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Learning Ukulele with Curt
26 Miles (Santa Catalina)

Harmonic Analysis (RMA) Worksheet for the song: "26 Miles (Santa Catalina)".

Publisher: N/A Authors(s): Curt Sheller
Category: Harmonic-Analysis Instrument: Any
Subjects(s): Theory • Progressions • Harmony • Analysis • RMA
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26 Miles (Santa Catalina)

Harmonic Analysis (RMA) Worksheet for the song: 26 Miles (Santa Catalina).

ULHA-YB-233-1
Harmonic Analysis Worksheet
& Performance Notes Below
26 Miles (Santa Catalina)
Released: 1957

26 Miles (Santa Catalina) is a popular song by the 1950s and 1960s pop band The Four Preps. It reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100 and number six on the Billboard R&B chart in 1958. The song sold over a million copies and the group appeared on several television shows, including The Gisele MacKenzie Show (March 15, 1958) and The Ed Sullivan Show.

At the age of 15, the band's lead singer Bruce Belland broke his ankle and took up the ukulele to pass the time while recuperating. He learned four chords, which ended up becoming the song's opening music. The chorus was developed some time later when, while body surfing at a California beach, Belland's friend said he could see Santa Catalina 26 miles away. The main theme is summed up in the last line in the refrain, stating that Santa Catalina is the island of romance, with the word romance repeated four times. (wikiwand)

An alternate chorus in the song includes the words Forty kilometers in a leaky old boat . . ., a rare mention of a metric unit in American popular music, and a tolerably accurate conversion (26 miles = 41.8 km).

26 Miles (Santa Catalina) is in the The Daily Ukulele — 365 Songs for Better Living book.
Strum a different song every day with easy arrangements of 365 of your favorite songs in one big songbook! The Daily Ukulele features ukulele arrangements with melody, lyrics and uke chord grids and are in ukulele-friendly keys that are particularly suited for groups of one to one hundred to play and sing.
The Daily Ukulele — 365 Songs for Better Living • INDEX of Songs
Ukulele Chords
C Am Dm G7 F D7
Theses and many other chords are covered in the Learn A Chord A Day series of lessons.
C Tuning Chords
Starting Melody Note and 1st Interval
  • 26 Miles (Santa Catalina) is in the Key of C .
  • Start on Root ↓ m3. Original in the Key of F#/Gb at 121 bmp.
    • Intervals Legend: Root=note that begins a scale of the starting key; C is C, D is D, Am is A, Em is E, etc… m=minor; M=Major; P=Perfect; D=Diminished; A=Augmented. • ↑ is up/ascending; ↓ is down/descending;
    Harmonic Analysis (HA) Worksheet
    Visit the Harmonic Analysis for Scale and Chord Selection series of lessons for information on creating a your own Harmonic Analysis Worksheet
    C
    Am
    Dm
    G7

    This repeats seven (7x) times.

    I
    VI
    II
    V

    The Classic '50s, Doo-wop Progression.

    C:
    C
    F
    C
    C7
    F
    G7
    C
    Am
    I
    IV
    I
    I7
    ( V of IV)
    IV
    V
    I
    VI
    C Mix
    D7
    G7
    C
    Am
    Dm
    G7
    II7
    ( V of V)
    V
    I
    VI
    II
    V
    D Mix

    The I VI II V repeats 4x.
    The song ends on a C.

