Category Archives: Uke Fun

For The Love of Dogs: A Ukulele Tribute For Valentine’s Day

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On Valentine’s day we remember the bonds we share with our family and friends, including our four legged variety. As we journey through life, dogs comfort and make us laugh during the bad times and help us to celebrate our successes. While people may come and go, our dogs are constant companions giving us their unconditional love. Life is is so much better when you share it with one or more dogs.

That is why there are so many great songs about dogs and the love we have for our furry friends. To celebrate this bond on Valentine’s day, here are a few well known songs performed on Ukulele by obvious dog lovers.

I Love My Dog by Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens) performed by Pabrizzer, with inspiration from his dog.

Play along with the classic Me and You and a Dog Named Boo by Lobo performed by The Fivey Ukulele.

It’s never too late to bring a dog into your life. The Monkee’s Gonna Buy Me a Dog played by Jazzbanjoex, might provide you with the incentive to go looking for a new friend.

l lost my beloved dog late last year after a long illness. Although I was devastated by this loss, I could not bear to live without a dog so have welcomed a new puppy into my world. Puppies are a delight and The Puppy Song by Harry Nilsson expresses the joy of having a puppy. Here it is performed with feeling by Sage Harrington.

This Valentine’s day make some time to give your dog with lot’s of treats and attention. They are with us for such a short time, but we should never forget the love and devotion each one brings to our lives over the years.

Play your dog a song on the ukulele. (I’m still trying to convince my puppy that the ukulele is not scary and he doesn’t need to flee. It might take some time.) Don’t discourage them if they sing along and want to join in the fun.

Have a happy Valentine’s day.

Keep on strumming,

Kat

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Holiday Fun On The Ukulele: Seasonal Songs with Silly Alternative Lyrics

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The Holiday Season in Melbourne is nearly upon us. It might be beach weather but there’s no shortage of snow related decorations and evergreen pine trees in people’s homes. 

Rudolph

While it is summer here, Australians still love to sing and play winter songs on the ukulele. An old favourite is Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, probably because it tells a fun story that we all loved to hear as children. It is also easy to play on the ukulele and for those who want a simple version, the following lesson by the talented Elise Ecklund is a good one.

However for those who prefer very silly lyrics you could also substitute the original with the lyrics of Robert the Red Nosed Reindeer by Aussie legends Bucko and Champs of Aussie Jingle Bells fame. It’s probably not suitable for little children so save it till later when the adults need a laugh.

If you want to go down a really controversial path and risk insulting some of your relatives at family celebrations, there’s always Bucko and Champs Completely Useless Gifts to the tune of Auld Lang Syne. But maybe don’t play this if you want to see them again next holiday season.

Whatever you play on your ukulele have a Wonderful Festive Season and a very Happy New Year.

Keep on Strumming,

Kat

Songs for Social Distancing on Ukulele

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In these days of covid-19  songs played on the ukulele can help us cope with the unfamiliar practice of social distancing. It is fun to find those with a related theme and here are a couple of my favourites.

A good up-tempo song is The Police’s Don’t Stand So Close to Me. Here is link to the music which is followed by a video of the Police’s version. You will need to allow for the instrumental interlude.

Don’t Stand So Close to Me

Here’s another 80s hit, So Far Away by Dire Straits with the accompanying music for you to enjoy. This one is a bit harder with the riff.

So Far Away

The song music links in this post are in different keys from the original versions, so you won’t be able to play along with the videos, which are included to demonstrate the arrangements of these songs (and because they are so good). You might have to practice for a while to get the right feel, but I’m sure that you are all up for the challenge.

Have fun, stay well and keep on strumming.

Kat

Working Songs on Ukulele

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Melbourne and the Yarra River

From March 6 -9 the Moomba Festival is held in Melbourne. It is Australia’s largest free festival, with all kinds of events held around the Yarra River and the Moomba Parade on the final Monday (9 March). This occurs on the second Monday in March which is also the Labour Day public holiday in Victoria and commemorates the introduction of the eight hour day for workers.

This festival is all about getting together and having fun and what better way than to have fun with you ukulele and celebrate by playing songs about workers. Here are a few good examples.

The Beatles A Hard Days Night is a classic of this genre. This ukulele version by Neil Starr does the song justice with some great vocals.

The following is Uke Boy’s version of Sheena Easton’s Morning Train. Such a beautiful melody that is just made for the ukulele.

If work is getting you down Fifth Harmony’s Work From Home is wonderfully escapist. Enjoy this lovely ukulele version by EMAYLA.

Bachman-Turner Overdrive’s seventies hit, Taking Care of Business has been given a fun twist on ukulele and unicycle by C J Hoyle.  Would love to see this in the Moomba Parade.

There are other great working songs that I could not find a ukulele version on You Tube, such as Roy Orbison’s Working for The Man or Australian band Cold Chisel’s Working Class Man, but I’m sure that you would be able to find online music for many working songs that are suitable for the ukulele.

