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@shmu88, very lovely take as well! Some of those jumps between chords were really tricky (for me at least) and you were pretty dang smooth about it. Lovely indeed! 😊 But yeah, @marianne’s take on that one on baritone is extra lovely to listen to. 😊
I AM A PREMIUM MEMBER
So, I also picked What Was I Made For? Such a beautiful song and arrangement by Matt. For some reason, I felt especially anxious when trying to record this time and this took multiple tries to get a take even this good. Apparently the whole concept of this song is imperfection, at least in the context of the Barbie movie (which I haven’t seen), so I guess that fits. 😂 I’d say I’m especially an expert on imperfection and not being able to meet certain expectations in life, or as a woman. So, for me the idea of imperfection is not so much an epiphanic “fall from grace,” like a Barbie realizing she doesn’t have to be perfect; it’s being in a position of already knowing too much what it means to be imperfect. Not sure if that makes sense. 😂 This concept is very heavy for me and I’m not even talking about the heaviest stuff, lol. Perhaps TMI, but this song struck me really hard for those reasons and also reasons I can’t mention here.
On a more musical note, 😂 I really tried to capture the rubato-y feel Matt achieved because it’s so beautiful, but I did struggle with some of those chord transitions. The rubato maybe helped? 😂 Thank you so much for these great songs, challenges, words of encouragement, and everything!
Haha, @johanna2509, now that you say that, I remember there being a cut there. I forgot about it immediately though so that should make you feel better. 😂💕 I feel like everyone notices their own mistakes so much more than other people do. Ha, same. Same about the brain thing for me. 😂🥺😅
@gi_gi_ congrats again on your submission being shared! It was a perfect take of that one. 🥰
@leb397, haha, thank you! 😂 I may just have to do that – more noodles!! Yeah!! It’s The Summer of Noodles. 😂😅😂 I know, I love that noodling lesson and Matt is so great. He has helped me understand and harness my own musical abilities in a way I don’t think I would have otherwise, as much as Andrew and my uke friends here. Such genuinely kind and generous people. I’m going to cry, man. 😅💕 All that, and learning the songs here has taught me what makes a great musical arr. But yeah, more noodles, too!! Maybe today!@johanna2509, really beautiful playing, friend! Pretty setting as well! Not really one mistake in there, very impressive! 😅😂💕
@leb397, ha, maybe I’ll have to give those movies a watch! I love JGL, too, he’s a funny character. 😂💕
@annemarie, that’s presh with the pink! I had Barbies growing up. Sometimes I treated them more like the kid from the first Toy Story treated his toys but I had them nonetheless. I probably shouldn’t admit that. 😅😂😂😅@gi_gi_, loved your take on Yellow Submarine! Quite magical!! 😁😂💕 @leb397, really great take on Axel F! I’ve never seen any of those movies but I love the theme song! Sounds super cool! 😁😂😅💕 @annemarie, very lovely take on “What Was I Made For?”! So beautiful. That song falls into the category of songs that I feel are perfect for Matt’s style of arranging/playing. Boy are those chord changes tricky in places though. I’m still working on it, hopefully can record it this weekend! Anyway, very lovely take! And everyone else too so far! 💕🥰😅
@emiliano, haha yes, I did know about that because there is a monthly song/lesson vote on Matt’s Patreon and “noodling” was one of the options and it won (it’s that lesson you linked)! So I was eagerly awaiting that specific lesson. 😂😅 I’m not sure if he looks at the forum here much. He had the option for a “noodling” lesson for a while, but it’s mostly happenstance that it came into existence right after this thread did. 😅😂 Agreed, such a great lesson!! 😊
@leb397, that is so magical and sweet! So cool you got to meet him! 😁💖💕 Haha is he a “short king,” like @gi_gi_ mentioned? 😅😂 I am definitely pro-short-king. 😅😂
@gi_gi_ haha!! Oh my yes I love those mini ukes! @johanna2509 sent those to me, then I added to googly eyes! They are amazing!! 😅😂💕💖I bought a ticket to see J-Shims near me here in August, but then realized it’s not possible due to my many anxieties and also practical reasons, so that’s awkward. 😅😂😳
@emiliano, ohhhh, I see, well, that’s definitely what I do, too, when I want a song to sound / be a certain way: I’ll spend time turning a song from a “regular” song into a clawhammer version, for example. For you, is it basically trial and error, testing different notes to see what sounds good, or more based in theory, or both?
I have different approaches to making things up. 😂 I don’t really know many of the notes on ukulele but I know some chords and often times, like what Mika said in that video, you can improvise just by fingerpicking different chords and playing notes around those chords. That’s basically what I do. Or I just try different techniques or fingerpicking patterns over songs I already know.
Oh my, that would be so, so amazing if Rock Class 101 had an improvising / noodling course! I know for a fact many people here would love that. 😁
I can’t wait to hear what you’re cooking up!! Cooking up some extra spicy noodling!! 😂
I know, I absolutely love that song! That may be one of my favorite guitar songs. I love Brandon Acker because he plays classical music on guitar so incredibly – and also plays old instruments as well, such as the lute. 😂 I do think flamenco is really cool sounding but I don’t know many techniques involved in playing it.
