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Rickey, use the low G but move the Open G string note to the second string, 3rd fret. That should solve the dilemma 🙂
Wow! 100 members joined us for this month’s challenge! It has truly been a pleasure to watch everyone’s performances and offer my humble feedback. BIG thanks to each of you who participated and bravo on a job well done!
Our June Challenge is LIVE and the theme is: Opera Songs! I hope each of you joins us again.
Below, I will post a list of members who participated in the May challenge for your second chance to win the Kanile’a Ukulele. Please let me know if there are any discrepancies.
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jbmills07
jbmills07
mark1256
mark1256
evapaju
evapaju
lyndallk
lyndallk
laurakarr12
laurakarr12
qiuyan
qiuyan
clempek
clempek
nthibode
nthibode
rafaela
rafaela
deadbuggy
deadbuggy
cemusicalele
cemusicalele
leb397
leb397
debb1985
debb1985
katazumiri
katazumiri
jsanjuan
jsanjuan
dianna
dianna
lynnzo
lynnzo
artcrocker
artcrocker
pysanky
pysanky
shmu88
shmu88
ccwuke
ccwuke
moonshine
moonshine
johanna2509
johanna2509
simonalexander
simonalexander
tric_o_tronic
tric_o_tronic
gi_gi_
gi_gi_
rebeca
rebeca
leslieb
leslieb
zongozongo
zongozongo
sir_anzalot
sir_anzalot
suekulele
suekulele
ebetsimo
laurajax
laurajax
joe150
joe150
riley_ukulele
riley_ukulele
gmflin8
gmflin8
jebergeron
jebergeron
ukandrea
ukandrea
misterbones
misterbones
brettboy
brettboy
jchita
tessiert
tessiert
karenj
karenj
lisadmh
lisadmh
lhamilton
lhamilton
june2020
june2020
wongbrown
wongbrown
akukes73
akukes73
gstriph
gstriph
kdeacon7
kdeacon7
ldarrow
ldarrow
joannetala
joannetala
barbecueblack
barbecueblack
tules14
tules14
samash07
samash07
yukalele
yukalele
richard_siegert
richard_siegert
biancak
biancak
morrieuke1
tim0721
tim0721
nelsonlin2021
nelsonlin2021
ukulelee
ukulelee
dorabr
kpurdy
kpurdy
dividedsky
dividedsky
andrewvh
andrewvh
kidelozzi
kidelozzi
uku241
uku241
seoulkim
seoulkim
maryjanew
maryjanew
dal08260
dal08260
annemarie
terryfallon3
terryfallon3
cimarronsailor
cimarronsailor
coffeemug
coffeemug
henri0
henri0
antotonin
antotonin
janaq1
janaq1
sarahd
sarahd
jayton
jayton
sarrafina
sarrafina
robinboyd
robinboyd
jlbross
jlbross
mademoiselleannette
casadot349
casadot349
ukealori
ukealori
dottiectrain
jeg143
jeg143
smudge
smudge
mkstewart67
mkstewart67
russellbarnett
russellbarnett
omaon4
omaon4
puppylovesuke
puppylovesuke
ukukelley1
ukukelley1
kmoore925x
kmoore925xcasadot349 – Excellent performance! Great feel and timing throughout. Very well done this month 👏
ukealori – great job, Lori! Trying looping the opening 4 bars with Matt in the tab player. Go slow and focus on getting the transitions down.
@uku241 – You’ve got a great singing voice! And very cool to see the fam join in 🙂dottiectrain – Amazing playing! How long have you been playing for?
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 🙂
jeg143 – Awesome performance! There’s a few pauses in some of the transitions, so that’s where I would focus my practice on. One way to work on this is to loop 4 bars at a time in the tab player.
smudge – Beautiful playing! I’d say you’re at the stage where you can start to increase tempo to build speed 🙂
mkstewart67 – Excellent performance! Really well done this month!!
russellbarnett – Excellent job on the timing and tempo! Even I don’t think I can play it that fast lol. Ohh, and don’t forget to add the “I am a premium member” tag to your posts 🙂
omaon4 – Excellent job! I dig the mix of staccato and sustained chord hits. Sounds really nice!
puppylovesuke – I think our definition of messy is quite different lol. That was a fantastic performance, David! Keep up the great work 🙂
ukukelley1 – Very well played and I like the subtle changes you through in. Couple little pauses in the timing, but nothing that a little more practice can’t resolve. Solid performance overall, great job this month!
kmoore925x – I wanted to apologize. I checked our spam filter and saw that both of your previous posts got caught in it. Looks like the first one came in at 11:52pm, so no worries you’ll get an entry for this month.
