Favorite Old-Time American Songs for Ukulele

Mark "Kailana" Nelson

Jul. 2016 · Mel Bay Publications

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This book features over 100 traditional American folk songs newly arranged for the ukulele, with chord diagrams and melody lines in tablature and standard notation. This extensive collection makes "Favorite Old-Time American Songs for Ukulele" a treasury of the best songs from the American tradition. Nothing in this book is out of range for novice ukulele players. The songs are in keys that are both easy to sing and that fit the melodic range of the ukulele. Of course, not every voice sings comfortably in every key, so information on transposition and a short discussion for players of the baritone ukulele are included. Although you do not need to read music or tablature to use this book, short introductions to each are included. In putting together this collection, the author was inspired by the old American practice of making a sampler: an endearing needlework design showing off various stitches and techniques.

The book presents a sampling of the best American songs for folks working in schools, churches, hospitals, coffeehouses and other public performance spaces, or for anyone wishing to expand their repertoire and brush up on a few old chestnuts. There's a little of everything here: sentimental old hearth songs, laments and lullabies, ballads and play-parties, the sacred and profane. The overwhelming majority of songs come from pre-industrial rural traditions, because this is the kind of music that seems to go well with homemade music-making in any age. Downloadable audio of 18 of the songs is available online.

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Multi-instrumentalist Mark Nelson has carved a unique niche for himself as an entertainer, musician and educator. His deep love and understanding of traditional music led him to the mastery of several different musical idioms, ranging from old time western music to Celtic to Hawaiian. In a career that began well before he was able to drive, he has performed everywhere from street corners to hay barns to festivals to the concert stage in the US, Europe and Canada. He once worked as a banjo playing gorilla in Dublin, but that's a different story. Growing up near the beach in Southern California, Mark was surrounded by the music and culture of the Hawaiian Islands. His love of ki ho alu, slack key guitar, led him to travel to Hawaii and study with some of the masters. Aunty Nona Beamer gave Mark his Hawaiian name, Kailana (Floating on the Sea). Mark lives in Southern Oregon's Applegate Valley with his wife Annie and various furred and finned friends, where he divides his time between studio work, writing, and watching the trees grow.