Ukulele Tutorial - "Wagon Wheel" by Old Crow Medicine Show

Here is a quick tutorial of "Wagon Wheel " by Old Crow Medicine Show. A great song for beginners, and a fantastic song for an acoustic instrument. And though it isn't the world we live in, I always like to encourage folks to support your artists and buy their music. Okay that's all.

If you want to play consistently with the song, you'll need a capo on the second fret. However, I don't think it's that necessary.

Should you prefer to sing in a different key, you can use the progression C, G, A minor, F

Lyrics/Chords

G                        D
Headed down south to the land of the pines
        Em                   C
And I'm thumbin' my way into North Caroline
G
Starin' up the road
            D         C
And pray to God I see headlights

  G                         D
I made it down the coast in seventeen hours
Em                      C
Pickin' me a bouquet of dogwood flowers
          G
And I'm a hopin' for Raleigh
      D             C
I can see my baby tonight

   G                   D
So rock me mama like a wagon wheel
Em              C
Rock me mama anyway you feel
G   D     C
Hey, mama rock me
G                     D
Rock me mama like the wind and the rain
Em                  C
Rock me mama like a south-bound train
G   D     C
Hey, mama rock me

G, D, Em, C
G, D, C

G                     D
Runnin' from the cold up in New England
      Em                         C
I was born to be a fiddler in an old-time stringband
   G
My baby plays the guitar
D              C
I pick a banjo now

        G                            D
Oh, the North country winters keep a gettin' me now
        Em                       C
Lost my money playin' poker so I had to up and leave
      G
But I ain't a turnin' back
   D                    C
To livin' that old life no more

   G                   D
So rock me mama like a wagon wheel
Em              C
Rock me mama anyway you feel
G   D     C
Hey, mama rock me
G                     D
Rock me mama like the wind and the rain
Em                  C
Rock me mama like a south-bound train
G   D     C
Hey, mama rock me

G, D, Em, C
G, D, C   2x

G                    D
Walkin' to the south out of Roanoke
           Em
I caught a trucker out of Philly
      C
Had a nice long toke
    G                           D
But he's a headed west from the Cumberland Gap
   C
To Johnson City, Tennessee

      G                   D
And I gotta get a move on fit for the sun
          Em
I hear my baby callin' my name
      C
And I know that she's the only one
    G
And if I die in Raleigh
   D                C
At least I will die free


   G                   D
So rock me mama like a wagon wheel
Em              C
Rock me mama anyway you feel
G   D     C
Hey, mama rock me
G                     D
Rock me mama like the wind and the rain
Em                  C
Rock me mama like a south-bound train
G   D     C           G
Hey, mama rock me

Ukulele tutorial - "1234" by Plain White T's

Here is a tutorial of a great song by the Plain White T's, a band I have a great respect for. The song: "1234". Fantastic. Click the link for a walkthrough of how to play it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oONQOFfKx5k

I always like to advocate for the artist in these cases. They are the ones who bring us the magic, and if you like what I've played, you'll much prefer what the Plain White T's have created. Buy their music!

Weasel - Original song

I wrote a new song a couple days ago that I'd like to share. I call it "Weasel".

Original song - Figure me out

This doesn't quite fit my typical post on this blog, but wanted to share anyway. As posted a few days ago, I've been a little obsessed with writing songs lately. Here's the most recently added:

I love to hear any comments, etc. Thanks for watching.

Oh, and as always, though entirely unrelated, it's never too late to buy a ukulele. It's the most affordable and relaxing instrument you're going to find. Ready, GO! --> "Liana Soprano Ukulele LU132"

Fun duet - It ain't me babe

For anyone aspiring to become a good ukulele player, the biggest piece of advice I can offer is play with others! You can only go so far by watching other people play songs on Youtube, or taking video lessons, etc. In my opinion which is based on personal experience, the best way to learn and improve is to sit down with someone else and play. You seriously don't know what you're missing until you do it, and then you'll know.

However, if you're like me and don't have someone to play with on a regular basis, your next best option is to play with yourself.

Crap, this is beginning to sound like something very different than a music lesson.

Since I've been wanting to play a duet lately, but don't have the "du", I've had to clone myself. Here's my imperfect version of "It ain't me babe", originally written by Bob Dylan. My version is closer to Johnny Cash's take on the song.

Now you're thinking, "I want to play that."

Step one of course is to get a ukulele: "Liana Soprano Ukulele LU132".

Step two - chords and lyrics: http://www.azchords.com/

G               C      G             D          G
Go 'way from my window leave at your own chosen speed
G                   C               G       D       G
I'm not the one you want, Babe, I'm not the one you need.
    Bm                 Am                Bm              Am
You say you're looking for someone never weak but always strong
      Bm             Am               Bm               Am
To protect you and defend you whether you are right or wrong
    C                          D
Someone to open each and every door
             G
But it ain't me, Babe,
C       D            G
No, no, no, it ain't me, Babe,
         C         D       G
It ain't me you're looking for, Babe. 


Go lightly from the ledge, Babe, go lightly on the ground,
I'm not the one you want, Babe, I will only let you down.
You say you're looking for someone 
who will promise never to part
Someone to close his eyes for you, someone to close his heart
Someone who will die for you and more 
But it ain't me, Babe,
No, no, no, it ain't me, Babe,
It ain't me you're looking for, Babe.


Go melt back in the night, Babe, 
everything inside is made of stone,
There's nothing in here moving and anyway I'm not alone
You say you're looking for someone 
Who'll pick you up each time you fall,
To gather flowers constantly and to come each time you call
A love of your life and nothing more 
But it ain't me, Babe,
No, no, no, it ain't me, Babe,
It ain't me you're looking for, Babe.

Dream a little dream of me - ukulele and guitar

I wrote about this during my 100 song in 100 day goal, which happened to be song 89 of 100. This song is rad. What better way to say it.

Also, the chord progression was much more complicated than I expected. Here's my take on the song:

I've come to believe that there is no better time in history to learn anything than right now. You have at your fingertips every possible resource to learn how to do something. And the better news is that with the help of youtube, it's all free. After thumbing through 200 versions of this song, I was able to find proper instruction on how to play it. Searching for the chord progression, I was able to find it for the uke and the guitar.

The best resource I found to learn this song on the uke was at ukulelehunt.com, a far better resource than I will ever be. Go there. Click here for Dream a little dream's chords and lyrics.

Go out and get an ukulele. It's the best thing you'll ever do.