MODULE 4
STRUMMING PATTERN 3 & SONG 3 - "3 Little Birds"
🎶 Module: New Chords & Syncopated Strumming
In this module, you'll expand your chord library and rhythm skills with:
✅ New chord shapes: A major, D7, and E7
✅ A syncopated strumming pattern that adds a dynamic, offbeat feel to your playing
This strumming style works beautifully in both country and reggae music — and you'll get to try it out in a ukulele favourite:
“Three Little Birds” by Bob Marley 🐦
This module is perfect for building smooth chord transitions, mastering offbeat rhythm, and boosting your confidence with new song styles!
In this module, you'll expand your chord library and rhythm skills with:
✅ New chord shapes: A major, D7, and E7
✅ A syncopated strumming pattern that adds a dynamic, offbeat feel to your playing
This strumming style works beautifully in both country and reggae music — and you'll get to try it out in a ukulele favourite:
“Three Little Birds” by Bob Marley 🐦
This module is perfect for building smooth chord transitions, mastering offbeat rhythm, and boosting your confidence with new song styles!
Chord Shapes
🎸 Chords to Explore in This Module
In this module, you'll focus on three essential chords that will be embedded into your next song:
✅ A major
✅ D7
✅ E7
Take a few minutes to get familiar with the shapes and finger positions — mastering these will set you up for smooth playing in the upcoming track!
In this module, you'll focus on three essential chords that will be embedded into your next song:
✅ A major
✅ D7
✅ E7
Take a few minutes to get familiar with the shapes and finger positions — mastering these will set you up for smooth playing in the upcoming track!
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Strumming Pattern
As mentioned above, the strumming pattern illustrated below works well with many genres of music including reggae when played at a moderate speed and various types of country music when played much faster. The emphasis being on beats 2 and 4 creates a syncopated sound that enhances the offbeat.
EXERCISE: Watch the video below and practice this strumming techniques slowly at first to ensure you can hear well defined dynamics within each strum.
Song 3 - THREE LITTLE BIRDS
Now let's break down the two parts for THREE LITTLE BIRDS originally written back in 1977 by Bob Marley, both containing 16 bars each.
This song was the opening song for the set list of the annual 2020 WORLD UKULELE DAY at Liverpool One where over 300 ukulele players gathered to perform and celebrate the ukulele and is a great song to play on the ukulele for those just starting out as the lyrics are basically the same for each verse and each chorus.
The song begins with the chorus section and contains just the A and D major chords and contains 16 bars as follows:
This song was the opening song for the set list of the annual 2020 WORLD UKULELE DAY at Liverpool One where over 300 ukulele players gathered to perform and celebrate the ukulele and is a great song to play on the ukulele for those just starting out as the lyrics are basically the same for each verse and each chorus.
The song begins with the chorus section and contains just the A and D major chords and contains 16 bars as follows:
The verse sections contain all 3 chords, including the E7 as follows:
EXERCISE: Now download the song & structure PDF below and try practicing along to the full track where both the chorus and verse sections are played twice round
Click on the button below to download the song to help with practice when offline.
16 FRET STRETCH @ 70BPM
EXERCISE: Use your Finger Gym PDF from Module 2 to play along with this weeks speed at 70BPM.
In the next module you will explore a whole new way of playing the ukulele which involves reading tab.