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Live Stream: Saturday, March 13th at 12:00pm EST (check your local time zone)
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Hey guys, we are back with Live Lesson EP028! This month’s topic is: 5 Bad Ukulele Habits to Break.
In this session, we’ll show you how to overcome 5 bad habits that beginner ukulele players tend to make.
This month’s topic should stir up some great questions! So please post all you have below and I hope you guys join us for the live stream. 🙂
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LIVE LESSONS FAQ:
Q: What happens in a live lesson, how long is it, and when does it occur?
A: Live lessons are usually 30-45 minutes in length, but can extend until all questions are answered. The first 20 minutes will comprise of the lesson, while the next 10-25 minutes will be a Q&A session for premium members.
Live lessons take place every second Saturday of the month at 12:00pm EST (check your local time zone).
Q: Can I submit questions beforehand?
A: Absolutely! Basic and premium members are welcome to post questions that are related to the topic in THIS thread.
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A: Premium members will be able to tune in and watch the livestream. Premium members will also be able to chat live with Matt during the broadcast.
To watch the live stream, simply navigate to the Live Lessons Page. You will see a YouTube video embedded on the page (if you don’t see it, double check that you are logged in).
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For further clarification, here is a video showing how to do the above (for desktop).
Q: I can’t make the broadcast. When will live streams be released publicly?
A: The live lesson will be released for everyone to view on Monday following the broadcast (third Monday of the month). If you cannot make the broadcast, no worries; you’ll still be able to watch the lesson. Don’t forget that you can submit questions for Matt to answer beforehand (see the above FAQ).
Hi Matt: First, I really enjoy the RC101 site and learning with you guys and hearing what other members are saying and playing.
I have been learning to play for about 10 months now. I have what I think is a bad habit of tying to do too much such as taking the fingerpicking course, trying to do a 30 day challenge and learn another song that’s probably a bit to advanced for me but looks fun to play and sounds so good when I hear RC101 teachers or more skilled members play. I will then get discouraged and lose focus. Is it good to multitask like this? What do you think is a reasonable amount of “simultaneous” learning a beginner should be doing?
Thank You….Pat
Hi Pat.
I’m interested to hear Matt’s answer to your question, but I’d like to add that I’m a bit like you in that I flit around to whatever interests me at the time. Sometimes I learn a piece well and sometimes I put it aside and come back to it later. Anyway, I’ve stopped worrying about it. I might not learn as efficiently as others, but I enjoy myself and I think that’s what matters. Having said that, although my approach might be inefficient, I still learn and improve, albeit slowly.
Robin
Hi Robin: I’ve seen some of your performances and you are very good. If you don’t mind me asking, Did you approach learning the Uke the same way when you first started or as you got better you became more comfortable just working on whatever interested you at the time? Do you think it’s best to try and build new skills by just trying to learn new songs (even if I know they are beyond my current skill level) and the chords and technique that song teaches. Or go through all the courses? I know everyone is different. Just wondered what your advice was.
Thanks…Pat
Hi Pat,
Thanks for the compliment.
I learned piano as a kid, so my musical theory didn’t start from zero, even though I had forgotten most of it by the time I started playing ukulele in my 30s.
When I started uke, it was entirely for fun and I didn’t worry about structured learning at all. I did a few Skype lessons for a while, but I think I was scarred by piano lessons as a kid, so I stopped. From there, I learned to play whatever song struck my fancy at the time. If I needed to learn a bit of musical theory or a particular technique, I learned it, but it definitely wasn’t structured. There are plenty of times that I’ve tried to learn a piece, found it was too hard, and put it aside for a year or so before coming back to it. Actually, this is an example of that. I decided artificial harmonics were impossible, so I gave up on learning this piece, but I came back to it after I got more comfortable with harmonics.
FWIW, I’ve found the monthly challenges are a good way to stay focussed.
Anyway, that is what worked for me. Results may vary. I think structured learning paths are probably the way to go if you want to learn efficiently, but if I’d forced myself down that route, I think I would have given up playing altogether.
Robin: That was very beautiful playing. I’d never heard of artificial harmonics. That tone is quite unique especially at the higher pitch.
Also thanks for sharing how you came about playing. I guess I won’t be too hard on myself for putting down the song I wanted to learn. Which by the way is “Georgia on my Mind”. Even though I’m from Chicago. I happened to catch another member play it then watched Evan perform it. I loved the sound and rhythm. I did ok with the intro but then came Part B. With all the triplets with hammer-ons it was still out of my reach at the moment. But I will make it a goal to someday circle back and learn that song.
Thanks again. And cool looking Uke too by the way.
Take Care.
I won’t be able to catch the live lesson in real time but I look forward to watching the replay.
I think one of my own bad habits is the same as Pat described – trying to do too many things at once. I want to learn blues, jazz, rockabilly, classical, fingerpicking styles, strumming . . . and every week RockClass101 posts another lesson that makes me think “I gotta learn that song!” It would probably work better to choose one skill or style and practice it intensively before moving on to another.
Anyway I can hardly wait to hear what Matt thinks are bad habits – and how to overcome them.
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