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Here’s everyone on page 3:
@gi_gi_ – Very nice job on this one! I’m glad you are getting comfortable with the concepts in the lesson as well as the playing itself! As far as the playing, you are doing great! My only suggestion is working on the fingerpicking chord shapes a bit more to be able to hold the last note of each pattern out slightly longer before moving on to a new shape. Also, on the last chord, you are playing a C chord in the upper register, and an F chord in the other (instead of a C). I’m not sure if this was intentional…but that combination actually makes a cool chord: An F Maj9 chord! Great job, and very cool last chord!
@smokealot – You are playing this one very well! You have a good sense of the feel with the fingerpicking. Now that you have it down, you could try adding the subtle dynamics in the original: Try swelling into each phrase, and making the triplet strum even more dramatic by strumming just a bit louder. Keep it up, you already have it down, this is just a suggestion to give it more emotion.
@lisadmh – Very nicely played! You have a great feel, and I can tell you are using a little bit of rubato. One thing that could help with rubato is to breathe and sway with the music. With rubato, you are trying to give the song life, and what better way to do it than to swell the volume and the tempo together with your breathing? Think of each phrase like a singer would…swell the volume while slightly increasing the tempo, then bring it back down where it makes sense to. You are already doing this well, but I’m hoping this might be a perspective shift that makes it easier to achieve the feel in a natural way.
@ldarrow – Excellent job all the way through this one! I really like the rubato feel, and I can tell you really get how to achieve this in a natural way. My only suggestion is to really bring up the volume of the triplet strums…I feel like that section is meant to be dramatic almost like thunder and lightning. This etude feels like a calm storm with just a bit of edge in the middle to me…but it is open to interpretation. Let me know if you try it and if you like it that way or not. Keep up the great work!
@suekulele – You sound good on each individual part! It seems like getting the two parts in sync with each other was a bit tricky. What might help with this is to record each part to a metronome in your ear: use one headphone hooked into a phone or separate metronome, or if you are recording on some audio software, use a built in click track. Your technique and playing is very good on each part, it’s really just getting the fingerpicking and the strumming rhythm to line up at this point. Great job on this one!
@jgillard – Excellent work on this! You have the feel good vibe down! Your technique is good all the way through, yet I would recommend putting a little more volume behind the “chunks.” They are meant to imitate a percussive instrument such as a snare drum, so a little more weight of the hand might help to project these hits a bit better. You’re doing great, and this is really more of a personal preference than something you have to incorporate. It sounds great as it is!
@misterbones – You’re doing a great job on this one – nailing the notes and hits very cleanly! The only thing I would add to this is a steady pulse. In your version, you play the intro a bit faster, slow down on the first few measures of the riff, and then speed up towards the last half of the piece. If you keep all of the song at the same speed as you do around 0:05 to 0:10 seconds into the piece, the feel will have more of an authentic bluesy feel. Keep it up, this is merely a suggestion!
@lyndallk – Very nice job on this! I love the tempo you chose to do this at, as it really makes the song groove! So many blues songs have such a good feel around this tempo. Wonderful job on the playing, the groove, and the rhythm!
@jgillard – Nice job on this one as well! You have the song down, and now might be a good time to really exaggerate the dynamics to help the song tell a “story.” This one reminds me of a storm, so I hear the first part swelling in volume as well as tempo…gradually getting louder and then softer again within each phrase. Then I think of the triplet strum part as a crack of thunder/lightening, so I would put more volume into these strums. This is just one interpretation, but it might give you some ideas on giving the piece even more “life.” Still, it sounds great how you are playing it as well!
@brettboy – I love that you did two takes on it. You’re showing great versatility with the more upbeat version as well as the very nice slow, cool feel! Bravo, Brett! I give it two thumbs up!
@annemarie – Awesome job on this one! I can tell you are getting the difference in the dynamics! Sometimes it might be best to exaggerate the dynamics even more than you would expect to really get them across to an audience. This is excellent already! A bit more difference between the fingerpicking and the strumming may add to it even more. You are definitely getting the idea on the Crescendo/Decrescendo section! Great job on this one!I AM A PREMIUM MEMBER
I decided to try the advanced rythmic blues piece. Don’t know why, as I’m far from advanced. But it was fun to try. Unfortunately this is as good as it’s going to get by end-June. Thanks again to Andrew and the team for the awesome lessons, the challenge and for listening to my attempt!
For my second entry this month I went with the “Feel Good Strumming”. Tons of fun to play, but also is a big challenge! I really struggle with the finger shapes in this one, and add in the chuck and the muting the strings on the up strum. I need a lot more work with this one, but I also wanted to dive into another mini lesson this month! lol
I AM A PREMIUM MEMBER
I am enjoying the mini-lessons challenge, thanks Rock Class 101! So far, I have been able to record 3 mini-lessons, as I focus on the actual experience of recording. The first 2 (Harmonizing Chords and One Finger Etude) only took about 1/2 hr each. The 3rd one (Feel Good Strumming) not only took many recordings, but also multiple seatings because I would run out of time. For all three – I didn’t get anything on the first take. None of the recordings are perfect….there is still room for improvement in all of them.
