Rock Gods Playing the Ukulele

There are two types of boys at school. Those that want to grow up to be footballers and those who want to be Rock Gods. I was firmly in the second group performing wailing guitar to a stadium full of adoring fans, but I ended up strumming my ukulele in my bedroom.

Guitar Gods it turns out - for all their Marshall stacks, packed stadiums and hordes of groupies – envy me playing my ukulele in my bedroom. So, I’ve put together a few videos of guitar superheroes forsaking their wailing Lescasters and Stratopauls for the joys of the humble ukulele.

There are, of course, many who got started with the ukulele: Jimi Hendrix, Dick Dale and that to your right is a picture of wee Eric Clapton with his ukulele. But, there are also those who continue with their uke or come to it later in life. [Read more]

They Might Be Giants - Older

This is one of those rare occasions when you can use a guitar pick without me telling you off. There are many notes doubled up in this riff. One option is to make ‘running man’ shapes with your index and middle fingers. However, if you want to keep the muted the strings (by resting the edge of your picking hand lightly on the strings just above the bridge) your only option is to use a pick.

If you decide against the pick, you might prefer to play it this way:

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Requested by Ray

Top Ten Guitar Riffs for Ukulele Roundup

Here’s the complete lineup of the top 10 (or 11 if you’re going to be pedantic about it):

1. Sweet Child O’ Mine.
1.5 Back In Black.
2. Whole Lotta Love.
3. Paranoid.
4. Seven Nation Army.
5. Smoke On The Water.
6. Sunshine of Your Love.
7. Le Freak.
8. Satisfaction.
9. Gay Bar.
10. Iron Man.

I had fun putting this list together and people seem to have enjoyed it so I’ve decided to do 20 - 10 in the near future. Get your nominations in now.

Next up is spooky Halloween songs. If you’ve got any suggestions, leave a comment and I’ll see what I can do.

Guns n Roses - Sweet Child O’ Mine

Sweet Child of Mine midi

Even on guitar, this riff is a real finger-twister. Even Slash himself had trouble with this one. It took him a number of retakes in the studio before he could get it right.

Transferring it to the uke certainly doesn’t make it any easier. Gio Gaynor struggles with it in his version and I’ve struggled to play it too. I’ve tried to minimise the amount of jumping around you have to do but it’s still very tough to play.

Best of luck to you if you decide to take it on.

Suggested by West

AC/DC - Back In Black

Back In Black midi

AC/DC are the gods of riff. They’ve continually churned them out over their 70-year long career and this riff has to be the best of them.

The opening riff, I’ve tabbed in the key of A (it’s the same shapes as the original transposed onto the uke).

Not content with one outstanding riff in a song, they decided this song deserves two. Most bands would base an entire career on a riff this could but AC/DC threw it away as a middle 8.

I’ve tabbed this riff in C (just to confuse/annoy you). The fingering gets a little tricky when the riff moves up to the fifth position. An alternative to the way I’ve tabbed it is to barre across the fifth fret throughout and play it the same as the open riff. Try out both and see which you prefer.

I heartily recommend you check out Baron Von Uke’s version of the song.

Suggested by Stewart

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Led Zeppelin - Whole Lotta Love

Whole Lotta Love midi

Almost universally referred to as ‘The Mighty Zeppelin’, anyone who says they’re not the greatest band ever to walk the earth is just plain wrong. The news that they are to reform is about the most pant-wettingly exciting thing to happen since the discovery of fire.

If you’re not familiar with the crosses in the tab, those are dead notes. To play them, you rest your fretting fingers on the strings (without pressing them down) and strum. You should get just a click.

Suggested by West

Buy Led Zeppelin I

Black Sabbath - Paranoid

Paranoid midi

Black Sabbath are the only band to have two riffs in my top ten. Surprising, since I don’t even like them that much.

Whereas most riffs bludgeon their way into your subconscious through endless repetition, this one is played only four times at the opening of the song and not heard again. A testament of how strong it is.

The White Stripes - Seven Nation Army

Seven Nation Army midi

This tune looks like it’s becoming the Smoke On The Water of the 21st Century. It’s already become the bane of the life of everyone who works in a guitar shop.

I’ve beefed the riff up a little for the ukulele by adding a C-string drone i.e. keeping it ringing through the whole thing.

Suggested by uncle budd

Deep Purple - Smoke On the Water

Smoke on the Water midi

This is the first riff every guitarist learns to play. It’s the embodiment of the ‘less is more’ philosophy.

Deep Purple guitarist and writer of this riff, Ritchie Blackmore is currently writing madrigals and appearing at a renaissance fair near you.

Suggested by Stewart and weelie

Cream - Sunshine of Your Love

Sunshine of Your Love midi

Cream only lasted two years but they kicked out their fair share of great riffs in this time. The Sunshine of Your Love was written by bassist Jack Bruce after seeing Jimi Hendrix (who would later cover the song).

The first part of the riff is single notes and the second introduces 7th chords for some of the notes. You could just continue to use single notes as before if you prefer.

A few of the notes call for vibrato. You can create these in a couple of ways. You can bend the string (pull it down or push it up) and release the string a few times. Alternatively, you can wiggle your fretting finger along the neck (but staying within the fret). This is the method I prefer for the uke - it’s more subtle and easy to control.

Suggested by weelie

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