Anitra’s Dance for Classical Ukulele
In this video Jeff Peterson plays his low-G arrangement of Anitra’s Dance for classical ukulele by Edvard Grieg. “Anitra’s Dance” was composed for a scene in Act IV of Grieg’s Peer Gynt Suite and is set in Morocco. The melody’s tonality vividly evokes this North African locale, with a minor theme that shifts chromatically, reminiscent of the shifting sands of the Sahara Desert.
Performance Notes
The resulting chord shapes in the piece require the left hand to stretch across four frets, particularly in measure 11. During this phrase, the high E note remains constant as the notes on the lower strings move chromatically down the fingerboard. As I’ve often advised, stretch with the index finger rather than the 4th finger whenever possible. Position the 3rd and 4th fingers at the 11th fret with a nice curvature, then extend the 1st finger down to the 7th fret.
For the right hand, dig into the strings and play with weight to enhance volume and tone. Carefully follow the fingerings for both hands, and allow yourself to get lost in the wild, expressive spirit of this piece.
Graded Repertoire for Classical Ukulele: Volume 2
Anitra’s Dance by Grieg comes from our book Graded Repertoire for Classical Ukulele: Volume 2. The book has around 50 pieces of classical masterpieces carefully arranged for low-G ukulele in a progressive order. Starting with simple famous melodies like Bach’s Minuet in C, you progress step-by-step all the way through to classical favorites such as Fauré’s Pavane and Leyenda by Issac Albéniz.
Pick up your copy of Graded Repertoire for Classical Ukulele: Volume 2 here.
👏👏 you keep me inspired to play music🤙
Very fun piece! Great warm-up.