Easy Ukulele Songs by Denise Gagné

Contents
Song Music Lyrics Chords
Introduction, tips and tuning 2
1. Little Tommy Tinker 8 30 C
2. Johnny One Hammer 8 30 C
3. Funga Alafia 8 30 C
4. Row, Row, Row Your Boat 9 31 C G7
5. Adieu My Comrades 9 31 F
6. This Old Hammer 10 31 F
7. Ten in the Bed 10 32 F
8. Land of the Silver Birch 11 32 Dm
9. Canoe Song 12 32 Dm
10. In the Land of Oz 12 33 Dm
11. Skin and Bones 13 33 Em
12. The Ghost of Tom 13 33 Em
13. Cotton Eyed Joe 14 34 A
14. Whistle Daughter 14 34 D
15. Little Liza Jane 15 35 D
16. The Wandering Cowboy 15 35 G
17. Clementine 16 36 F C7
18. Swing Low, Sweet Chariot 17 36 F C7
19. Hush Little Baby 18 37 F C7
20. This Old Man 19 38 C G7
21. He’s Got the Whole World 20 39 C G7
22. Rock-a My Soul 21 40 C G7
23. Jack Was Every Inch a Sailor 22 41 C G
24. Hey Lidee 23 42 D A
25. Old Texas 23 42 D A
26. Found a Peanut 24 43 D A
27. Boll Weevil 25 44 F C
28. Nobody Likes Me 26 45 G D
29. Wade in the Water 26 45 Dm A7
30. What Shall We Do With the Silly Sailor? 27 46 Dm A7
31. Nothing But Peace 28 47 G C D
32. He is Born 29 47 G C D
Chord chart 48

Themes & Variations

Box 25109 Deer Park PO, Red Deer Alberta T4R 2M2
Email: tvinfo@telus.net Web Site: www.musicplay.ca
Toll Free Phone or Fax: 1-888-562-4647
Printed in Canada © 2015
Cover Design and musical arrangements by Craig Cassils
ISBN Number: 978-1-927062-60-9
1
 Introduction
This collection of easy songs for ukulele is designed to get you singing and playing the ukulele
in the very first lesson! The chords used in this collection are introduced through a series of 15
one chord songs. Mastering the chords before having to learn to change chords eliminates much
of the frustration that young beginners face. After introducing the chords used, 15 easy two
chord songs are given. If your students find it difficult to switch chords, divide the class into two
groups and have one group play one chord and the other group play the other. Practice changing
the chords slowly without looking at the fretboard. When students are able to “feel” where the
fingers go, changing the chords will be easy. The last two songs in the collection use three chords.
A CD with recordings of all the songs is included.

Students will learn the chords and how to change chords using the folk songs that are given in the
collection. In addition to the songs in the collection we’ve given links (in the projectable PDF
included on the CD) to easy pop songs on YouTube that use the same chords. Students really
enjoy playing along with pop songs. Where possible, links to the original artists’ performance
and to a video with the chords and lyrics are given. An inexpensive student book/CD is available
so your students can play along with all the folk songs and easily access the same YouTube links
at home. This collection does not address reading notes and playing melodies - the focus is on
learning songs to sing and strum.

The ukulele originated in the 19th century as a Hawaiian interpretation of the machete, a small
guitar-like instrument taken to Hawaii by Portuguese immigrants. Since then, the ukulele has been
commonly associated with music from Hawaii, where the name roughly translates as “jumping
flea,” perhaps because of the movement of the player’s fingers. The ukulele gained great popularity
elsewhere in the United States during the early 20th century, and from there spread internationally.
It has been popular with performing musicians, and also in music education.

2
 Playing Position
Sitting
• Sit up straight with your feet flat on the floor and your shoulders relaxed
• If the ukulele is large enough, rest the ukulele on your right leg
• If the ukulele is too small to rest on your leg, hold it against your ribcage with your right
forearm

Standing
• Press the ukulele against your ribcage with your right forearm to keep the uke in place

Use a strap
• Some players like to use a strap to keep the ukulele in place

E
PL
M
SA

The Right Hand

• You can use either your thumb or your
index (pointer) finger to strum

• Some players like to use a pick. Hold the

pick between your thumb and the middle
knuckle of your pointer finger, in the same
way you would hold a key. Felt picks are
used most often on ukulele.

