long’s version streaming anywhere. You can listen to a snippet here
or listen to this inferior version in another key here. But I’d suggest you buy it as it’s well worth 99c of anyone’s money.

Vipermad is made up of the same chord progression played in three different keys: C, F and Bb. This set of chords crop up all the time in these hokum type songs. It’s well worth setting them to memory. I’m a little ashamed at how long it took me to get the chords for the Bb section. I knew the other sets of by heart, but I don’t remember ever playing these in Bb before. They work well on the uke though.

Shorty Long have a few chord sheets of their own posted at the bottom of this page.

Requested by Vince

Rod Thomas - Same Old Lines

Rod Thomas - Same Old Lines (Chords)

I think this is the fastest turnaround from first listen to post up since FotC’s Mermaids. It’s a fantastic song (and top notch video). A fact that wasn’t lost on the people of class and good taste who read the blog and pummelled me with chord requests. Way ahead of you guys.

There wasn’t enough room to write Asus4add9 all over the place. So wherever you see A49 use 4200. There’s also the A(alt) chord (or Aa). It’s just a plain A chord but I’ve called it that to distinguish it from the more common A chord shape.

Other than that, you’re good to go.

Same Old Lines isn’t out until the end of September, but when it is you’ll be able to buy it on Self Raising Records (the single includes a remix by James Yuill who also remixed this modern ukulele classic).

Until then, you can sign up for his mailing list and get a free track.

Requested by Tom, Cardboardfrog and Ukulelezo.

Vampire Weekend - Oxford Comma

Vampire Weekend - Oxford Comma (Chords)

To answer Vampire Weekend’s question, Lynne Truss and no one else. But plenty, of people, give a, fuck about, Vampire Weekend,s Oxford Comma, so I decided, to give it, a write, up,

Dead simple chords for this one (G, C, D and Am). And the first part of the solo works really well as a ukulele strumming solo.

The easiest way to play this is to keep your first finger barred across at the 7th fret the whole way.

Boodle Am Shake

Boodle Am Shake (Chords)

Boodle Am Shake was written by Jack Palmer and Spencer Williams in 1926 and has been covered by a number of people since including John Fahey and The Grateful Dead. Lil Rev recently put up a ukulele version that works really well for ukulelists looking to get more familiar with chords further up the neck.

It’s well worth taking a note of the different chord inversions that crop up in the tune: the C7 played at the fifth fret (at the beginning) and the 1st position (at the end of the verse); and the G7 played open and at the 7th fret. When you’re chord soloing, you can create something much more interesting with these variations to hand.

In the instrumental section, he substitutes this descending part for the chords:

Visit Lil Rev’s Internet Junction and don’t miss his article on the ukulele and old time country music.

Beirut - Hallelujah

Beirut - Hallelujah (Chords)

Zach Condon quite often finishes off Beirut gigs with a cover of Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah. Although his version is closer to Jeff Buckley’s (one of the best cover versions ever recorded).

The chords are fairly simple. One thing he does a few times in the song (and loads of times in his own songs) is play the F chord with the G string open, then hammer on at the second fret. He does a similar thing with the G chord. This time the A string is left open then hammered on.

I’ve included two versions of Am in the song (one with the A string open and one with it at the third fret). He always uses the third fret version on the C - Am change that you hear at the beginning. He throws in the easier version on a few occasions towards the end.

Kudos to Leonard Cohen for making my job easier by describing the chords in the lyrics. Why can’t all songwriters be so helpful?

More Beirut Tab and Chords

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

Take Me Out to the Ball Game (Chords)

Boo to you, Major League Baseball. BOOOO!!!

Baby Ruth held a contest to celebrate the 100th birthday of Take Me Out to the Ball Game. Entrants sent in their rendition of the song and the winner was decided by public vote. Obviously, the winner was a ukulelist, Adam Wilber. The prize was to sing at the MLB All Star Game. But, Gary pointed out that the ukulele was banned and he had to sing along with a belching organ. Shame on you MLB. Give the public what it wants: ukes by the barrel-load.

I suggest your protest by grabbing these chords and playing it outside the offices of the MLB in protest. If it helps you to get as drunk as Eddie Vedder when you do it, I have no objections.

Rilo Kiley - Ripchord

Rilo Kiley - Ripchord (Chords)

There’s no ukulele on the album version of Rilo Kiley’s Ripchord but, judging by the clips on YouTube, it’s become a ukulele mainstay in their live show with their guitarist Blake Sennett taking on uke and vocal duties. It seems that guitarists playing the uke move up and down the neck much more often than born ukulele players. You can see it songs like this and Panic at the Disco’s Friends in Holy Spaces.

A couple of things to look out for in the chord chart. First, There’s a chord I’ve labeled A5. It’s not strictly an A5 chord but an A chord. I’ve called it this to distinguish it from the other A chord in the song.

The second, and the trickiest part of the song, is the A6 chord in the intro. It’s a big stretch and he fluffs it a little himself. It’s such a big stretch I couldn’t fit in all on the chord diagram. The diagram shows the note on the eight fret of the A string. It actually needs to be on the ninth.

This would be a simpler way of playing it.

Midi

Neutral Milk Hotel - Holland, 1945

Neutral Milk Hotel - Holland, 1945 (Chords)

This song is the latest colloboration between Uke Hunt and Ukulala. So here’s Laz’s video tutorial:

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