Paul | Guitar Lessons and Performance - Paul Elwood

How to play “Hey soul sista”

Hey, Soul Sister” is a song by American rock band Train. It was written by lead singer Pat Monahan, Amund Bjørklund, and Espen Lind. It was released as the lead single from the band’s fifth studio album, Save Me, San Francisco (2009).

The song reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and is Train’s highest-charting song to date. It was the top-selling song on the iTunes Store in 2010, and the second overall best-selling song in the US in 2010. It is also the band’s most commercially successful single to date, reaching number one in 16 countries. The single received a 11× platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on October 5, 2022, signifying sales of over eleven million copies. It was also certified 15× Platinum in Australia and Diamond in Canada. The live iTunes version of “Hey, Soul Sister” garnered a Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals at the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards. The song was not eligible for any Grammy Award in the General Field.

Paul2026-04-20T16:28:48-04:00

Alice’s Restaurant

download pdf lyric, notation, tabs and chord sheet

“Alice’s Restaurant Massacree” is a 1967 satirical, talking-blues folk song by Arlo Guthrie, lasting over 18 minutes. It is a largely true story about a 1965 Thanksgiving littering arrest, its impact on the Vietnam War draft, and a restaurant run by Alice Brock in Stockbridge, MA. The song is a popular Thanksgiving tradition often played on radio stations

Paul2026-05-02T09:50:03-04:00

Resources for ukulele players- where to find songs

There are lots of great resources online for songs you can play on ukulele! I’ve put a few links below.

Typically they fall into a couple of categories. There are paid sites that you can subscribe to, and generally they will have (in some cases quite a lot of) free video too, with in-video chord and fingering charts. Look at the free videos and that will tell you what the standard of paid video will be like.

Some sites will offer a great variety of music lyric sheets with the chords displayed above the lyrics. Lots of these sites are free, so if you don’t mind looking up your own chord fingerings, they are a great way to move forward without the expense of a subscription. There are also “fremium” sites that have characteristics of both previously mentioned. You can access and download the music, perhaps as a text file, but if you want to say, change keys, add songs to a “favorite” list, share your songs with a bandmate, they may charge you for that additional service.

Ukehunt.com

Paul2026-04-25T19:22:36-04:00

Tune your Ukulele!

In standard tuning the strings of the ukulele are tuned to the notes G, , E and A. “G” is the top string; that is, when you hold the ukulele to play, it’s the one closest to your nose and the A string is the one closest to your toes.

The ukulele tuning is known as “re-entrant”, meaning that instead of lower to higher notes like a guitar, the G string is tuned higher than it’s neighbor. In this way, a uke is similar to a banjo!

It’s useful to have a tuner, either attached to the instrument or downloaded on to your phone. Tuners are not expensive; prices range from $5 to $15 for a “clamp on” type tuner (like the Snark-brand tuner shown here). You can download a tuner app- there are dozens to choose from- for free! In the case of either the app or the physical tuner, they work roughly the same. The tuner will recognize when the target tone is close to the value you are looking for. It will give you a visible indication that your tuning is proper. When you are flat (meaning the string needs to be tightened to make the sound higher) the indication will be to the left of center. If the string is sharp, or tuned too high, the […]

Paul2026-03-10T07:09:39-04:00

How to play “Three White Horses”

Chords and strumming pattern “Three White Horses. This is a pretty cool tune, and not too difficult to play as a finger-style piece and to accompany yourself while singing. three_white_horses

Bass line
E E E E C C C C G G G G F# F# B B

Intro:
Em — C — G – G/F# – B

Em | C | G | B7/F#
There’ll be three white horses, all in a line
Em C G G/F# B7
There’ll be three white horses in a line
Em C G G/F# B7
Three white horses, when you go that way
Em C G G/F# B7
You will need somebody when you come to die

“It is a funny thing, but when I am making music, all the answers I seek for in life seem to be there, in the music, there are no questions and no need for answers.” – Gustav Mahler

Paul2026-03-17T10:30:51-04:00

Guitar lesson: Bb blues example

Bb blues example. Playing over basic Bb blues changes. if you’re interested in playing like this- sort of a hybrid fingerstyle – I’ve developed a pretty good personalized method to get you there. Reach out and let me know what you think.

