Wake Up Little Susie: Ukulele

This is a perfect entry point for ukulele players stepping beyond nursery songs into genuine rock and roll repertoire. The Everly Brothers' vocal melody sits naturally on the ukulele, and the song's straightforward structure lets students focus on tone quality and rhythmic pocket rather than navigating complex fingerings.

Infectious and buoyant, with the kind of infectious energy that powered early rock and roll radio hits. The melody is conversational and playful, matching the song's narrative urgency, while the harmonic movement keeps things grounded and accessible.

Ukulele students who have mastered basic chord changes and want to explore styles beyond traditional Hawaiian or folk settings. This works equally well for intermediate solo players and for classroom groups learning ensemble repertoire.

• Anchor the rhythm with steady downstrokes on the syncopated figures; the ukulele's percussive attack drives the groove as much as the strumming pattern does
• Listen carefully to the original recording to nail the timing of the vocal entrance relative to the instrumental hook
• Keep the tone bright and clean without letting it get scratchy; this song rewards a warm attack on each string

Pair this with other 1950s rock standards to show students how the ukulele adapted to changing musical times. It works particularly well as a bridge between traditional ukulele repertoire and contemporary styles, giving context to how the instrument has remained relevant across decades.

• Syncopated rhythm patterns common to rock and pop styles
• Maintaining steady tempo while executing dynamic strumming variations
• Singing and playing simultaneously with secure chord changes
• Interpreting articulation and tone color from recorded reference