Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
@johanna2509, so true! Playing with just the thumb is such a beautiful and delicate way to play and it also suits the kind of arrangements Matt creates so well, as he often includes rubato–All things I also love about playing uke. 😊 And yes, honestly it’s way more comfortable than using the index finger to strum (for me). 😅 You always play with that approach so gracefully, beautiful to hear!
That’s a really great way to think of recording, as practice sessions. I like to listen back to recordings, like I said, because then you can really see issues you’re having with certain parts of the song that you may not realize in the moment as you’re playing. It’s weird how that works. 😅
Thank you very much about the painting! I’ve only done maybe… 8 paintings ever, I’ve mostly done drawing with charcoal, pastels, and digital drawings. I thought about creating a topic where we could share our visual art but I don’t know if that’s too off topic, as this is a uke site. 😅😂😳 I love to draw reflections, it’s very fun. I posted this somewhere else here, but this is a painting I did of a balloon, one of a fall sky, and a digital drawing I did of a strawberry. I’d like to see some of your paintings if you wouldn’t mind sharing! 😅
@leb397, it is very pretty here. My family and I have referred to it as “The Shire” of the US (like from The Lord of the Rings) because it is indeed very green, pure, and peaceful here. 😅 I’ve never been to Connecticut, but have a weird fixation on the poetry lectures from Yale University and just all the poets who lived in that general region: Frost, Poe, Dickinson, and others. And I lived in PA for a few years and have been to NYC multiple times for… reasons. It’s cool that you’ve been camping in almost every state. Now I wonder if you plan to camp in / visit Idaho? Seems a shame that you’re just missing that one. 😅
@johanna2509, that was so lovely! Literally perfect to my ears. It is funny that you’ve never heard the song, but you did such a beautiful job with it. Agreed I love that style of arrangement/thumb-strumming Matt does. After I first saw him do that, it quickly became one of my favorite ways to play, too. 😊
I agree with your and @leb397 ‘s statements about recording. It’s smart that you take a break when the recording is just not working. That isn’t productive then. I also do that when my anxiety with recording is interfering too much.
@madz_about_uke, very lovely take! Agreed with @leb397 that it’s impressive how calm and focused you are, even with distractions. 😅And one more note to @leb397, I don’t know if I’ve said, but I’m from Wisconsin, USA, the land of cheese and cows and Midwestern spirit, man. I went as a cow trick-o’-treating with my nieces and nephew this last Halloween. It was udderly ridiculous. 😉😅
This topic is always fun! All three goals I set for this year did pretty much happen, plus so much more, which I never really expected. All “with a lot of help from my uke friends.” So, I’d best choose these goals carefully… 😅
1. Learn to strum well enough to *teach* a capuchin monkey how to strum. Learn 3 strummin’ techniques.
2. Try to create one ukulele recording–Just one–That doesn’t sound like it was recorded underwater or like a synthesized Playskool uke being heard through a paper cup.
3. Create one non-“basement”-y ukulele tab that includes what the chords are and the correct measures. Terrifying…
Bonus: A whole *cough* year later, finish that blog. 😅🤐
Thank you to RC101 again for a beautiful year of ukulele fun! And Merry Christmas / Happy Holidays! 💚🎄❤️🎀❤️🎄💚
@muzikmama, hahaha!!! The contrast there is pretty beautiful, but I will say this arrangement is pretty simple. 😂😅 Thank you very much! Hopefully I can get at least that section written down pretty soon so I can share it.
I was going to say in reply to your comment in the challenge thread, that I thought you called the ornament a bauble, unless that’s for that specific kind of ornament. 😅
Also, I attached the balloon painting I did last summer. That conversation spurred me to take a picture of some of my paintings. 😅
@muzikmama, agreed! That’s part of what I love about these challenges is how they get you outside your comfort zone. Thank you so much for liking my “bauble” painting! 😂 I was confused for a second. Maybe it’s obvious but I don’t know where you’re from; in America they’re usually called “ornaments.” I love hearing different vernacular like that. 😂 And so true! For those who don’t paint or draw often, drawing a perfect circle or sphere is hard. I picked that reference because I liked the pretty reflections and colors. 😂 But yes thanks! 😊
@leb397, very, very lovely playing, friend! 😊💕 And @planetfink, too! Agreed Matt’s arrangement is so beautiful. 😊@nat-uke, it shall always be special, Aura Lee, also because I feel like I’ve grown so much with my playing since then because of RC101 and gotten to know some of the people here more. 😊💕 That’s really smart that you do that, record your practices. That is a good motivator and is so encouraging to see how far you go with a song. And honestly it can be helpful to record yourself and play back that take immediately, as well, because for some reason that does help you see what you’re playing more objectively and you can see issues you’re having that you don’t even realize you’re having. 😅 For me and I know for others, it can be a challenge dealing with the anxiety of recording, so I’ve tried a lot of different things to work through that, many of which were suggestions from people here. Yes, just doing it more can help though. 😅
