I have always been a massive fan of Johnny Marr’s guitar playing. His rhythm work is so unique, and I only seemed to realize it when I started learning his songs myself. There’s something about the way he combines melodic lines with percussive strumming that just clicks on ukulele. Let’s learn to play one of the great Smiths intros on the ukulele—”Vicar in a Tutu.”
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
We are utilizing barre chords for the bulk of this song. Check this post if you want to strengthen your barring technique before diving in.
Let’s start by placing your index finger across all the strings on the 4th fret. We’re only using the bottom three strings for this particular riff, but it’s good practice to barre all four strings as it’s going to build some strength in your fretting hand.
Once you’ve got that barre chord position locked in, your other fingers will naturally hover over the correct frets for picking out the individual notes. This hand position keeps everything within easy reach and allows you to move smoothly between the chord and the single-note passages.
The beauty of Johnny Marr’s style is how he weaves between full chords and melodic lines, and this arrangement captures that perfectly. Keep that barre chord as your anchor point throughout the riff.
A|---7---5-4---|---7---5-4---|
E|-----7-------|-----7-------|
C|-4---------7-|-4---------7-| x2
G|-------------|-------------|
A|---11-----------|---11-----------|
E|--------12-11-9-|--------12-11-9-|
C|-8----8---------|-8----8---------|
G|----------------|----------------|
A|---12---14-12----|----14----16-14----|
E|--------------12-|----------------14-|
C|-9----9----------|-11----11----------|
G|-----------------|-------------------|