Author Archives: Janelle Durham

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About Janelle Durham

I teach Discovery Science Lab and Family Inventors' Lab, STE(A)M enrichment classes in Bellevue, Washington for ages 3 - 9. I am also a parent educator for Bellevue College, a childbirth educator for Parent Trust for Washington Children, former program designer for PEPS - the Program for Early Parent Support, and a social worker.

Resources for Learning Ukulele

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Once you’ve mastered all those preschool songs in my Beginner Uke for Preschool Teachers series, you may find you’ve fallen in love with ukulele and want to learn more.

Here’s my approach: Most mornings when I’m playing on my ukulele, I think of a song I want to work on, go to YouTube and search for “[song title] ukulele” and then work through the tutorials I find.

I’ve also used the book Daily Ukulele (Amazon affiliate link). I flip to the next song, try it on my own, then search for tutorials of it to build more skills or search on YouTube for “[song title] play-along” if I am feeling confident and want to practice playing it at tempo.

Here are the YouTube channels I have learned the most from:

Someday I’ll be good enough to keep up with: Matt Dahlberg and Christopher Davis-Shannon.

Many of those instructors have Patreons, where for a small monthly fee you can access PDF song sheets, additional tutorials, live jams and lots of other supplemental material. Morristown has all of their song sheets available for free.

I’m working on a collection of singalongs from the songbook Rise Up Singing.

If you want written chords for songs; For any song you want to learn, you can do a google image search for “[song title] ukulele chords” and come up with several versions in different keys – play around to find the one that suits your voice best. 

If you really want to improve your playing, find other people to play ukulele with!! Search for a group in your area – they’re often free, drop-in-anytime groups. Or if you can’t find one locally, there are some online groups as well. My group, on the Eastside of Seattle has some free songbook PDF’s with lots of fun songs to play along to.

Have fun playing ukulele!!

More Kids’ Songs on Ukulele

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This is the end of my full series on Beginner Ukulele for Preschool Teachers and Children’s Librarians. Start at the beginning!

Just for the fun of it, let’s briefly learn 8 more chords and 5 more songs:

(C) Do you know the muffin man,
the (Dm) muffin man, the (G) muffin man.
(C) Yes, I know the muffin man
he (Dm) lives on (G) Drury (C) Lane

There (D) was a farmer (G) had a (D) dog
And Bingo (A7) was his (D) name-o
B-I-(G) N-G-O! (A7) B-I (D)-N-G-O!
B-I-(G) N-G-O! And (A7) Bingo was his (D) name -o

(A) Five Green and Speckled Frogs (D) sat on a speckled log,
(A) eating some most delicious (E7) bugs. Yum yum.
(A) One jumped into the pool, (D) where it was nice and cool
(A) now there are (E7) four green and speckled (A) frogs

You’ll notice Em and B7 are the same chord shape, just shifted up or down one string. That makes it easier to transition between them, although as an intermediate player, I find I’m still not smooth at making that shift.

The (Em) ants go marching one by one hur(G)rah hurrah
The (Em) ants go marching one by one hur(G)rah hur(B7)rah
The (Em) ants go marching (D)one by one,
the (Em) little one stops to (B7)suck his thumb
and they (Em)all (D)go (Em) march(B7)ing
(Em) down (B7)to the (Em) ground
(B7)to get (Em) out (B7)of the (Em) rain.
Boom (B7)Boom (Em)Boom.

D7, C, G Songs for Ukelele

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This is part of my full series on Beginner Ukulele for Preschool Teachers and Children’s Librarians. Start at the beginning!

Playing D7 Chord

There are two ways to play D7: the “Hawaiian D7” and regular D7. Play with them both, and use the one that is easier for you or that you think sounds better for the song.

(G) Old McDonald (C) had a (G) farm. E – I (D7) E – I (G) O.
And on that farm he (C) had a (G) _____. E – I (D7) E – I (G) O.
With a _____ here and a _____ there. Here a ____ there a _____.
Everywhere a __________.
Old McDonald (C) had a (G) farm. E-I (D7) E-I (G) O

(G) Where is Thumbkin, Where Is Thumbkin?
Here I am! Here I am. (D7)How are you to(G)day sir?
(D7)Very well I (G)thank you. Run (D7)a(G)way. Run (D7)a(G)way.
Pointer… tall man… ring man… pinkie

(G) She’ll be comin’ ’round the mountain when she comes
She’ll be comin’ ’round the mountain when she (D7) comes
She’ll be (G) comin’ ’round the (G7) mountain
She’ll be (C) comin’ ’round the mountain
She’ll be (G) comin’ ’round the (D7) mountain when she (G) comes

CFG Songs on Ukulele

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This is part of my full series on Beginner Ukulele for Preschool Teachers and Children’s Librarians. Start at the beginning!

If you’re Happy Tune

Here are several songs all set to one tune:

If you’re (C) happy and you know it, clap your (G) hands,
If you’re happy and you know it, clap your (C) hands,
If you’re (F) happy and you know it, and you (C)really want to show it
If you’re (G) happy and you know it, clap your (C) hands.

Put your (C) baby in the air, in the (G) air. Put your baby in the air, in the (C) air
Put your (F) baby in the air, Say, (C) how’s the air up there?
Put your (G) baby in the air, in the (C) air.

Shake Your (C) Bells in the Air, in the (G) Air, Shake Your Bells in the Air, in the (C) Air, Shake your (F) Bells in the Air and (C) Freeze them right there,
shake your (G) bells in the air in the (C) air…              On Your Side… In the Front…

See you (C) soon raccoon. Bye (G) Bye. See you soon raccoon. Bye (C) Bye. 
See you (F) later alligator. After a (C) while crocodile. 
See you (G) soon raccoon. Bye (C) Bye. 

