These THREE collections form a distinguished library of SOLO Ukulele instrumentals. Utilizing the advantages of CHORD/MELODY style, Ukulele Mike Lynch has written and arranged these classic and iconic pieces for players of all levels. . . from beginners to advanced.   Each and everyone of these eBooks has pieces of simpler complexity to more advanced harmonic and chordal arrangements.  Now, players can take advantage of the entire fingerboard from FIRST POSITION up to the 12th Fret.  The Ukulele has long been considered only an accompaniment for singing, but now, with these arrangements the UKULELE can do its own singing. . . Take a look now at the contents of each collection:

CHORD/MELODY eBook ONE: $29.95

CHORD/MELODY eBook TWO: $23.95

CHORD/MELODY eBook THREE: $24.95

So one might ask:  WHAT IS THE ADVANTAGE OF CHORD/MELODY STYLE PLAYING?

Take some time to read this recent blog to get a more in depth understanding of the Chord/Melody format:  “THE STRUM OF THE THUMB”

“http://allthingsukulele.com/2015/06/10/when-it-comes-to-solo-instrumental-ukulele-playing-its-all-about-the-strum-of-the-thumb-chordmelody-series-from-ukulele-mike-lynch/

Many of the pieces from these THREE collections can be heard on YOU TUBE and VIMEO . . . performed by Ukulele Mike and numerous players throughout the world.   

Each of these THREE eBooks can be purchased separately or as a whole for a combined discount.  Make purchase through the PayPal donate button on the Ukulele Mike website: http://www.ukulelemikelynch.com

Once purchased, they will be personally emailed to you by Ukulele Mike within the day.

Any further inquiries regarding any Ukulele Resources, please email: TheUkuleleMan2012@hotmail.com

NOT SURE WHAT TABLATURE IS? . . . Here is an article that might help.

“First Aid” for Tablature from “Dr.” Ukulele Mike Lynch

http://allthingsukulele.com/2013/11/20/first-aid-for-tablature-players-from-dr-ukulele-mike-lynch/

We learn from Wikipedia that “In My Life” is a song by the Beatles released on the 1965 album Rubber Soul, written mainly by John Lennon and credited to Lennon–McCartney. The song originated with Lennon, and while Paul McCartney contributed to the final version, he and Lennon later disagreed over the extent of his contributions (specifically the melody). George Martin, who produced the recording, contributed the instrumental bridge. It is ranked 23rd on Rolling Stone‘s “The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time” as well as fifth on their list of the Beatles’ 100 Greatest Songs. The song placed second on CBC‘s 50 Tracks. Mojo magazine named it the best song of all time in 2000.

According to Lennon, the song’s origins can be traced to when the English journalist Kenneth Allsop made a remark that Lennon should write songs about his childhood. Afterwards, Lennon wrote a song in the form of a long poem reminiscing on his childhood years. The original version of the lyrics was based on a bus route he used to take in Liverpool, naming various sites seen along the way, including Penny Lane and Strawberry Field. Those original lyrics are on display at The British Library.

However, Lennon found it to be “ridiculous”, calling it “the most boring sort of ‘What I Did On My Holidays Bus Trip’ song”; he reworked the words, replacing the specific memories with a generalized meditation on his past. “Very few lines” of the original version remained in the finished song.^[6] According to Lennon’s friend and biographer Peter Shotton, the lines “Some [friends] are dead and some are living/In my life I’ve loved them all” referred to Stuart Sutcliffe (who died in 1962) and to Shotton.

In a 1980 interview, Lennon referred to this song as his “first real major piece of work” because it was the first time he penned personal lyrics about his own life.

Regarding authorship of the melody, Lennon’s and McCartney’s recollections differ. Referring to McCartney, Lennon said “his contribution melodically was the harmony and the middle-eight itself.”^[ McCartney claimed he set Lennon’s lyrics to music from beginning to end, taking inspiration for the melody from songs by Smokey Robinson & the Miracles. “I liked ‘In My Life’. Those were words that John wrote, and I wrote the tune to it. That was a great one.”

