What'll I Do?: Ukulele

This arrangement strips Berlin's sentimental ballad down to its essential charm, making it entirely approachable on ukulele without sacrificing the song's emotional core. The straightforward two-page format respects both the instrument's limitations and its intimate character; there's nowhere to hide, which teaches honest phrasing and voicing awareness.

Wistful and tender, with the quality of an intimate confession; the ukulele's bright, warm tone adds a gentle hopefulness to the melody's questioning nature. There's a conversational quality to the phrasing, as if you're speaking directly to the listener about matters of the heart.

Intermediate ukulele players comfortable with jazz chords and looking to expand beyond folk or Hawaiian styles. This works well for students developing musicality through standards and for performers building a repertoire of accessible jazz classics.

• Shape the melody line with subtle rubato in the verse, allowing the harmony to breathe rather than locking strictly to the beat.
• Let the ukulele's natural warmth carry the vulnerability of the lyric; resist the urge to add artificial dynamics or ornamentation.
• Pay attention to chord voicings on the ukulele fretboard; Berlin's harmonic movement often hinges on smooth voice leading that a careless fingering will obscure.

Feature this in a jazz or standards showcase, pairing it with other Berlin compositions or complementary swing-era ballads. It's also valuable as a solo feature that lets a strong intermediate player demonstrate both technical control and interpretive maturity.

• Voicing jazz chords on ukulele in practical, singable inversions
• Phrasing and rubato in a melodic ballad context
• Reading lead sheet notation with harmonic awareness
• Emotional restraint and intimacy in performance