By Peter Edvinsson
An ukulele is very effective for strumming chords to songs. You can also use this instrument to play melodies. Let's learn a melody with ukulele tab and without sheet music!
Here is the first verse and refrain of Yankee Doodle, as often sung today:
Yankee Doodle went to town
A-Riding on a pony
He stuck a feather in his hat
And called it macaroni
Yankee Doodle, keep it up
Yankee Doodle dandy
Mind the music and the step
And with the girls be handy
We will use ukulele tablature to notate the melody. Ukulele tabs show you how to put your fingers to play a melody. The notation consists of four lines representing the four strings on your ukulele.
On these four strings you will find numbers telling you which frets to press down to play a melody.
You will now play the first line of lyrics and corresponding melody with ukulele tab. The chords that you can play if you sing the song or if somebody else is playing the melody are shown in brackets before the syllable you are to play them.
I will show you how to play the chords at the end of this article:
(A)Yankee Doodle went to (E7)town
1. --0--0--2--4--0--4--2--
2. -----------------------
3. -----------------------
4. -----------------------
This means, play the open first string without pressing down a fret twice, play the second fret on the first string, the fourth fret on the first string and so on. I hope you understand ukulele tab notation now so here is the next part of the melody:
A-(A)Riding on a po(E7)ny
1. -----0--0--2--4--0-----
2. --0-----------------0--
3. -----------------------
4. -----------------------
You can use your right hand thumb to play the strings or alternate between your right hand index and middle finger or thumb and index.
Time for the next line:
(A)Mind the music (D)and the step
1. --0--0--2--4--5--4--2--
2. -----------------------
3. -----------------------
4. -----------------------
One more ukulele tab to go for the verse:
And (E7)called it maca(A)roni
1. --0--------------0--0--
2. -----4--0--2--4--------
3. -----------------------
4. -----------------------
What about your left hand?
If you want to you can play the melody using a professional fingering like this:
Press down the notes on the first fret with your index finger, the second fret with your middle finger, third fret with your ring finger and fourth and fifth fret with your pinky.
Maybe a little bit tricky at first but when you get used to it you will find that it is much easier to play this way!
Now when you know how to read this ukulele tab notation I will give you the refrain in one chunk:
(D)Yankee Doodle, keep it up
1. --------------------0--
2. --2--4--2--0--2--4-----
3. -----------------------
4. -----------------------
(A)Yankee Doodle dandy
1. --------------------
2. --0--2--0--------0--
3. -----------2--1-----
4. --------------------
(D)Mind the music and the step
1. --------------------0--
2. --2--4--2--0--2--4-----
3. -----------------------
4. -----------------------
And (A)with the (E7)girls be (A)handy
1. --------0-----2--0--0--
2. --2--0-----4-----------
3. -----------------------
4. -----------------------
This is the melody and here are the chords your ukulele playing friend can use assuming that you use C tuning on your soprano. That means that the third string is tuned to C and the first string to A:
A D E7
1. --0---0---2---
2. --0---2---0---
3. --1---2---2---
4. --2---2---1---
Peter Edvinsson is a musician, composer and music teacher. He invites you to download your free sheet music and ukulele tabs at http://www.capotastomusic.com