Noodlin’!

[The_Bumble_Bard]

@gi_gi_ so true! New Zealand is an absolutely amazing place. It’s otherworldly there. On the other hand they have sheep farms and Hobbits so you don’t get too overwhelmed by the epic beauty. 😂 My sister and I went there because of The Lord of the Rings movies and went on a couple tours there but that was before they even had a permanent Hobbiton set so I kind of want to go back. 😅😂 I’m so excited to hear more of your noodling. I’m so happy you’re into this topic too. As soon I learned this was a thing from Matt my brain kind of exploded because this kind of helped me connect more deeply and understand more what I was already doing – and realize the almost limitless potential of playing this way. 😁 I’m going to cry, too… 😅😂😂

Thank you so much about my arrangement/noodling! I love to figure out songs and noodle over them and it’s so nice if anyone else likes it. It’s very special. I genuinely don’t think I would have unlocked and grown in my abilities as much as I have without my friends here and just as much my “teacher friends,” @Andrew and Matt. 😂😊💕

Okay, I think that makes sense. I have to check when I get home because I have to look at the fretboard and count up to find the notes, perhaps using my mind piano. 😅😂 I know a c minor chord has the notes c, e flat, and g but I just don’t know where they are on uke, where they appear in the chord. I do know there is a c note in that chord because that’s one of the two notes I know that are not the open strings. 😅😂 I’m bad at this. Thank you again! Sorry that was so rambling when I write quickly it’s much less concise. 😅

• This reply was modified 1 year, 10 months ago by The_Bumble_Bard.

[The_Bumble_Bard]

@gi_gi_, that is so amazing! That’s even crazier for doing that in just a week’s time. I’ve heard of Marco Cirillo; I think I’ve seen a couple of his videos. That’s really neat that you’re doing that! If you come up with more noodly-solo-stuff like that, I’d love to hear it. 🙂 I actually think that’s the approach to noodling that I’m the worst at because I only know the C scale in its entirety and only two of the notes on the fretboard. :S Somehow, I learned the C Scale without consciously memorizing the notes – not sure how that’s possible, but I did it! LOL. Shows my expert-level avoidance of things I don’t really want to do, like learning certain things. 😂 Anyway, that’s lovely you’re doing that! 😊

@emiliano, I agree! Playing that way is so relaxing, that sometimes I will literally completely lounge and play, noodling whatever comes to mind (and sometimes fall asleep) 😂 – that’s pretty much how I created all my arrangements, since I figure them out by ear, and then look up chords because I’m bad at knowing chords.

That lesson looks so interesting, I’m defs going to listen to that tomorrow! 😀 Thank you! I wish I could help with the soloing but that’s the approach to playing uke I’m the worst at – playing from a theoretical standpoint, such as precisely following scales. Maybe @gi_gi_ knows a bit more about that.

Hahaha, oh my, I just got to the point that I’m writing out my arrangements with GuitarPro, with a lot of help from Matt. I have about 1.5 written out now, since I messed one up and need to fix it / finish it. 😂 Before that, I would just record things I didn’t want to forget. But I actually stopped worrying about that as much because I realized half the time I think of something better later anyway, LOL.

Here’s an example of me noodling over one of my own arrangements that I’m working on now:

This is more of an example of the spontaneous kind of noodling, as opposed to “playing over” already-existing arrangements. Also, I may have started to fall asleep at the end of the video. I am mildly narcoleptic. 😂

Here’s also one showing how I “play over” existing arrangements, just using a different fingerpicking pattern and slightly different note choices, using Andrew’s Etude No. 5 from here on Rock Class 101:

Also, it may look like I’m reading from sheet music because I keep staring off toward the same point – I think I may have been looking at my phone some of the time, but I didn’t realize I did that when I’m spacing out and playing. So, that’s awkward…

And lastly, here’s one of my arr. of Pathetique (Sonata No. 8) by Beethoven – first, played the way I originally arranged it, and then the version I play now after having noodling over it so much; this is one of my “go to” songs now when someone asks me to play something because it’s so unconscious to play that when the performance anxiety takes over, I can still play it. 😂

I stayed up a bit later to record those, which is why I got so tired near the end of that video, but I really wanted to share these things. Hopefully this isn’t too much at once. I hope anyone who listens enjoys them. 😊

Thank you both so much for sharing! And @emiliano, it would be awesome to hear some of your noodling, if you’d like to share, but no presh (pressure). Thank you!😊

[The_Bumble_Bard]

Hahaha oh my gosh that was a mega novel! So sorry. The second post is the lost reply from the previous page out of order. Welcome to TMI town and I’m the mayor. Thank you Andrew for fixing that! 😂😂😅😅😳

[gi_gi_]

@the_bumble_bard tee hee Mayor 😂 I’m looking forward to listening to these. Thx for posting.