Onto your performance, it was excellent! Great tone and feel throughout. I’d say you’re at the stage where you can start to increase tempo to build speed 🙂
jojoba – Great job, Juan! So with this song, you want to aim for more sustain in the notes and chords than staccato. Check out this lesson, it’ll help you work on increasing sustain.
It also sounds like some of the bars are rhythmically tripping you up. Which is understandable as the song is extremely syncopated. Try playing along with Steven in the tab player. That should help clarify any confusion. Try 4 bars at a time.
Also, don’t be afraid to sing the bars out-loud (not playing). That always helps me memorize syncopated lines.
Unfortunately, you submitted past our deadline so I won’t be able to give you an entry for this month. I tried to give everyone a friendly reminder yesterday. But the good news is there are four more chances to enter for the prize.
moonshine – Great job! Double check the rhythm in bar six. That first note should be a quarter note. Also, check out this video that I made earlier this month for another member. It’ll give you a tip with fretting that first chord in bar 4.
BTW – Cool to see you do two songs this month 🙂
alysun1 – Nice job! Sounds like you’ve got a great base established, just need a little bit more practice to smooth it out 🙂
Unfortunately, you submitted past our deadline so I won’t be able to give you an entry for this month. I tried to give everyone a friendly reminder yesterday. But the good news is there are four more chances to enter for the prize.
janaq1 – Playing sounds fantastic! Great feel throughout! The only thing I’m hearing is that some of the bars are rhythmically tripping you up. Which is understandable as the song is extremely syncopated. Try playing along with Steven in the tab player. That should help clarify any confusion. Also, don’t be afraid to sing the bars out-loud (not playing). That always helps me memorize syncopated lines.
sarahd – Amazing progress for 2 days! Honestly, only sounds like you need another day or two to have it perfect 🙂
jayton – I think it took me 20 takes to get Blackbird right LOL. Funny thing is you went with take 1. Reminds me of this video where the engineer from “Thriller” talks about doing 100 mixes and they end up going with number 2.
Onto your performance, it was great! I do want you to play that single-note melody run that happens before the last chorus with Matt in the tab player. Timing was a bit off in that section, so playing with him should help you strengthen it.
sarrafina – Beautiful playing, Sarrafina! So one thing I want you to work on is timing. I think you should jump into our reading course. It’s a great way to study rhythm and internalize the value of whole, half, quarter, eighths, and 16ths notes.
robinboyd – Excellent performance, Robin! And I like that subtle changes you through in 🙂
jlbross – Performance was great! I’m not seeing any form issues with the barres. And I think it’s fine to jump up for the 5th to 7th fret notes instead of trying to stretch. A little more practice and I think you’d have it smoothed out 🙂
mademoiselleannette – Performance was great! Couple little timing snafus, but nothing that can’t be easily overcome with a metronome. Solid performance overall, great job this month!
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).
dividedsky – Excellent performance! Super fun to listen to 🙂
andrewvh – Great job, Andrew! My only suggestion is to memorize it, that way you can put your full concentration into the performance.
kidelozzi – That was very well played! I agree with your assessment about fine-tuning it. Here’s what I would work on. I’m hearing a little string noise mixed in with notes/chords. Mostly in the second and third bar of the chorus.
So I’d slow that section down and focus on cleaning up your playing. Also, double-check the first bar of the chorus because it switches from a sus to a major triad.
But again it was really good overall! You’re pretty much at the polishing stage 🙂
uku241 – Excellent playing! Only thing I’d suggest is to target your practice on the areas that weren’t as clean, like measure 6. That’s a tricky transition. Slow it down and focus on note clarity, then speed it back up 🙂
seoulkim – Incredible performance! Watching your progress has been amazing. Keep up the great work!
maryjanew – Awesome to see you tackle tougher tunes, MJ! For this tune, I’d work on 4 bars at a time (looped) in the tab player. Go slow and master that section before working on the next four bars. Essentially, you’re building it brick by brick. Definitely memorize it, so you can focus on what your left and right hand is doing as there’s a lot of intricacy in this song.
dal08260 – Excellent performance! Keep up the great work 🙂
annemarie – Beautiful playing and love the tone of the amp and uke 🙂
terryfallon3 – Great job, Terry! I’d suggest working on keeping the timing steady. Focus on 8 bars at a time. When you’ve got those smooth, move on to the next 8 then connect the 16.
