Ukulele Yes! - The Ukulele Teacher's eZine

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This Little Light of Mine
Traditional, arr. James Hill

Download FREE score (Printer-friendly PDF format):
C6 Tuning (g, c, e, a)
D6 Tuning (a, d, f#, b)

Listen:
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Welcome to the wonderful world of Ukulele Big Band! Yes, Ukulele Big Band. Think Glenn Miller, Duke Ellington, and Count Basie... with ukes! This free "mini-score" gives you and your students a chance to get hip to the style, rhythms, and structure of Big Band arrangements. When you're ready, more "mini-scores" as well as full-length four- and five-part arrangements are available here.

The advantages of starting with a mini-score like this one are:

Class prep is a snap: all four parts fit on a single page so there's no need to guess about how many copies of each part you'll need.
Students can quickly switch between parts (i.e. no changing seats or passing paper)
Students get a "bird's eye view" of the arrangement and learn how to read a multi-part score.

Related Links: More Ukulele Big Band charts (free audio and score samples).

In This Issue: PRELUDE IDEAS & LETTERS UKULELE REPORTS INTERVIEW FEATURE ARTICLE FREE ARRANGEMENT PEDAGOGY CORNER FROM THE VAULT

This Little LIght of Mine:
Teaching/Learning Notes

View print-friendly PDF Teaching/Learning Notes

Focus On:

Syncopated rhythms
Note reading
Ensemble techniques

Key Points:

There are certain rhythmic figures that re-occur throughout this arrangement. Focus your attention on the rhythms in the following passages (and notice when these rhythms are repeated):
- Uke I: m. 1–2
- Uke II, III, IV: m. 1–2
Clap each of the above phrases before you play it, then play the rhythm on a single note. Finally, play as written. Note: it’s very helpful to have a friend (or a metronome!) beat an eighth-note pulse as you practise these rhythms.

Measures 1–16 can be repeated as many times as necessary (without Uke I) as background figures (i.e. accompaniment) for improvised solos. Instead of picking the melody, have Uke I players strum the chords.

Additional Suggestions and Comments:

This arrangement can be played by ensembles of many shapes and sizes. The minimum number of players is five (one to a part, one strummer). The maximum number? That’s up to you!
This arrangement does not require a low fourth string. In other words, it is 100% compatible with both low- and high-4th string tunings.
Have fun with the Ukulele Big Band sound! For some, this may be a new way of experiencing music; it may be a new way for some students to “get inside” the music. Be sure to play recordings of the great big bands (Miller, Ellington, Basie) for your students.
For those interested, the recording of This Little Light of Mine above was made using a re-entrantly tuned spruce-top, koa-body tenor ukulele made by Mike DaSilva (www.ukemaker.com). Click here to see this beautiful instrument.

James Hill is editor of Ukulele Yes! and co-author of Ukulele in the Classroom, He also maintains a busy touring schedule as a performer; his latest CD release, True Love Don't Weep, won Traditional Album of the Year at the Canadian Folk Music Awards. Visit www.ukulelejames.com for more.