[The_Bumble_Bard]

@gi_gi_ hehe! Good ol’ Mayor AB! 😂😅 Pretty much only you and I know what that nickname means. 😅😂

Here’s the third noodlin’ link, Beethoven’s “Pathetique,” that didn’t appear in the mega post (but that post explains it a bit):

Yay, looking forward to your noodlings, too, when you get to them!! 😁💕

[gi_gi_]

@the_bumble_bard That was great. Gives me ideas too. I am working on what Mika Kane taught in that video and seeing your noodling really helps. Nice job.

[emiliano]

Ah the channel is not mine haha @gi_gi_ is for my sister I made the content for, her instagram is pasaportete, she is not that into youtube.

@the_bumble_bard Really great noodling video, I also think the chord in the end is Cminor, also I notice your ukulele knows Spanish haha with the word HOLA in there!

I also try to noodle with songs I know I lately been learning 2 songs I noodle with a Zelda song call song of healing and a Final Fantasy One haha I have geeky musical taste.

But those videogame songs are really great to noodle cause they tned to repeat alot so are easy to learn and very catchy.

There is a guitar guy call Lucas that I enjoy how he solo and adapt this videogame songs, I bet he noodle a lot to come with those ideas:

[emiliano]

@the_bumble_bard Oh haha the mega post with the 3 links is up now, Oh will try to record some noodles maybe next week.

Also at least for me the best noodling is at night haha the ambient is more relaxing for me or maybe I like to stay up late.

But thank you for sharing those 3 videos too!

[The_Bumble_Bard]

@gi_gi_, thank you so much, my friend! I love that they give you ideas. 😁💕 I can’t wait to see your noodling, so glad that Mika video inspired and helped you to try it. 😊 Also what he said about playing more cleanly, as opposed to rushing just for the sake of playing faster, is a really good point. That’s something I know I could really work on, playing more cleanly. But yeah, can’t wait to see your noodling!! 😁💕

@emiliano, thank you so much! 😊 For me noodling is more about relaxing and decompressing, and also figuring out a lot of songs I want to play that are more obscure that don’t really exist on uke. 😂😅 Well, a couple of them do exist somewhere on YouTube but I’d rather figure them out myself amidst my noodling. And I’ve realized that I actually prefer to figure them out mostly by ear anyway. That said, I probably wouldn’t have “matured” that skill without RC101 because I think I really absorbed what makes a great structured song and many fun possibilities of what you can add to a song through learning songs here. Also techniques, though I could still work a lot more on that. 😂

Haha!! My uke does know a little Spanish. 😂😅 ¡Hola! 😂 I was so confused by that when I first got that uke (because it was my first and most beloved uke), “isn’t the ukulele a Hawaiian instrument?” But now I can’t remember if that is also a Hawaiian word. It’s been a while since I looked that up. 😂😅

I absolutely love the beginning of that Lucas fellow’s Great Fairy Fountain! I love tremolo picking on guitar and uke. I want to learn that still. I’m still not very good at that. Love that sound though, great rendition of that one overall! You’re learning a ukulele version of that one? Did you know that Rock Class has a beautiful arrangement of that song done by Steven Warren? Actually there are many beautiful video game arrangements here. They had a challenge with them once and they’re all really pretty. I never really knew those songs before that because I never played those types of video games, more often PC games from the early 2000’s, like Roller Coaster Tycoon, The Sims, and Thief. I never played them as intended though. 😅😂

Haha! Yes, the mega post is up, followed by this mega post. I just get really excited talking about these things. Really looking forward to hearing some of your noodlings! I saw your take on What Was I Made For? in the challenge thread, that was really, really great!! 😊

[gi_gi_]

@emiliano November 2022 we had the challenges for the Zelda songs. You gotta goto the forum on the monthly challenges and check them out. I think I tried Zelda’s Lullabye. What a beautiful song. The YT you posted is so beautiful. Wow!

[emiliano]

Oh I know @gi_gi_ I did not post the videos up but I know all the zelda songs from Rock Class 101, I am actually starting to make my version of one Zelda Song since I did not find it for Ukulele, back then I make it for low g ukulele, but that was 4 years ago and I become more of a fan of the high g Ukulele so I am doing that, I laso know the Luigi Mansion song From Matt.

