Here’s your Black Coffee video lesson

plus, pdf chart download!

Below you can find both a video lesson from the Ukulele Swing School Lesson Library, in addition to your free pdf songsheet for the cute 1935 swing tune “Black Coffee.”

strum notation

Here are the basic strum patterns I use in this tune:

"island strum"
*swing the eighth notes!
 Am               E7
|1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |
 D   D U S U D U  D   D U S U D U

D = down
U = up
S = skip (don't strum!)

"swing shuffle"
*swing the eighth notes!
 Am      G        C       Dm
|1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |
 D   D U D   D U  D   D U D   D U

additionally, I add other elements
such as triplets, thumb arpeggios,
and the Hawaiian roll, which I go
over in other lessons at the 
Ukulele Swing School.

download your pdf here:

• black coffee lyrics and chords
• chord diagrams

playthrough example of the tune

Watch the above video to see how I play the tune with the island strum, the swing shuffle strum, plus triplets, the Hawaiian roll, and other fun swing uke techniques.

Make sure to check out Marjorie Stedeford’s version of the tune, recorded in 1935, which features her lovely baritone singing. Incomparable! https://youtu.be/QuEvH6AObgo 

can’t get enough?

This is is a sample lesson from Ukulele Swing School’s Lesson Library, where I add bite-sized ukulele lesson videos every Tuesday. If you’ve added Black Coffee to your repertoire and want even more, check out another free lesson from Ukulele Swing School’s Lesson Library, which is chock-full of swing ukulele tunes and techniques, and updated weekly. The link above will invite you to register for the site. Once you do, you can access a sample lesson from the Library, for free.

or, even better, join us for ukulele workshops online—

in the Ukulele Swing Academy. Every month, twice a month, we meet on Zoom to work on ukulele swing techniques through the lens of an old jazz tune like this one. It’s kind of like an international ukulele club! Join us for ukulele workshops in the Academy at Ukulele Swing School.

got questions?

Can you play the song? Is everything straightforward for you? Let’s chat: sage@ukuleleswingschool.com