I'm learning a new song! This week's song is, If I Aint Got You, by Alicia Keys. This is a song that I skipped my first few months having the uke (intimidated by the opening riff)but, I've been watching play-along videos on Youtube lately, and I think that this is a jam that I can handle(plus it sounds awesome!).
<h2>Why Learn This Song?</h2>
The song is nice and slow, so it's not too difficult to change finger positions. I'm about 9 months in learning the Uke, so somethings are coming a lot easier now, but I still find myself learning new notes and finger positions that you don't see in the typical 3 or 4 chord song (C, Am, G, F). I think that any beginner that want's to learn a nice slow soulful song should check out this chords to this song and have a field day. Also, stay tuned in for my next blogs on Steemit covering this particular song, and my journey learning to play it.
I've written out the lyrics and chords that I'll be using to play this song, below. If you've never heard this song or maybe just never really looked into the lyrics, it's truly a beautiful song.
<center><h1>Alicia Keys - If I Ain't Got You</h1></center>
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ju8Hr50Ckwk
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<b>Ukulele Chords -</b> [Cmaj7](https://ukulele-chords.com/Cmaj7) | [Bm](https://ukulele-chords.com/Bm) | [Am](https://ukulele-chords.com/Am) | [Gmaj7](https://ukulele-chords.com/Gmaj7)
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<h2>Song Lyrics & Ukulele Chords - If I Aint Got you, Alicia Keys</h2>
<div class="pull-right">https://steemitimages.com/DQmfK6GyLnEPBA6T9fZk8F6BTEcVkwkerjY8MHCq3g9dPEa/TB003_Front_34.png</div>
<p>
<b>::Intro TAB::</b>
<b><i>Verse</i></b>
Some people live for the fortune
(Gmaj7 Bm Em)
Some people live just for the fame
(Am D)
Some people live for the power, yeah
(Gmaj7 Bm Em)
Some people live just to play the game
(Am D)
Some people think that the physical things define what's within
(Gmaj7 Am Bm Am)
And I've been there before, and that life's a bore
(Gmaj7 Am Bm Am)
So full of the superficial
(Gmaj7 Am Bm)
<b><i>Chorus</i></b>
Some people want it all
(Gmaj Am Bm Cmaj7)
But I don't want nothing at all
(Cmaj7 Bm)
If it ain't you baby; If I ain't got you baby
(Am Gmaj7)
Some people want diamond rings
(Gmaj7 Am Bm Cmaj7)
Some just want everything, but everything
(Cmaj7 Bm )
means nothing, If I ain't got you, yeah
(Am Gmaj7 )
<b><i>Verse 2</i></b>
Some people search for a fountain
(Gmaj7 Bm Em)
That promises forever young
(Am D)
Some people need three dozen roses
(Gmaj7 Bm Em)
And that's the only way to prove you love them
(Am D)
Hand me the world on a silver platter
(Gmaj7 Am Bm Am)
And what good would it be
(Gmaj7 Am Bm Am)
With no one to share,
(Gmaj7 Am )
with no one who truly cares for me
(Bm Am Gmaj7 Am Bm)
<b><i>Chorus</i></b>
Some people want it all
(Gmaj Am Bm Cmaj7)
But I don't want nothing at all
(Cmaj7 Bm)
If it ain't you baby; If I ain't got you baby
(Am Gmaj7)
Some people want diamond rings
(Gmaj7 Am Bm Cmaj7)
Some just want everything, but everything
(Cmaj7 Bm)
means nothing, If I ain't got you
(Am Gmaj7)
Some people want it all
(Gmaj Am Bm Cmaj7)
But I don't want nothing at all
(Cmaj7 Bm)
If it ain't you baby; If I ain't got you baby
(Am Gmaj7)
Some people want diamond rings
(Gmaj7 Am Bm Cmaj7)
Some just want everything, but everything
(Cmaj7 Bm)
means nothing, If I ain't got you, yeah
(Am Gmaj7 )</p>
<b>::TAB RIFF::</b>
If I ain't got you with me baby
So nothing in this whole wide world don't mean a thing
If I ain't got you with me baby
<hr>
<h2>Challenges: Fingerpicking Piano Riff</h2>
The most difficult part of the song comes in the very beginning. Alicia Keys plays a quick piano riff that goes up and down a scale. Translating this to the ukulele means fingerpicking 3 strings pretty quick (for me at least) before ending on a Gmaj7 to begin the first verse. I'm getting fairly good at fingerpicking, and can pick some songs at a rapid tempo, but this song is brand new to me, and the fingerpicking style of just the bottom 3 strings is different than the typical 1 3 4, 2 3 4, and really throws a wrench in the whole thing. It's going to take some time to get my fingers to adjust, but I'm excited to hear it sounding smooth, once I finally get the hang of it.
<b>TABS - If I Ain't Got You - Intro</b>
--7--7--7-7----5------5-----5------5-------3----3----3-----3--------2----
--7--7--7-7------7------7-----7------7-------5----5----5-----5------2----
--7--7--7-7--------6------6------6-----6-------4----4----4-----4----2----
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(This my first time writing tabs! Sorry if they're hard to understand)
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<h2>Time To Learn!</h2>
I plan to play this song daily as I mull about and do my typical routine. Hopefully, by using the lyrics and chords that I wrote down here on Steemit, I be able to learn this soulful classic(my opinion), and play it half as crisp as Ms Keys sings it. Stay tuned(that's a uke pun).
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<center>Thanks for stopping by :)</center>
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