There are (C) bubbles in the air, in the (G)  air. There are bubbles in the air, in the (C)  air.
There are (F) bubbles in the air, there are (C)  bubbles everywhere.
There are (G)bubbles in the air, in the (C)  air.
(There are bubbles way up high… in the sky. …way down low… on your toes.)

More C G F Songs

Although you can play Row Your Boat with just a C chord, it’s better this way:

(C) Row row row your boat, gently down the stream.
(F) Merrily merrily merrily merrily, (G)life is but a (C)dream.

Wave our scarves (tune of Jolly Good Fellow)
(C) We wave our scarves to(F)ge(C)ther, we (G) wave our scarves to(C)gether,
We wave our scarves to(F)gether, (G7) because it’s fun to (C) do.  

Teapot Tune

(C) I’m a little teapot (F) short and (C) stout, 
(F) Here is my (C) handle, (G) here is my (C) spout.
When I get all steamed up (F) then I’ll (C) shout 
(F) Tip me (C) over and (G) pour me (C) out. 

(C) Here is my pumpkin, (F) round and (C) fat, (make a circle with arms)
(F) Here is a (C) point on a (G) witches (C) hat. (make a triangle with hands on head)
Here’s the mouth of a ghost (F) who says, (C) “BOO!” (circle hands around mouth)
And (F) here are (C) owl’s eyes (G) looking at (C) you! (make circles by eyes with hands)

(C) I’ll plant a little seed in the (F) dark, dark (C) ground. (bend down, plant seed on floor)
(F) Out comes the (C) yellow sun, (G) big and (C) round. (raise arms to make a circle)
Down comes the cool rain, (F) soft and (C) slow. (wiggle fingers to make rain coming down)
(F) Up comes the (C) little seed, (G)  grow, grow, (C) grow! (squat on floor, rise up slowly)

Others

(C)Baa Baa Black Sheep, (F)Have you any (C)wool?
(F)Yes sir, (C)yes sir, (G)three bags (C)full
One for the (F)master and (C)one for the (G)dame
(C)One for the (F) little boy who (C)lives down the (G)lane.
(C)Baa Baa Black Sheep, (F)Have you any (C)wool?
(F)Yes sir, (C)yes sir, (G) three bags (C)full

(C) Teddy Bear Teddy Bear (F) Turn A(C) round.
(F) Teddy Bear Teddy Bear (G) Touch the (C) Ground.
(C) Teddy Bear Teddy Bear (F) Peek-a-(C) Boo.
(F)Teddy Bear Teddy Bear (G) I love(C)  you.
(C) Teddy Bear Teddy Bear (F) Reach Up (C) High,
(F) Teddy Bear Teddy Bear (G) Wave Bye-(C) Bye.

(C)Five Little Monkeys (G)Jumping on the Bed.
One fell off and (C)bumped his head.
Mama [Daddy, Nanny, Grandma…] called the doctor
And the (F)doctor said – (G)no more monkeys jumping on the (C)bed

C, F, G7 Songs on Ukulele

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If you’ve been working your way through my Uke School tutorials, you should know how to play C, F, and G7 chords, so let’s try some three chord songs!

Twinkle Tune and variants

There are LOTS of songs you can sing to Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.

(C) Twinkle, twinkle, (F) little (C) star
(G7) How I (C) wonder (G7) what you (C) are
Up a(F)bove the (C) world so (G7) high,
(C) Like a (F) diamond (C) in the (G) sky
(C) Twinkle, twinkle, (F) little (C) star
(G7) How I (C) wonder (G) what you (C) are

(C) Two little eyes to (F) look a(C)round
(G7) Two little (C)ears to (G7) hear each (C) sound
One little (F) nose to (C) smell what’s (G7) sweet
(C) One little (F) mouth that (C) likes to (G7) eat.
(C) Eyes and ears and (F) nose and (C) mouth.
(G7) Eyes and (C) ears and (G7) nose and (C) mouth.

(C) ABCD (F)EF (C)G (F)HI (C)JK (G7)LMNO (C)P  QR (F)S (C)TU (G7)V (C)W (F)X (C)Y and (G7)Z. (C)Now I know my (F)AB (C)C’s. (F)Next time (C)won’t you (G7) sing with (C) me.

(C) Snowflake, snowflake (F) fancy (C) free.
(G7) Snowflake (C) snowflake (G7) dance with (C) me
First on my (F) head (C) then on my (G7) toes
(C) then on my (F) nose where the (C) cold wind (G7) blows
(C) Snowflake snowflake (F) turn a(C)round.
(G7) Snowflake (C) snowflake (G7) touch the (C) ground.

More C F G7

You are my (C) sunshine, my only sunshine.
You make me (F) happy when skies are (C) gray.
You’ll never (F) know dear how much I (C) love you,
Please don’t take my (G7) sunshine (C) away.

Happy (C) birthday to (G7) You,
Happy birthday to (C) You,
Happy Birthday dear (F) [name]
Happy (C) birthday (G7) to (C) you.

(C)This old man, he played one, (F) he played knick knack
(G7) on my thumb, with a (C) knick knack paddywhack, give a dog a bone,
(G7) this old man came (C) rolling home.

(C) Bumping up and down in my little red wagon
(G7) Bumping up and down in my little red wagon
(C) Bumping up and down in my little red wagon
(F) Won’t you (G7)  be my (C) darling

(C) Head Shoulders Knees and Toes, Knees and Toes
Head Shoulders Knees and (G7)Toes, Knees and Toes
And (C) Eyes and [C7] Ears and (F) Mouth and [F7] Nose
(G7) Head Shoulders Knees and (C)Toes, Knees and Toes