4
Playing Chords
The Left Hand
• The fingers of your left hand are numbered 1-2-3-4
• The left thumb goes on the back of the ukulele neck
• Press the strings using the tips of your fingers between the two frets

2 1
3
4

E
Chord Diagrams
PL
The chord diagram is like a picture or map of the neck of your ukulele. It shows where to
place the fingers to play a chord. The lines down represent the strings and the horizontal lines
represent the frets.
M

• The numbered circles show you where to depress a string and which finger to use
• In this example, press down the first string at the third fret
SA

• Use your third finger

C
Frets

3 Finger

Strings 4 3 2 1
G C E A
5
 Strumming the C Chord
The C Chord
• A chord is sounded when three or more notes are played at the same time
• To play a C chord, press the first string down in the third fret with the third finger

E
PL
Strumming
M

• You can use either your thumb or your index (pointer) finger to strum
• Some players like to use a felt pick
SA

• Strum all four strings in a smooth downward stroke

• Keep a steady beat as you strum
• The best place to strum is the “sweet spot” near the area where the neck meets the body

strum strum strum strum strum strum strum strum

/ / / / / / / /

Try some different strumming patterns on a C chord. The letter d is for a down strum and u is
for an up strum.
• d u d u d u d u
• d d u d du
• d u d d u d
• d d d u d u
When you are playing a song, choose a strumming pattern that suits the style of the music.
6
 Tuning the Ukulele
Tuning the ukulele is easy, especially since there are many apps available to help with this. An excellent
tuner for mobile devices can be found by searching for “guitar toolkit.” It has instrument specific tuners
for all stringed instruments, chord guides and a great metronome. A good free tuner is n-Track Tuner.
There are many more free tuners available, but beware of “in app” purchases and plenty of adware.
In large classes of students, it may be more efficient to line up the students, ukulele in hand, and tune
them yourself than to try and have students tune the instruments. At www.musicplayonline.com there is
a ukulele tuner. Log in, and then select Ukulele from the menu on the left. Click on the tuning peg to
start and stop the sound. This book uses C tuning (standard) so click on Ukulele Tuner C.

Better quality ukuleles will stay in tune much better, so try to purchase good quality ukuleles. Always
loosen the string and then tighten it up until it is in tune (from under pitch to on pitch). Instruct your
students to never touch the tuning pegs once you have tuned the instrument.

Open string tuning:

For easy tuning. start at the G with a tuner and move up. The melody will sound a little bit like “My dog
has fleas.” Play a C chord to make sure the instrument is in tune with itself. Make music!

The strings are tuned as follows:

E
PL
String 4: G
String 3: C
String 2: E
String 1: A
M
SA

4 3 2 1

&c œ œ œ œ
G C E A

Pop Songs to Play on Ukulele

Playing pop music is a huge motivator for students. The Projectable PDF file includes links to 32 pop
songs with one, two, three or more chords that are easy to play. As soon as students are familiar with
a few chords, try playing the pop songs that are included in the links. Links are included to the You-
Tube channel, “Easy Ukulele Chords and Lyrics” to learn the chords, and to the original performer’s
videos.
7
 Little Tommy Tinker
Intro 2 bars
1. Little Tommy Tinker C

C 1st time unison, 2nd and 3rd time as a round

&c œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ w
œ œ œ œ œ œ
Lit - tle Tom - my Tin - ker sat up - on a clink - er. He be - gan to cry.

&˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ œ œ œ œ œ œ w
..
Ma! Ma! Poor lit - tle in - no - cent guy.

Intro 2 bars 2. Johnny One Hammer C

&c œ œ œ œ

E
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
John - ny plays with one
PLham - mer, one ham - mer, one ham - mer.

& œ œ Œ ..
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
M
John - ny plays with one ham - mer, then he plays with two.

2. Johnny
2. Johnny plays plays
with two with two hammers...
hammers...
SA

3. Johnny
3. Johnny plays playshammers...
with three with three hammers...
4. Johnny
4. Johnny plays plays
with four with four hammers...
hammers...
5. Johnny
5. Johnny plays plays
with five with five hammers...
hammers...
Then
Then he takes he takes a rest.
a rest.

Funga Alafia
Intro 2 bars 3. Funga Alafia C

repeat
Repeat2 4times
j œ œ œj œ œ
C times

& c œJ œ œ œ œ j j Œ j
Liberia

j Œ
œ œ œ œ J œ œ œ œ
Fun - ga a - la - fia. Ah - shay, ah - shay. Fun - ga a - la - fia. Ah - shay, ah - shay.

j j
& œJ œ œœ œ j
œ œ
j Œ
œ œ
œ œ
J œœ œ j
œ œ
j Π..
œ œ
Fun - ga a - la - fia. Ah - shay, ah - shay. Fun - ga a - la - fia. Ah - shay, ah - shay.

