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Yankee Doodle: I had trouble getting the last 2 challenges done even though I loved messing with them. This was more manageable though the harmonics were a challenge. They are admittedly late and a little clumsy. And I accidentally ended up hitting a wrong chord and then decided to use it after a few attempts. The “one-take” comment was a bald faced lie. Thanks, this is fun. – Greg (Moral victory: its not July 31st at 11:50PM)
Hi @jlbross, thank you! My playing still doesn’t sound as smooth as I’d like to, but the lesson that Andrew suggested definitely helps! And I find practicing more on chord transition also helps, because given the same speed, if the chord transition takes less time, it should mean that I can leave my fingers on the strings for a longer duration.
Regarding the uke, I just got a Concert bundle from Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B015XD4YLY/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_kQMdFb5N474TM). I bought it mostly for the overall price (considering the bag, tuner, extra set of strings, etc., and it was $10 cheaper when I bought it). But here’s my warning: there could be setup issues. How do I know? Well, after I received my bundle, it was missing the extra strings and the bag was very dirty, so I contacted the seller, and they offered me 2 more bundles that were returned to the warehouse to avoid me returning mine… Then I found that one of the 2 had slightly lower action than the original one, so it actually felt a bit more comfortable; but the other of the 2 had too low action so sometimes it buzzed on the fret… Of all the 3, the edge of the neck is scratchy as the metal fret bars pokes out a tiny bit, so I had to use sand paper to smooth it. Also note that the back of this uke is arched, intended to have fuller sound I guess, but it does feel a bit strange when holding it.
pippin105 – Great work on this one! Your timing is very good, and you have the notes down! I would work on the harmonic at the end isolated for a bit, then add the measure before it to practice getting into the position for the harmonic so that you can hit it with accuracy almost all of the time. Then go back through the piece and you will have the confidence that you can hit it accurately.
rebeca – Wow, fantastic job! Your accuracy with the slides and the higher fretted notes is very impressive! You’ve basically got this one down, there are just a couple of spots where you are hesitating slightly…but only slightly! I would play through these sections a bit more so that they are super comfortable to play. You’re doing a wonderful job!
kirpuff – Great job on this! I think you did a great job of keeping the tempo under control! While you do speed up slightly on the last half, it feels very natural and if you hadn’t said anything, I might not have even noticed! If you want to keep it very consistent, just work with a metronome and you’ve got it. Your playing is great on this one, very nicely done!
gmflin8 – Grace, you sound great! Every post, every song recorded in history, are all “imperfect.” Perfectionism means nothing, because there’s always a deeper level you can critique things on…even on professional recordings! You’re doing a wonderful job with your timing and notes! A small recommendation: if you can, try to hold the ukulele in a way where your plucking hand wrist doesn’t bend at that much of an angle. Over time that much of a bend in the wrist can lead to discomfort/pain. Keep up the great playing!
jlbross – Nice work on this one! You even got the harmonics to ring out clearly! To add to what you’re doing, try to play the notes a bit smoother and more connected. To do this, keep your fretting hand down for the full durations of the notes and when you do shift to the next notes, don’t lift your hand off the strings as much. In addition to that, just make sure your right hand doesn’t stop the notes from ringing out early. You’re doing a great job this will just add a smoother flow.
quiyan – You’re doing a great job getting the transitions smoother between chords! They are sounding much more legato. As far as the harmonic at the end, it sounds like you got part of the chord to come out, but the highest pitched harmonic sounds like it was missing. Was the A string muted? Try to keep your left hand fingers curved so they don’t mute additional strings. You’re doing a wonderful job, keep it up!
taylor22jane – I love the duet! Since the piano is such a loud instrument, it might help to sit much closer to the phone with the ukulele for this duet. You did a great job on this one! It sounds really quiet around 1:15, so you may need to pluck a tiny bit harder on that section to help it project as well as the rest of the song. Keep up the great playing!
marianne – Great job, you’ve got this one down! As far as the harmonic at the end, you could get the E and the A string harmonics to ring out, but you’re right that this style of harmonic would work better with 2 more frets. Try to just get those harmonics out and just mute the other two strings if you would like. Also, the ukulele is overdriving the mic. This might be that you are sitting to close to the camera, but if you are going to sit that close, I recommend plucking lighter than you currently are and playing just a bit quieter. Very good job on this one!
macdog – That chord at the end was great! I like the sound of it! It seems like the only things to improve upon here is getting the first harmonic in tune, and working out a few hesitations in the section right after that harmonic. Try playing just a bit slower to give you extra time to find the harmonic without losing the pulse of the song. You’re doing great, keep it up
Hi Stephen
thank you for the feedback, glad you think my timing is OK as I play drums so crucial its right. I practice using metronome a lot and break the piece down into a few bars at a time. I am working through the harmonics course at the moment. Only been playing uke a few months after challenged to play it from a band member (never played guitar) !! Joined rock class 101 in May, love the structured format of the lessons.
Hello Andrew, I have a question about uke strings. I want low g strings, but there are so many different kinds of brands and i don’t know which one is better for my soprano uke. Do you have any recommendations?
Thank you.Hello everyone,
Great job by everyone so far! I did Freight Train because I just love the rhythm. Unfortunately, my rhythm is not so good. I’m out the next rest of July, so this is my best shot.
@Stephen – That’s true. I hesitate when I’m coming to a section where I tend to make some kind of mistake or awkward sound. I’ll continue practicing until I gain enough confidence.
I really appreciate your feedback. thank you for the positive and encouraging words!@pippin105 – Glad to hear you are enjoying the lessons! 🙂
@milana – I use Aquila. I like them a lot! They last a long time and sound great IMO.
@turkgoose – I thought you did great with the rhythm! Everything was played with the correct rhythms. I think, maybe the issue is that you have the first theme down at a much quicker tempo than the others. From what I heard, I think it’s just a matter of time and continual practice until you get the others to match the first. So, I’d say: keep up the great work!! It sounds awesome and you’ve got the playful feel of the tune down, which is a big part of that song!Stephen,
Thanks for the crit. Its really helpful, always. on the hesitations… yes and all mechanical. I should know better to set the tempo with those gaps governing. thanks. I will try and redo it.
Greg
Hi, Stephen! I am so bad about rushing when I get nervous 🙂 I try to keep a handle on it, thanks so much for your feedback! Have a great day!
pippin105 – That’s cool that you play drums, way to learn a new instrument, you’re doing great!
rebeca and macdog, hesitations are just part of playing. There’s a whole “mental game” of music that can get in the way involving judging the notes you’ve already played and are about to play. Keep going, you’ll work those out 🙂 I’m glad to help.
kirpuff – I totally understand! Most of us have to really strive to not rush when nerves hit. You’re doing a great job, it was only a slight thing that felt very natural. Like I said, it wasn’t noticeable unless you are listening for it. Have a great day as well!
Hi Ukulele Pals!
I learned Freight train this month. What a fun arrangement! (Premium member I am.)
Happy Strumming Everyone!premium member
Hey everyone,
I love this tune – it’s so happy! Great performances everyone.
Have a lovely weekend
Lisa
Brettboy, that was amazing. You always go above and beyond. You nailed it.
Lisamcc, great job. So much fun to listen to!
Ahhh… thanks @lisadmh! It’s such a fun tune to play. xxx
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