Category: 6/8 Time

Old Man River – Fingerstyle #Ukulele with Chords and Lyrics

The lyrics to “Ol’ Man River” were written by Oscar Hammerstein (with music by Jerome Kern) for the 1927 musical “Show Boat.” The song contrasted the struggles of African-Americans with the constant flow of the Mississippi River.

 

This song was written in 4/4 time and every recording I listened to was in 4/4 time, but to me it sounded great in 6/8 time, so that’s what I went with. If you’re familiar with my Hallelujah tutorial, the F to Dm change so prominent in this song is identical to the C to Am change in Hallelujah, the only difference being that I played this song in the key of F and Hallelujah in the key of C. If you want a detailed explanation and slow demonstration of the picking pattern you can find it at the 3:30 mark of the Hallelujah video just after the song. I’ll include the Hallelujah video below for reference.

old-man-river--lyrics

Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye – Fingerstyle #Ukulele with Chords and Lyrics

“Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye” was written by John D. Loudermilk in 1960. It became a Top 10 hit in 1967 for The Casinos then was a #1 country hit for Eddy Arnold in 1968. Neal McCoy’s version reached #4 on the country chart in 1996.

 

I played it fingerstyle in 6/8 time in the same way I’ve played some other 6/8 songs.

 

There are 6 counts in each measure (6/8 time):

 

1 – Pinch 4th, 2nd, and 1st string with thumb, index, and middle fingers

2 – 3rd string played with thumb

3 – 2nd string played with thumb

4 – 1st string played with middle finger

5 – 2nd string played with index finger

6 – 3rd string played with thumb

 

That’s how I do it, but if you don’t want to use your thumb that much it’s up to you. You could even use your thumb and 3 fingers and designate a different finger for each string, for example, 4th string thumb, 3rd string index, 2nd string middle finger, and 1st string ring finger. Whatever works for you.

 

There’s also a separate “6/8 Time” category for other songs that use this same pattern. Here’s a link:

 

https://ezfolk.com/category/68-time/

then-you-can-tell-me-goodbye

When a Man Loves a Woman – Fingerstyle #Ukulele with Chords and Lyrics

This soul classic was written by Calvin Lewis and Andrew Wright, members of the Esquires, an Alabama band whose lead singer was Percy Sledge. It was the first #1 hit produced at Muscle Shoals, reaching #1 on both the Hot 100 and the R&B charts in 1966. It was also a #1 hit for Michael Bolton in 1991.

 

Here’s how I played it…..

 

There are 6 counts in each measure (6/8 time):

1 – Pinch 4th, 2nd, and 1st string with thumb, index, and middle fingers

2 – 3rd string played with thumb

3 – 2nd string played with thumb

4 – 1st string played with middle finger

5 – 2nd string played with index finger

6 – 3rd string played with thumb

 

That’s how I do it, but if you don’t want to use your thumb that much it’s up to you. You could even use your thumb and 3 fingers and designate a different finger for each string, for example, 4th string thumb, 3rd string index, 2nd string middle finger, and 1st string ring finger. Whatever works for you.

There’s also a separate “6/8 Time” category for other songs that use this same pattern. Here’s a link:

 

https://ezfolk.com/category/68-time/

Can’t Help Falling in Love (Elvis) – Fingerstyle #Ukulele with Chords & Lyrics

One of Elvis Presley’s signature songs, it became a huge hit in 1961 with the Elvis movie, “Blue Hawaii.” It’s in 6/8 time and I did it fingerstyle using the same pattern I’ve used for other 6/8 songs. If you would like the fingerstyle pattern explained, see the detailed explanation at the end of my “Hallelujah” video.

Of course, there have been zillions of covers over the years. I’m including two of them here, Andrea Bocelli (who also sang it in the key of F so you might be able to play along with his singing) and Celine Dion.

The End of the World – Fingerstyle #Ukulele with Chords & Lyrics

“The End of the World” is a song that became a huge hit for Skeeter Davis in 1963. To date, it’s the only song to ever reach the Top 10 on four different Billboard charts (#2 on the Billboard Hot 100; #2 on Billboard’s Hot Country Singles chart; #1 on Billboard’s Easy Listening Chart; and #4 on Billboard’s Hot R&B Singles chart. Over the years it’s been recorded by many other artists.

For my chords & lyrics tutorial I used the same 6/8 fingerstyle pattern that I used for the song Hallelujah, and on that one I explained the pattern in detail at the end of the video, so if you need help check that one out.

Here is my video of Hallelujah that features the same 6/8 fingerpicking pattern. A detailed description follows the song, so if you need help check it out.

Unchained Melody – #Ukulele Chords & Lyrics

Written in 1955 as the theme song for an obscure movie named “Unchained,” this song has become a standard, recorded by hundreds of artists over the years. The most definitive version is the 1965 recording by The Righteous Brothers.

Here’s how I played it…

There are 6 counts in each measure (6/8 time):
1 – Pinch 4th, 2nd, and 1st string with thumb, index, and middle fingers
2 – 3rd string played with thumb
3 – 2nd string played with thumb
4 – 1st string played with middle finger
5 – 2nd string played with index finger
6 – 3rd string played with thumb

That’s how I do it, but if you don’t want to use your thumb that much it’s up to you. You could even use your thumb and 3 fingers and designate a different finger for each string, for example, 4th string thumb, 3rd string index, 2nd string middle finger, and 1st string ring finger. Whatever works for you.