Today we play our ukuleles to celebrate this great, little instrument. Learning how to play has been life-changing! I have met many new friends through the ukulele, too.
Today, I am happy to share that I have the Second Editions of my Ukulele Expressions series available now. These books contain musical pieces that can be played with only one hand. Using standard and alternate tuning, and using a capo, can give you very unique sounds from your ukulele! I have paired each musical piece with a painting I created as well.
There are some great improvements in the 2nd Editions like revised music and different alternate tunings used. I revised the Introductions for clarity as well. You can check out the series page on Amazon here.
One-handed music can be great for anyone who experiences pain or injury in their fretting hand. I created this music when I was going through painful carpal tunnel in my fretting hand. I knew there had to be a way I could still play with one hand. When I couldn’t find any music just for one hand, I set out to create my own.
Today, on World Ukulele Day I have a gift for you. I want to share one musical piece and corresponding painting from each book for you to check out.
P-i-m-a stands for the letters that are used for each finger. P is your thumb. I is your index, M is your middle finger and A is your ring finger. These letters stand for the Spanish names of each finger. (P-i-m-a originated with Classical guitarists in Spain.) You will use these fingers to pluck each string. The thumb plucks the G string in a downward motion, the index plucks the C string in an upward motion, the middle finger plucks the E string in the same motion, and the ring finger plucks the A string. If your fingers pluck different strings that’s ok, too. Just play comfortably!
First, this is “Swallowtail” from Ukulele Expressions: Illustrated Ukulele Fingerstyle Etudes for the Picking Hand (Book 1 of 3). This is in Standard Tuning GCEA. Place a capo at the third fret for a higher pitch. If you don’t have one, that’s ok! You can still play the piece without it.
Next, this is “Starfish and Shells” from Ukulele Expressions: Ocean Adventure. This is in Open F Minor Tuning which is FCFG#. Tune your G string down to an F and your C string will stay the same. The E string will be carefully raised to an F, and the A string will be lowered to a G#.
“Hippo Heaven” is from Ukulele Expressions: Low G Animals in Art. The music is made for the Low G ukulele and sounds very deep and soulful. This piece is also in Open F Minor Tuning FCFG#.
These pieces, when played slowly and mindfully, will help you feel relaxed and at ease. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me at Contact@CreatedBySusan.com. You can also Like and Follow me on Facebook @SusanMontgomeryAuthor. I look forward to connecting with you!
Enjoy your playing!
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