Below are the early attempts at writing the lyrics for “In My Life” in John Lennon’s own hand writing. . .

Although the controversy regarding authorship of the song will go on forever, I personally consider this song one of the finest personal musical statements by the BEATLES.  It’s lyrics are touching and it’s songwriting craftsmanship is is beyond compare.  I thoroughly enjoyed rendering this for solo ukulele performance and chose to use the current popular style of CHORD/MELODY  in its arrangement.  Here is a brief few measures to give you an idea of how it sounds.  I have formatted this and all of the songs in my Chord Melody collections in both standard treble clef as well as Ukulele Tablature.

HeHere is one important tip I could give you regarding interpretation of TABLATURE. . . Notice in the 3rd measure the stacked notes that are all on the 2nd Fret of each of the strings.  Typically, these would be played by BARRING across all 4 strings at the 2nd Fret. Further on in the piece here is another instance of BARRING.  Although, at this point we are BARRING the 5th Fret

This arrangement is contained in the Chord/Melody eBook ONE.

Here are the entire contents of this 52 song collection:

It can be purchased by making a payment of $29.95 through the paypal button on the Ukulele Mike website: http://www.ukulelemikelynch.com

There are currently a total of THREE eBooks in the Ukulele Mike Chord/Melody series. They can each be purchased individually or all together at a combo discount.

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

YOU TUBE note by note video tutorial by Ukulele Mike Lynch

Here is a link to a detailed tutorial blog I did 3 years ago on El Condor Pasa . . .

https://allthingsukulele.com/2013/06/20/el-condor-pasa-arranged-for-ukulele-by-ukulele-mike-lynch/

The tablature for “El Condor Pasa” is contained in the massive 52 song Chord/Melody  eBook ONE in the Ukulele Mike Chord/Melody series . . .  It can be purchased by making a payment of $29.95 through the paypal button on the Ukulele Mike website: http://www.ukulelemikelynch.com . . . Once purchased it will be emailed to you within the day.

Below are the full contents of the 52 song Chord/Melody collection

This collection one of three collections within the current Ukulele Mike Chord/Melody series.  Each eBook can be purchased individually or all together for a combo discount.

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

“Sunrise, Sunset” written by Sheldon Harnick and Jerry Bock for the Broadway Musical “FIDDLER ON THE ROOF”.  It is a captivating tune and definitely one of the crowning moments of the musical. This song is performed at the wedding of Tevye and Golde’s eldest daughter. The two parents sing about how they can’t believe their daughter has grown up, while Hodel and Perchik sing about whether there may be a wedding in the nearby future for them.

It is without a doubt the most captivating of all the songs in this musical.  It has been sung countless times at weddings and continues to move people still after all these years.

The Lyricist Sheldon Harnick says this about the song.  “I do remember when we wrote “Sunrise Sunset,” the first person we played it for was Jerry Bock’s wife…and when I finished, then I looked at Jerry’s wife Patti and I was startled to see that she was crying. And I thought my goodness; this song must be more effective than we even know. And the same thing happened – I am not a pianist but the music to “Sunrise Sunset” is easy enough so that I could learn the piano part – and I played it for my sister. And when I finished I looked and she had tears in her eyes. And that was a very unusual experience.”

When I first began the process of arranging this piece for the Ukulele, I initially thought I would do it with a fingerpicking arpeggio style but quickly went over to the Chord Melody style and that suited it perfectly.  Furthermore, I was delighted to find that the fingerings and chord changes flowed so nicely on the Ukulele. . . Almost as if the song had been written on the Ukulele to begin with.  Quire often one will find that to be the case. Songs like HERE COMES THE SUN work so effectively on the Uke. Here is a brief few bars that open the piece. Try it out and I think you’ll discover how nicely it fits for the song.

