This was always one of the standout tunes for me on that breakthrough album. In fact, who am I kidding—it’s a flawless album and there are riffs and licks for days. This one is super nippy and has no business being played on ukulele, but let’s do it anyway, lol.
What Are We Learning To Play?
Below is a video of what you will be able to play by the end of this post.
Ukulele Tabs
The riff itself is very straightforward—there are no special techniques going on, it’s just super quick. I recommend using this speed builder tool I built if you want to get to the correct tempo of 127bpm. You can use the tool to start a metronome at, let’s say, 70bpm, and it will then jump in small increments so the changes in speed seem natural.
Let’s start with finger placements. Use your index finger on the 7th fret of the E string and your ring finger for the 10th fret. These two placements will cover 75% of the riff, so getting comfortable with this hand position is crucial.
After you’ve played the first section three times, you’re moving up the fretboard slightly. Keep your index finger on the 7th fret, then move up 2 frets to the 9th fret. From this point, you want to only use your index and ring fingers again.
Assign your index finger to the 9th and 10th frets, and your ring finger to all the notes on the 12th fret. This applies to both the E and C strings, so keep that finger assignment consistent throughout.
I’ve also included an extra riff that a buddy can play along with you. It’s simply a two-note chord played twice each
Riff 1
A|-------------------7------|
E|-7-----10--7--10------10--| x3
C|--------------------------|
G|--------------------------|
A|-----------9--12----------|
E|-7--10--12--------12--10--|
C|--------------------------|
G|--------------------------|
Riff 2
A|---------------------|
E|--7--7------5--5-----|
C|--6--6------4--4-----|
G|---------------------|