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A couple note changes here and there is fine, but it should largely be reflective of our arrangement.
We did it! We crushed the Spring Challenges!
282 members participated in our last 3 challenges and I have been blown away by everyone’s performances! Thanks to each and everyone of you who participated.
We are going live at 12 PM EST (check your local time zone) on July 4th to announce the winner of the Spring Challenge who will be rewarded 10 EXTRA entries! The live stream link is below:
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Here is everyone who participated this month. Please let me know if there are any discrepancies.
deadbuggy
deadbuggy
uku_on
uku_on
katazumiri
katazumiri
rafaela
rafaela
rebeca
rebeca
leb397
leb397
laurakarr12
laurakarr12
gstriph
gstriph
johanna2509
johanna2509
clempek
clempek
morrieuke1
morrieuke1
brettboy
brettboy
misterbones
misterbones
shmu88
shmu88
joe150
joe150
zongozongo
zongozongo
ajk101
ajk101
jlbross
jlbross
samash07
samash07
leslieb
leslieb
barbecueblack
barbecueblack
suekulele
suekulele
dal08260
dal08260
lhamilton
lhamilton
qiuyan
qiuyan
robinboyd
robinboyd
ldarrow
ldarrow
rickeymike
rickeymike
mark1256
mark1256
tim0721
tim0721
laurajax
laurajax
wongbrown
wongbrown
lyndallk
lyndallk
jebergeron
jebergeron
june2020
june2020
ukandrea
ukandrea
kdeacon7
kdeacon7
ukulelee
ukulelee
krajisunny
concan
concan
lynnzo
lynnzo
ccwuke
ccwuke
terryfallon3
terryfallon3
kmoore925x
kmoore925x
karenj
karenj
smudge
smudge
joannetala
joannetala
gmflin8
gmflin8
kidelozzi
kidelozzi
dianna
dianna
riley_ukulele
riley_ukulele
seoulkim
seoulkim
ebetsimo
threepwoodjones
tessiert
tessiert
sir_anzalot
sir_anzalot
andrewvh
andrewvh
ukealori
ukealori
yukalele
yukalele
kpurdy
kpurdy
pysanky
pysanky
uku241
uku241
dottiectrain
biancak
biancak
henri0
henri0
lbilkie
lbilkie
janaq1
janaq1
coffeemug
coffeemug
alysun1
dividedsky
dividedsky
docsiphon
docsiphon
annemarie
annemarie
mademoiselleannette
nelsonlin2021
nelsonlin2021
mkstewart67
mkstewart67
sarahd
sarahd
puppylovesuke
puppylovesuke
omaon4
omaon4
sir_anzalot
brettboy
brettboy
brettboy
brettboy
brettboy
brettboy
brettboy
brettboy
brettboy
brettboy@puppylovesuke – Excellent performance!
@omaon4 – Excellent start, Helga! As you continue to practice, I’d work on 4 bars at a time. Memorize them and focus on keeping the timing steady. When you feel comfortable, work on the next 4 then piece the 8 together. Breaking the song into little chunks is the best way to learn.
@ukukelley1, @jbmills07, @maryjanew – Great playing all around! Unfortunately, y’all missed the deadline for receiving an entry for the prize for this month. I tried to give everyone a friendly reminder yesterday. But the good news is, there’s 3 more chances to win: October, November, and December.MJ, unfortunately I don’t see a pending or caught in the spam filter post from earlier for you.
Here’s everyone on page 9.
@lbilkie – I thought you did a great job and I love seeing when you guys challenge yourselves! So I noticed that your tempo was a little bit too fast for comfort. So my first suggestion would be to slow it down and target the bars that were challenging, specifically 19 through 23. Lots of legato technique in these measures, which make them very challenging to play at the same speed as the previous bars.So that’s an area that you want to focus more so on. But if we think of it as a whole or in larger sections, try to play along with a metronome. We want to keep this tune nice and steady, like a march feel.
@janaq1 – You are a great player! Incredible job with note clarity – which is not easy to do with so much movement between chords! Feel was great throughout too.And that intro, let’s call it a fermata 🙂
@coffeemug – Great job and love the story you shared on it! One tip I’ve shared with a couple members this month is to keep your fingers planted as you build chords. For example, the E chord in bar 1. You’re lifting up after each note. This cuts the sustain.Double check that part in the lesson because I remember talking about tips for playing this tricky section.
