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Six Timeless Love Songs To Play For Your Valentine

1/30/2022

Aleah Fitzwater was kind enough to submit another article for Fleaplucker...Just in time for Valentine's Day!

Valentine's Day is just around the corner! So whether you are buying your significant other a bouquet of roses, a box of chocolates, or even a new Xbox One, learning a love song is a great addition to a gift to put some more love into the air. But don’t worry- Love songs don’t have to be complicated! In this article, we’ll be checking out a list of easy-to-learn, timeless love songs to serenade your partner with.

Please keep in mind that these songs are in no particular order- I’m not playing favorites! Let me know which one is your favorite in the comments, though!

God Only Knows- The Beach Boys“God only knows what I’d be without you….”
Chords: A, E, Gbm, B, C
Strum Pattern: DDU DUD

While it’s no surprise that The Beatles and the Beach Boys were the stiff musical competition in the 1960s, rumor has it that Paul McCartney cried every time he heard the song. The lyrics are the perfect combination of sincerity and romance. If you don’t know this absolute classic of a love song, you can check it out here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWPo5SC3zik

I was particularly inspired by this pared-down cover for ukelele alone. Jenn’s vocal timbre blended seamlessly with her playing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvpQFE8lR_c

God Only Knows sounds so sweet and lighthearted on this instrument! You can find the chords on Uku tabs here: https://ukutabs.com/t/the-beach-boys/god-only-knows/

Be My Baby- The Ronettes “So won't you, please (Be my, be my baby) Be my little baby”

Chords: C, Dm, G, E, A, G7, Am, F

In terms of sad music news (Is this inappropriate to put this in a Valentine’s Day article? Probably not…Welp…), Ronnie Spector recently passed away at the age of 78. Her name has been circulating around many music sites because of this, and I’ve found myself listening to Be My Baby over and over again. Then, I began furiously transcribing, arranging, and recording it…for three days straight

. But I’m not the only musician to be perplexed by this tune. Brian Wilson (of the Beach Boys) had to pull over after hearing the song in his car for the first time. But it didn’t stop there. His daughter said he played it every morning, and that the classic Boom Boom Chick drum pattern soon became her daily alarm.

Original Version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSPpbOGnFgk

If you have a ukelele and a basic DAW like GarageBand, you could ever loop it to make something similar to this artist’s rendition: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3wiQ2NNM2Q
But any way you play it, it will be certifiably flutter-inducing. With the harmonic language of the ’50s at your fingertips, it’s hard to go wrong with this one.

Practice tip: E’s can always be a little tricky, so be sure to practice the transition from E to A before your Valentine arrives! The G7 in this basic song adds just enough spice to the structure to make it interesting.

Uku Tabs: https://www.ukulele-tabs.com/uke-songs/the-ronettes/be-my-baby-uke-tab-12361.html

Can’t Help Falling In Love- Elvis PresleyWise men say, only fools rush in…

Chords: C, Em, Am, F, G, B7, A7, Dm
Strum Pattern: D DUDU

Can’t Help Falling in Love was one of the first songs I ever learned to play on the ukulele! There’s something about songs in 3 /4-time signatures that make them oh-so swoon-worthy. This tune was actually based on an old French love song from the late 1700s. But, no matter who the credit of the melody should go to, it’s gorgeous.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttuVUynl5SU Elvis Presley live

My ukelele cover inspiration came from the alternative music duo, 21 Pilots. The singer displaces the rhythm in the B section (with his voice), which I find mixes things up and makes it (arguably) even more catchy than Elvis’s. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ThQkrXHdh4

I also recently discovered that the reggae-pop band called UB40 did a cover of this song that quickly became a chart-topper. The uke would be the perfect starting point to make your cover reggae-flavored like this version here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ajp0Uaw4rqo

Uku Tabs: https://www.ukulele-tabs.com/uke-songs/elvis-presley/cant-help-falling-in-love-with-you-uke-tab-13973.html

I’m Yours- Jason MrazThere's no need to complicate
Our time is short
This is our fate, I'm yours

Chords: Am, C, D7, F, G

Here we go with another first song I learned. I’m Yours is a great simple love song, because you can make the rhythm as parred down, or as complex as you like. Feel free to play on the offbeats, and integrate palm muting, if you know how! It’s hard to go wrong with this live-in-the-moment love anthem: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpngifA8iRM

Uku Tabs: https://ukutabs.com/j/jason-mraz/im-yours/

Baby, I Love You- The RamonesWhen you kiss me I just gotta, Kiss me I just gotta
Kiss me I just gotta say
Baby, I love you, come on baby

Chords: C, F, G7, C7, Em, Dm

Are you trying to impress a punk-enthusiast? Then try putting this cheesy ballad by The Ramones onto the ukelele. While it was actually originally recorded by The Ronettes, I’m sure you’ll be able to infuse it with a little punk, as Johhny Ramone did.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqZmJ7RGAP4 The Ramones Cover
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqfBUEWCFzs AntieUku breaks down this song really well in the video tutorial here

Just the Way You Are Oh, her eyes, her eyes

Make the stars look like they're not shinin'

Chords: Bb, Dm, F

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjhCEhWiKXk Original
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Hy9bGgz4y8 Ukelele Cover Inspiration

This song takes me back to early high school. I listened to the entire record Doo-Wops & Hooligans nearly every day (2010). This album as a whole feels much older than 12 years old, in a romantic, positive way. The oos and ahhs at the beginning make us think of the Ronettes and of love songs from long ago. Just the Way You Are was so well-recieved that It even inspired artist Meghan Trainers’ song “All About That Bass”.