8
 Intro 2 bars
9.Canoe
CanoeSong
Song Dm

j
Dm
j j j œ
&b c œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
My pad - dle's keen and bright, flash - ing with sil - ver.

j j
b
& œ œ œ œ j j
œ œ œ œ œ ˙
Fol - low the wild goose flight, dip, dip and swing.

j j j j œ œ
& b œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
œ œ
Dip, dip and swing her back, flash - ing with sil - ver.

b j j j ..
& œ œ œ œ j ˙
œ œ œ œ œ

E
Fol - low the wild goose flight, dip, dip and swing.
PL
In the Land of Oz
Intro 4 beats 10. In the Land of Oz Dm
M

.. œ
Dm

&b cœ œ œ œ œ œ
SA

In the land of Oz where the

puff they take is e -
snakes are dead, they put
ro - ses die, they put
dia - monds break, it is
1. 2. 3. 4.

.. œ œ œ
5.

&b œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
Œ
la - dies smoke ci - gars, eve - ry
nough to kill a snake. When the
ro - ses on their heads. When the
dia - monds in their eyes. When the
nine-teen nine - ty - eight!

Clapping Game: The 8-beat clapping pattern starts on the downbeat. Each person starts with their left hand up and right
hand down. Their partner’s left hand is under their right, and their partner’s right is over their left. One hand will clap up
and the other down. Do this twice, then repeat reversing hands with your partner. Your left hand will now be down. Next
clap your own hands twice, and then clap your partner’s hands twice. This pattern repeats until the end of the song.

12
Intro 2 bars 18.
26.Swing
SwingLow, SweetChariot
Low, Sweet Chariot F C7

.. jj œ ˙. œ œ
F C7

&b c œ ˙. œ œ. œ œ œ. œ œ œ œ œ œ
Swing low, sweet char - i - ot, com - in' for to car - ry me home. Swing

œ j
F C7 F Fine

& b ˙. œ. œ œj œ . œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙. œ
low, sweet char - i - ot, com - in' for to car - ry me home. I

& b œJ œ œj œj œ œj œ œ œ œj œ . œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
˙. œ
C7

E
looked o - ver Jor - dan and what did I see, com - in' for to car - ry me home. A

&b œ œ œ œ œ œ ..
F C7 F

œ œ œ œ œj œ . œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙.
PL
band of an - gels com - in' af - ter me, com - in' for to car - ry me home. Swing
M
SA

17
 24. Hey Lidee
D A
Intro 2 bars

# # c DŒ j Œ œ œ œ
A

& œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ. œ œ œ ˙
Hey li - dee li - dee li - dee! Hey li - dee li - dee low.

## Œ j Œ œ œ œ
D fine

& œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ. œ œ œ ˙
Hey li - dee li - dee li - dee! Hey li - dee li - dee low.

## A

& œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ Œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙
I know a girl. Her name is Shel - ly. Hey li - dee li - dee low.
I know a boy. His name is Bob - by.
## D
..
Œ œ œ œ

E
2nd time D.C.

& œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
Old Texas
PL
She laughs like a bowl of jel - ly. Hey li - dee li - dee low.
He hangs out in - side the lob - by.
D

25. Old Texas

A

Intro 4 bars
M

## c œ œ œ
D

& œ w œ w
œ œ œ
SA

I'm going to leave Old Tex - as now.

I'll take my horse, I'll take my rope.

## A D

& œ œ œ w œ œ œ œ w
œ œ
They've got no use for the long - horn cow.
And hit the trail up - on a lope.

##
& œ w œ œ œ œ w
œ œ œ œ
They've plowed and fenced my cat - tle range,
Say a - di - os to the A - la - mo,

## A D
..
& œ œ w œ œ œ œ
œ œ œ œ w œ
And the val - leys there are all farmed and changed.
and hit the trail to Mex - i - co.
23
 Boll Weevil
27. Boll Weevil Verse 4 andC5 start hereF
Intro 4 bars

& b c œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙.
F

œ
Oh, the boll wee - vil was a lit - tle black bug, came from Mex - i - co they say. Came
Verse 4 and 5

&b œ œ œ œ œ Œ Œ œ œ
C F

œœ œ œ œ œ œ œ
start here

œ ˙
all the way to Tex - as, just a look - in' for a place to stay. Now, the

&b œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙. œ
first time I saw that lit - tle black bug, he was set - ting on the square. The

&b œ
C

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ

E
œ
next time I saw that
PL
lit - tle black bug, he had all his fam - 'ly

&b œ Œ Ó Œ
F C F

œ œ œ œ œ œ w œ œ œ œ œ œ w
M

there, Just a look -in' for a home, Just a look - in' for a home.