cimarronsailor – Beautiful playing! I’d say you’re at the stage where you can start to increase tempo to build speed 🙂
coffeemug – Awesome performance! There’s only a few pauses in some of the transitions, so that’s where I would focus my practice on. Overall it was excellent, keep up the great work!
henri0 – Excellent performance! One of your best to-date 🙂
antotonin – Bravo! Excellent performance!
barbecueblack – Beautiful performance! Only a few spots need a little polishing, but it was amazing overall! Great job this month 🙂
tules14 – Here’s my feedback for you 🙂
samash07 – I thought you did great on the strumming! The entire song was quite lovely to listen to.
I do want you to play that single-note melody run that happens before the last chorus with Matt in the tab player. Timing was a bit off in that section, so playing with him should help you strengthen it.
yukalele – Here’s my feedback for you 🙂
richard_siegert – Excellent playing, Richard! Only thing I’d say to work on is to eliminate some of the pauses in the transitions during the chorus. Try playing with a metronome or with Matt in the tab player. That’ll help you keep the tempo steady.
biancak – Beautiful playing! I did read everything you wrote, and I think you might be a little too harsh on yourself. But at the same time, aren’t we always our worst critic lol.
It is awesome to hear that you are recording your performances, watching back, and targeting your practice on specific areas. Keep doing that, it’s one of the best ways to improve!
morrieuke1 – Not going to lie, totally wish I phrased the “Yesterday” opening lyric line the way you did. Totally cool! Now if I only had a time machine to go back and redo it lol.
I’m impressed with your cramming sesh. Very well played and another solid performance in the books. Keep up the great work!
@tessiert – My pleasure! And I def will remember next time we add testimonials. Appreciate it! No need to hold back on questions. Happy to help anytime!tim0721 – Beautiful playing with great feel! It looked like you were referencing the music from time to time. So my only suggestion is to memorize it, that way you can put your full concentration into the performance.
@nelsonlin2021 – Excellent job this month! Only two things stood out to me. Look how you’re fretting the D chord at 13 seconds. You’re bending in at the first joint with the pinky finger. Keep that finger curved and fret the note with the fingertip.Also, there were a couple times where you messed up and restarted a section. Always play through your mistakes. We want to pretend like we’re playing in an ensemble. If we make a mistake, the band never stops and starts again, instead they carry on and the audience usually doesn’t notice 🙂
@ukulelee – Beautiful playing and your ukulele sounds incredible! So there’s a couple of areas where you want to smooth out the timing. But I also think you’re ready to start boosting the tempo. It was really well played overall so you pretty much at the polishing, tightening, and boosting tempo stage.
@dorabr – Congrats on becoming a mom! Your baby’s going to have some amazing serenading sessions because your playing is fantastic 🙂
@kpurdy – I thought you did a great job! I’d recommend playing along with Matt in the tab player. Loop 4 or 8 bars at a time and try to match him. His playing will act as a guide to help keep you locked in (timing wise).When you feel like you’re locked in with him, record yourself playing solo. And listen back to double check that you’ve got it flowing steady 🙂
akukes73 – Beautiful playing! Great job on the timing, but watch out for the first bar of the verse. I simplified the rhythm of the vocal melody, so if you switch it to the syncopated rhythm that Paul sings, you’ll have to rework the bar so it isn’t cut short.
As you continue to practice, I want you to focus on increasing sustain. Also, check out this video that I made earlier this month for another member. It’ll give you a tip on that hard chord transition in bar 4.
bibilele – Fantastic start! Can’t wait to hear at all 🙂
gstriph – Excellent take, Jerry! Fantastic work this month 🙂
kdeacon7 – Bravo! Incredible performance for your second fingerstyle tune!! So there were moments where your timing was spot-on and then others where it was a little choppy. So I’d suggest practicing with a metronome or with the tab player. And don’t be afraid to do the barre chord for B7. It’ll make that section much easier to play 😉
@ldarrow – Working on songs that are above your playing level is an excellent way to grow your musicianship. I even tell folks it’s okay if you don’t learn the entire song. Because you’re still going to get better in the process no matter how much you tackle.But tackle it you did! Bravo! 2 tips: Watch out for pulling the third string down when fretting chords. It’ll make the note sound sharp (off-key). We always want to try to keep the string as parallel as possible.