@deadbuggy, very lovely take!@muzikmama, lovely playing and ha, definitely a different sound to that song! 😅😂
@nat-uke, that was so lovely! Beautifully played indeed! That was the first song I learned after joining RC101 and the one with which I ended up winning the electric uke, so that one will be special to me probs forevs. Agreed with @Andrew that I hope your hub’s procedures go well! 😊💕
@dianna, haha, thank you! So dumb trying to be the first to post when arguably it’s probably better to wait until I had it more refined, but I still find it funny to try sometimes. 😅😂 And thank you about the painting! I’ve done more drawing than painting but my family has started having “painting parties” so I’ve done a bit more painting now. I did one of a balloon last summer that I was pretty happy with, but I somehow lost the picture I took of it. 😅 Thank you though! 😊@Andrew, thank you so much! Your encouragement really means a lot to me. I hope I can smooth it out even more and get a better sounding recording hopefully. 😅
Thank you so much for that! That seriously means a lot that you say that. 😊
I shall let you know when I donate, mayhaps tonight! 😊🎀🎄💚❤️
@leb397, thank you so much, my friend! I know, I absolutely love when Matt does arrangements like that, that involve very rubato-y interpretations. He’s so brilliant at that and with creating very beautiful chord progressions and things. I agree with that so much. Knowing people even through this site has been one of the most special creative experiences I’ve had and honestly I feel brought out musical abilities I never thought I could have, and helped achieve goals I may not have reached otherwise, like being able to create my own arrangements and things that I do for fun. That’s just so special to me, sorry to go on, but that truly is so special and I’m so grateful for that. You’re a big part of what makes this group special, too, with how encouraging you are to others. So yes, thank you. Happy Holidays to you, too! 😅❤️💚🎄🎀@firebladetim, that was absolutely amazing! Oh my, so magical. I thought your playing and singing was fantastic, very funny song, and I thought you did great being on camera especially for never having done it before really! That’s always so stressful and you did perfectly! Thank you so much for sharing! 😁
Boom, babeh! First entry! 😅
I AM A PREMIUM MEMBER
I wanted to do another early take and, considering how tricky this one is and that I only started learning it yesterday, I am pretty pleased with it. The thumbnail is a random, okay painting of a Christmas ornament I did very recently. 😅 I didn’t want to be on camera today though so the rest of the video is just kinda blank. Hopefully the audio is tolerable if not quiet. I may still want to record another take getting this as perfect as possible since Matt created such a beautiful arrangement, I want to do it justice.
Okay, here ’tis:
The pauses are just ’cause of rubato, not because I forgot what the next part was, obviously. 😅
Ha! And I forgot about me having a complete spasm at the beginning. Please disregard that. 😂
I shall donate to the UKC charity a little later. Thank you so much! 😊🎄❤️🎀❤️🎄💚
Edit: I also just wanted to say how incredibly grateful I am to Rock Class 101, the instructors and all the wonderful students here, both groups being so talented, amazing, kind, and generous. Thank you for making this year so special to me in so many ways and for setting such a beautiful example of what a truly supportive community looks like. I have so much love for y’all, even though I may never get to meet you. So yes, thank you. ❤️
@firebladetim, oh sweet, I look forward to hearing more! That’s smart to have a playlist of songs you want to learn. I write down songs I want to learn but not in an organized list, just chaotically in random places. I need to get that together. 😂 Anyway look forward to hearing more tunes from you!
Side note, I love the names of clawhammer tunes. It’s always things like “Applesauce and Peanut Butter Pie” and “Ol’ Johnny’s Mountain Boots” and things like that. 😅😂
@dianna, I was defs waiting for you to chime in! I think it would just be cool if Rock Class 101 added more clawhammer tunes in general at some point. I hope they will! True there are a wealth of options on the YouTubes as well. 😊
@leb397, agreed the bluegrass sound of clawhammer is so cool! 😁💕@jody_hendrickson, your performance was also really beautiful! Haha!! The part with the doggo entering so slowly and loudly with the claw-clicking, then staring, and just leaving, indeed completely unimpressed. Comedy gold. I forgot about that part. 😂😅
@jbmills07, that was such an amazing performance! Really flawless to my ears. I love how you play it, too. It’s amazing to me to hear all the different interpretations of the same song, each with such unique feeling behind them. Yours brings out the “Jane Austen dance” vibe that makes me love Steven’s arrangements. 😅
Also, those bloopers were hilarious. Highlights: Shameless Ziggy booty, cat tail muting the uke strings, “ZIGGEH!” and desperately holding the uke away as she is aggressively trying to be the center of attention, lol. Watching that made me miss having a cat so much though.
Also, everyone has done an amazing job this month!! So much appreciation to Andrew and friends for all they do! Looking forward to the next challenge, too! 😊🎄💚❤️
@firebladetim, that was very magical! Sweeeet! Thank you for sharing! There’s something about clawhammer that just lifts your spirits instantly and is so beautifully goofy to me. 😅 Love it, well played! If you have any others, please keep sharing! 😁