2. The farmer took boll weevil, he put him in hot sand.

SA

The weevil said, "This is mighty hot, but I'll take it like a man."
Then the farmer took boll weevil, and put him in some ice.
F weevil said to the farmer, "This is mighty cool and nice.
The
2. The farmerbetook
This'll boll weevil,
my home. hemy
This'll be puthome."
him in hot sand.
C F
3. Boll weevil said to the farmer, "You can drive that Ford machine.
The But
weevil
whensaid, “This iswith
I'm through mighty
yourhot, butyou
cotton, I’llcan't
takebuy
it like a man.”
no gasoline."
Well I got mad and told the little bug, "Now you bet-ter run and hide."
The Boll
farmer tooksaid,
weevil boll"Can't
weevil,
do itand putmy
'cause himfam'ly
in some ice.
has multiplied.
And we gotta have a home. And we gotta have aChome. F
The weevil said to the farmer, “This is mighty cool and nice.
4. When the merchant came around to buy I didn't have a bale to sell.
C F
I could not pay the mortgage and into debt I fell.
This’ll
NowbeI haven't
my home.
got aThis’ll be my
home. Now home.”got a home.
I haven't

5. Oh, the boll weevil was a little black bug, came from Mexico they say.
Came all the way to Texas, just a lookin' for a place to stay.
Boll weevil go home. Boll weevil go home.

25
Intro 2 bars
4. Row, Row, Row Your Boat
C C G7
Row, row, row your boat, gently down the stream.
(G7) C
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, life is but a dream.
optional
Row, row, row your boat, gently down the stream.
(G7) C
Ha ha! Fooled you! I’m a submarine.

Row, row, row your boat, gently down the stream.

(G7) C
Throw your teacher overboard and listen to her scream.

Intro 4 bars
5. Adieu My Comrades

E
F F

Adieu to my comrades for awhile we must part.

PL
And likewise the lassie who’s stolen my heart.
I am bound out for Greenland and ready to sail
In hopes to find riches in hunting the whale.
M

Our ship is well rigged and she’s ready to sail.

Our crew they are anxious to follow the whale.
SA

Where the icebergs do float and the stormy winds blow,

Where land and the ocean is covered with snow.

Intro 2 bars
6. This Old Hammer
F F

This old hammer shines like a silver,

Shines like a gold boys,
Yes, shines like a gold.
Ain’t no hammer in this old mountain,
Shines like a mine boys,
Yes, shines like a mine.

The teacher is permitted to reproduce this page for students in one school or institution.
32
Intro 2 bars
23. Jack Was Every Inch a Sailor
C G C G
Now ‘twas twenty five or thirty years since Jack first saw the light.
C
He came into this world of woe one dark and stormy night.
G
He was born on board his father’s ship as she was lying to,
C
‘Bout twenty five or thirty miles southeast of Baccallieu.

C G C
Oh, Jack was every inch a sailor, Five and twenty years a whaler,
G C
Jack was every inch a sailor, He was born upon the bright blue sea.

C G
When Jack grew up to be a man he went to Labrador.

E
C
He fished in Indian Harbour where his father fished before.
G
PL
On his returning in the fog he met a heavy gale,
C
And Jack was swept in to the sea and swallowed by a whale.
M
C G C
Oh, Jack was every inch a sailor, Five and twenty years a whaler,
G C
SA

Jack was every inch a sailor, He was born upon the bright blue sea.

C G
The whale went straight to Baffin’s Bay ‘bout ninety knots an hour,
C
And every time he’d blow a spray he’d send it in a shower.
G
Oh now says Jack unto himself I must see what he’s about.
C
He caught the whale by the tail and turned him inside out!

C G C
Oh, Jack was every inch a sailor, Five and twenty years a whaler,
G C
Jack was every inch a sailor, He was born upon the bright blue sea.

The teacher is permitted to reproduce this page for students in one school or institution.
42
 C C7 Cm D D7
1
1 2 3 2 1

E
3 3 3 3
PL
M

Dm E7 Em F G
1 1 1
SA

2 2 1 2 1 2
2 3
2 3
3

G7 A Am
1 1
2 3 2 1

Note:
Some chords have been
altered to fit smaller hands.

49
The teacher is permitted to reproduce this page for students in one school or institution.