Uku Tabs: https://ukutabs.com/b/bruno-mars/just-the-way-you-are/

6 Songs to Sing to Your Valentine: ConclusionIf you need some more inspiration from the oldies, you can also try the following songs on your uke!

My Girl- The Temptations
Kiss Me - Sixpence None the Richer
The Girl From Ipanema
Cheek to Cheek- Irving Berlin

But no matter what song you choose to sing to your Valentine, I’m sure it will play on your partner’s heartstrings. Happy practicing!
About the Author: Aleah Fitzwater is a licensed instrumental music educator, blogger, and arranger. You can find more of her writing on the Scanscore site, where she teaches musicians how to digitize music https://scan-score.com/en/scanscore-blog/ . You can also find her music here: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2AQa8NMeMVSYOs1whUHt39

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Playing Alternative Music On Your Ukulele

1/7/2022

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First article of 2022 is written by the multi-instrumentalist Aleah Fitzwater!

While many people think of the ukulele as soothing, and tropical, the ukulele’s inclusion in alternative music is (slowly but surely) becoming more popular. In this article, we’ll look into some well-known alternative artists who have added the ukulele into their repertoire, as well as some ideas for Alt songs to get you started.

Artists Who Use Ukulele in Alternative Music

21 Pilots, Billie Eilish, Anarbor, and Paramore have all dipped their toes into the uke-in-alt-music combination.

Anarbor and Hayley Williams have bravely added ukulele originals in the middle of albums full of guitar-heavy songs. Rock to my Roll’s offbeats and lo-fi vocals is all too catchy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hftj_kApNsE. Hayley Williams (Paramore) has done several ukelele originals as well, including the interlude from their self-titled album, Paramore. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzjJMP4Psbk The tune “I’m Not Angry Anymore” is fast-paced, quirky, and carefree. It wouldn’t have been nearly as coy had it included the full band.

Ukelele Cover Artists

Ukulele cover songs of Panic At the Disco and My Chemical Romance (think, Peppermint Ollie https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvVzPnLPTt0 ) and other musicians quickly become earworms that are just as interesting (if not more so! ) than the originals. IndoUkeTube’s Cover of Uncomfortably Numb (American Football Ft. Hayley Williams) was intricate and more light-hearted than the original. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qu8qyzspIBA

What Makes the Combination So Satisfying?

Because the order of the strings on the ukulele is different than that of guitar, alternative music (quite literally!) hits different on them
The softness that the ukulele gives alternative cover songs a different feeling
Additionally, the ukulele pairs extremely well with rock (drum) kits and distorted guitar, because of the timbre contrast

How to Prep for Learning Alternative Songs

Before I give you some recommendations, here are a few things to practice before learning rock songs on the uke. ‘

Practice dexterity exercises and fast chord changes
Work on 7th chords, and minor chords
Learn some new strum patterns

If you’re used to practicing traditional uke repertoire, pop songs, and folk songs, some of the new things you will find in alternative music might surprise you. Many times, the strum patterns are quite fast and feel very different rhythmically.

Alternative Songs to Start With

Before you write your own alternative song on the ukelele, try out one of these alternative hits that has had ukulele in it from the get-go:

Friends In Holy Space (Panic at the Disco!)
House of Gold (21 Pilots)
Rock to My Roll (Anarbor)

The Ukulele Teacher provides an excellent guide to Friends in Holy Spaces https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpR9uYfW7ig . This one is jazzy and fast-paced and is a great song to practice minor chords, and quick changes. His video on House of Gold is great as well. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APc11dBFjtQ

Rock to My Roll is a little more niche. I couldn’t find any tutorial videos on this one, so we’ll have to stick to Ultimate Guitar Tabs for this one: https://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/tab/anarbor/rock-to-my-roll-ukulele-1817910

While these songs were originally written for guitar, I’ve found that they sound wonderful on the ukelele:

I Swear This Time I Mean It (Mayday Parade)
Song in My Head (Sherwood)
The Only Exception (Paramore)

You can find the chords for all of the above for free on Ultimate Guitar Tabs: https://www.ultimate-guitar.com/

ConclusionDon’t put your instrument in strict genre categories! Have fun and happy practicing!

About the Author: Aleah Fitzwater is a licensed instrumental music educator, blogger, and arranger. You can find more of her writing on the Scanscore site, where she teaches musicians how to digitize music https://scan-score.com/en/scanscore-blog/ . You can also find her multi-genre arrangements for flute here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9gePxR2OWB_gE2HuzelNGg

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