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@henri0 – That was a very beautiful performance! I really liked that you used a different strum attack other than the thumb, and especially that you varied it. The arpeggiated strum was a nice touch! I really don’t have any critiques, it was awesome overall! Keep up the great work 🙂
@taylor22jane – That was awesome, Taylor! Very well played and I love seeing you guys focus on developing the subtleties in your playing. I thought you did a great job on both aspects that you mentioned, keep up the great work!
@nthibode – Well done, Nathalie! So you already know that I’m a big fan of your playing – you always have a good feel. I think the performance overall was very good, but they were two spots that, to me, seems to conflict the overall vibe, which is laid-back, relaxed.The first spot was the phrase at 17 seconds and the second is the last note at 52 seconds. For the former, I think you held the top half of that G a little too long – almost like it was a fermata instead of rubato and then rushed the 2 notes that followed. And the latter, was similar to that ending, as that last note was rushed in comparison to the phrase.
SO – this has been Andrew, who has nitpicked your performance LOL. But what I’m giving you is the same thoughts that would go through my head if it was my performance, and therefore IMO what I would change.
@lisadmh – Bravo! You’ve improved so much since your first video, it’s extremely impressive! I think you def accomplished what you set out to with this piece. Your feel is really developing and great use of ritardando. Well done!
@cinichol – “Here Comes the Sun” was the first arrangement we did 🙂
Check out the 2nd video on this page and jump 10:43 into it to learn how to use the search feature on the site to find songs.
@ccwuke – That was an excellent performance, Chris! I can tell you put a lot of work into it and it sounds awesome! I have one suggestion and it’s not something that you’re not doing, but rather something I’d like to see you concentrate more-so on, which is: finesse as it relates to playing “softer”.
Try to lighten up your touch/attack to play softer. For example, if you listen to the first four bars of Melody C and contrast that to what Matt played before, you’ll notice that it has a much softer feel. A lot of this comes down to Matt’s attack which is greatly lightened, but it’s also the difference in sound he gets by using an arpeggiated roll for the first chord hit of Melody C instead of a strum. So to summarize: lighter plucking/strumming or using a softer attack – like the arpeggiated roll, which we taught in this etude.
So experiment with that and check out this lesson for some ideas on how to expand on this concept.
@eszti5mail – Beautifully played and great feel! One tip, for that barre chord at 40 seconds in, make sure you’re not too on top of the bar. Your index finger should be as close to the bar, but not on top of it. That should help with getting that chord to ring out better. But again, excellent job overall & keep up the great work!
@brettboy – Super well done this month, Brett! Keep up the excellent work 🙂
@tric_o_tronic – Well done, it sounds awesome! I think at this point I’d start experimenting with these ideas that I talked about in this video feedback I made for another member earlier this month.Oh and watch out for bending at the first joint – like your middle finger and index in the G5 at 17 seconds. For the most part, we always want to keep fingers curved at the first joint.
@godmustbecrazy -Well done! So the big thing that I want you to work on with your playing is to lighten up your right hand plucking and strumming attack. Check out this video that I made awhile back for another member, it talked about this song – but the concept of what you should work on is identical to what I discussed in it. For your playing, it’s more-so what I talked about as related to the right hand, but the info on the left hand is great to know as well.
@qiuyan – Thanks for the heads up, I totally pasted your name on the list again until I read the note LOL. You’re playing sounds beautiful, and the way you’re going about using the thumb is what I call the “floating” method. Go back and watch Matt play the song, you’ll notice that he uses his four fingers to “anchor” (touch) the edge of the body. Give that way a shot and see if it feels a little bit more comfortable or natural to you. But there is no right or wrong way, just preference.
@biancak – I thought your performance was excellent! One thing that I do want to point out is the rhythm in bar 29. There’s a quarter note triplet in this measure. Quite a tricky rhythm to play as you’re playing three hits over the span of a half note. Check out this lesson (bottom of page) for a breakdown on the rhythm of it and then jump into this lesson where Chris explains it as it relates to strumming – but the same concepts would apply to fingerpicking.@godmustbecrazy – if you copy/paste the YouTube or SoudCloud URL into its own line it will self-embed. For ex:
YOUTUBE LINK
@ukandrea – Well done! This is def a “hard” beginner tune. And I thought you did a wonderful job. Couple things I’d work on is keeping the timing steady by focusing on one section at a time. Most songs can be broken into 2, 4, or 8 bar sections. Master one section before moving onto the next.
The other area I’d work on is increasing the sustain, so one chord/note rings into the next.
I’d continue to work on this tune, but I’d also suggest picking an easier one to work on these concepts 🙂
@qiuyan – temperature and humidity plays a factor in sound. Try to keep humidity levels constant by using a humidifier. If the strings sound consistently dull, it’s time for a change.
Usually ukes need adjustments when switching to high or low G. I’d take it to a music shop if you have one close by.
@qiuyan – Beautiful played, but don’t forget to check your tuning before recording 😉
@nohabaity – Bravo, well done! 🙂rebeca – Well done! Your performance was great! The only suggestion I have is to think a little bit about how we can add some finesse to your phrasing. For example, some notes or chords could be played a little bit softer or louder than others – and this also helps to add to the dynamics of a piece. Check out this lesson for some ideas on how to expand on this concept.
gmflin8 – Here’s my feedback for you and here are the barre chord lessons I recommend reviewing: Lesson 1, Lesson 2, Lesson 3.
annefgodfrey – Well done, Anne and awesome to see you back! I thought you did an excellent job, the only suggestion I have is to focus your practice on one section at a time. So Melody B breaks down into two 8 bar sections. Master one section before moving onto the next. And Melody C breaks down into 3 sections: 4 bars, 4 bars, and 6 bars.
aloooy – It’s awesome to hear you experimenting with subtleties! One thing you didn’t mention that you did quite a bit of was vibrato – which is perfect for this tune too. Keep working on the little things, they make a huge difference in the overall scope of developing your own unique sound.
planetfink – I’m glad you’re a fan now, because you play it beautifully Kathy 🙂
@qiuyan – You are correct, he played it as quarters in the performance. I updated SS to reflect this. Good catch!
Andy, check out module 2 (rhythm) and 3 (lead) in our Theory and Jamming Course. It covers a lot of the concepts you are asking about 🙂
Thanks for inspiring this week’s lesson, Bob! Hope you dig it 🙂
I’d say you’re off to an amazing start, Melissa! I was super impressed by your performance in last month’s challenge! I look forward to watching your progress 🙂