Don't Get Around Much Anymore (from The Daily Ukulele) (arr. Liz and Jim Beloff): Ukulele

The Beloffs have a gift for stripping songs down to their essential melodic and harmonic truth, and this arrangement proves it. A standard that works beautifully on ukulele because the voicings sit naturally on the neck, giving students access to a genuine jazz composition without requiring advanced technique.

Wistful and sophisticated. The melody carries a conversational quality, almost like someone thinking out loud, while the harmonic movement anchors it in genuine jazz vocabulary. There's warmth here without sentimentality.

Ukulele students ready to explore jazz standards beyond folk and pop repertoire. This works equally well for self-directed learners building fingerpicking facility and musicians preparing for a jazz or American songbook unit.

• Shape the melody with subtle dynamic inflections rather than aggressive accents. The song's sophistication lives in its restraint.
• Pay attention to chord voicings even in a single-staff arrangement. The Beloffs chose specific inversions intentionally to create voice leading that matters.
• Treat rests as part of the phrasing, not gaps. This tune breathes, and space is your friend.

Pair this with other standards from The Daily Ukulele series to build a concert set that showcases the instrument's range. It's also ideal for introducing students to the American Songbook repertoire if you're expanding beyond traditional ukulele literature.

• Interpreting jazz harmony on a single-line staff
• Fingerpicking patterns that support chord changes
• Phrasing and breath management in vocal jazz melody
• Voice leading awareness through chord voicing choices