When arranging any piece on the ukulele, the arranger finds that the melody will invariably hop from the FIRST string to the SECOND and every so often the THIRD or FOURTH. Note in the THIRD measure Am, the melody is on the FIRST string but in the next measure it jumps to the SECOND string. In this case, we need to be careful to not strike the FIRST string on that FOURTH measure chord. In playing solo instrumental pieces, we don’t merely find the chord and strum as we would in accompaniment rhythm style for singing. . . Instrumental is a whole different animal. 

Below is yet another snippet from furher on into the song:

Notice the BARRE chords in measure 3, 4, 5 & 6.  Barring is used a lot in solo instrumental playing so working on instrumentals is a great way to increase your Barring skills and technique.

“SUNRISE, SUNSET” is contained in my Chord/Melody eBook THREE which can be purchased by making a payment through the paypal button on my website: http://www.ukulelemikelynch.com 

Once the payment is made, I will personally email it to you within the day.

 Here are the complete contents of the Chord/Melody eBook TWO

The Chord/Melody eBook can be purchased individually or all three in the series for a combined discount.

For all inquiries regarding Ukulele resources, please email TheUkuleleMan2012@hotmail.com

Here is a full tutorial on Moonlight Bay as taught by Ukulele Mike Lynch on YouTube

On Moonlight Bay is contained in the “Songs Of Yesteryear” eBook, arranged and compiled by Ukulele Mike Lynch. . . with Optimized chords and strums for the ukulele .

The “Songs Of Yesteryear” eBook can be purchased by making a payment of $22.95 through the PayPal button on the Ukulele Mike website: http://www.ukulelemikelynch.com Once it has been purchased, it will be personally emailed to you within the day. Below is a link detailing the entire contents of the collection. .

.https://allthingsukulele.com/2014/11/02/songs-of-yesteryear-songbook-from-ukulele-mike-lynch-celebrating-the-rich-legacy-of-american-popular-music-in-the-early-20th-century/

For inquiries regarding any Ukulele resources, please email: TheUkuleleMan2012@hotmail.com

UKULELE MIKE LYNCH . . . featuring the Tri-Pak Chord Melody series. . . . Each collection  can be purchased individually or all together at a combined discount. . .

Here is what we find from Wikipedia . . .

“Wind Beneath My Wings” (sometimes titled “The Wind Beneath My Wings” and “Hero”) is a song written in 1982 by Jeff Silbar and Larry Henley.

The highest-charting version of the song to date was recorded in 1988 by singer and actress Bette Midler for the soundtrack to the film Beaches. This version was released as a single in early 1989, spent one week at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in June 1989, and won Grammy Awards for both Record of the Year and Song of the Year in February 1990. On October 24, 1991, Midler’s single was also certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America for shipment of one million copies in the United States. In 2004 Midler’s version finished at No. 44 in AFI’s 100 Years…100 Songs survey of top tunes in American cinema.

In a 2002 UK poll, “Wind Beneath My Wings” was found to be the most-played song at British funerals.

 Silbar and Henley recorded a demo of the song, which they gave to musician Bob Montgomery.

Montgomery then recorded his own demo version of the song, changing it from the mid-tempo version he was given to a ballad. Silbar and Henley then shopped the song to many artists, eventually resulting in Roger Whittaker becoming the first to release the song commercially. It appeared on his 1982 studio album, also titled The Wind Beneath My Wings.

The song was very shortly thereafter recorded by Australian artist Colleen Hewett and released by Avenue Records in 1982. Hewitt’s recording became the first version of the song to be issued as a single and to appear on a national chart, peaking at #52 on Australia’s Kent Music Report chart.

Following both Whittaker’s and Hewitt’s recordings, many other artists recorded the song, including Sheena Easton. Easton’s versions appeared on her 1982 studio album Madness, Money & Music, and her 1984 Spanish album Todo me recuerda a ti though it was not released as a single by her record company. She did, however, perform it on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, The Merv Griffin Show, her HBO live concert special, and her NBC television special.

