Makin' Whoopee! (from The Daily Ukulele) (arr. Liz and Jim Beloff): Ukulele

Sly and playful, with a knowing wink built into every phrase. The tune bounces with vintage charm, capturing that golden-age jazz quality where wit and musicianship walked hand in hand.

Intermediate ukulele players who want substance beyond fingerpicking exercises. This works for students exploring jazz standards and for teachers building programs that treat ukulele as a serious ensemble and solo instrument.

• Let the syncopation breathe. The charm of this arrangement lives in the rhythmic pushes and pulls, so resist the temptation to lock everything into metronomic time.
• Pay attention to chord voicings on the ukulele. These aren't just functional harmonies; the voice leading shapes the tune's sophistication.
• If performing with accompaniment, balance your lead voice so the melody sits clearly without drowning out the harmonic foundation.

Pair this with other small ensemble jazz standards to create a focused concert set that showcases harmonic thinking. It also serves well as a standalone feature in a mixed program where you want to shift energy and mood without leaving the jazz idiom.

• Reading chord charts and jazz notation
• Interpreting swing rhythms and syncopation
• Understanding chord voicing and voice leading on the ukulele
• Balancing melody against harmonic accompaniment