I’d also recommend memorizing the piece. It sounds like you’re close, but at the same time you’re focusing a lot on reading it over performing it. So it comes across like you’re going through the motions. Which was the same thing Marisa did in her performance which I talked about in this lesson.
@alysun1 – Great job! You’ve got a great base established, keep practicing and you’ll have it nice and smooth 🙂
@dividedsky – Fantastic duet! This song also took me way too many takes, lol.
@docsiphon – Left and right hand form looks great. Note clarity is great. Timing is great. This is very impressive for 3 months. Whatever you’re doing, keep it up!P.S. Don’t forget to add the Premium Member tag for K challenges 🙂
@annemarie – Excellent performance with great feel throughout! This is one of the strongest performances I’ve heard from you. It was really good! The only thing I’d suggest working on is bringing the measures that had legato up to speed (so bars 19 – 23 and the ones in the final melody). Keep up the excellent work!
@mademoiselleannette – Beautiful playing! My only suggestion is to memorize it which should help get some of those trickier transitions a little smoother.
@nelsonlin2021 – Way to go, Nelson! I love seeing you guys challenge yourselves! Did you get a chance to check out this lesson for vibrato technique? And this one for tapped harmonics?They will break down the mechanics behind performing each of them. Your vibrato is a little bit too forced and the tap needs to be a quick on / off – like swatting those darn mosquitoes lol.
Go through those lessons and email me a follow up video. I’d like to see how you’re doing with it.
So about the populele. I did a review on it and spent quite a bit of time with it. I don’t like it. And that comes across in my article and video, although I wasn’t as direct as I’m being right now.
I’d recommend purchasing an acoustic ukulele. Something about the fretboard with the populele is off. It just doesn’t feel natural on your fingertips. Like your finger tip oils naturally sink into a wooded fretboard, they don’t with the plastic populele.
@mkstewart67 – Bravo! Great feel and energy throughout! Couple little pauses here and there, but we’ll chalk that up to nerves. Which we all get! It was great overall, keep up the excellent work!
@sarahd – Oh no! I hope you feel better soon. On a positive, it was a lovely take and I need to watch that performance on YouTube 🙂Here’s everyone on page 8 that I hadn’t gotten to yet.
@pysanky – Your performance was phenomenal! Great feel and energy throughout. I have no critics. Keep up the great work!
@uku241 & @dottiectrain – Bravo! Excellent duet, you guys make a great team! I loved it!Last month I left you this feedback:
One thing I want you to take a look at is this lesson. It’s an overview on how to hold the ukulele. Read the article and watch the video at the bottom of the page. I want you to angle the neck up a little bit, because you’re currently holding it like a guitar. If you can point the neck up at a 45 degree angle, it should make playing easier 🙂
Ask your dad to help you with this. He’s got great posture and form.
@biancak – That was an incredible performance. What you wrote implied that you learned it in two days… and played it like that!! Even I can’t do that! Wow!
@henri0 – Another fantastic performance with great feel throughout. Awesome work, Rhian!@annemarie – Hi Anne, can you upload your video to YouTube and share the link here? Our upload feature is for photos only.
Friendly Reminder – The deadline for receiving feedback and an entry into the giveaway is tonight at 11:59 PM EST (check your local time zone).
@threepwoodjones – That was a great take that was played with great feel! Try not to be so hard on yourself, we are always our worst critic. Recently, I did a million takes for “Blackbird” and the one that was used in the final performance, I sent to Stephen for feedback with a message saying “this sucks.” He was quick to point out that it did not and that I was too much in my head thinking negatively.
I notice that if I walk away from listening to it for a couple days, then come back and re-listen, I realize that he’s right and it was fine all along.
@tessiert – Excellent take, Trace! Bravo on the tempo! Keep up the good work 🙂
@sir_anzalot – Could have fooled me, the tone on that uke is phenomenal! Although the player has something to do with that too, LOL. It was beautifully played with great finesse. Now the pressure is on to play it at your wedding 😉
@andrewvh – Bravo! Knocked it outta the park this month! One of my favorite performances from you 🙂
@ukealori – Well played! Couple spots here and there that you can target your practice to smooth out, but it was great overall! Keep up the good work 🙂
@yukalele – Yikes! Sounds like you’ve had quite the month, but it looks like you’re on the mend 🙂Playing sounds great, I would just slow down a little bit to make sure you land in the correct fret(s) each time.
