Daniel Ho 'Ukulele Songbook: Ukulele Book & CD

This songbook captures a working artist's refined output across multiple genres and styles, from original Hawaiian compositions to Bach transcriptions, all arranged idiomatically for the 'ukulele. The newly remixed CD recordings set a high sonic standard that students can reference while learning, and the mix of melodic pieces and traditional songs gives intermediate players substantial material to sink their teeth into without overwhelming them.

This collection moves between the tranquility of island-inspired melodies and the intellectual satisfaction of Bach at the 'ukulele. There's warmth throughout, whether you're playing a gentle waltz, a contemporary original, or discovering how beautifully a harpsichord invention translates to nylon strings.

Intermediate 'ukulele players ready to expand beyond beginner songbooks and develop interpretive skills through a curated collection of original compositions and arrangements. Teachers seeking meaningful repertoire that balances Hawaiian tradition, world music, and classical literature for their students will find this essential.

• Listen to the CD recordings before diving into a piece. Ho's interpretations reveal phrasing, dynamic shape, and rhythmic nuance that tablature alone cannot capture.
• Pay attention to the tension between standard notation and tablature. Using both simultaneously strengthens your ability to read positions on the fingerboard while reinforcing music literacy.
• On the classical transcriptions (Bach Two Part Inventions, Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring), prioritize voice independence and clarity. These arrangements demand the same contrapuntal precision as the originals.
• Explore the Hawaiian compositions with attention to the harmonic color available through open strings and drone notes. Ho's writing often exploits these resonant qualities.

Feature individual pieces in recitals or student performances, selecting from the Hawaiian originals for cultural programming, the classical transcriptions for concert contexts emphasizing repertoire depth, or the contemporary songs for informal recital settings. The variety allows you to program 'ukulele across multiple concert themes without repetition.

• Reading tablature and standard notation simultaneously
• Interpreting Hawaiian melodic phrasing and ornamentation
• Playing contrapuntal voices with independence and clarity
• Managing varied harmonic textures and open string resonances
• Translating classical keyboard idioms to fretted string instruments