Participate in the October 2020 Member Challenge – WIN the Islands Kanile’a

[akukes73]

I AM A PREMIUM MEMBER

Hi, I joined RC101 a few months ago – a great decision!

I started this course at the beginning of October – definitely a challenge! Surprisingly, I have found that although my right hand technique for the triple picking pattern isn’t quite there, it has helped in developing the ‘normal’ picking style as it has made me focus a lot more on right hand finger control.

Anyway here is my entry for the October, and my very first challenge! I’m not up to speed yet and there is still too much wrist movement – but it has improved. I’ll keep working on it!

• This reply was modified 3 years, 6 months ago by akukes73.

[rufio0]

Aloha everyone 🤙

I AM PREMIUM MEMBER

Here is my submission:

[ukulelee]

Hello Andrew,

Here is my attempt

I am a PREMIUM member.

Many thanks,

Leone Steele

[antotonin]

Hello Andrew,

Here is my attempt,

I am a PRENIUM member.

This one is really fun to play thank you !!

Antonin Barbet

[janett75]

I am premium member

I am really enjoying the new fingerpicking style. At first it was painfully slow but now it feels a bit more natural. Here is my best effort to date.

Thanks, Janet

[cauer2]

Nice job Antotonin,
Its a fun tune. I’ve been working on it, but I’m not sure I’ll get it in time.
Great job.

[cauer2]

Nice Janet! Thats a pretty uke too.

[concan]

I am a premium member

I am very happy that I found these ukulele lessons.
I started to play the uke four month ago and the triple strum technique is very fun.
Here is my attempt…..

[Steven]

Here’s everyone on page 5:

stianukulele – YES! This is awesome. Great technique and great performance. I can see how comfortable you are using this technique and I think this piece was made to be played on a banjolele – it sounds incredible. Great work all round.

allesyone – really good performance, and congratulations on your first submission! Hopefully this is start of many more to come. I think you’ve done really well with this technique. Considering the speed you are able to play this at it sounds very clean and has a really good sense of rhythm. You are extending the index finger well to produce that ‘flick strum’ sound and your triple picking looks relaxed and comfortable. If I was being really picky I’d like to see your right hand a bit more parallel to the strings but the sound you are producing is excellent so just keep doing what you’re doing 😊

amylilley – you’re making good progress with this piece and this technique. You have got the triple picking sequence down so you’re well on your way. In terms of rhythm you could try playing it all a bit slower. It’s always tempting to play the bits we’re good at faster but then when we come to a section we’re not so proficient at yet we are forced to slow down again and this breaks the rhythm. Try slowing it all down to play it through with a more consistent rhythm then slowly build up speed. Also, you could go back and have another look at the triple picking video and concentrate on your right-hand form. For the index down ‘strum’ you want to extend the finger across the strings whilst keeping the wrist fairly still, rather than a traditional index finger down strum. This is a tough technique though so take it slow, keep at it and good things will come 😊

gstriph – good work, this is coming along nicely. You have got the triple picking sequence down and by playing it at a speed you are comfortable with you have a nice steady rhythm through this piece too. I think your overall right-hand form is looking good. I like the twisting motion of the wrist and the extension of the index finger. It generally all looks very controlled and comfortable. Your wrist gets a bit ‘strummy’ in the B melody section so try and consciously keep it as still as possible and let your index finger do more of the work. This is a tough technique though and I think you’re doing really well (and that new mic sounds really good too 😉)

cauer2 – nicely done! I think it sounds great played at this faster speed. That rhythm really comes through more and it sounds super fun. Despite the increased speed you have still maintained your accuracy to produce a really clean sound. This is also helped by your excellent right (left 😉) hand technique. Your index flick and triple picking looks really smooth and comfortable. Great work.

nikolaaa – congratulations on your first submission! I think you’re doing a great job with this piece. The overall sound is clean, smooth and fluid. I did notice you sped up quite a bit as the piece progressed (this is easily done, especially when recording!). You could try playing with a metronome to help keep a more consistent rhythm. I like how close your thumb and index finger are – it all looks nice and controlled but your wrist is doing too much work. Try and consciously keep the wrist still and achieve the ‘index strum’ by extending the index finger across the strings more.

kittycatlin – this is sounding really good and has a great sense of rhythm and flow all the way through. I like the speed you are playing it at too. Your triple picking is looking good but I’d like to see the wrist staying more still. It’s really hard to think of a strum without moving the wrist but if you can try to consciously keep the wrist still and achieve the index strum solely by extending the index finger across the strings then you will have unlocked the true magic of this technique 😊. You could also try playing with a floating right hand, rather than anchoring the heel of your hand on the body of the ukulele. You may find that this frees your hand a little and allows more of the twisting motion that will help you achieve the index down flick.

