Ukulele Hunt

Tag: 90s

  • Red Hot Chili Peppers – Otherside (Tabs)

    Red Hot Chili Peppers – Otherside (Tab)Download

    RHCP’s Otherside fits nicely on the uke. Just some fast melody notes to deal with. And the easiest solo in guitar history.

    Intro: A combination of the bass and guitar parts to create a little bit of counterpoint.

    Chorus: A simple melody and familiar chord shapes make this section an easy one.

    Verse: A bit more tricky with a more rapid melody requiring some alternate picking.

    Bridge: I’ve cut this section down to just the melody part in the second half. It’s the toughest section to play. The melody switches between the g-string and the A-string (where you play the A-string, 5th fret).

    Solo: A short and easy solo.

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  • R.E.M. – Nightswimming (Tabs)

    R.E.M. – Nightswimming (Tab)Download

    The chords for this one are very simple, and the melody fits nicely on the fretboard. But the way the vocals shift unevenly against the chords made this tricky for me to get my head around.

    The other challenge is to keep the vocal melody distinct from the backing (both the chords and the piano runs e.g. bar 8) by giving the melody notes an extra-hard pluck.

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  • Blur – Tender (Tabs)

    Blur – Tender (Tab)Download

    Here’s a tab of a song that featured in Aftersun, my favourite movie of the last few years:
    Blur’s Tender.

    Intro: Starting off with the trickiest bit. The quick hammer-on to pull-off to slide at the start of bar 3 is a finger-twister.

    When this riff repeats at the end of the chorus, there is a slight change in bars 21 and 22 to watch out for.

    Verse: Just a G – F – G chord progression and nothing too tricky in the melody.

    Chorus: In the second and third choruses, I’ve included the high “fee-ling” part the choir sings (bars 33 and 46). This involves a slide up to the 14th fret. If your uke doesn’t have that many frets (or you just don’t fancy it) you can just repeat the first chorus.

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  • The Cure – Friday I’m in Love (Tabs)

    The Cure – Friday I’m in Love (Tab)Download

    I had to break protocol for this one so I could post The Cure’s Friday I’m in Love on a friday.

    Intro: There’s an odd start to the song with the first note coming in on the “and” of 1. If the listener is unfamiliar with the song, it can throw them off.

    After the opening lick, it’s into some straight-forward strumming with a few picked notes thrown in.

    Verse: The first two verses are simple, with all familiar chord shapes in the first position. The third and fourth verses are a bit more tricky since they incorporate a high note on the A-string, fifth fret.

    Chorus: The trickiest part is going from the riff at the end of the verse to G chord with the high D note. If you’re struggling, you can just strum out the A chord in bar 17.

    Solo: The solo has a lot of moves up and down the neck. But there’s nothing too fancy to trip you up.

    Bridge: This is the hardest section to play. You’re up at the fifth fret and it gets a bit fiddly. That’s one reason I halved its length.

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  • David Gray – Babylon (Tabs)

    David Gray – Babylon (Tab)Download

    Intro: The intro in the album version is much better than the single version. And suits the uke more. So that’s the version I went with.

    Verse: The trickiest part of the song comes in bar 18 with a big jump up to the top of the neck. But there’s not much happening in the bar before it, so you have plenty of time.

    Then you jump down in bar 17. You could make the jump sooner and change the 6-7-6 to 2-3-2 on the E-string (as it’s played in the rest of the song).

    Chorus: Increasing the amount of strumming and picking harder in this section. In the second chorus, from “Let go of your heart” the melody is harmonised.

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  • Oasis – Acquiesce (Tabs)

    Oasis – Acquiesce (Tab)Download

    This might be the first time I’ve arranged a b-side. But with Oasis reforming and the country being mad for it, I’ve tabbed my favourite Oasis song: Acquiesce.

    It’s a very simple song. You’re just bashing out chords for the most part. The only wrinkle is the stretch at the start of the chorus (and in the repeats of that line). If you prefer, you can play it x565. But that requires a quick drop down for the next note.

    For the outro, I took inspiration from the live version where Noel would quote The Stone Roses’ Sally Cinnamon.

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  • Nelly Furtado – I’m Like A Bird (Tabs)

    Nelly Furtado – I’m Like A Bird (Tab)Download

    For my arrangement of Nelly Furtado’s I’m Like a Bird, I’ve slowed things down a little. Which emphasises the song’s melancholy feel. And makes it easier to play. Which is helpful, as this one is challenging.

    Intro: The start is nice and easy. Just fingerpicked chords with a slow melody on top.

    Verse: The verse sticks with fingerpicking. There are a couple of quick hammer-ons to deal with. Then some alternate picked notes leading into the pre-chorus.

    Pre-Chorus: The pre-chorus builds up with some strumming. And my favourite version of the Fmaj7 chord: 5500.

    Chorus: Another step up in difficulty here. There’s a long series of hammer-ons and pull-offs in bar 24. You can make these really sound out by pulling downwards with your finger slightly for the pull-off. Almost as if you’re plucking the string with your fretting finger.

    Bridge: I had a really hard time getting the phrasing right in bars 29-30. And I didn’t really manage it in the video. Listen to the original rather than mine to get it right. The odd phrasing continues through this section and into the modified pre-chorus that follows.

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  • Blur – The Universal (Tabs)

    Blur – The Universal (Tab)Download

    Here’s a tab of Blur’s The Universal. Real horrorshow.

    Intro: Thumb and two finger picking for the intro. PARKLIFE

    Verse: Switching to one finger per string picking in the verse (with a few strummed chord stabs thrown in). PARKLIFE

    Chorus: And full on strumming for the chorus. The action moves high up the neck in this section and it gets fiddly. PARKLIFE

    Solo: Still high up but not as frantic. I found the phrasing here a little difficult to get the hang of. PARKLIFE

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  • Macy Gray – I Try (Tabs)

    Macy Gray – I Try (Tab)Download

    Thanks to Lin for suggesting Macy Gray’s I Try for a tabbing. She’s remembered as a one hit wonder, but Macy Gray had a few great songs.

    Verse: The first verse is nice and simple, with everything in the first position. Just a few sus chords among us. And the open g-string gets a lot of use in the melody.

    The second verse is more tricky, with a couple of trips up the neck.

    Pre-Chorus: Just a big jump up to the seventh fret to deal with the first time around. Again, the second time around, things get tricky and you’re playing way up the neck.

    Chorus: I love the campanella run in bar 16. It’s a little fiddly to play, but I think it’s worth the effort.

    Outro: This section might not be worth the effort! The key change in this song is so iconic I couldn’t leave it out. But it makes the song much more difficult to play. I wouldn’t blame if you just played the chorus in the original key here instead.

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  • Jawbreaker – Boxcar (Tabs)

    Jawbreaker – Boxcar (Tab)Download

    I was very sad to hear of the death of Steve Albini recently. I’ve covered a bunch of songs he worked on in the past including Where Is My Mind?, All Apologies and Heart Shaped Box.

    For this tribute, I went with Jawbreaker’s response to sell-out accusations: Boxcar.

    The arrangement is just blasting out chords with a few picked notes here and there. The only thing that makes it tricky is the speed. I found the G-Am change in the chorus particularly tricky to get the hang of.

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