Muse – Plug In Baby
October 1, 2008
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This one is a definite finger twister. It’s the way I’ve found that’s easiest to play it, but there are plenty of possibilities so feel free to change it if another way suits you better.version 1, version 2
More guitar riffs for ukulele.
AC/DC / James Hill – Thunderstruck
September 30, 2008
James Hill / AC/DC – Thunderstruck (Tab)
You might notice the lack of an mp3 for this one. That’s because it’s way beyond my abilities. You really need to use a pick to play this right and I’m hopeless with those rhino’s toenails. You’ll just have to watch James Hill do it here (Thunderstruck starts around 1:00). He plays the riff in D-tuning and exactly the same way as it’s played on guitar (so it’s a fifth higher than the original).
More guitar riffs for ukulele.
Queens of the Stone Age – No One Knows
September 25, 2008
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Like money for nothing, I’ve given this one a constant note in the background (C this time). And you might need to read the post on how to play harmonics for the last note.
More guitar riffs for ukulele.
Dire Straits – Money for Nothing
September 24, 2008
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Money for Nothing is one of the songs that made me pick up the guitar (”Money for nothing and chicks for free, you say? Sounds like a pretty good return on some digital blistering. I’m in.”)
I’ve taken a few liberties with this one. I’ve given it a constant G note in the background to give it a bit more stability and taken away a few of the doubled notes for ease of playing.
More guitar riffs for ukulele.
Slayer – Raining Blood
September 23, 2008
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It’s tricky to get this one up to tempo without a pick, but the riff works quite well on uke. The rest of the song though…
Suggested by Scorpion and mackral.
More guitar riffs for ukulele.
Depeche Mode – Personal Jesus
September 21, 2008
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A popular one for covers, this one with versions by Marilyn Manson, Jonny Cash and Richard Cheese being the most famous.
When you do the pull-offs in this one, try to give the string a bit of a bend before letting go of it.
Suggested by UkeJill.
More guitar riffs for ukulele.
Lenny Kravitz – Are You Gonna Go My Way?
September 18, 2008
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This was the riff back in the day when I was in a band. As well as the riff, it has one of the all time classic guitar solos c/o Sideshow Bob.
There is a bit of a cheat in this tab. To be accurate, the last note in the riff should be both strings played at the eleventh fret. But that’s far too much of a jump.
More guitar riffs for ukulele.
The Clash – Straight to Hell / MIA – Paper Planes
September 17, 2008
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I’ve been mildly obsessed with The Clash’s Straight to Hell since Cover Lay Down (one of my favourite mp3 blogs) posted a batch of cover versions of it. This riff only crops up briefly in the original song but was made more recognisible thanks to it’s use in M.I.A.’s Paper Planes. By the by, if anyone invites you to their serial killer warehouse, probably best to politely decline.
It’s important to make sure the notes in this riff are played staccato (i.e. they only sound very briefly). The easiest way to do this is it to fingerpick all the notes and mute them with your picking fingers.
More guitar riffs for ukulele.
The Cure – Boys Don’t Cry
September 16, 2008
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This one is incredibly late for the Ukulele Tribute to The Cure. I’m amazed no one did a cover of this as it works very well on the uke.
For those who thought my version of Don’t Fear the Reaper needed more cowbell.
UPDATE: Grant Lee Phillips used a uke in his cover of the tune (Thanks to Anna for the heads up).
Blue Oyster Cult – Don’t Fear the Reaper
September 11, 2008
For the next couple of weeks or so, I’ll be putting up the next batch in the ever popular series of Guitar Riffs for Ukulele. For those not familiar with it, the idea of these isn’t to play the full song, but throw the riffs in to give yourself or your audience a bit of a giggle at an hearing something they never expected to hear coming from a ukulele. Most of them are not written in the original key but the key that suits the ukulele the best.
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I probably should have featured this one a long time ago. Although now the song is as famous for cowbell as much as for the riff.
To play the riff, you need to shift down from the fourth fret to the second. Make sure you remember to do it between the third and fourth notes of the riff or you’ll be stranded.
