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@mheiden – The first thing you mentioned is sight reading – which is just as we would read a book. Pick it up and read, or for music, open it up and play immediately. This takes diligence to achieve.
I would suggest to study 1 bar at a time. Get the notes down, i.e. what note it is, where it is on the neck, & what rhythm it is. Practice that bar and then move onto the next. Then follow the steps in our practice guide to piece it together. Over time, you will be able to move faster, as it starts to become intuitive.
Aww, you should have entered! We give feedback for everyone who enters the challenges 🙂 I hope you join our challenge this month and welcome to the community!
NM – clearly didn’t see it. Can you try using Chrome. I’ve noticed folks have issues using Firefox and IE. Anyone reading this, please do not use IE anymore as it has been discontinued. I don’t know why Firefox causes issues sometimes 🙁
Hi Andy, that looks like this lesson, correct?
That error should only show up if the video settings are incorrect, which would be an error on my part. But, I double checked and everything is set correctly to display on our domain. Can you clear the browser’s cache and reload the page. Let me know if it works. If it still doesn’t, I will need to reach out to Vimeo support as something is wrong on their end.
Lisa, G is the root of G7: G (1) B (3) D (5) F (b7). The other note in the bar is D (5).
C7 is: C (1) E (3) G (5) Bb (b7). The 2nd and 4th notes are E (3). The other 2 notes are non-chord tones, but work over C7. This is a good visual explanation from my favorite theory site of NCT.
I’d recommend reviewing this lesson from our Music Theory course to see how 7th chords are formed. And if that is confusing, to start at the beginning of the course. But, with your interest in understanding harmony, there is no better resource than this eBook.
Another note: In the past I’ve used Sibelius – but it’s for much more serious composing (think multi-instrument). And it was very nice. Other peers have used Finale – which has a very steep learning curve.
I’d go for GP7 if I were you.
Hi Rickey, you are definitely committed to learning and playing. So yes, I would encourage you to invest in a higher-end ukulele.
As far as the course, 3/4ths of it, basically up to module 2, unit 10: Natural Notes on the G String, can be learned using a high G ukulele. While there is an overwhelming interest in lessons for low G ukulele, I realize that not everybody has one or wants one. So it was important for me to write the course with this in mind. High G players will still be able to gain the benefit of a greater understanding of rhythm and timing, as well as, learning to read music up to the C string.
Low G ukulele simply means that the 4th string is an octave lower than high G. One of the benefits of this, is that it provides 5 additional notes that are lower in pitch then what can be achieved on a high G ukulele. This is discussed in detail in the first lesson of the course.
My pleasure, guys! Rickey, it’s like syrup on pancakes – it’s up to you how much you like, I prefer the “less is more” motto.
Here is everyone on page 7.
stinyuke – well done! I too, am a soft player. The thing that I think would make your performance pop more, would be the focus on dynamics. I left a video feedback yesterday titled “light vs. strong thumb attack”. Watch that video, and think of how you can use the ideas taught in it to make some of the chords/notes pop (hit louder) and some softer.
A good analogy: when someone delivers a speech sometimes their voice raises or lowers depending on the context of the material. It’s the same with music, we want to accent some parts and others perhaps not so much. This will add more expression to your playing.
curlyuke – you did so well! 🙂 I want you to check out the feedback video I left yesterday titled “light vs. strong thumb attack”. Now you’re doing both strum attacks taught in that video in your performance – one is strumming quickly so that the chord is heard in unison and the other is to arpeggiate the chord. The latter is what you did the most. My recommendation is to use that strum attack more sparingly, as it has a more “distinguished” effect. Keep up the great work, you are sounding awesome!
annefgodfrey – this video has a tip that I believe will be a breakthrough for your playing.
Here is the remainder of folks on Page 6.
karenj – Oh, that is a really cool uke! And it sounds quite lovely. 🙂 I thought you did really well and what’s exciting, is that quite a few of you guys have pinpointed exactly where you should focus your practice. For those that are reading this comment, it is on smoothing it out – i.e. Tempo flow. The best way to work on this is to follow the steps in the practice guide we laid out. Break it into chunks and focus on playing with a steady flow. This is the BEST way to improve – Tackling the entire piece all together is not an efficient way to achieve it.
nggnmm – you really stepped up to the plate this month, Qian. And that’s why I had to feature you in one of the weekly emails in December. It’s so inspiring to see that hard work really does payoff. Keep up the great work!
benita – first impression, excellent feel. I love how you interpreted the music with such a lively and playful manner; Absolutely brilliant. In regards to your comment, I think with just a smidget more practice, you’ll have it where you want – but you’re very close. Watch out for things like bending at the first joint, for example your ring finger at 26 seconds. This happened quite often on chords and individual notes. A good rule of thumb is to keep the joint curved – allowing fretting on the fingertip to be done with ease. One last tip, for the ritardando at the end, try to gradually slow down; it will help it sound more natural.
ebideb – very well done and thank you for the compliment! You have a beautiful tone to your playing. One thing, it looks like you were reading, try to memorize the piece. It’s good practice and it allows you to focus solely on how you are performing it. Right hand form looks great. For your left hand, it looks like you stayed in form 2 for most of it; but sometimes, it looks like you were hugging the neck. It’s hard to tell from the angle, but if you did that – try to keep in form 2. It’s the best for this song, except for the Am chord which should be played with form 1.
Anne, I know they sell a microphone kit for the iPhone. I don’t know what the brand is, but I’m sure a quick Google search can find a few. That would probably be the cheapest way.
Here is everyone on page 4.
ukukelley1 – I feel you on what you wrote, we all are our worst critic. But you know what, the more you keep trying to get another take and another one, the less passion and feel comes through in the music. Don’t sweat the small stuff. Now if you’re having trouble getting a good take BECAUSE you didn’t practice enough, that’s another story.
But, clearly you did practice and it was an absolutely beautiful take! Excellent tone and feel. The only suggestion I have is to re-visit the areas that you paused a little. But truly great job!
cncamacho – nice playing and it sounds great on low G. Do go back and double check as I heard a couple of chords that sounded incorrect.
lyndallk – you know I’m a big fan of your playing. 🙂 I really dug the tempo boost the second time through, great idea! My only suggestion is to work on cleaning up some of the tricky barre chords. Check out the advice I left for Hafeez in my previous post for tips on this.
ukeninja – first off, that Kanile’a sounds so good! The warmth of the tone is just, wow! Secondly, this is some of your best playing I’ve heard. 🙂 Great job on the timing.
What I would focus on most is the transition section from the A Melody to the B. That was the hardest part for me and it literally took me hours of practice. I’d also continue working on the B melody, but the main focus should be the transition. Keep up the great work, Eric!