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