May

I just got done cleaning and repairing my grandfather’s Harmony ukulele from the 1950s. Many of my fondest memories of my Koster grandparents involve sitting in song circles.

I inherited it when he died some years ago, and messed with it a little bit back then, but it’s been sitting gathering dust for the last few years. The nut had broken off and taken a bit of wood with it, and the fretboard needed a good cleaning.

Since I am in a bit of a vintage instrument mood (also getting my father-in-law’s banjo fixed, and am mostly finished cleaning up his Melody Maker), I thought I might as well use all these supplies I got on the uke as well. This is a baritone uke, so it’s tuned basically like a guitar. It also has a gorgeous sound for a ukulele — not what you would expect. I think it’s mahogany. So of course, I had to write something on it!

“May — solo instrumental baritone ukulele”

This is a very simple piece to play, albeit with some off-the-beaten-path chords. I won’t post full tab, but here’s the basics of how to play it.

A bari uke is tuned D G B E low to high, just like the high four strings on a guitar. I am pretty much positive that this one is not actually ituned there. 🙂 So if you try to play to the recording, you will have trouble! Same intervals, different key. If you want to learn it on guitar, just avoid the two lower strings.

In this notation, the number indicates the fret at which to stop the string, and the strings are presented low to high. So 2222 means a barre at the 2nd fret. You will have to figure out the picking pattern yourselves!

Verse:
2003
3005
x0x7 (run 7, 5, 3, 5-3-2, 3-2-0)
To next string x03x slide to x05x hammer on to 5x0x
0760
0540
0760
3210
2100 riff: 2103 to 2140 slide down to 2130

Repeat verse

Bridge
2323
5656
5455
8788
5557
3335
3240
4400 hammer on high string at 2

Repeat verse

Coda:
1000
3200
2100
3200
2200 pulloff to 2000 (a few times)
2100