I’ll add more noodling pretty soon too, looking forward to hearing yours!! 😊
Edit: I’m sorry it’s a force of habit to add too many emojis. My family and I send many emojis when texting. I sometimes forget, then send a bunch of heart emojis to someone I barely know. 😅😂😳
@jbmills07, that is sooooo exciting and cool and also adorable!! 😂😅💕 J-Shims seems like such a kind, humble, and genuine person; I remember that coming across during the Meals For Maui live charity event last year (?). That is so cool that you got to meet him and he signed your uke! I mean, writing (calligraphy) is definitely a form of art, but don’t get me started on that. 😂 Really nice that you popped in to share that, thank you, friend! I hope you heal up ASAP! How much are you able to play uke or not much at all? So sorry for that but thank you for sharing! 😊
Agreed with @leb397, this experience is kitty-approved! 😂💕
@gi_gi_ haha we both had to let him know about the video game music here, but he already knew and we were preaching to the choir. 😅😂
@emiliano, that version of Silent Night is so beautiful with that technique! I love that sound so much. Matt from here also plays that technique very beautifully. One of my favorite instances of it is Brandon Acker playing Los Recuerdos de la Alhambra on guitar:Maybe I’ll have to try that Silent Night, thank you for sharing that. I don’t love all Christmas music but that one is one of my favorites year round too. 😅😂
That song by Michelle Heafy is really beautiful, too! It seems like you’ve really developed your skills and are a really good player if you’re attempting to do things like that. 😂 Just based on what I’ve seen you share on the forum, you’ve got mad skillz. How much do you have to think about it to play songs in an “alternative” way? Like with What Was I Made For? in the challenge? Can you just take a song you’ve learned and immediately noodle over it? I do that to a degree but it’s definitely not as refined as what you did there, though I do think I know how to make things sound “pretty.” 😂
Thank you for all you’ve shared here, very insightful! I look forward to your noodling samples whenever you can get to it!! I’ll add more pretty soon too. 😊😅
@gi_gi_, thank you so much, my friend! I love that they give you ideas. 😁💕 I can’t wait to see your noodling, so glad that Mika video inspired and helped you to try it. 😊 Also what he said about playing more cleanly, as opposed to rushing just for the sake of playing faster, is a really good point. That’s something I know I could really work on, playing more cleanly. But yeah, can’t wait to see your noodling!! 😁💕
@emiliano, thank you so much! 😊 For me noodling is more about relaxing and decompressing, and also figuring out a lot of songs I want to play that are more obscure that don’t really exist on uke. 😂😅 Well, a couple of them do exist somewhere on YouTube but I’d rather figure them out myself amidst my noodling. And I’ve realized that I actually prefer to figure them out mostly by ear anyway. That said, I probably wouldn’t have “matured” that skill without RC101 because I think I really absorbed what makes a great structured song and many fun possibilities of what you can add to a song through learning songs here. Also techniques, though I could still work a lot more on that. 😂Haha!! My uke does know a little Spanish. 😂😅 ¡Hola! 😂 I was so confused by that when I first got that uke (because it was my first and most beloved uke), “isn’t the ukulele a Hawaiian instrument?” But now I can’t remember if that is also a Hawaiian word. It’s been a while since I looked that up. 😂😅
I absolutely love the beginning of that Lucas fellow’s Great Fairy Fountain! I love tremolo picking on guitar and uke. I want to learn that still. I’m still not very good at that. Love that sound though, great rendition of that one overall! You’re learning a ukulele version of that one? Did you know that Rock Class has a beautiful arrangement of that song done by Steven Warren? Actually there are many beautiful video game arrangements here. They had a challenge with them once and they’re all really pretty. I never really knew those songs before that because I never played those types of video games, more often PC games from the early 2000’s, like Roller Coaster Tycoon, The Sims, and Thief. I never played them as intended though. 😅😂
Haha! Yes, the mega post is up, followed by this mega post. I just get really excited talking about these things. Really looking forward to hearing some of your noodlings! I saw your take on What Was I Made For? in the challenge thread, that was really, really great!! 😊
@gi_gi_ hehe! Good ol’ Mayor AB! 😂😅 Pretty much only you and I know what that nickname means. 😅😂
Here’s the third noodlin’ link, Beethoven’s “Pathetique,” that didn’t appear in the mega post (but that post explains it a bit):
Yay, looking forward to your noodlings, too, when you get to them!! 😁💕
Hahaha oh my gosh that was a mega novel! So sorry. The second post is the lost reply from the previous page out of order. Welcome to TMI town and I’m the mayor. Thank you Andrew for fixing that! 😂😂😅😅😳
@gi_gi_, that is so amazing! That’s even crazier for doing that in just a week’s time. I’ve heard of Marco Cirillo; I think I’ve seen a couple of his videos. That’s really neat that you’re doing that! If you come up with more noodly-solo-stuff like that, I’d love to hear it. 🙂 I actually think that’s the approach to noodling that I’m the worst at because I only know the C scale in its entirety and only two of the notes on the fretboard. :S Somehow, I learned the C Scale without consciously memorizing the notes – not sure how that’s possible, but I did it! LOL. Shows my expert-level avoidance of things I don’t really want to do, like learning certain things. 😂 Anyway, that’s lovely you’re doing that! 😊
@emiliano, I agree! Playing that way is so relaxing, that sometimes I will literally completely lounge and play, noodling whatever comes to mind (and sometimes fall asleep) 😂 – that’s pretty much how I created all my arrangements, since I figure them out by ear, and then look up chords because I’m bad at knowing chords.That lesson looks so interesting, I’m defs going to listen to that tomorrow! 😀 Thank you! I wish I could help with the soloing but that’s the approach to playing uke I’m the worst at – playing from a theoretical standpoint, such as precisely following scales. Maybe @gi_gi_ knows a bit more about that.