    The Harmonic Analysis (HA)
    A Harmonic Analysis (RMA/HA) and its worksheet are intended to show the function of the chords, the harmonic principles used, the keys and tonalities the song explores. And, can be used for scale selections and chord and scale substitutions.
    NOTE: A Harmonic Analysis Worksheet is NOT intended to be a lead leadsheet. Minimal roadmap information such as repeats, fine, D.S., D.C., and codas has been used in preparing the worksheets to somewhat mirror the leadsheet in the Daily Ukulele book.
    Sections, Verse, Chorus, 1st, 2nd Ending, turnbacks …
    The worksheets will show 1st, 2nd Ending, turnbacks, etc. as in indicated the Yellow Book. You should start to recognize that 1st endings typically always return to a previous verse or an section. With a 2nd ending, a transition to a different part of the song, a or chorus. Harmonic Principles are used for these repeats and transitions.
    If turnback chords are not indicated for the these 1st and 2nd endings in the original Yellow Book leadsheet recommended chord(s) will indicated in parentheses or as an alternate harmony in Red . Typically the last measures or turnbacks will be a chord that resolves to and harmonically leads you to the next section or turning you back to the same section. Typically a V or direct substitution of that next chord.
    Reference Key
    This is the key of the source leadsheet.
    • 26 Miles (Santa Catalina) is in the Key of C .
    Harmonic Principles Used:
    These are the harmonic principles used in 26 Miles (Santa Catalina).
    Nashville Number System (NNS)
    Nashville Numbering System always uses four bars/measures per line, no bar lines, and default is each number of the number of beats per bar/measure based on the time signature. If multiple chords in same bar then they are underlined. It can be as simple as convert the Roman Numerals above to Arabic number.
    At its simplest you simply replace the roman numbers with Arabic numbers. e.g., I becomes 1 , II becomes 2 , etc. The only exception is the bVII7 chord becomes 7 as this borrowed chord from the Mixolydian tonality is so common and the VII (half-diminished seventh) in a major chord is so rare (actually never). And, you could go as far as saying all the modes are numbered: I II II IV V VI VII — just as in the major scale. So calling it a 7 is not that far out.
    Check the definitive book Nashville Number System
    Scale Selection
    Once a Harmonic Analysis has been completed, scale selections can be made. These scale selections can be either vertical or horizontal choices. And, really, only needed if you are going to take a solo or embellish the melody with added notes.
    Scale Abbreviation Legend
    Traditional Scales: Maj: Major (Ionian), Dim: Diminished, WT: Whole Tone, Har Min: Harmonic Minor,
    Contemporary Scales: Minor Pent: Minor Pentatonic, Pent: Major Pentatonic, Blues,
    Scale/Mode Names: Ion: Ionian (Major), Dor: Dorian (Minor), Phrygian: Phrygian, Lyd: Lydian, Mix: Mixolydian (Dominant), Aeol: Aeolian (Natural Minor), Loc: Locrian
    Checkout LESSONSeries : Harmonic Analysis for Scale and Chord Selection or download the Harmonic Analysis for Scale and Chord Selection book. And the QuickStart Series of Scale and Arpeggio books.
    RMA book cover QS1UKES book cover
    Performance Notes

    Intro

    Simple Bass like intro. If your group's bass player(s) is doing the intro have them play it in an upper octave. A Low G, C Tuned uke with a low G is what is shown.

    C Tuning, Low G

    C Tuning, Low or High G

    Links & Resources
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    art by Curt Sheller
    End of Lesson - Thanks, Hope You Enjoyed It!

    Related Lessons, Videos, Lesson Series, Songs, Books & Reference Charts, Resources & Assets, Workshops are below.

    Related Lessons
    Related Lessons for 26 Miles (Santa Catalina).
    ULHA-YB-index
    The Daily Ukulele a.k.a., The "Yellow" Book Song Index

    Index of the songs in The Daily Ukulele book. 365 Songs for a Better Living.

    Related Lesson Series
    Related Lessons Series for 26 Miles (Santa Catalina).
    Harmonic Analysis for Scale and Chord Selection

    Harmonic Analysis (HA), also known as the study of chord relationships, is the method used to identify the harmonic role of chords within a chord progression or song. A chord progression refers to a sequence of chords, with each chord having a root note and belonging to a specific chord type. The function of a chord within a particular scale's tonality is determined by its relationship to that scale.

    The Daily Ukulele a.k.a., The "Yellow" Book

    Individual Harmonic Analysis worksheets for the songs of The Daily Ukulele book.

    Related Books & Charts
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    RMA1
    Harmonic Analysis for Scale Selection and Chord Substitution

    Harmonic Analysis is the understanding of the functional sequence of chords. It is the process used to analyze the harmonic structure of a progression, song or composition. This analysis is then used to make scale selections for improvisation and chord substitution.

    HL00240356
    The Daily Ukulele

    Strum a different song every day with easy arrangements of 365 of your favorite songs in one big songbook! The Daily Ukulele features ukulele arrangements with melody, lyrics and uke chord grids and are in ukulele-friendly keys that are particularly suited for groups of one to one hundred to play and sing.

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