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@dianna, aww, thank you so much! I really appreciate that! 😊😅💕 I try to harness the enthusiasm in a constructive direction, but sometimes (cough, often) it gets away from me. 😉😳😂
@akukes73, thank you so much! It means a lot that you liked it and think I was successful in what I was trying to do. 😁💕 I am very interested in seeing the different ways clawhammer can be used, with different genres of music and different sounds/approaches to the technique itself. I think it’s so cool that certain musicians “invent” different techniques and push the boundaries of what already exists, not that I’m going to do that, but it’s still fun to experiment nonetheless. You still try to be like the great people you admire, at least. 😂
@grannieannie, that is sooooo cute, I loved reading about your little animal friends! Especially your tuxedo kitty. True dat, cats are *always* in charge of the house. 😂💕
@leb397, agreed, such an amazing challenge! One of the most amazing yet. 😊💕@dianna, I couldn’t agree more! That’s so true. It’s amazing how different people can take the same chords or notes and each create something completely different. It’s such a beautiful and personal thing and highlights the uniqueness of each person and their experiences with music. Ha so true, it’s so easy to get immersed in something you’re working on and lose track of time, or want to play uke for hours. I have done that a few times… 😂😅🤐😶 Ha thank you, I got carried away once again imagining the possibilities with what you created, but as it is it’s very, very creative and clever. 😂💕
@akukes73, that was so lovely, a very sweet and beautiful first piece! Looking forward to seeing what Andrew says about it. 😊@kittycatlin, you were right with your tag, but you just forgot the second “_” in @gi_gi_ 😅
Then I messed up your name and just had to fix it. Whoops. 😂
@dianna, haha, YES! Clawhammer sisters, we are!! 😂💕 Thank you so much for taking the time to explain all of that; it’s so interesting to learn of others’ thought processes when they create and their different approaches to creating.
These are just my thoughts and of course please take them with a grain of salt. 😂 For me when I create music it’s 90% about the sound, figuring things out by ear, trial and error, because of my trouble with learning theory. 😂 For some people, it’s hard to be freer when they play, or to play by ear; for me, it’s very hard for me to grasp theory for whatever reason, especially with chord names and things like that. Anyway, just with that preface, here are my thoughts:
I think all the 7 chords (except the g7 in the major part) do give both parts a bluesy sound. Nothing wrong with that but it may mean there isn’t as much contrast between the parts since they both sound bluesy with those chords. Playing through both parts repeatedly, that’s what I gathered (playing them with and without those 7 chords). I think if you wanted to make the minor sound “more minor,” maybe you could add an A minor chord and/or a B minor chord and/or remove the c7 chord from the minor part. I tried doing those things and I think it increased the “minor-ness.” 😅 I think the major part sounds pretty major even with the bluesy F7 chord and if you slightly modified the minor part by the previous suggestions (or maybe try other minor chords, those are just what I found by googling “minor chords that go with the key of E minor” 😂). TBH, I really love your song as it is, these are just my thoughts if you did want to create even more contrast between the parts, from a listener’s perspective, as you pointed out. 😂 That is another interesting element of creation is “outside perspectives” and how that can sometimes be very different from your intentions. One other thing is that maybe you could make one part strumming only and one part clawhammer only if you wanted to create even more contrast. If it were me, I’d make the dog part clawhammer because that technique is more upbeat and goofier like a dog. 😂 Again, these are only my thoughts and it’s your creation, but it’s fun and helpful for me to think through these things and I really love talking about this subject, obviously. Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts, I hope it’s okay that I told you what I think about it. I’m way better at critiquing poetry than music. 😂😊
@kelsey91, that was so sweet and lovely! Beautiful singing and playing! 😁😊This is my favorite challenge so far. Sorry I also wrote so much. I just get so excited because this my favorite subject when it comes to music, original music. Thanks for everyone who shared again, really amazing stuff! 😊
@dianna, that was so magical! I love everything about that, the style, the techniques (o’ course, I lorve the clawrhammer), and the story, very magical. 😊😅 It also has an almost bluesy sound to the harmony. I listened to it a few times and I had a hard time telling which parts were minor or major; I couldn’t tell them apart. To me overall it had a bluesy sound throughout but maybe you or Andrew can explain why that is. 😂😅 The theory side of music is by far my weakest point.
