Me And My Girl: Ukulele

This arrangement brings one of Broadway's most enduring earworms into an instrument that students actually want to play. The ukulele's natural brightness amplifies the tune's cheeky charm, and the three-page length keeps learners focused without overwhelming them. You'll find that students who might otherwise sit on the sidelines will fight for this one.

Cheerful and slightly mischievous. The tune bounces with the spirit of a character telling his story with a wink and a grin. There's a lightness here that invites joy without demanding virtuosity, making every player feel capable of delivering genuine entertainment rather than merely executing notes.

Ukulele students who've moved past beginner chord charts and are hungry for recognizable repertoire that doesn't feel juvenile. Teachers seeking a showstopper for school concerts, community performances, or beginner recitals will find immediate utility here. The piece suits both solo performance and ensemble settings where ukuleles blend with other instruments.

• Keep the articulation bouncy and conversational; these are lyrics meant to land with comic timing, so let each phrase breathe naturally.
• Work the rhythmic interlocks between melody and accompaniment so the performance feels like a duet rather than a solo accompanied by chords.
• Dial up the personality in your rubato; Gay wrote this tune to swagger a bit, and the ukulele has the tonal warmth to pull that off without sounding forced.
• Balance brightness with punch in the repeated figures. This melody repeats often by design, so find fresh energy in each phrase rather than coasting through repetition.

Pair this with other Golden Age Broadway selections for a focused set, or use it as the eye-catching centerpiece of a mixed instrumental concert where ukulele takes a featured moment. It works equally well as a finale piece that sends audiences out smiling or as a palate-cleanser between heavier works during a longer program. Spring concerts and end-of-year showcases are natural homes for this number.

• Recognizing and performing syncopated rhythmic figures typical of 1930s musical theatre style
• Interpreting melodic phrasing to convey character and comedic intent
• Managing repeated sections with fresh interpretation to avoid mechanical performance
• Balancing rhythmic accuracy with expressive timing and rubato
• Reading and executing articulation markings that influence musical character