Learn a Bluesy Ukulele Arrangement of “Careless Love,” Inspired by Josh White
BY MARCY MARXER | FROM THE FALL 2024 ISSUE OF UKULELE
“Careless Love,” which descends from the old English folk song “You’ve Been Careless Love,” is a staple in blues, folk, New Orleans jazz, and other American and Black musical traditions. It’s been recorded by many great musicians over the years—Bessie Smith, Lead Belly, Ray Charles, Madeleine Peyroux, Joan Baez, and Pete Seeger, to name just a few. I was inspired to arrange “Careless Love” for ukulele after hearing a stunningly beautiful rendition by musician and civil rights activist Josh White on his album Bluesman, Guitar Evangelist, Folksinger.
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I tend to play the song a little differently each time, and the notation here is a transcription of how I recorded it in preparation for this piece. Though I arranged it in low-G tuning, it works just as well with a high G. The key is C major, which gives us some easy and effective chord variations. Instead of an open C (C E G) chord, I play a C5 (C G)—neither major nor minor, on account of its missing third. Starting with the intro, we’re bouncing on and off the C chord’s sixth (A on string 4, fret 2), which provides a blues shuffle feel.
In measures 9 and 10, notice that the G7 chord shape is temporarily lowered by one fret. This embellishment adds a feeling of movement as well as harmonic color. If you execute things smoothly, your first finger will fall behind the nut when you move to the lower position—it’s a good sleight of hand to keep in your bag of ukulele tricks. In bar 12, to introduce variety, I play a C7 chord instead of C5 as before. Lean in here rhythmically and express yourself!
While most of the song focuses on the I (C5/C7) and V (G7) chords, note that progression in bars 13–18 is a bit more involved, introducing the IV (F), iv (Fm), vi (Am), and II (D7). This chord sequence comes less from the folk tradition and more from blues and gospel. It’s a good one to know for the ending of a blues-based tune.
There are several ways to approach soloing in this song, and again, I tend to play it a little differently each time. The chords stay the same; only the rhythm and embellishments change. Start with those chords; slide them back and forth like you did with the G7. Get as much as you can from just the chords, then play the exact melody. If you run out of low notes, transpose it up an octave. Play double stops (two notes at a time) open, fretted, or both—for instance, using just the notes on the top two strings in bar 12. Now, add the verses, play some breaks, and you’ve got a performance piece. Pass instrumental breaks around and you’ve got a great jam song.
