Songs and arrangements
83 posts
Kiskarácsony, nagykarácsony - Hungarian Christmas Song
Tamás GállAlthough it is only early October, I thought I would post this video in good time so that anyone who feels like it has plenty of opportunity to learn and practise this very sweet and popular Hungarian Christmas song. In December 2011, my arrangement of Silent Night was posted on the blog - perhaps a…
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Republic — Szállj el, kismadár
Tamás GállI know there is no comma in the original title, but I put one in. Sorry. :) It needs one. We continue the Hungarian section with a popular song by Republic which appeared on their 1995 album Tüzet viszek. The chords in this song really are not difficult; it is built from basic shapes. If I wanted to…
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Most múlik pontosan
Tamás GállQuimby's unusually atmospheric song "Most múlik pontosan" was released in 2005 on the band's album Kilégzés. Many theories have been proposed about the circumstances in which the song was written, but I do not want to go into those here. I think the lyrics should mean whatever each listener wants to…
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How to Put a Lion to Sleep
Tamás GállArmed with a ukulele, we can bravely head out onto the savannah - provided we first learn The Lion Sleeps Tonight. Nothing beats an afternoon nap This charming and simple song - according to Wikipedia - was originally written in Zulu in the 1920s, but it only spread around the world a few decades la…
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Twist and Shout
Tamás GállAlmost everyone identifies this song with the Beatles: aaaaah, aaaaaah, aaaaaaaaaah, head shaaaaking, shake it up, baby!!! It is a fantastic song bursting with endless energy. It drove girls wild in the 1960s, and I do not think there is anyone today who cannot enjoy the song written by Phil Medley…
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Mendelssohn - Wedding March
Tamás GállFelix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy was born in Hamburg in 1809. Despite his short life - he lived for only 38 years - he explored many musical genres and gave humanity a number of unforgettable melodies. Perhaps the best known is the Wedding March, composed as part of the incidental music for Shakespeare's…
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Cee Lo Green — Forget You
Tamás GállHe is not exactly a performer brought up on health food, but then those notes coming from the kissable lips of Mr Green — born Thomas DeCarlo Callaway — do need a certain amount of weight behind them. I do not usually attach much importance to a song's music video, but this one turned out particular…
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Adele - Rolling in the Deep
Tamás GállThere is not much to add about this song: it is brilliantly composed, inventive and has a genuinely distinctive atmosphere, and I am sure everyone knows it. At the moment I am writing this post, its view counter stands at around 384 million. Adele's exceptional voice is almost impossible to imitate.…
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Heavy Metal Jones
Tamás GállI know I recently made a post about the Indiana Jones soundtrack, but while testing the electro-acoustic ukulele and strumming whatever came into my head, I suddenly started playing the Indy theme. It sounded surprisingly heavy, so I thought I would share it with you: This recording is what is known…
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Már itt, e Földön...
Tamás GállLászló Komár left us yesterday for the eternal fields of rock 'n' roll. I am deeply sorry, because he was an excellent performer, and we will never again hear him tell us that he managed to buy a pair of patent-leather shoes last week. Or rather, of course we will. Fortunately the recordings remain…
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Raiders of the Lost Ukulele
Tamás GállWho would believe that people have been raiding the Lost Ark for more than thirty-one years already? Yes, Raiders of the Lost Ark reached cinemas in 1981, and I confidently maintain that it can still compete with any modern action-adventure film. It won four Oscars, all in technical categories. The…
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I Feel Fine — for Three Ukuleles
Tamás GállThe cucumber season is slowly ending, and ukulele season is here again! (Sorry...) I hope you are not tired of the Beatles yet; I never seem able to tire of their songs. I made a special arrangement of I Feel Fine, which was released in 1964. From 12 December 1964 it spent five weeks at the top of t…
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