Ukulele Hunt

Tag: Soul

  • Al Green – Let’s Stay Together (Tabs)

    Al Green – Let’s Stay Together (Tab)Download

    Al Green’s Let’s Stay Together is a buttery-smooth track, a laid-back feel, and has an earworm melody and tasty chords. All of which mean it suits the ukulele well.

    Intro: The intro nicely sets up the harmony for the piece. And prepares you for plenty of movement up and down the neck. Keep the notes (except the C-string bass notes) staccato to mimic the horns.

    Verse: The first verse has a more minimal arrangement. The second and third verses are heavier and have a bit of filigree. You can mix and match these elements as you like. Or include some of your own ideas.

    Pre-Chorus: A tasty Am9 in this section. Which is fretted like an Em chord but with the g-string played at the second fret.

    Chorus: A lot of moving up and down here. But if you plan ahead, you can use the passing notes to get into position for the next chord. For example, if you play the A-string, 3rd fret in bar 40 with your pinkie, you’ll be set up for the Dm7 chord in bar 41.

    Solo: The string solo is the hardest part of the song. I’ve kept this arrangement as close to the original as possible. But I think there’s room for a more uke-friendly version if you want to try. Or, I don’t think anyone would notice if you just skipped this section.

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  • Minnie Riperton – Lovin’ You (Tabs)

    Minnie Riperton – Lovin’ You (Tabs)Download

    Today we’re taking on Minnie Riperton’s sweet lullaby and notoriously bad karaoke choice Lovin’ You.

    I’ve kept the arrangement sparse to match the original and to focus on the melody. But it’s still a challenge to play due to the amount of movement up and down the neck. The trickiest bits being the jumps up to the 12th fret. I found bar 19 particularly challenging.

    Of course, Minnie Riperton’s famed vocal range far outstrips the range of the ukulele. So the ultra-high “ah-ah-ah…” section is shifted down an octave.

    It’s played with one finger per string picking all the way through.

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  • Amy Winehouse – You Know I’m No Good (Tabs)

    Amy Winehouse – You Know I’m No Good (Tab)Download

    This arrangement of Amy Winehouse’s You Know I’m No Good. The chords are simple but effective. The move from Gm to Cm6 (a Cm chord with an open A-string) to D has such a melancholic and resigned feel to it.

    Nothing goes above the fourth fret (and even that is only in the solo), so there’s not much movement to deal with.

    The only challenging technique is the use of grace notes. A grace note is a quick note you play just before the main note. For example, in bar 8 you play the open A-string then immediately hammer-on at the first fret. This gives the melody more of human touch.

    When grace notes happen inside a chord, they’re written before the chord in the tab, but you play them as part of the chord itself. For example, in bar 2 you play 021X, then immediately hammer-on the third fret of the E-string.

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  • Ray Charles – Hit the Road Jack (Tabs)

    Ray Charles – Hit the Road Jack (Tab)Download

    Ray Charles’s Hit the Road Jack is tricky to play. Mostly because it’s so quick. I’ve slowed it slightly from the original. But it’s still a challenge.

    Intro: This sets up two aspects that run through the whole song. First, the descending pattern of Dm-C-Bb-A7. And second, the liberal use of chnks.

    Chorus: This continues the pattern from intro and adds the melody on top. There’s a trip up the neck for the “no more…” part that requires some quick and accurate jumps.

    Verse: The melody here is quick and relentless. I’ve included a few bits of campanella playing to fit them all in. This is the section I had the most trouble with.

    Solo: I went with a very ukulele-style solo. So it’s almost all chord strumming with a lot of movement all over the neck. Then finishing off with a quick run.

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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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  • Wilson Pickett/The Commitments – Mustang Sally (Tab)

    Wilson Pickett – Mustang Sally (Tab)Download

    Originally by Wilson Pickett, Mustang Sally has been covered by acts including The Commitments, Buddy Guy and Barry from Eastenders. I based this arrangement on the Wilson Pickett version but there’s elements of the Commitments version in there. As well as a few bits of my own I’ve thrown in.

    This is another song where it’s more important to keep the propulsive rhythm of the song going than hit every string exactly as they are tabbed.

    The arrangement is all up and down the neck. But there’s nothing too difficult to handle. Just a couple of stretches up to the 12th fret in bars 36 and 45.

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  • Amy Winehouse – Back to Black (Tabs)

    Amy Winehouse – Back to Black (Tab)Download

    Amy Winehouse’s Back to Black has to be one of the best albums of the noughties. I tabbed Rehab a while back. And it’s high time I tackled the title track.

    The chord progression is Gm – Cm – Eb – D in the verse and chorus. That drop down from Eb to D is so effective in conveying a sense of defeat.

    The verse melody acts in a similar way starting out on just a single note repeated (G in this arrangement) and ending by dropping down one fret on the D chord.

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  • Tina Turner – Proud Mary (Tabs)

    Tina Turner – Proud Mary (Tabs)Download

    A version of Proud Mary in tribute to Tina Turner. It’s one of those covers that completely eclipse the original version. It’s so perfect it’s hard to believe it wasn’t written for her.

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  • Johnny Nash – I Can See Clearly Now (Tabs)

    Johnny Nash – I Can See Clearly Now (Tab)Download

    Here’s a rare cheerful songs I like: I Can See Clearly Now. I worked from the original Johnny Nash version but I’m more familiar with the Jimmy Cliff version so a bit of that might have snuck in.

    I’ve tried to keep the arrangement loose and breezy to match the song. So focus on the mood when you’re playing rather than nailing down every note exactly. 

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  • Otis Redding – (Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay (Tabs)

    Otis Redding – (Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay (Tab)Download

    Intro: I love the whistled outro of this song. So I simplified it and used is as the intro too.

    Verse: I’ve tabbed these as repeats but there are slight differences in the timings of the notes that are pretty easy to pick out yourself. Or I’m sure no one will notice or care if you just repeat the first verse exactly each time.

    Chorus: Usually, I’ll emphasise the melody of the song over other elements. But the guitar part here is so great I’ve tried to incorporate that as much as possible.

    Bridge: The hardest part of the song. The melody gets a bit fiddly. Especially with it being high on the fretboard.

    Outro: What a great melody to just toss out in the outro.

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