Participate in the January 2024 Member Challenge – You Decide What To Work On!

[gi_gi_]

Here is my submission for the Jazz standard, Summertime, also in the key of GM as so many have done this month 🙂
I have enjoyed everyone’s submissions. So much talent and hard work here. Thank you.

• This reply was modified 2 years, 3 months ago by gi_gi_.

[mark1256]

@gi_gi_ WOW!

[lyndallk]

This month I decided to learn “Stolen Moments” by Oliver Nelson. I love this tune. So I found a uke version on YouTube by Phil Disera and decided to study that and learn the chords. I’m still a bit stilted in the chord changes, but pretty pleased for the work I’ve put in.

Then I realised I did need bass and drums, so searched for a backing track, found one, slowed it down and stopped it before the solos. Not doing the solo this challenge.

I gave myself quite a challenge, but am pleased with it at the stage it is. Next life – a full jazz band!!!

I’m really enjoying listening to the variety of challenges people have set themselves. I’m very impressed by the creativity, talent and work of this community.

Thanks again Andrew for a great challenge.

[gi_gi_]

@mark1256 Thank you.

[lhamilton]

Hi,

And I’ve finished the score for my arrangement of Carolan’s Farewell to Music. Probably not perfect 🙂 but I’ll be able to use it to recall it if I forget parts in future. My performance was posted yesterday.

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/y8uti0ymdldw8pkwf0o3k/Farewell_to_Music_jan28_2024.pdf?rlkey=ha02b1azxsf1elnsa639ziseq&dl=0

Linda

[jedart]

This is likely my last updated for the month. Here is my latest practice for my second goal in this challenge, Purple Haze intro riff. Still needs a lot of attention in the last 4 measures.

https://youtu.be/4QWwT0u78Sw

[ccwuke]

Had lots of fun learning and recording the Star Wars Medley. Also had some fun with the video too 🙂

Some improvement from the last practice video, especially with timing and strumming accents, but dynamics tend to drop off when I’m on my nth recording and just want to get the notes and timing right.

Chris

[henri0]

Doing my first progress update. 1/2 at this rate.

Learning both parts of Valse Venezolano to full speed and challenging myself to get hold of the tech side by uploading two videos playing simultaneously.

So far so good on both pieces to speed and able to play along with both backing tracks relatively smoothly.

Still struggling with the recording side for various reasons. Aiming to get in by end of month 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻

And a one take practice video for proof of progress…

Enjoying and frustrating this month ha!

[misterbones]

I wanted to sink my teeth into the clawhammer technique this month, and I did. My goal was to learn five clawhammer tunes, so here’s the playlist of five videos with all the clawhammer songs I learned this month and recorded today. The first one is actually a medley of three fiddle tunses, so technically it’s seven tunes in total 🙂

I even added a personal extra challenge by going way out of my comfort zone and throwing in some singing in one of the tunes.

[leb397]

Posting right after @misterbones clawhammer medley! Excellent. Sounds so good.

Here is my “ML019 Beautiful Cord Progression” I chose this because of the complicated “chucking” involved and my challenge was to improve my technique. It’s still a struggle but I know I’ve gotten “better”.
I spent the month working on the lagato, timing, and the chuck – Always room for lots of improvement. Getting the cord or strings not to “thud”/Mute in the high frets – argh!
Really loved seeing the progress others posted. Made me feel better in my own journey seeing everyone has to start in order to improve. Thanks Andrew and Stephen. Louisa

So many excellent entries but a few really stuck out

@gi_gi_ beautiful jazz feel and singing – I hope you perform live somewhere.

@marianne always love your entries – beautiful

@ukandrea – lovely duet with piano – I admire your musical talent playing both

@lyndallk – nicely played and the jazz feel, really liked it.

@lhamilton – lovely

[ukandrea]

@leb397 Oh, thank you for your nice comment, Louisa, that really means a lot to me 😉

[The_Bumble_Bard]

Really, really amazing work by everyone, but I just want to comment on a couple again. Everyone did so amazingly well this month though, it’s actually insane. 😅

@gi_gi_, absolutely gorgeous! There’s something about the way you sing that makes me want to cry every time. 😂 I think because you sing with such feeling and it’s so real, and I really love singing that is naturally beautiful and unfiltered like that, which is why I love listening to live performances by famous singers, too. That said, you could be a famous singer. 😅 Lovely! Thank you for sharing! I hope you keep sharing songs that include singing here. 😊

@misterbones, that was so amazing! You’re basically a professional clawhammer guy now (a PCG). 😂 I loved that so much. I thought your singing was really great. I would literally listen to those tracks of you playing / singing along with my regular line up of songs because they’re just that perf… perfect. Listening to that also makes me want to learn more traditional clawhammer tunes instead of the strange ones I make up. Thank you for sharing all those! 😊

[mark1256]

My goal is to play this song in D by transposing the tab from C and removing the capo. See my last post. I am getting a workout on my pinky. I want to sound as good without capo as my last post. Let’s long way to go but I still have a couple days. Don’t think I will get it memorized.

[anyon1]

Hi All,

Here’s my end of the month submission. This month, I chose to learn the clawhammer technique, and I began formally journaling my practice sessions. A couple of things I noticed:

1) I really enjoy the clawhammer sound, especially in faster songs. I found myself wanting to rush the learning process more than usual this month as I tried to play more quickly. That was not helpful, and journaling helped reinforce the frequent message to myself to slow down and have patience with myself. I haven’t been able to get Shortnin’ Bread up to full speed yet, but it is fun to play.

2) I borrowed a banjolele, and it hurts my right forearm to play it! I see there are arm guards available, so if I get my own banjolele, I’ll definitely invest in one. In the meantime, I’ve been tying a thick sock around my arm (it’s under my sleeve in this video) which was clunky but helpful.

I’ve been enjoying following everyone’s progress this month!

–Adriana

[misterbones]

@leb397 and @The_Bumble_Bard Thanks a lot, really appreciate it!

[Author]

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