UCL 1 - WEEK 3
"THREE LITTLE BIRDS"​

This week you will explore a syncopated rhythm using 3 basic chords that work great with the song "THREE LITTLE BIRDS" and will be introduced to video tutorial that explains a little bit of music theory in the form of the C MAJOR SCALE in preperation for week 4.
Click the button below to download the song sheet and structure breakdown.
This song was written back in 1977 by Bob Marley and was the opening song for the set of the annual 2020 WORLD UKULELE DAY at Liverpool One where over 300 ukulele players gathered to perform and celebrate the joys of the ukulele whilst raising over 3k for charity. The song is made up of 3 chords with two different 16 bar sections that make up the song. 
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 rhythm that accentuates the offbeats, known as beats 2 and 4. 

To make it simple, play beats 1 & 3 lightly and beats 2 + 4 with a bit more power. Have a listen to the audio below to listen to the strumming pattern starting at 80 BPM ending on 100 BPM.

Chorus sections

Here is the chorus section which starts the song off. As you can see there are only 2 chords, A & D major, used throughout the whole 16 bar section. It repeats 3 times throughout the song with a verse section in between each one. 

Verse Sections

The verse section contains all 3 chords. Notice how bars 13 and 14 change rhythm to just two downbeats per bar. 

AUDO PLAY ALONG TRACKS

THREE LITTLE BIRDS: Chords w/click track
THREE LITTLE BIRDS: Chords & Vocals w/click track​
Click on the button below to download the song to help with practice when offline. 

MUSIC THEORY TUTORIAL - The C Major Scale

Next week you will be introduced to ukulele tab so in preparation here is a great little finger exercise to get you playing the C Major exercise, which forms part of music theory. For now you don't need to know the theory behind it, just get used to playing it with the correct fingers and all will fall perfectly into place later on. 

FINGER GYM @ 80BPM​

Use the PDF from week one to work through this finger gym exercise at 80 Beats Per Minute. 
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