@The_Bumble_Bard, I had to laugh when you mentioned “the set-up” and changing your shirt/fixing your hair…..I don’t know how many times the recording might have been decent, but my shirt was awful…and yup…I would change it! Thanks for the recording pointers……spot on. Specifically, trying to tap into the emotion of the piece/redirecting the anxiety for something useful – Yes!
For me, it’s also remembering to take some breaths and relaxing into the experience…trying to release the tension that you can literally see in the recordings. As you said, it’s all okay!
@jbmills07 and @gi_gi_ thanks for reminding me, I’m not in this alone…this is a shared experience.Here is the first one: One Finger Etude//Mini Lesson: 009 by Andrew Hardel – This was a great one to practice channeling the anxiety into emotion….relaxing into the feeling of the piece.
Here is the second one: Harmonizing Chords//Mini Lesson: 007 by Andrew Hardel
I don’t know how to do the split screen that some people are doing…is this an app? @gi_gi_ and @bunny2311 How do you do that?
Here is the 3rd: Feel Good Strumming Riff//Mini Lesson: 010 by Andrew Hardel
When Matt plays this he looks so serene and happy….the feeling of this piece is reflected in his face….he embodies the experience. I literally tell myself to try to smile, but usually I revert to intense concentration🤪….All these components of performing are reflected in the recording…I do agree with @The_Bumble_Bard the better I know the piece, when it becomes muscle memory…all the other components begin to fall into place.
Sometimes, the recording shows me things that I don’t necessarily hear while practicing….like the hesitations…..so sometimes recording becomes a tool for practicing. I hear myself differently.
@dianna I love the ease at which you move your wrist.
I made two videos on my iphone. First the basic chords then as I listed to it with an airpod inside my ear, I recorded the melody in the 2nd video. I then used iMovie to put them together. I input one video then drop the other one on top of the first one. I forget the name of the option but I chose it. Hope that helps.
@gi_gi_ thank-you!
@kaski85 – I’d say you’re def ready to jump into more advanced pieces like this one. It was very well played! Feel was spot on. Good groove too! Only thing I can point out is to keep practicing on getting it to flow smoother. But that’s just a time commitment thing (i.e. more practice). The other aspects I pointed out are harder to achieve. Well done! And TY for the kind words 🙂
@jbmills07 – Right hand form looks good to me! Feel was great too! I’d guess what you wrote about is more related to a comfort level for this playing style/techniques. Looks like you’re well on your way there, should be effortless in a couple months.
@dianna – Awesome to see you do 3! Let’s jump into ’em 🙂One Finger Etude – I really like how you accent the melody note at the start of the bars. Nice touch! Pacing had a natural feel to it too. Very well done!
Harmonizing Chords – Excellent timing! Great job switching between both parts!
Feel Good Strumming Riff – Matt’s an amazing strummer! Much better than I am. And that’s why he played the performance and taught it instead of me 😂. But with that said, one of the best pieces of advice I heard is to try to be better than you were yesterday, instead of comparing yourself to someone else.
I think Bumble Bard’s advice is spot on. It does become easier to focus on feel once you get the muscle memory down.
For this tune, I asked Matt to review your video. He said “you’re turning your hand too much away from the ukulele. The Index should turn straight into the fretboard on down strums and then come up more pointed towards the fretboard.”
Check out Matt’s intro to strumming lesson here. It’ll provide more clarity to see the exact motion he uses.
@Andrew and @Matt – WOW! Strumming and Rhythm are my weakness, hands down! Thank-you for picking up on this. I could relate to Matt’s marching band story….I was always on the opposite foot!🤪. Also, I have been strumming with the index finger and thumb together rather than just the index finger…..I will work on that. Thank-you!
@annemarie – Nicely played, Anne! Great job showcasing the fun feel of the piece in your performance!
P.S. Don’t forget to add the premium member tag for K Challenges 😉
Thanks Andrew!
Fun selections this month.
I didn’t add the Premium member mention on this video but I did with my other entry. I just appreciate your feedback!I’M A PREMIUM MEMBER
I started to practice “Harmonizing Chords” and recorded it. Then worked on this one because I felt I needed more practice on the chuck and decided to submit the “Feel Good Strumming” piece instead.
@joannetala – Great playing, Joanne! I’m hearing the tempo in the B Melody get a little bit faster, so as you continue practicing, try playing along with a metronome. It’s always a great tool to practice with 🙂
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