Harmonic Rhythm and Ukulele Strumming Tips

Trying to do a fancy strum like an expert can be a bit frustrating when you’re a beginner but as the old adage goes, take it one step at a time (or in this case one beat at a time) and you’ll soon be strumming like a pro. One thing that can be difficult to determine at first is the strumming speed, particularly when you have various chord changes within the song. The strumming speed is the number of strums you can make in one beat. And the beat, of course, is the steady, underlying pulse or groove of the song.

In the following ukulele tutorial video, Jenny discusses harmonic rhythm or harmonic tempo and the effect of strumming speed to this rhythm. Sounds complex, right? So before we go further with it, it’s also helpful to remember that when we are learning a new song on the ukulele, practicing with an easy one strum per beat gives you time to get familiar with the melody and chord changes. When you’ve got the chord changes down along with singing the melody, then you can level up to more complicated strumming stuff. 

Read more about harmonic rhythm and check out the video here. 

An Easy Ukulele Song for Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a joyful family affair that's celebrated with food, stories, games and music. We remember to give thanks to the Lord for our bountiful blessings in the form of a prayer or a song.

Visit our Thanksgiving blog post featuring a ukulele tutorial for the song "Prayer of Thanksgiving" which includes a lead sheet you can download. http://ukulele.io/easy-ukulele-song-for-thanksgiving/

We Gather Together (Prayer of Thanksgiving)

Thanksgiving is just around the corner. Here's a ukulele tutorial for one of the oldest Thanksgiving songs, We Gather Together. Happy strumming!

https://youtu.be/y0j7eyJnIyw

Prayer of Thanksgiving, We Gather Together

The first Thanksgiving holiday in the United States (or the “New World” as it was called then) was celebrated in October 1621. It is interesting to note then that the origin of one of the famous Thanksgiving songs “Prayer of Thanksgiving,” which is also called “We Gather Together” actually precedes that first Thanksgiving season. 

“Prayer of Thanksgiving” was based from the original Dutch version written by Adrianus Valerius in 1597. From its earlier Dutch folk variety, it was modified into a religious hymn in celebration of the successful revolt of the Dutch lead by the famed military leader Prince Maurice of Orange against the Spaniards. Under the Spanish King Phillip II, who is Catholic, Dutch Protestants were not allowed to gather for religious worship. The celebration and the song signified an act of defiance to this religious persecution.

In the early 17th century, the Dutch version of “Prayer of Thanksgiving” was published as part of a collection of Dutch patriotic poems and songs entitled “Nederlandtsche Gedenck-Clanck.” With their move to the New World, Dutch immigrants took with them their religious hymns and patriotic songs; however, it will take centuries before this Thanksgiving song was officially translated into English.

The translation to English was done by Theodore Baker in 1894 – this English translation intended as a Thanksgiving prayer song to be harmonized by a choir. Baker was an American musical scholar who studied in Leipzig Conservatory from 1878 and later worked as an editor for Schirmer, a musical publishing company. Since 1903 when the English version now known as “We Gather Together” originally appeared in an American religious songbook, it has reached various American religious denomination including the largest one, Methodist Episcopal Church, which included the song to their hymnal in 1935.

Over the River and Through the Wood ukulele tutorial

With Thanksgiving just a few weeks away, here's a video tutorial for one cheerful Thanksgiving song - Over the River and Through the Wood.