brettboy – super cool performances, as always Brett! Your performances have a great sense of rhythm and are really enjoyable to watch. I’m hearing that rhythmic back beat coming through really well in the A melody section, which is helped by the impressive speed you are playing at. Because you diverge from the triple picking technique that back beat is lost a little in the B melody section because you’re not hitting those index down strums on beats 2 and 4. It all still sounds really cool though and those cheeky little rasgueado strums thrown in here and there sound incredible. I LOVE the addition of the baritone version too 😊

debb1985 – great job! I can see how you have tried to reduce the strumming motion of your wrist compared to your first video so well done for that. To refine this technique even further try taking just two measures (8&9 would be good ones) and consciously keep the wrist completely still. A slight twisting of the wrist is fine but try to completely avoid any up and down motion and let all the movement come from the thumb and forefinger. This will feel strange at first but once you can do it with these two measures you will be able to apply it to the entire piece 😊

parparr – nicely done! I like the confidence with which you played this 😊. I would suggest perhaps trying to slow it down just a touch to help give it a bit more of that smooth, rhythmic flow (I noticed you added a couple of extra bars in places too). In terms of technique the alternate thumb/forefinger picking is looking really good. You could try not anchoring your pinky on the body and try to extend the forefinger across the strings a bit more to achieve the ‘strum’ part. This will help you avoid the temptation to move the wrist but great work overall.

[coffeemug]

Hi!

I AM A PREMIUM MEMBER.

My intention here was to flick more and strum less, but after looking at the video I may have accomplished the opposite. 😬

In any case, thanks for the fun lesson, Steven!

[henri0]

My second sub this month. First St Anne’s Reel.

[cauer2]

Thanks for the feedback Steven. I had practiced at faster speeds so I could play it more comfortably at the slower, I got nervous when I turned on the camera. I appreciate the encouragement.

[Steven]

Here’s everyone on page 6:

bklynsoul – excellent work! This sounds really good. It has a really good consistent rhythm throughout and that rhythmic strum on beats 1 and 4 comes through really clearly. Your right-hand technique looks really good too and your accuracy is excellent. If I was being super picky I’d suggest just a little less movement from you wrist and a bit more from your index finger but I really am nit-picking – you’ve done a great job.

wongbrown – really nice, smooth performance. Your speed is good and the whole thing flows really well. Your triple picking technique is lovely and clean but I would love to see your right hand slightly more parallel to the strings and less of a strumming motion from your wrist but otherwise you’re doing brilliantly.

rockmyuke – it’s always interesting to watch yourself play. It’s a great learning tool as it really lets you analyse your technique. As you have already noticed there is probably a bit too much ‘strum’ and not enough ‘flick’. This technique is rather counter-intuitive, especially when we’re all so used to traditional strumming techniques. It might help if you try and position your right hand over the sound hole so your fingers make contact with the strings nearer the 14th/15th fret. This will probably feel quite foreign at first but it will help you keep your hand in a more ‘parallel to the strings’ position which should in turn help you flick more and strum less 😊

oldan_ – I think you’ve done an excellent job here, and I also think you’re too hard on yourself! Your right-hand technique looks excellent and the overall sound you have produced is smooth and clean with great flow. It’s surprising how hard it is to change from one triplet sequence to another isn’t it, especially when one sequence is already so embedded. You should find that you are able to interchange between the different sequences easily enough though, once this new sequence is embedded too. I like your right-hand position over the 12th fret and you have a really consistent attack. You may have found this really hard but isn’t it so much more rewarding when you master it 😊

katazumiri – I’m really impressed by this performance. I can see how much work you have put into your right-hand form. That index finger flick is spot on and your overall triple picking technique is excellent. This has allowed you to achieve a really smooth fluid sound. Your speed is good but you could even try practicing it a little faster, just to further increase your right-hand dexterity. Great work 😊

[whollyprofit]

Hello everyone, I have been playing uke for about a year and a half and thought I was passing the beginner stage. I can fingerpick and strum and use some techniques and can play and sing hundreds of songs, but this is the first time I ever thought I should quit. I can’t even play the first two bars of the triple strum etude at 25 bpm after hours of trying. I’ve been using the triplet strum since the beginning but this has completely broken my brain. I’ve tried the best I could but it’s beginning to infuriate me and I am really not enjoying it at all, and time is running out to come up with some kind of entry. This instructor does not click with me and I can’t follow his teaching style. Is there anything I can do to make progress and be able to post an entry? Should I just keep trying the first few bars for another month? I don’t know what to do. I’ve been really enjoying my subscription but I just don’t know where to go from here. Any advice is very welcome. Thanks y’all.

[Andrew]

@whollyprofit – Can you send me (via email) a video playing it? I’ll be happy to help you out 🙂

[Author]

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