With our new video “Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh” ukulele tutorial, let’s learn a novelty song about summer camp. Alan Sherman and Lou Busch wrote the song, inspired by letters from Sherman’s son while he was in Camp Champlain. “Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh” (also spelled as “Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah”) was a surprise hit, reaching number 2 on the Billboard charts (Hot 100) in 1963.

Don’t forget to check our blog page for other easy ukulele tutorials featuring different types of songs ranging from folk, rock, pop, blues and even hymns. Also, you’ll find many easy ukulele songs for various occasions such as Christmas, Thanksgiving and 4^th of July.

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HELLO MUDDAH, HELLO FADDUH  UKULELE CHORDS

Definitely, we’ll need to know a lot of chords to play along with “Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh” ukulele tutorial: eight chords plus four additional ones for the bridge. The ukulele chords for the first and last part are: C, G7, B7, Em, G, D7, E7, and F. While the chords for the bridge are: Cm, Fm, Eb and Ab.

Just as with “My Favorite Things” ukulele tutorial, you’ll also use a B7 and Em chord change with this song. Instead of using the normal B7 chord with a bar, Jenny employs the alternative B7. This way, the finger positions of the alternative B7 chord shape are just one string above the Em chord. Thus, changing chords become a lot easier.

You’ll also need to practice the bridge a bit more because it has difficult chords. Cm, Eb and Ab are bar chords.

HELLO MUDDAH, HELLO FADDUH UKULELE TUTORIAL

As for the strumming pattern, let’s follow a D-DU-D-DU (D-down, U-up) arrangement. However, you may change that to a simple D-U strum when you get to the bridge. The bridge is where the lyrics goes, “Take me home, oh Muddah, Fadduh…”

NOVELTY SONG THAT BECAME A SURPRISE HIT

Sherman and Busch created the novelty hit song “Hello Madduh, Hello Fadduh” from the letters sent by Sherman’s son while he was away at summer camp. The song is a parody that describes the “fun” the child and his friends are enjoying at the camp. In the song, the child details the “fun” experiences such as a friend catching poison ivy and another one that appears to be lost and needing a search party.

“Hello Madduh, Hello Fadduh” became a surprise hit. Aside from achieving the second spot on the Billboard Hot 100 list, the song also won a Grammy award. Allan Sherman won Best Comedy Performance for “Hello Madduh, Hello Fadduh” at the 6^th Annual Grammy Awards held in May 1964.