The first year “Wind Beneath My Wings” appeared on music industry trade publication charts in the United States was 1983. Singer Lou Rawls was the first to score a major hit with the song, as his version peaked at No. 10 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart, No. 60 on the Billboard Hot Black Singles chart, and No. 65 on the main Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.^[3] Gladys Knight & The Pips also released a recording of the song in 1983 under the title “Hero”, and their version peaked at No. 64 on Billboard‘s Hot Black Singles chart^[3] while also reaching No. 23 on Billboard‘s Adult Contemporary chart. Singer Gary Morris released a country version of the song in 1983 that charted highest on any of the Billboard music charts that year. Morris’s version of the song peaked at No. 4 on Billboard‘s Hot Country Singles chart, and also later won both the Academy of Country Music and the Country Music Association awards for Song of the Year.

This was truly a delight for me, personally, to arrange for ukulele . . . I’ve always loved  this song on many different levels and arranging this seemed to flow quite easily.  I instantly chose the time honored Chord/Melody format and within a very few minutes the fingering just seem to arrange itself.  Remember, in Chord/Melody style we merely use the thumb to brush the chord . . . the melody plays itself.  I knew for certain this would be a great tune for ukulele players everywhere.  In my arrangement I inserted my own invention of a diminished 7th chord that becomes a short turnaround within the chorus and it seemed so natural that I left it in.

There is very little Barring in this piece. . . primarily within the Chorus that jumps up to a higher range from the verses. . .  Below is a short excerpt of the turnaround.

Notice the F#dim7 chord . . . The D chord prior to that is play by Barring the 2nd fret then placing the little finger on the 5th fret of the first string. . .

Here is a short excerpt from the beginning of the song . . .

THE WIND BENEATH MY WINGS is contained in the Chord/Melody eBook THREE.

Table of Contents:

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.

All of the current Chord/Melody eBooks can be purchased individually or all together at a combined discount

For information regarding any Ukulele resources please email: TheUkuleleMan2012@hotmail.com

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 in a slow, partly almost reciting manner, totally different from the uptempo style of the Swedish original.

HOW GREAT THOU ART is a perfect song for the Chord/Melody format.  The beauty of this arrangement lies in both the beauty of the melody but also the beauty of simplicity. 

Here is a short excerpt from the opening of How Great Thou Art to demonstrate its simplicity:

To play in Chord/Melody style you need only brush the strings with your thumb and the melody automatically presents itself.  Whenever you see “zeros” in the tablature you can rest assured you have very little complex fingering for the left hand.  There is no Barring in this arrangement except for the very LAST 2 measures. . . Here are those measures.

TABLE OF CONTENTS of Chord/Melody eBook TWO:

“How Great Thou Art” is contained in the Chord/Melody eBook TWO and can be purchased by making a payment of $23.95 through the paypal button on the Ukulele Mike website: http://www.ukulelemikelynch.com.  Once purchased, it will be emailed to you within the day.

It can be purchased alone or all THREE within the series for a combo discount . . .

For all inquiries regarding any Ukulele resource please email: TheUkuleleMan2012@hotmail.com

The Lion Sleeps Tonight”, also known as “Wimoweh”, “Wimba Way” or “Awimbawe”, is a song written and recorded originally by Solomon Linda with the Evening Birds^[1] for the South African Gallo Record Company in 1939, under the title “Mbube”. Composed in Zulu, it was adapted and covered internationally by many 1950s pop and folk revival artists, including the Weavers, Jimmy Dorsey, Yma Sumac, Miriam Makeba and the Kingston Trio. In 1961, it became a number one hit in the United States as adapted in English with the best-known version by the doo-wop group the Tokens. It went on to earn at least US$15 million in royalties from cover versions and film licensing.

The Lion Sleeps Tonight is an ideal song for a Chord/Melody formatted ukulele arrangement.  Chord/Melody format is played quite simply by just brushing the thumb over the strings and the melody automatically presents itself.  There is very little barringin this piece. . . Below is a short excerpt from the beginning of this arrangement.

To add a bit of variety to this arrangement I introduce a Key Change also known as a TRANSPOSITION. . . Here it is entering at the 17th measure.