I’m still trying to wrap my mind around what a musical cliché is or if there is anything wrong with that because talking to Matt about this, he’s always said that there is no music that’s fully original. Maybe there are some things that if used are so obvious or so simple that they’re boring, they can get boring if too predictable, but as long as it’s interesting and “sounds good, you’re doing it right,” again quoting Matt. 😅 I really agree with his philosophy about music which is why I’m referencing that right now. But I also think that some of the best music ever created is just a directly modified version or reimagining of something that already exists. Sorry I have a lot of thoughts about this topic and the concept of creating music which is why I wrote more than even usual in this challenge but it’s just so exciting to see what everyone created and to ponder. Anyway thank so much, Dianna, that was lovely! 😊😅
@Andrew, thank you so much! 😊 It always means so much and makes me so happy when you like a tune I try to create. It’s like an extra special stamp of approval. 😂 I’m really happy that you liked the blending of clawhammer and fingerpicking; for some reason I really like the idea of trying to do that, but it can be tricky to switch mid-song without it seeming abrupt, which is why I tried to modify the clawhammer pattern so it sounds more like fingerpicking and emulates other patterns to make that transition smoother. The original melody was inspired by some of your tunes and “melodic movements” (?) you like to use in your songs that I’ve noticed. Thank you again so much! 😊🤍
@leb397, those lyrics are so magical and so cute! 😁😅 I’m so happy you decided to put yourself out there. That can be so scary especially when it’s something like singing. But you did beautifully! 😊💕@dianna, hahaha!! Yes, those are perfect examples of exactly what I mean! Thank you! 😂😊 Very specific and sometimes pungent imagery. 😂 I feel like something like “Grasshopper Sittin’ on a Sweet Potato Vine” is pretty goofy, but also poetic in its sound and flow, and of course follows the clawhammer rhythm, even with that title. Hahaha those examples definitely illustrate some of the interesting cultural implications of clawhammer tunes; it’s true, you have to wonder, how many of these things actually happened? Probably more than you’d maybe want to believe… But that’s what makes them so interesting, fun, and unique. 😅😂🤢😉😂💕
And thank you so much for your kind words, I really appreciate that! It really means a lot. I’m so happy that you and others here appreciate the silliness and that the feelings I hope to convey somehow do, but I’m not always sure how. That’s part of what makes music, and the ukulele, so magical. 😊💕
@leb397, that was so magical, so cute, I loved that! You had some real bluesy style with that tune. 😂😎 I loved the ukulele grandma part, agreed with @annemarie. Fantastic my friend! The only thing I was a little sad about was that I couldn’t hear all the lyrics more because some of them were hard to hear, but still loved all that I could hear. 😊😅 Thank you for sharing that! 😊💕
@karenj, that was really lovely, you captured that tune perfectly! 😊 @swissconsinboy, that was quite magical, loved the sound of that one a lot, a different sounding tune/technique! Really cool! 😊@gi_gi_ haha!!! Get ready. I think I’m going to share an explanation of the title in separate thread because it’s so ridiculously elaborate now. 😂😅😂 Thank you so much for your kind words about the song, that means so much! 😊💕
Oh yeah, I also was wondering about @emiliano. Hopefully he’s alright. The last he shared here it was right before a hurricane where he was… 🥺
@rebeca, that’s so beautiful, your description, thank you so much! 😊 I really like the idea of a more softened, melodic approach to playing clawhammer since it is normally rather percussive and harsher in its sound (which I also love about it, but am interested in experimenting with the technique). James Hill played a song using what he called “melodic clawhammer” (which I need to look into more, his exact approach to that) but that deepened my curiosity to playing clawhammer that way, softer, less percussive-sounding. I love the word “bucolic,” excellent word choice! 😅 Thank you for explaining your approach to songwriting on the other page, really appreciate that and your kind words so much! 😊💕@leb397, thank you so much, my friend!! I can’t say how much I appreciate your encouragement. 😊💕 You always write such nice posts for everyone. I’m so happy you enjoy the clawhammer; it’s obviously one of my favorite ways to play uke. 