@the_bumble_bard You know, for the tremolo, I noticed my first uke was the plastic one from Enya, and the fretboard is really small compared to this new ukulele, also from Enya, but a proper wood one. The fretboard is wider, so making tremolo is way easier. I can easily use 3-finger tremolo on this new one.

I learned tremolo with this version on my low G ukulele. It has a link for the tabs; maybe it will help you too. Oh, and I’m also a big fan of Christmas music, haha.

I’m not really learning that specifically, but I want to do something like Michael Heafy or 72 Hours Remaining or Lucas does. The problem is that the day only has 24 hours, haha.

Oh, and I learned that Zelda Fairy Fountain arrangement on day one. It’s so pretty, one of my favorites from him.

• This reply was modified 1 year, 10 months ago by emiliano.
• This reply was modified 1 year, 10 months ago by emiliano.

[emiliano]

This is Michelle Heafy

[The_Bumble_Bard]

@gi_gi_ haha we both had to let him know about the video game music here, but he already knew and we were preaching to the choir. 😅😂

@emiliano, that version of Silent Night is so beautiful with that technique! I love that sound so much. Matt from here also plays that technique very beautifully. One of my favorite instances of it is Brandon Acker playing Los Recuerdos de la Alhambra on guitar:

Maybe I’ll have to try that Silent Night, thank you for sharing that. I don’t love all Christmas music but that one is one of my favorites year round too. 😅😂

That song by Michelle Heafy is really beautiful, too! It seems like you’ve really developed your skills and are a really good player if you’re attempting to do things like that. 😂 Just based on what I’ve seen you share on the forum, you’ve got mad skillz. How much do you have to think about it to play songs in an “alternative” way? Like with What Was I Made For? in the challenge? Can you just take a song you’ve learned and immediately noodle over it? I do that to a degree but it’s definitely not as refined as what you did there, though I do think I know how to make things sound “pretty.” 😂

Thank you for all you’ve shared here, very insightful! I look forward to your noodling samples whenever you can get to it!! I’ll add more pretty soon too. 😊😅

[emiliano]

@the_bumble_bard Ohhhh I am not good at all at improvising, I am very formulaic, tho I will love to get better at improvising I have not an I dea where to really start haha.

I usually tho try to adapt songs a little cause I do believe is more fun if you play them in your own way, but for examples the change I was made for I have to sit down and try and repeat till I get the sound I hear in my head haha, but I do it super super slowly not in the moment.

Maybe that will be a cool idea for a course here in Rock Class a Noodling course “Freestyle Noodling” like the one they make with Matt on Next Level Strumming or Triple Strum Magic with Steven.

And I am working on learning a chord partern to noodle over it!!! So Stay tunned I will post it when I have it.

I enjoy a lot spanish guitar also Recuerdos de la Alhambra is a super nice song, I really enjoy flamenco music.

• This reply was modified 1 year, 10 months ago by emiliano.

[The_Bumble_Bard]

@emiliano, ohhhh, I see, well, that’s definitely what I do, too, when I want a song to sound / be a certain way: I’ll spend time turning a song from a “regular” song into a clawhammer version, for example. For you, is it basically trial and error, testing different notes to see what sounds good, or more based in theory, or both?

I have different approaches to making things up. 😂 I don’t really know many of the notes on ukulele but I know some chords and often times, like what Mika said in that video, you can improvise just by fingerpicking different chords and playing notes around those chords. That’s basically what I do. Or I just try different techniques or fingerpicking patterns over songs I already know.

Oh my, that would be so, so amazing if Rock Class 101 had an improvising / noodling course! I know for a fact many people here would love that. 😁

I can’t wait to hear what you’re cooking up!! Cooking up some extra spicy noodling!! 😂

I know, I absolutely love that song! That may be one of my favorite guitar songs. I love Brandon Acker because he plays classical music on guitar so incredibly – and also plays old instruments as well, such as the lute. 😂 I do think flamenco is really cool sounding but I don’t know many techniques involved in playing it.

I’ll add more noodling pretty soon too, looking forward to hearing yours!! 😊

Edit: I’m sorry it’s a force of habit to add too many emojis. My family and I send many emojis when texting. I sometimes forget, then send a bunch of heart emojis to someone I barely know. 😅😂😳

• This reply was modified 1 year, 10 months ago by The_Bumble_Bard.

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