Chipmunk, Chipmunk

One of our teachers wrote that she wanted more songs that just used the C chord on ukuleles. So that was the inspiration for creating this very simple tune. (You see? We do read and take your requests to heart!)

The idea is that the chipmunk is a cute little animal that makes a sound not unlike the word "chip." Or at least that's the way it works around here. You can definitely identify them by that sound in the backyard. Anyway, we borrowed the chip and attached a C chord to it, so to speak. So every time the ukulele has a strum, the players also say the word, "chip." Make sense? This reinforces the counting, the rhythms, and helps them focus. You'll note we indicate this is optional, so you don't have to do it, but it's fun. Also, in order to make the sound, we suggest whispering so that only the "ch" and the "p" are actually audible. Our kids on the recording offer a good demonstration, but you can play with this to see what works best for you.

The song itself is very easy by design. You have the option of having it sung by a group separate from the ukulele players, or combining them, given the simplicity. If you want to have extra fun with it after it's learned, consider turning it into a round. For example, the second time through at measure 5, offset the melody by 2 bars. This should work all the way through to the ending.

We had a little fun with our melody reinforcement on the recording. One of our singers sang the word "doo" for the melody and we altered her voice up the octave to sound like, well, a chipmunk. It came out pretty cute, we think. Be sure to point it out to your kids.

If you do not wish to use this piece for ukuleles, that's perfectly fine. We have created an alternate full version with no ukes or "chips." It can be found on our web site along with the ukulele part PDF.