What Are You Doing New Year's Eve? (arr. Fred Sokolow): Ukulele
What Are You Doing New Year's Eve? (arr. Fred Sokolow) Sheet Music Preview

What Are You Doing New Year's Eve? (arr. Fred Sokolow): Ukulele

Arranged by Fred Sokolow

Item: 35-DS00497005
Digital Download
$3.99
Description

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Additional Details
Publisher: Hal Leonard
Page Count: 3
SKU: 35-DS00497005

More about this title

About the Arranger: Fred Sokolow

Fred Sokolow has spent decades making stringed instruments accessible to players of all levels. His arrangements strip away unnecessary complexity while preserving the harmonic and melodic integrity of jazz standards, a philosophy that has made him one of the most prolific ukulele educators in contemporary music instruction.

Sokolow's output spans hundreds of arrangements across multiple instruments, but his ukulele work stands out for its practical approach to jazz vocabulary. He understands what works on the instrument without requiring virtuosic technique, making sophisticated repertoire available to students who are still developing their foundation.

Why we love this

Sokolow's touch with this holiday standard gives students a genuine jazz arrangement without the fingerboard gymnastics that often gate-keep the genre for ukulele players. The three-page length respects both the attention span of students and the amount of material they can reasonably absorb before a winter concert, yet it delivers enough harmonic movement to keep the arrangement musically substantial.

What to expect

This arrangement captures the reflective warmth of a standard written in the 1950s, with that particular blend of nostalgia and hopefulness that makes New Year's Eve repertoire work emotionally. The ukulele's natural brightness gives it a contemporary lift while the jazz harmony grounds it in sophistication.

Who it's for

Intermediate ukulele students who have moved beyond basic strumming and are ready to engage with jazz harmonic language. Directors programming a winter concert who want a refreshing alternative to the standard vocal arrangements of this classic.

How to get the most out of it

  • Shape the melody with light dynamic swells on the longer note values rather than playing through them straight; this keeps the phrasing conversational and prevents the arrangement from dragging.
  • Anchor the chord changes by hearing the bass note movement underneath your voicings, even if you're playing solo; this internal reference keeps your intonation stable when moving between positions.
  • Add a small amount of swing feel to the rhythmic figures rather than playing them metronomically; let the triplet feel breathe slightly without losing precision.

How to use it

Slot this into a winter concert as a solo feature or as a vehicle for a student recital; its moderate length makes it ideal for that transition moment between larger ensemble works. The conversational melody also works as an encore piece or as a standalone digital release for students whose ensembles don't perform during the holidays.

Skills your students will build

  • Reading jazz chord symbols and interpreting voicing options
  • Navigating position shifts across the fingerboard smoothly
  • Understanding swing articulation and rhythmic feel
  • Balancing melody prominence with harmonic support
  • Connecting chord changes through voice leading

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