@kpurdy – That’s so cool to hear! Bet this brings back some good memories 🙂Playing was great! I would suggest practicing one melody at a time with a metronome. Go slow and work towards keeping it nice and steady.
Here’s everyone on page 7 that I hadn’t left feedback for.
@karenj – Perfect performance! Well done 👏
@smudge – Well done! You have a great feel to your playing! It just sounds like you need a little more practice to smooth it out, but you’re almost there! Keep up the great work 🙂
@joannetala – Fantastic duet! Great playing!!
@gmflin8 – Wonderfully played! One technique I want you to work on is hammer-ons. It looks and sounds like you’re not connecting, in other words following through. You know how they say in baseball that when you hit the ball you don’t stop swinging. Same thing here.The goal for this technique is three fold. One, to cut down on the work of the right hand (less picking). Two, to achieve a different timbre of the notes. Three, for the notes to ring out at the same volume as if picked.
The latter is what I want you to work on. Check out this lesson. It’ll cover the fundamentals. For H/O, make sure you’re coming down with enough force to get both notes to ring at an equal volume as if picked.
Also, watch out for bending at the first joint in the index finger for that A minor at 47 seconds. We always want to keep a nice curve in that joint.
@kidelozzi – Excellent playing! I noticed that you changed the rhythm of the last note in some bars (such as bars 6 and 8) to a half note. It sounds cool, but I would work towards changing it to a quarter note so the timing of each bar remains in 3/4. Because in Melody C, you take it back to playing in 3/4 and it can come across as confusing feels if part of the song has an extra beat and part doesn’t.
@dianna – Hmm, I’m not hearing a high-pitched ring. Could be that the camera isn’t picking it up.For the stiffness, try to reposition your thumb so that it’s slightly above the middle of the neck as we recommend in this lesson. If you watch your performance, you’ll notice that it hangs over the neck throughout the piece. If you watch Steven’s take, you’ll see his thumb position mimics our recommendation. This should solve the hand issues you’re feeling and increased finger dexterity.
I wouldn’t worry too much about hand noises coming from the back of the neck, it’s just part of playing and you can hear it in many of my performances.
As far as your performance, I thought it was great! I’d work on bringing the timing of bars 19-23 up to tempo of the rest of the piece. And the same for Melody B.
@riley_ukulele – Excellent take! Sounds like the last Melody needs a little bit more practice but the rest of it was perfect!
@seoulkim – Wow! It’s extremely impressive to see you tackle such a difficult song so early in your playing career. I was especially impressed by your attention to detail with accents and dynamics. I’m really excited to continue to watch your progress. You’ve got a bright future ahead!
@ebetsimo – Bravo! Beautifully played!@krajisunny – Bravo! Beautiful played! I’m going to share it in our newsletter this Friday 🙂
@concan – Love it! Both of you did amazing 🙂
@lynnzo – Great playing! Keep working on that last melody, it’s tricky being so high up the neck but that cutaway definitely helps 🙂
@ccwuke – Awesome job! Way to go on keeping the timing and energy up! As you continue practicing, I would focus on cleaning up the chords that didn’t ring clear.I made this video the other day for Linda. It shows you how you can simplify the tune to focus on the chord work. Give this method a shot in tandem with practicing the piece as notated.
@terryfallon3 – Way to go, Terry! One of the best performances I’ve heard from you! Amazing job getting the rhythms down. I actually think that’s one of the hardest aspects of this arrangement.I’ve got one tip for you, try to keep your fingers planted as you build chords. For example, the E chord in bar 1. You’re lifting up after each note. This cuts the sustain.
Double check that part in the lesson because I remember talking about tips for playing this tricky section.
@kmoore925x – I think you’re there! Adaption sounded great, as did your playing. Well done!@laurajax – Excellent performance! Only thing I’d say is to cut down on the gaps between the themes.
@wongbrown – Bravo, Sheila! This is the best performance I’ve heard from you to date. I’m going to send it to Chris, I’m sure he’ll love it 🙂
@lyndallk – You aced it! Loved watching it 🙂
@jebergeron – Excellent feel throughout your performance! Only thing I’d say is to keep working on the walk up section and the part after it to bring it up to the tempo of the first melody.