😅 I feel like the songs from here and Matt’s YouTube channel that I “turned into” clawhammer sound better in some ways because they already have such a great musical infrastructure, but I’m pretty happy with that one. And I’m so glad you liked what I shared in the video about the nervousness and my thought process behind this orig. I almost didn’t share that first part, but did think maybe that could be helpful in some way; it’s also helpful for me to express my thoughts that way. I do like it once I get through the initial nerves; I really like trying to explain my odd reasoning when I try to create something. 😂 Thank you again so much! Agreed, absolutely mind-blowingly great entries in this challenge so far. Really looking forward to what you share! 😊
Here is the “beforemance”:
I watched this back and realized how dang tired I still looked. 😂 I also woke up with a migraine this morning sadly, so I was just getting over that a bit. But I actually think my performance was better in this video than the previous one. I hope you enjoy these! 😂
Oh, sorry, just one more thing. I accidentally fingerpicked the third run through the pattern. The whole thing was meant to be the clawhammer technique, but I accidentally fingerpicked it. Whoopsies. Thank you again! 😊
Hello uke friends! 😊
I guess it didn’t take too long to record this finally, but I felt really nervous this time. It’s kind of like what Matt said in the most recent live lesson about performance anxiety: It never really goes away. I do think there are times when it is better, or less intense, but if you have it, it’s always kind of there. Also, it’s best not to fight the “anxiety monkeys,” but instead learn to accept them. That’s an ongoing challenge. 😊
So yeah, here it is: Peanut Butter Jeff’s Melancholy Slide Whistle. 😂😂 I’m probably most proud of that title, lol.
I recorded just the performance by itself (with dramatic stank faces when I messed up, lol):
And also a slightly longer explanation of some of my thought process behind it, since some people seemed to like that last time and I do enjoy doing it (despite my nerves). I’ll post that right after this post, though, so hopefully the forum won’t reject it (or rather the Drewmpa Loompas won’t snatch it up because they’re quick ‘n’ spry little fellers!) 😂 Thank you, @Andrew, for this challenge again! 😊
@rebeca, absolutely gorgeous! I agree with others that your uke videos are the best, always so elegant and full of feeling and enjoyable to listen to. Really lovely original you created! I wish I could ask each person how they arrived at what they did; the posts so far that went into detail about how they created their originals are so interesting to me. 😁😅 Glad you’re back! 😊
@misterbones, agreed with @gi_gi_ that your song is so dang cool and also that it sounds Middle Eastern. 😂 Really amazing! I also would like to learn some of these songs people have created here, so good! Such a talented and special group of people, students and teachers alike. 😊I might try to share mine at some point today, we’ll see how things go. 😅😳
@bibilele, that was a very lovely tune indeed! I feel like your sense of timing is perfect and I love the melancholy sound of it. 😊 @marianne, just so you know, @gi_gi_ and I were freaking out that you posted before us and couldn’t even listen to it before posting ours. 😉😉😂😂😂😅😅 Well, I actually did listen to it, and holy crud that was amazing. That goes without saying, so majestic. You are “ukulele goals” personified. 😅😉 @gi_gi_ I absolutely love how that turned out, so gorgeous, my friend!! Agreed with others who said this challenge is so exciting and fun especially since for so many people who shared so far, this is their first original tune. And those who picked Andrew’s original tunes also have done a lovely job. I really wanted to record mine tonight but had unexpected car issues today. I didn’t cry though so that’s pretty impressive with all that’s happened this month. 😂 Thank you for all who shared and to @Andrew for creating this challenge! 😊
@gi_gi_ haha whoops I have a big time problem picking up on sarcasm. I’m glad you were just being facetious. 😂 I’m kind of nervous to share mine now so perhaps I was projecting that reaction. 😂😅 But it’s okay, what makes these kind of challenges so special is that everyone creates differently and brings their own unique take to their ukulele playing. For me one of my biggest weaknesses I think is creating interesting or in depth harmonies when I try to write a song because I’m the struggle bus with understanding chords and things like that. Agreed with @dianna and others these challenges are so much fun and so appreciated! 😊💕
