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Dear friends,
Here’s my modest version of the bourrée. I don’t use enough my thumb, the end is a bit crumpled, and and… well it’s the begining right? Not great but I’ve been making uke for only 6 weeks so…All the best,
Daniel
gstriph – great playing, Jerry! If I have to be really nitpicky, I’d say practice a touch slower as sometimes you got a little off the beat. For example the last phrase (32 seconds in) you started late, and it sounds like you may have fallen a beat behind. Actually I have a really good suggestion, use a metronome that has a different chime sound for beat 1. That way you know for sure where beat 1 falls.
swabbievet – welcome to the challenges, Carl! You did an awesome job for your first time up! 🙂 If I have to be super nitpicky (more than Jerry’s feedback above, LOL), the only thing that stuck out to me was the phrase that begins at 18 seconds. The start of that phrase, you can hear that you pick quite a bit softer than the rest of the piece. Try to keep it at an even volume throughout. But seriously this is like me trying to find an issue, i.e. Not a big deal. That was a great performance!
planetfink – I love that you added chords and made it a chord melody. It sounds so good, I had to share it on our social and email today. 🙂 Keep up the great work!
huckfine – Bravo! I made a quick video with a couple tips, here are the lessons I reference:
2) Proper Left Hand Form (Form 2)
One thing I forgot to mention in the video, for example at 19 seconds, you play: 3 on string 1, then 3 on string 2 using the same (ring) finger. I’d recommend using 2 fingers (one for each note), instead of the same finger to play both notes. Check out that part of the lesson video again to see the recommended fingering.
huckfine- That was awesome Daniel!
Swabbievet- Glad someone got something out of the video. It’s not the same Bourree, but it’s a dance and Bach anyway, so it directly relates more than others I was watching.
They’re master classes intended for finished musicians I think, but even as a beginner, he opened my eyes.
ayin08- Excellent work! 🙂
Your ukulele looks like it has more frets then my soprano? Mine only has 12 frets, but I found I could play on the piece of wood past fret 12 to get a couple more notes if I needed them. It’s hard to push the string to get the note to sound good, but it’s possible.
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Anyone- I still can’t find what playing past your last fret is called. If anyone knows, (or if it has no name so I can quit looking lol) please let me know. 😉This was a fun exercise for working on reading. As someone else noted, I also have a bit of musical background and have been wanting to be better at translating my reading to uke vs. just reading tabs. I’m more of an advanced beginner so I tackled Greensleeves.
Also, I appreciated the opportunity to make use of my low G uke.
Let me know what you think:
I’m having a physical challenge!
Ok, so, I’m not slim…..😜😜
With this left hand fingering I’m having an awful time holding my ukuele. Awful.
The worst is for A, where there are no fingers on the fretboard.
And! I really don’t want to just hold the ukulele with my right hand and thumb the whole thing. I’m trying to use my finger picking fingers…
Maybe a strap? My ukuele sounds decent, but was only $100 so I’m no too afraid to put strap buttons on it, though my husband was horrified that I’d do such a thing.
I’m doing the Beethoven piece.
Help!
Maria@mariainct – get a strap!
I am short, curvy, chesty, and I have straps on the majority of my ukes (definitely on the ones I play most). It makes it soooooo much easier to control.
Put a strap button on the bottom centre of the body PLUS one on the underside curve of the heel. See the pics attached. These were put on by Mike@UkeRepublic – so I “know” they are perfect.
The body has good timber reinforcement at this point (I discovered that on my curved fibreglass Aeirsi concert uke).
Make sure you use a drill bit ONE SIZE SMALLER than the screw, so that it grips the wood.
Don’t bother with the tie at the head, it just gets in the way (although I see a lot of people manage with it. But with little hands it hurts).Hey Maria, there are straps out there that hook into sound hole and tied at the neck so no drilling is required. Never tried it but it may be worth a try. I had both my ukes fitted with a strap button by a professional luthier. Cost was about $10.
Brettboy — Beautiful! I am impressed with your playing, singing, and also recording-layering skills!!!
Maria – I agree with the “Get a strap!” Crowd.
I couldn’t hold my ukulele properly without pain because it takes too much out of my shoulders.
I just use a button on the bottom. I tie the strap to the neck behind the nut. I wouldn’t be able to put it on or take it off otherwise.
Until I put the button on, a member here showed me I could tie a string around the body where it’s peanut shaped and then behind the nut.
A string isn’t super comfortable or fancy but it saved me in a pinch and let me play right away.
Jake S uses one of those neck straps that hook in the sound hole. I don’t think those hold your uke if you let it go though?
I used an egg beater style old school powerless hand drill so I had complete control of the drill. I used miztaken’s advice and it was super simple. You might need to buy a separate felt washer to go between the uke and the button. The buttons sold at guitar center didn’t come with the washers.
Thanks Becky! Sorry guys if I’m not very reactive, I check the forum in the evening, anyway all your advices and videos are very interesting. it’s great to deal yith people all around the world with the same passion : winning the Ukulele!!!! (kidding of course).
Daniel
Ayin08- Great job on Pink Panther too! That song is really really difficult!
Love that strum on the strings above the nut. I can’t give any actual ukulele playing feedback because the song is WAY above my skill! If I could play that, I’d be proud though!
👍
@ayin08 – awesome job on Pink Panther. If you don’t mind, please post the video in this forum: https://rockclass101.com/forums/forum/showcase-your-playing/. You can make a new post there for it 🙂 I deleted it from here, as this forum is for the Feb challenge videos only.
@malachi – Optional. You can do it solo or as a duet.
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