@june2020 – Well done this month, June! I thought the higher notes sounded great! Only thing I’d say is to work on keeping timing steady in those two higher themes. But it was great overall! Keep up the good work 🙂
@ukandrea – Awesome to hear about the update with the UKC 🙂Playing sound great! Great articulation throughout. When you get back, I’d work towards gradually boosting tempo. Safe travels!
@kdeacon7 – Very impressive take for your third fingerstyle tune! I was really impressed with your comprehension of the rhythms. They aren’t easy in this piece!Couple tips. First, try to memorize it. Start with 8 bar sections. This way you can focus on how you are playing it. Check out this article and video as I break down why this is important.
Second, try to keep your fingers planted as you build chords. For example, the E chord in bar 1. You’re lifting up after each note. This cuts the sustain. Double check that part in the lesson because I remember talking about tips for playing this tricky section.
@ukulelee – Excellent performance! That cutaway def helps for reaching those high notes 🙂@ldarrow – Beautiful performance, Linda! Your progress has been truly amazing for less than 2 years of playing! Def keep up the great work!
For the string tugging, you might be in the midst of undoing a bad habit. Therefore you’ll have to work hard and be cognitive of how you are fretting while playing.
Try taking a part of this song and simplifying it so you can practice on not tugging when switching from chord to chord. For example:
@rickeymike – Bravo Rickey and I love the video!
@mark1256 – Way to go Mark!! I’ve heard some big improvement in your playing this year. It’s been very inspiring to watch!The best advice I can give as you continue practicing is to work on 4 or 8 bar sections at a time. Focus on timing, note clarity, and feel. Don’t worry too much about speed. 80% or slower is cool. The other areas are more important.
I think you have a really good base established for this tune. So you just want to hone in and chisel it to perfection.
@tim0721 – Awesome performance, Tim! Excellent feel throughout! And you know you rocked it when that smile pops out at the end 🙂@barbecueblack – Excellent performance! Keep working on the bars with the 16th note triplets, those are the toughest ones! Everything else was bravissimo 🙂
@suekulele – Awesome performance, Sue! Only thing I’d say as you continue to practice is to play along with a metronome or the tab player. Either will help tighten timing.
@dal08260 – Perfect performance, well done!
@lhamilton – Wow, Linda! Such a beautiful and impressive performance! I’m going to send this to Ashley, I’m sure she’ll love it 🙂
@qiuyan – Bravo! Amazing job on the timing. And great feel throughout! The one technique I want you to work on is hammer-ons & pull-offs. It looks and sounds like you’re not connecting, in other words following through. You know how they say in baseball that when you hit the ball you don’t stop swinging. Same thing here.The goal for this technique is three fold. One, to cut down on the work of the right hand (less picking). Two, to achieve a different timbre of the notes. Three, for the notes to ring out at the same volume as if picked.
The latter is what I want you to work on. Check out this lesson. It’ll cover the fundamentals. For H/O, make sure you’re coming down with enough force to get both notes to ring at an equal volume as if picked. For P/O, make sure when you’re pulling off that you’re tugging the string slightly down, not just lifting directly up.
@robinboyd – That was awesome y’all! I love it 🙂@jlbross – Excellent duet, Jennifer! Playing and timing sounds great! Only a couple of things I want to point out. The fourth note in the first theme, you fretted the 1st fret of string 2 but hit the open C each time. I’d target your practice there so that you pluck the correct string.
Also in the first theme, there’s some partial barres. I noticed that you’re hugging the neck to fret these. Try to adjust your hand so that it looks like the barre chord form we recommend here. This should also help increase your dexterity when playing the melody notes before and after the barres.
@samash07 – Playing sounds great Sam! Just make sure you rest at the end of each theme for a quarter note before starting the next theme.For timing, I’d recommend playing along with the harmony track with the metronome on throughout. Tap your foot as you go along and try to focus more so on the click than what the harmony is doing. I’ll email you this play-along track. I bounced it so that the click is louder than the harmony 🙂
@leslieb – Loved the story and great playing, Leslie! Only thing I’m hearing is that there’s a few notes with a bit of buzz, so just make sure you are keeping finger pressure held down and you’re pressing near the metal fret closes to the sound hole like Matt shows in this video.