Hahaha, oh my, I just got to the point that I’m writing out my arrangements with GuitarPro, with a lot of help from Matt. I have about 1.5 written out now, since I messed one up and need to fix it / finish it. 😂 Before that, I would just record things I didn’t want to forget. But I actually stopped worrying about that as much because I realized half the time I think of something better later anyway, LOL.
Here’s an example of me noodling over one of my own arrangements that I’m working on now:
This is more of an example of the spontaneous kind of noodling, as opposed to “playing over” already-existing arrangements. Also, I may have started to fall asleep at the end of the video. I am mildly narcoleptic. 😂
Here’s also one showing how I “play over” existing arrangements, just using a different fingerpicking pattern and slightly different note choices, using Andrew’s Etude No. 5 from here on Rock Class 101:
Also, it may look like I’m reading from sheet music because I keep staring off toward the same point – I think I may have been looking at my phone some of the time, but I didn’t realize I did that when I’m spacing out and playing. So, that’s awkward…
And lastly, here’s one of my arr. of Pathetique (Sonata No. 8) by Beethoven – first, played the way I originally arranged it, and then the version I play now after having noodling over it so much; this is one of my “go to” songs now when someone asks me to play something because it’s so unconscious to play that when the performance anxiety takes over, I can still play it. 😂
I stayed up a bit later to record those, which is why I got so tired near the end of that video, but I really wanted to share these things. Hopefully this isn’t too much at once. I hope anyone who listens enjoys them. 😊
Thank you both so much for sharing! And @emiliano, it would be awesome to hear some of your noodling, if you’d like to share, but no presh (pressure). Thank you!😊
@gi_gi_ so true! New Zealand is an absolutely amazing place. It’s otherworldly there. On the other hand they have sheep farms and Hobbits so you don’t get too overwhelmed by the epic beauty. 😂 My sister and I went there because of The Lord of the Rings movies and went on a couple tours there but that was before they even had a permanent Hobbiton set so I kind of want to go back. 😅😂 I’m so excited to hear more of your noodling. I’m so happy you’re into this topic too. As soon I learned this was a thing from Matt my brain kind of exploded because this kind of helped me connect more deeply and understand more what I was already doing – and realize the almost limitless potential of playing this way. 😁 I’m going to cry, too… 😅😂😂
Thank you so much about my arrangement/noodling! I love to figure out songs and noodle over them and it’s so nice if anyone else likes it. It’s very special. I genuinely don’t think I would have unlocked and grown in my abilities as much as I have without my friends here and just as much my “teacher friends,” @Andrew and Matt. 😂😊💕
Okay, I think that makes sense. I have to check when I get home because I have to look at the fretboard and count up to find the notes, perhaps using my mind piano. 😅😂 I know a c minor chord has the notes c, e flat, and g but I just don’t know where they are on uke, where they appear in the chord. I do know there is a c note in that chord because that’s one of the two notes I know that are not the open strings. 😅😂 I’m bad at this. Thank you again! Sorry that was so rambling when I write quickly it’s much less concise. 😅
@emiliano, haha, no, actually I posted the three links here in a post, but because the post had three links the forum automatically marked it as spam and removes the post until Andrew fixes it by restoring it. I know he’s tried to correct that issue but I don’t think there’s anything that can be done about it. 😂😅 But that’s happened multiple times with my posts, so now I just usually wait for him to restore it but maybe I’ll ask him. The videos on my YouTube are mostly “finished” songs, not so much noodling. 😊
Anyway here’s one of the noodling videos I tried to post:
This was one of my own arrangements that I’ve been working on and one I noodle with a lot lately, “Blue (Da Ba Dee)” by Eifel 65, but in a more renaissance-y style. 😅 I had a lesson with Matt and he helped me start to write it down as tabs, very tricky. 😊 But it’s also one I like to mindlessly noodle over.
Ha oh well that’s pretty crazy! I’ve never been to Cancun. The only tropical place I’ve been is actually New Zealand many years ago now with my sister. That was a crazy trip, I was only 19 when we went! That’s hard to believe how long ago that was now. Anyway that sounds pretty dang sweet, hope you enjoy that free food! Especially free breakfast. 😅
