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The Lava Song is a beautiful and emotional tune that can be played on the ukulele with just three simple chords. As you gain confidence, experiment with different strumming patterns to add texture and depth to your performance. With just a little bit of practice, you’ll be able to play this beloved song and captivate your audience with its sweet and soulful melody.
So grab your ukulele and let the lava flow!
Let’s get into it!
Lava Song Chords & How to Play “The Lava Song”
This beautiful and emotive tune can be played with just three easy-to-master chords. The order of the chords follows the classic “I-V-IV” songwriting formula, creating a pop atmosphere that has been used by countless musicians throughout history.
To get started, you’ll need to know the chords C, G7, and F. These chords are all relatively simple to play on the ukulele, and with a bit of practice, you’ll be strumming them like a pro in no time.
The song begins with the chords C, G7, and F played in that order. You’ll repeat this pattern twice before returning to C and playing it for an additional two beats.
The next chord is G7, followed by F, which you’ll play for two beats each.
In the chorus, the order of the chords changes slightly. You’ll start with F for two beats, followed by C for four beats. Then, you’ll play G7 for two beats before returning to C for another four beats.
To really bring this song to life on your ukulele, experiment with different strumming patterns and techniques.
You might try playing with a slow and steady rhythm, to begin with, gradually building up the tempo and intensity as you gain confidence.
You could also experiment with adding fingerpicking patterns or arpeggios to create a more complex and nuanced sound.
Ultimately, the key to playing the Lava Song on your ukulele is to practice, practice, practice. With a bit of patience and perseverance, you’ll be able to master this beautiful tune and share it with the world.
On the other hand, if you already know how to play the instrument and want to sing it, here’s the tab with the lyrics.
FAQ’s
Is “Lava Song” Ukulele’s Biggest Hit?
Ukuleles have been around for over a Century. Although they played a key role (or, better yet, were played) in folk music, they were only recently adopted by mainstream media. Disney-Pixar’s short film LAVA features a ukulele as the main instrument for the main music theme. This was not a random choice.
Is the LAVA song ukulele’s biggest hit?
Appearing in the soundtrack of a Disney-Pixar movie is making it to the bigger leagues. The spotlight of media’s big eye chose to highlight it through the soundtrack and make the instrument break into homes all over the world.
Although there are more famous records made with ukuleles, we can think of the “LAVA song” as the beginning of a new era for ukuleles.
What might look like a random event from the outside is just the tip of the iceberg for this fun, small, and convenient instrument.
Since when are ukuleles popular?
Ukuleles have a long history of making music for the masses. Indeed, the first news about them is from the late 19th Century in the hands of street performers.
From that time until now, the world has changed in ways nobody could even imagine 200 years ago.
Through those two centuries, the procession of the ukulele was slow and steady.
To begin with, it went from complete anonymity to being established as one of the simplest harmonic instruments to play with. Just to give an example, type any famous song you can think of in the Google search box and write “ukulele” right next to it.
You’ll be amazed by just how many performers around the globe have mastered this instrument and how much data available for beginners there is. Secondly, it is just an easy-to-carry strummer that became backpackers’ favorite.
Nowadays, it is very difficult to walk into a hostel anywhere in the world and not find one. Finally, they are inexpensive and easy to play.
Featuring only four nylon strings (great for beginners’ fingertips), they are capable of all the triads for chords you might need. This ability to play any song on it allows you to bring a very simple, easy-to-carry, and inexpensive instrument to bonfires and friend meetings.
Ukuleles are here to stay and have earned their spot with a long journey of slow and steady achievements. Have we seen everything about them? I highly doubt it; the future looks bright for these four-string wonders.
Why a ukulele for the LAVA song short film?
LAVA is a short film by Disney Pixar that tells the story of two volcanoes in the open ocean. It is a musical animation piece. One of the volcanoes sings a melancholic song about finding a partner for thousands of years. Another, a female volcano, hears him from under the ocean and rises to meet him just when the first volcano was going extinct.
She sings his song, and upon hearing her, he comes back to life. They form an island together and “live happily ever after”. In the entire song, the word “lava” replaces the word “love”.
The use of only a ukulele and a pair of voices helps create an atmosphere of closeness with the audience.
Although you are seeing a Disney/Pixar short film in which hundreds of people were involved, you feel cozy. The lava song soundtrack, in my opinion, conveys perfectly the simple message of the short film.
Furthermore, with no other text line but the song throughout the story, the vocals and the uke offer exactly the simplicity the film needs. Also, it is clear proof that ukuleles are enough instrumentation for any song, including a Disney-Pixar soundtrack.
Is the lava song about Hawaii?
Although the short film is from 2014, it all started earlier for director James Ford Murphy. He was at his sister’s wedding; she was 43 years old and had been waiting for that moment for a long time.
Suddenly, the idea hit him: what if his sister was a volcano? His inspiration came from Loihi, an underwater volcano 35km off the southeast coast of the Island of Hawaii.