Paul2026-02-25T17:15:22-05:00

Back-to-school Guitar lessons!

Looking for on-line or safe, in-person, one-on-one guitar lessons for your child this Fall? Online guitar lessons are convenient, inexpensive and most importantly, effective and fun! And private online lessons can certainly help a young musician master their instrument. Take advantage of the convenience of remote lessons to help your child learn to play or improve their existing skills on their instrument. Whether kids want to to play specific tunes, accompany themselves on guitar while singing, get some better chops or learn to play in a group, guitar lessons can be a fun, safe and inexpensive way to keep them focused, occupied and engaged. There’s no contract, pay as you go. First online lesson is free to see if we are a good fit.

Every lesson with Paul is fun and interesting. Whether it is a new song or music theory his enthusiasm for me to gain the most from his knowledge is evident throughout.

SM

I like Paul’s patient and thoughtful approach to teaching. He understands that everyone has different learning speeds and skill levels and makes sure to spend the time that I need to learn each new thing on the guitar.

MV

Paul is awesome! Super smart learning tons and is enthusiastic about my journey which keeps me motivated. Recommend!!

JP

Excellent coach that is very knowledgeable with fair pricing ! I would highly […]

Paul2026-02-25T12:09:59-05:00

How to play Ukulele! introduction

Getting started with Ukulele! The video shows how to tune your uke in standard tuning and play a C scale two different ways. I made this video for a pair of young students and I thought it was worthwhile posting it here too. An understanding of the way scales work helps us better understand how chords work too! Please enjoy the video and don’t forget to download the pdf file.

Download the accompanying pdf file here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1N81_nwyjTf9aazm521Lcs3r_abjuTCFA/view?usp=sharing

Paul2026-04-21T19:50:56-04:00

How to play “Take it to the limit”

How to play take it to the limit on guitar. Download the chord and lyric sheet here: Take It To The Limit

“Take It to the Limit” is a song by the Eagles from their fourth album One of These Nights from which it was issued as the third and last single on November 15, 1975. It reached No. 4 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and was also Eagles’ greatest success to that point in the United Kingdom, going to No. 12 on the charts. Billboard ranked it as the No. 25 song for 1976.

The song, written by Eagles members Randy Meisner, Don Henley and Glenn Frey, began as a solo composition by Meisner, who sang lead on it. As it remained unfinished when time came for the One of These Nights album to be recorded, Henley and Frey assisted Meisner in completing it. Meisner’s performance of the song was popular with the audience in Eagles concerts but disputes over his reluctance to perform it would also directly lead to Meisner’s departure from the band.

Composition

According to Meisner, he wrote the first few lines of the song one night while playing an acoustic guitar after returning from the Troubadour; however he was […]

Paul2026-04-18T12:24:40-04:00

How hard do you press on the strings?

Press with just enough force to let the note ring clearly, and that’s it! Guitar necks come with different heights of fret wire and there are advantages and disadvantages to both tall and short frets. A neck with short frets lets the fretboard wood stop your finger from pressing any harder – but if you rely on that, you may already be pressing too hard. Not pressing too hard on the string allows your fingers to work more efficiently, and that means faster, smoother movement. That is essential for playing the way you want to sound, with good tone, in tune and in time.

Taller frets (or a scalloped fretboard) make string bending fairly easy. There’s plenty of space between the string and the fingerboard to let you get a good grip. Hammer-ons, pull-offs and the like are also easier. Taller frets might lead to intonation issues though from players pushing too hard (with no fingerboard to stop them) and making the note sharper than intended. I’ve read that going to taller frets also can present a bit of a learning curve for many players. You’ll generally get longer wear out of a taller fret and you can have it dressed more often, although a fret made with harder metal (stainless steel instead of nickel) might solve that problem.

A medium-height fret is probably a better […]

Paul2026-03-09T19:45:43-04:00

About Paul

There are lots of great resources online for songs you can play on ukulele! I’ve put a few links below.

Composition