That's Life (from The Daily Ukulele) (arr. Jim Beloff): Ukulele

Jim Beloff's arrangement captures the swinging optimism of this Sinatra classic while making it entirely accessible on ukulele. The two-page format keeps the melody front and center without overwhelming players, and the easy-to-manage harmonic movement lets musicians focus on the song's natural conversational phrasing rather than wrestling with voicings.

Optimistic and knowing. The melody bounces with a kind of good-humored resilience, neither cynical nor saccharine. Playing it feels like stepping into a warm, dimly lit room where everyone already knows this tune and is genuinely glad you showed up.

Ukulele students ready to move beyond beginner chord progressions and tackle a song with real melodic and harmonic substance. This works equally well for adult learners seeking material that matches their musical taste and younger players discovering why this era's standards remain timeless.

• Treat the tempo as conversational rather than metronomic. The charm of this tune lives in the rubato and space between phrases, so give yourself permission to breathe where the lyrics would.
• Lean into the major seventh and minor seventh chords. They give the arrangement its sophisticated flavor, so voice them cleanly and let them ring.
• The bridge moves through key areas that feel slightly different from the verse. Mark those harmonic shifts in your practice so you can highlight them subtly when you play.

Slip this into an informal concert or jam session where you want a moment of genuine musicality without complexity. It pairs beautifully with other standards in a casual set, and the compact two pages make it practical for sight-reading nights or student recitals where variety matters.

• Singing through instrumental melody lines
• Navigating seventh chord voicings on ukulele
• Phrasing across chord changes with intention
• Reading and interpreting standard jazz notation
• Managing rubato and tempo flexibility in solo performance