I’ve been teaching songwriting for ages, but this year I’m doing something I’ve never done before. Now, I’m inviting you to take this year to write your original album of ukulele songs in my Songwriting Mentorship Program. Just click here to check out all the details. Or keep reading for the summary 😉 By the…
At the end of this post, I’ve got a ukulele chart for you 😉 In the 1979 movie “The Jerk,” Lyle Ritz played the uke part for this scene. While Steve Martin holds a soprano uke, Lyle played a tenor uke tuned DGBE (with a high D, i.e. re-entrant tuning). They do it in the…
For the past few days, my tiny dog Bug and I have been spending a lot of time figuring out ukulele mysteries. Or, at least, she has been sitting in my lap and putting her chin in the crook of my elbow while I switch between playing the uke and doing google searches for antique…
strum along with me?? grab your soprano and/or baritone ukulele and let’s play “tonight you belong to me,” written by Billy Rose and Lee David in 1926 (timestamps: 7:40 for soprano playthrough, 14:14 for bari) download your own copy of the sheet music via the link in the video description if you end up strumming…
This week I wanted to send you some ukulele technique goodies that you can use — and a classic old swing tune that you can start strumming on right away. Something to dig your strumming hand into and belt out as loudly and fearlessly as you can. 😉 When I play, I seamlessly transition between…
If you asked me to coffee for some advice about how to get moving with your songwriting practice, this is what I would say: 1) Use repetition thoughtfully to create a form It doesn’t matter what the repeating structure is, but it’s pretty much essential that the music and lyrics repeat somehow. 2) Start wherever…
I love playing music so much. I also have a meditation practice that is so supportive for me, and I love that the two practices can have benefits that really cross over. I’m not the first to have wondered, is music actually moving meditation? What I’ll say is this: Music is like a hot tub…
I wanted to tell you about this really special moment that happened when I was on stage, pretty early into my being-on-stage career 😉 I was in a vocal jazz emsemble when I was a teenager. There were about 5 or 6 of us, and we sang Great American Songbook tunes in close harmony. For…
Listen to Marjorie Stedeford’s silky baritone version from 1935: https://youtu.be/QuEvH6AObgo xo -s *** If you want fresh tasty emails — on jazz ukulele! hot American swing! ways to study with Sage! — sent directly to your inbox, sign up here:
