Below is the lesson for “Hey, Soul Sister” by Train.

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One of the most popular ukulele pop songs! Our fingerstyle arrangement covers the entire song and is perfect for the intermediate player. With this song, I set out to write an arrangement that was at an intermediate fingerpicking level. I wanted this arrangement to be simpler and less technique heavy (as compared to “Havana“), but still remain an elegant and beautiful piece to perform.

And I think I accomplished that; but with that said, there are 2 tricky aspects to this arrangement. Those 2 aspects are:

1) Syncopated Rhythms – For the most part, this arrangement stays true to the rhythmic vocal melody heard in the original recording. This vocal melody contains some of the most syncopated rhythms I have heard in a pop song. Syncopation means that we are hitting off the beat. This can be tricky as playing off the beat doesn’t come as natural as playing on the beat.

2) Variations – Most pop songs have one rhythmic melody which is repeated for each subsequent verse. This song has four versus, each containing multiple variations on the rhythmic melody. This makes memorizing the piece much more challenging.

Throughout the part 1 and 2 lessons, we will be working to tackle these 2 aspects. In regards to syncopated rhythms, I’d encourage you to brush up on your understanding of rhythmic notation by reviewing this lesson. And when it comes to tackling the variations, I’d recommend to master and memorize one verse at a time.

Part 1 – Performance & Free Lesson

Part 2 – For Premium Members

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