“The Lion Sleeps Tonight” is contained in the Chord/Melody eBook TWO.  It can be purchased by making a payment of $23.95 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.

This collection is currently ONE of THREE in the larger Chord/Melody series. Each eBook can be purchased individually or as a combo for a discount. . .

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

“Let It Be” is a song by the Beatles, released in March 1970 as a single, and (in an alternate mix) as the title track of their album Let It Be. At the time, it had the highest debut on the Billboard Hot 100, reaching number 6. It was written and sung by Paul McCartney. It was their final single before McCartney announced his departure from the band. Both the Let It Be album and the US single “The Long and Winding Road” were released after McCartney’s announced departure from and subsequent break-up of the group.

The alternate mix on their album “Let It Be” features an additional guitar solo and some minor differences in the orchestral sections.

In 1987, the song was recorded by charity supergroup Ferry Aid (which included McCartney). It reached number 1 on the UK Singles Chart for three weeks and reached the top ten in many other European countries. McCartney said he had the idea of “Let It Be” after he had a dream about his mother during the tense period surrounding the sessions for The Beatles (“the White Album”) in 1968. According to McCartney, the song’s reference to “Mother Mary” was not a biblical reference.  The phrase has at times been used as a reference to the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ;  in fact, the words “let it be” are a direct quote from the Prayer of the Annunciation, Mary’s response to the Angel Gabriel in Luke 1.38. Nevertheless, McCartney explained that his mother – who died of cancer when he was fourteen – was the inspiration for the “Mother Mary” lyric. He later said: “It was great to visit with her again. I felt very blessed to have that dream. So that got me writing ‘Let It Be’.  He also said in a later interview about the dream that his mother had told him, “It will be all right, just let it be.  When asked if the song referred to the Virgin Mary, McCartney has typically answered the question by assuring his fans that they can interpret the song however they would like.

 As I approached the arranging process for this piece, it was early on very evident to me that the Chord/Melody style was the best.  This style of arrangement and performance is so cool because you have the mix of chordal harmony with melody but you only need to set the fingers on the correct frets and strings and merely brush the strings with the thumb.  The melody automatically presents itself as the highest note of the chord.  Since there are many times when the melody jumps from the First string to the Second or even in some cases, the Third that you need to be careful not to play the higher strings. . . You can only play the 2 or 3 strings necessary to play the chord with melody.  At first, this may seem strange to those who have for long only strummed rhythm to accompany songs. . . But in this case, the Ukulele does the singing for you.  This is truly SOLO playing. . . We are treating the ukulele as a full Chordal   / Melody instrument on its own.  Becoming skilled at this and at reading the tablature notation may take some time and lots of patience, but the payoff is worth it. . .

Below is a short excerpt from the opening measures of “Let It Be”

Notice how the melody rides on the 2nd string at the beginning . . . This is a prime example of how ou need to be careful so as to avoid hitting the 1st string. . . On the second halve of the second beat of the first full measure it finally jump up to the first string. . . . Often times in Chord/Melody playing you will only be playing a single note on a single string between the chordal moments. . . This is quite typical.

Here is yet another excerpt from later in the song

Notice at the 26th measure we have a G chord. . . looks quite different from a typical G chord on the Uke, doesn’t it?  We play it by barring the 7th fret with the index finger and placing the little finger up on the 12th Fret. At measure 27 we have an F chord. . . Looks quite unlike a typical F chord, but it is . . . These are examples of what are called upper register inversions of these chords.  The inversions are essential to Chord/Melody style as they allow us to play upper fingerboard melodies along with their appropriate chords. . . Again, that F chord is played by barring the 5th Fret and placing the little finger on the 7th Fret.

“Let It Be” is contained in the Chord/Melody eBook THREE and 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. 

All THREE of the current Chord Melody eBooks can be purchased individually or all together at a combined discount. . .

For inquiries regarding any Ukulele resources please email: TheUkuleleMan2012@hotmail.com