Aloha!
Taking a break from working on my next country song (which by the way will be Zac Brown’s Toes), I found the time to perfect my strumming pattern for this great Hawaiian song by Jack Johnson. It was the featured song for the movie Curious George in 2006 and I have always loved it.
I found a download that semi-explained the strum with X’s that I could not make sense of, plus it was in a key that was difficult to play. Not that the Key itself was hard to sing in, I never ever sang the words because I had to concentrate too much on the complicated chords.
One day I was fooling around on my uke with the chords for Drop Baby Drop and it just started to sound like Upside Down, so I looked for my notes on the strum. Naturally I became obsessed with perfecting this “double strum” pattern, which is played out over two sets of 4 beats, or as I wrote in my notes, “8 beats”. Ha. I guess the only one who could tell me if I have that right would be the man himself – wouldn’t that be cool if Jack Johnson himself commented on my blog? Ha!
Well, it proved impossible to get onto one page, and also I can’t seem to perform it without using measure bars, which will not be supported by WordPress’ formatting likely, so you will have to go to the download of my sheets, here: Upside Down A.
NOTE or SIDE BAR: I don’t want to go on the record as saying that I believe that all Hawaiian songs should be played in A. Not true at all! It just happens to be part of the chord progression that worked for me and I found I could sing along with that progression. I don’t even know what key Jack Johnson had recorded it in, but I believe it is a couple of keys lower than A.
Here’s a super-cute video:
The 1990 hit from Garth Brooks titled Friends in Low Places is to this day heralded as an anthem song amongst country music lovers.
When Lee Ann Womack emerged on the country music scene in 1997, she was described as “the old-fashioned style of Tammy Wynnette and Dolly Parton.” For her 2000 break-away hit I Hope You Dance, she used some pop elements as well. She hails from Jacksonville, Texas and her country music sound really relfects several themes: heart-break, cheating, love, country living and having a good ole’ time! She was already 32 when she recorded her first album in 1997 but won Top New Female Vocalist from the Country Music Awards (ACMA) and Top Artist of the Year from Billboard. 
That would be She’s Got You, 1962.
Strawberry Wine was the lead-off single from Deana Carter’s debut album Did I Shave My Legs For This? in 1996. The song launched her to country singing stardom when it became a No. 1 hit and was the most successful single song of her career overall. They recorded it in the key of D flat major, which proved difficult to translate to ukulele so I just dropped it down to C.
I am going to add a new category, since I already have a separate category for Elvis, and dedicate it to songs by Colbie Caillat.
Actually referring to the hit 1972 song Brand New Key written by Melanie Safka of New York, New York.
Country music has really exploded with new sound and trends in the last 2 decades, with hip new stars melding a pop sound into one of the oldest musical genres in North America. With all modesty I have the opinion that Canada seems to produce many talented country and Western music stars, whether they move to Nashville or not.
February is the month of love, and I was remiss in not posting a song or two in honour of St. Valentine’s Day.
Cat's Ukulele Songs 