The ukulele as an instrument of the people is just made for such material.  It is a great way to bring joy to your working day and makes every day a festival.

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Moomba 2019

Happy Labour Day!

Kat

Hills Ukulele Festival 2019

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HUF 2019 All Band Poster A3

Only two weeks until the Hills Ukulele Festival in the beautiful Dandenong Ranges.  As you can see, Bayside Ukes is amongst some great company on the above poster.

Those of us in Bayside Ukes, who are taking part, have been practicing hard and we will be playing some fun songs to get everyone’s feet tapping. Our set is on Sunday, May 19 at 11 am on the main stage.

The following flyer gives the location and some of the activities to found at the festival.

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There will be lots of ukulele performers and it should be a very enjoyable weekend’s entertainment. For bookings and other information go to the HUF website.

Hope to see you there.

Kat

Ukulele Songs About Autumn

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Autumn in Melbourne

It is finally autumn in Melbourne after a long, long summer and the hottest March on record. Time for some ukulele songs that reflect summer’s passing. The following were all performed in Australia.

A wonderful rock song with an Autumn theme and references to Lord of the Rings is Led Zeppelin’s Ramble On. Hope you enjoy this fun and gutsy version by Adelaide group, The Wheatsheaf Ukulele Collective.

Finally, one of the most beautiful Autumn songs is Harvest Moon by Neil Young. This delightful version is performed by Californian Dani Joy overlooking Sydney Harbour on a lovely day in May. Hard to believe it is Autumn in some parts of Australia.

Whether it’s Autumn or Spring where you are, it is fun to play songs that reflect the seasons. I’m sure you have your favourites.

Kat

The Big Ukulele Syndicate: No Pop

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An exciting ukulele band from Grenoble, France, The Big Ukulele Syndicate, fill their performances with movement, fun and fantastic ukulele playing. Check out the following video and you will get the picture. They are so entertaining.

Their facebook page is in French, but here is the link for those who can read the language.

Kat

Bayside Ukes Back for 2019

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On Tuesday, January 29 at 7 pm, Bayside Ukes are back at the Hampton Community Centre.

As we head into our sixth year we plan to include some new and exciting songs that will sound great on the ukulele and will enhance everyone’s playing and singing skills.

This year there will also be plenty of opportunities for those who are raring to get out and perform with the group.

We are lucky enough to have many dedicated members, some of who play more than one instrument and are happy to share their knowledge with newcomers.

To get the most out of our sessions, we recommend that absolute beginners have some lessons before joining the group. Also see our Links page for online lessons. Beginners who can already play some basic ukulele chords will benefit greatly from playing with more experienced players and should improve quickly with our help.

We are a friendly bunch so don’t be afraid to come along and join us. It’s cheaper than a pint of beer or a glass of good wine and much more fun.

For more information on our sessions see the About section in the above menu.

Kat

Happy Holidays from Bayside Ukes

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Bayside Ukes has finished its sessions for the year. We’ve had a great year with several performances, the most memorable being the Sandy Village Festival in October.

A big thank you to all our members for making 2018 such a wonderful, fun year. Your enthusiasm for the ukulele is what it is all about.

Thank you also to all those who have supported this blog. It’s great to have an audience of fellow Ukulele lovers.

Just for fun here are a couple of festive songs that are just made for the ukulele. The first is performed by the fabulous Memphis Ukulele Band. The chords can be found on the Doctor Uke website.  The second, being typically Aussie, is just plain silly. For a link to the ukulele chords click here.

Wishing everyone a very Happy Holiday with lots of ukulele joy.

Kat

Hot Ukulele Songs for Wintry Weather

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Here in Melbourne it is late autumn and the temperature has plummeted after a relatively warm start to the season. When the weather turns cold it is fun to play songs on your ukulele that remind you of summer and generate some heat. There are many terrific songs in this category that sound wonderful on the ukulele and the following is a small selection to inspire other ukulele players.

The Doors song Light My Fire just requires a simple rhythm and some soulful singing to take away the cold. The following performance by Jesus Pinedo and Chyrisse Tabone is a good example.

Bring back the memories of those hot summer nights with a lively rendition of The Loving Spoonful’s Summer in the City like in the following video.

A classic song about the hot days of summer is Heat Wave made famous by Marilyn Monroe in the film There’s No Business Like Show Business. Ukester Brown demonstrates how it is done on the ukulele during a very cold winter.

Of course there is that other famous Heat Wave song. The Ukelites do a very cool version.

Another fantastic song to get rid of the wintry chills is Elvis Presley’s Burning Love, here played by the Ukulele Turin Orchestra in a beautiful location.

The cold months are a good time to stay cosy and to play your ukulele. And if it is coming up to summer where you are, play your ukulele outside and enjoy the warmth while it lasts.

Happy strumming,

Kat, Bayside Ukes member