Participate in the September 2023 Member Challenge: WIN Ortega Ukulele!

[jeg143]

Thanks, Andrew! That is one of the reasons I love this site and contest, you guys are so good at focusing in at the change that will make the most impact. Appreciate you!

[turkgoose]

@andrew thank you!

[jedart]

Premium Member.

Here’s my play on the Minor Blues Jam. Had some trouble with timing, especially on the finger picking turnaround but I wanted to post something before September get away from me altogether.

[anyon1]

@andrew Thanks for the feedback! I took a look at the picado technique and tried it with the Syncopated Speed Picking piece, and it definitely feels like a more natural movement for my right hand.

[marianne]

Hey everyone,

Here is my version of the Minor Blues Jam.
I wanted to record it with the accompaniment track but fretting the 5th on the baritone while going all the way up the neck sounded tinny and was uncomfortable, rather play it without a capo!

[Andrew]

@jeg143 – My pleasure!

@jedart – Timing sounded pretty solid to me, Jed! And I like how you simplified the lick. Great performance overall!

@marianne – Bravo! Brilliant performance, Marianne 👏

[marianne]

Thanks @Andrew!

[jedart]

@Andrew

Thanks, I’m still working on Miserlou timing too. Backing tracks are much mor fun than a metronome.

[Andrew]

@jedart – Def, I agree! If I remember right, we initially planned for Misirlou to be a uke only duet, but switched mid way to full band. Totally the right call, came out great!

[johanna2509]

Hi all!

I chose Summer Nights, a piece that sounds easier than it actually is 🙂 It took me a few days to get bar 7 down, definitely the hardest one for me with the finger frenzy in the beginning.
I also watched and enjoyed Sue’s performance of Moon Waltz!

[jeg143]

@marianne, I like yours so much I’ve been using it to practice the solo part. Also, I think I have your ukulele’s sister. Is that a Kanile’a Oha tenor?

[The_Bumble_Bard]

@johanna2509, I also chose Summer Nights and your assessment is correct, way more challenging than it looks. For me it was bars 7 – 9. 😅 Your take was very lovely though!

And then there’s this… 😂

I definitely underestimated how hard this song would be. In fact, I was so intimidated by it after I watched the video again that I didn’t think I could do it at all, but still tried it. All the strumming parts were really difficult for me. The hardest part was knowing what chords to play on the upstrums versus downstrums, the timing, and also the physical motion of strumming–so literally all of it. 😂

This is my best take, but I’ll keep working on it! Thank you for creating this lovely tune, Andrew, and for these challenges! 😊

(No one cares but I didn’t realize how crazy my hair looked until it was too late but this was my best take, so… Also the ending came from one of Matt’s recent videos. 😂)

[johanna2509]

@The_Bumble_Bard Thank you! Bars 7-9 are indeed the hardest ones! But for me 8-9 were just a muscle memory thing. What I do with those difficult strumming parts: I start with muting the strings and only practice the the up and down strums and the rhythm. Then I add the chords and play it veeeery slowly. Speed will come naturally. I also looped half of one bar, not the whole.

And I always pick the song that sounds the best to me regardless of the difficulty (but I think twice if it’s one of Evan’s arrangements haha 😅) but then I sometimes end up with an arrangement that seems impossible at first… I keep trying and grinding the song and it is so satisfying when it works out at the end. Then I really feel like I am growing as a ukulele player 😊

I think if you practice some more and get the motion into your muscle memory (so that you don’t have to think about it that much), you will get those bars down! It is not that easy to combine the physical motion, the rhythm and the chords. Focus on one at the time and you’ll have it!😊 (And remember, this is an intermediate level song!)

[gi_gi_]

@marianne Your playing is soooo good. How long have you been playing ukulele? You play as a well seasoned Musician. I hope to play like you one day 🙂

• This reply was modified 2 months ago by gi_gi_.

[ldarrow]

Here is my summertime swing. I tried this on my tenor, which I do not play often. It was my first ukulele; a gift from my daughter that actually got me interested in playing. It is lovely and means a lot to me because it was from her. However, I struggle playing it vs my concert. The strings are so much more difficult to press. But it does sound better at the upper frets so thought I would give it a try for summertime swing.

[Author]

Posts