So, the answer is yes, the song is about Hawaii. It is a love story about volcanoes that spend their entire lives looking for someone to love, just like humans do.
What is the lava song based on?
Although we discussed the lava song’s origin, you might find the melody somewhat familiar. That is because it is not original; it belongs to the song “Somewhere over the rainbow”.
Yes, the tune that made Judie Garland win an Oscar in 1939 is the basis for the LAVA song. Although the original version of “Somewhere over the Rainbow” can be traced back to “The Wizard of Oz”, the version that Murphy heard and was inspired by was by Israel “IZ” Kamakawiwo’ole.
This Hawaiian singer, lyricist, and sovereignty activist made it popular in 1993.
Who sang the lava song?
The LAVA song features a male and a female voice with the sole company of a ukulele. Let’s take a look at who sang it:
- Kuana Torres Kahele – This Hawaiian musician, producer, dancer, educator, songwriter, and singer plays the main vocal part in the short film. He is very well-known for his band Nā Palapalai with whom he has won many awards playing Hawaiian music (singing in the Hawaiian language). Kuana also teaches Hawaiian culture and instruments in Japan and has a very prominent solo career reaching the top 5 on the Billboard Top World Albums chart. Fun fact, Kuana’s character is called “Uku”.
- Nāpua Greig – This is another Hawaiian musician, singer, educator, dancer, and producer who plays the role of the female volcano rising towards the end of the song. She has released four solo albums winning an Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award for each. Another fun fact is that her character is named “Lele”. Both volcanoes form the word ukulele with their names.
How to keep your ukulele in tune?
To help you enjoy your ukulele to its fullest while playing the Lava Song, you’ll want to keep your ukulele in tune. We recommend any of these three clip-on tuners. They’re super-easy to use, so you can spend more time playing than tuning your ukulele.
KLIQ UberTuner
Snark SN6X Clip-On Tuner
D’Addario Guitar Tuner
What are pineapple ukuleles?
You, me, and most people who think of a ukulele think of a miniature guitar with four strings. As you might know, guitars have a “waist” that made them very popular since they can sit comfortably on your knee.
Most ukuleles you’ll find will resemble that shape. But have you heard of pineapple ukuleles? What does the term mean?
Well, the name comes primarily from its shape since it resembles that of a pineapple with no cut-down or waist in the middle. Second, pineapples are tropical fruits, very common in Hawaii, the land of the ukes.
What’s the difference between pineapple and regular ukuleles?
The biggest difference between both is aesthetical, of course. But does this aesthetic difference bring a different tonal character to the instrument?
- More volume – The lack of cuts in the body makes the sound resound more without any restrictions. This allows smaller sizes like soprano and concert ukulele to sound louder, making them a much better option for unplugged performances.
- More bass – The same characteristic in the construction also affects the sound quality of the ukulele by adding to it enhanced lower frequencies. The body shape allows more air inside the cavity. Thus, the resulting sound is fuller and richer.
Other than these sound differences and the way they look, they play the same, featuring the exact same tuning and scale length as traditionally-shaped ukuleles.
What are good pineapple ukuleles to buy?
Let’s take a look at some options you can buy confidently and make pineapple ukuleles your new thing:
Lanikai MA-P Mahogany Ukulele
This mahogany-made soprano ukulele by Lanikai is a winner when it comes to pineapple ukuleles. The natural warm tone of the wood (mahogany) and the petite size make it very comfortable to carry around and enough for any kind of small reunion.
This is a great option for beginners and players who want to add another sound to the arsenal:
Lanikai MA-P Mahogany Ukulele
Ortega Guitars RUPA5 Bonfire Series Pineapple Style Concert Sized Acoustic Ukulele
The laser engraved motif makes this pineapple concert ukulele look unique, in addition to sounding great. Its concert size makes it even more convenient to carry around.
Thanks to the extra room in the body, the sound is deep and powerful.
This is the ideal uke for those going for a concert size and extreme portability.
Ortega Guitars RUPA5 Bonfire Series Pineapple Style Concert Sized Acoustic Ukulele
But if a pineapple-shaped ukulele isn’t to your taste, check out our article on Best Ukulele To Buy.
And before you purchase a ukulele, be sure to consider the size of the ukulele because each of the four main ukulele types has its own unique sound.
Conclusion
Ukuleles are here to stay in the mainstream of worldwide music; it’s a fact. It gets even better: since they are so popular, you can find a ukulele version of virtually any song.
The fact that LAVA, a short film by Disney/Pixar, features one is just another step toward the spotlight for these great, tiny musical instruments.
Ukuleles are just starting to rise to the top; will you be part of it when they make it? Get one today, practice your chops, and be ready when the moment comes!
And when it comes to practicing your chops, here are our top ukulele learning books to help you get started. Pick up a copy of either of these books, and you’ll be entertaining your friends in no time!
Ukulele For Dummies
Ukulele Exercises For Dummies
First 50 Songs You Should Play on Ukulele
Happy ukulele playing!
