UKULELE MIKE LYNCH – All things UKULELE

We learn from Wikipidea that:

“How Great Thou Art” is a Christian hymn based on a Swedish traditional melody and a poem written by Carl Gustav Boberg (1859–1940) in Mönsterås, Sweden in 1885. It was translated into German and then into Russian and became a hymn. It was translated into English from the Russian by English missionary Stuart K. Hine, who also added two original verses of his own. The composition was set to a Russian melody. It was popularised by George Beverly Shea and Cliff Barrows during the Billy Graham crusades.It was voted the United Kingdom’s favourite hymn by BBC‘s Songs of Praise. “How Great Thou Art” was ranked second (after “Amazing Grace“) on a list of the favourite hymns of all time in a survey by Today’s Christian magazine in 2001. Notably, all English versions (a Johnny Cash live performance excluded) are…

Performance by Elvis Presley in the movie “G.I. Blues”

“Wooden Heart” (“Muss i denn” lit. Must I then) is a song best known for its use in the 1960 Elvis Presley film G.I. Blues. The song was a hit single for Presley in the UK Singles Chart, making No. 1 for six weeks there in March and April 1961,^[1][2] but was not released on a single in the United States until November 1964, where it was the B-side to “Blue Christmas“. Presley performed the song live during his Dinner Show concert at the Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas in 1975, a recording available on the Elvis Presley live album Dinner At Eight.

Below is a short clip from the beginning of the song . . .

“Wooden Heart” is contained in the Chord Melody eBook THREE.  It can be purchased by…

Recorded performance of “Sweet Leilani” by Bing Crosby in a very high falsetto

We read in Wikipedia that “Sweet Leilani” is a song featured in the 1937 film, Waikiki Wedding. It won the Academy Award for Best Original Song,^[2] and Bing Crosby‘s record became one of the biggest hits of 1937.

Harry Owens wrote the song on October 20, 1934 for his daughter Leilani, who was born the previous day. Leilani is a popular Hawaiian name, meaning “heavenly garland of flowers” (not “heavenly flower”). It also has a figurative meaning: Small Hawaiian children were carried on their parents’ shoulders like a lei (garland), so the name took on the meaning “heavenly child.”^]

Prior to Waikiki Wedding, the song had been recorded by Sol Hoʻopiʻi under the title “Leilani” as the B-side of “Hawaiian Honeymoon” (Brunswick Records 55085).

Harry Owens and his Royal…

Opening measures of the song below

Very cool chord progression . . . Not a lot of complexity in the left hand except for when we go to the bridge as seen below . . .

Measures 18 and 19 use barre chords to achieve the inversion chords . . . Simply barre the 5th fret straight across with the index finger at measure 18 . . . Then remain on that barre chord while putting the little finger up on the 7th fret at measure 19 . . .

“There’s A Kinda Hush” is contained in the Chord/Melody eBook THREE.  It can  be purchased by making a payment of $24.95 through the paypal button on the Ukulele Mike website: http://www.ukulelemikelynch.com    Once the payment is made, the eBook will be emailed to you within the day. . .

Table of contents . . .

Each of the Chord/Melody eBooks can…

Below is a short excerpt from my Ukulele Chord/Melody arrangement

This is a very short piece and should be considered for early solo ukulele players.  It does have some minor barring such as the G7 chord in the second measure but for the most part the left hand fingering is not too complex. . .

“Hush Little Baby” is contained in the Chord Melody eBook THREE.  It can be purchased by making a payment of $24.95 through the paypal button on the Ukulele Mike website: http://www.ukulelemikelynch.com   Once purchased, it will be personally emailed to you within the day.

Table of Contents

Each of the Chord/Melody collections can be purchased separately or all together at a combined discount . . .

Questions regarding any Ukulele resource, please email: TheUkuleleMan2012@hotmail.com

Ian & Sylvia perform “Four Strong Winds” in 1986

“Four Strong Winds” performed by John Denver

“Four Strong Winds” is a song written by Ian Tyson in the early 1960s and recorded by Canadian folk duo Ian and Sylvia. A significant part of the early 1960s folk revival,^[1] the song is a melancholy reflection on a failing romantic relationship. The singer expresses a desire for a possible reunion in a new place in the future (“You could meet me if I sent you down the fare”) but acknowledges the likelihood that the relationship is over (“But our good times are all gone/And I’m bound for moving on …”).

The song has a clear Canadian context and subtext, including an explicit mention of the province Alberta as well as references to long, cold winters. In 2005, CBC Radio One listeners chose this song as the greatest Canadian song…

Ukulele Mike does a performance and tutorial of this hymn through YouTube

“We Gather Together” is a Christian hymn of Dutch origin written in 1597 by Adrianus Valerius as “Wilt heden nu treden” to celebrate the Dutch victory over Spanish forces in the Battle of Turnhout. It was originally set to a Dutch folk tune. In the United States, it is popularly associated with Thanksgiving Day and is often sung at family meals and at religious services on that day.

This is a very accessible piece for even beginning solo ukulele players. . . Take a look at the short  clip below