Second, the E minor in bar 8. Try to grab that with third (G string), fourth (C string) and middle (E string) fingers. It’ll make the transition after that chord much easier.
@joannetala – Beautiful playing! A lot of the your performance had a beautiful sustain, but there’s a couple sections where it became a bit staccato-y. Mostly the hard measures, like bar 4. Check out the advice and video I left about for @akukes73. It’ll give you some tips for increasing sustain.This is the closest to that that I’ve seen. But I think you still need a DAW.
@tessiert – Here’s my feedback for you 🙂
@karenj – I thought you played it very well, Karen. Honestly, it just sounds like you need to practice with me in the tab player.I like to call it: rinse and repeat LOL. Watch this old video of mine. It’s literally me playing the same part three times in a row with the record.
But when we play with the music, as opposed to just our self, it helps smooth out timing. And it’s fun to do!
@lisadmh – Bravo! You really impressed me last month and you did it again this month 🙂
@lhamilton – Beautiful playing, Linda! One tip for the nerves. Try hitting record when you sit down to warm up / start playing. Then do a few takes while it’s still recording. Those nerves should wear off after 5 or 10 minutes.You can use the same approach if you perform live. Start with an easy song or 2. Then when the nerves wear off, bust out the harder tunes 🙂
@june2020 – Excellent take! This is the best performance I’ve heard from you to date 🙂My only advice is to work on eliminating the pauses in transitions during the chorus. But overall it was awesome! Keep up the great work!
@wongbrown – Beautiful playing, Sheila! As you continue practicing, try playing 8 bar sections with Steven in the tab player. His playing will act as a guide to help keep you locked in timing-wise. When you feel like you’re glued to him, record yourself playing solo and listen back. When you’ve got perfect timing, move on to the next 8 bars with the same method.laurajax – Fantastic performance! My suggestion, as you continue to practice, is to work on keeping the flow steady as there’s a few pauses in some transitions. Try breaking your practice into 8 bar sections. That way you can build the song as you go instead of trying to tackle it all at once.
joe150 – Great job, Joe! You’ve got a great base established. As you continue to practice, I want you to play along with Matt in the tab player. Try 4 bar sections at a time. Focus on keeping the timing steady.
riley_ukulele – Beautiful performance! Love the build up in dynamics during the chorus. And great tone!
@qiuyan – Beautiful playing! You can def handle the harder songs. Keep up the great work!gmflin8 – Excellent performance! I think you’re ready to start building the tempo. Try 10 BPM faster and gradually increase from there. Keep up the great work!
jebergeron – Well done! Timing and feel are great throughout! There’s really only a few bars that I would target your practice on: bar 3 into 4 in the verse and the first bar of the chorus. There’s a little pause with the transitions there. But overall it was awesome!
ukandrea – Great job, Andrea! Some of the rhythms sound a little rushed, which is understandable as this song has a lot of syncopation. So I’d recommend breaking it into sections and playing with the tab player. That’ll help smooth out the timing.
misterbones – Fantastic performance! I also find it difficult to memorize pieces that have subtle variations. Especially classical music. For some reason that genre trips me up more than any other.
One tip, which is kind of cheating, is that if I was to play one of these tunes in a public performance, I’d forgo all the variations and play each verse/chorus as copy/paste. Some of these pieces are so intricate that I’m not sure anyone would catch the difference if you included them or not.
brettboy – Great interpretation! I’m not sure which version I like more. The deep tone is beautiful but the opposite is as well 🙂
jchita – Wow, Julie! I can’t believe how developed your playing is after only 8 months. Timing was excellent, you nailed the playful swing feel and you’ve got a great mix of staccato/sustained chord hits. I’m impressed! Keep doing what you’re doing, it’s working 🙂
zongozongo – Excellent performance! A few measures sound like they could use a little polishing, but overall it was very well played! Keep up the great work 🙂
sir_anzalot – Excellent playing, Andy! My only suggestion is to target your practice on the 2nd and 3rd bar of the chorus. Those are finger frenzy measures! Take it slow and see if you can clean it up a bit.
suekulele – Wow! What a view with a performance to match it 🙂
My suggestion, as you continue to practice, is to work on keeping the flow steady as there’s a few pauses in some transitions. Try breaking your practice into 8 bar sections. That way you can build the song as you go instead of trying to tackle it all at once.
ebetsimo – Gorgeous playing, well done!
Welcome, @hajaar! Glad you found us 🙂
I’d recommend jumping into our Beginner’s Course. We cover a lot of the topics you brought up there.