[The_Bumble_Bard]

Noooo, it seems early for Christmas music, but it really isn’t at all. 😂😭

My top three favorites are:

1. Santa, Baby
2. Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer
3. 85% of Christmas songs they play in grocery stores

Oh wait, those are actually the songs that instantly fill me with rage when I hear them, got my lists mixed up. 😅😉😒

My real list is:

1. Silent Night
2. O Holy Night
3. Carol of the Bells

I guess I am kind of a Scrooge when it comes to Christmas music, sorry for that. Oh well. 😂

[The_Bumble_Bard]

@Andrew, thank you so much! 😀 I think next time I try posting two takes, I’ll wait until I can play through the whole thing completely first, then share the first take of that. I think that’s actually what @jbmills07 meant, lol, but that was still fun and I’m glad you thought it was cool. 😀

Side note, I already turned Path of the Wind into clawhammer… I’m not okay, lol. I was pretty proud: I figured out the right notes in the first section by ear except for one chord. That was my backup plan, but I think I’ll be pretty okay with Always With Me eventually. 🙂

@rebeca, that was so good! That’s such a tricky arrangement and you did great with it! 😀

[The_Bumble_Bard]

@muzikmama, that is so true. Chopin definitely made use of the breadth of the piano, for sure. Some of the things he wrote for piano don’t even seem physically possible to play, but there are plenty of recordings of people playing it, so I guess it is possible. 😅

I love the challenge of trying to cram as many songs as possible on the soprano uke because it’s my favorite to play, but you’re right that there is a limit with it. When I try to arrange songs, I try to position them so there is at least a little room to go down especially with something insane like this one and, like you, like to try to utilize a lot of the uke’s “limited” range. But I’ve seen all the crazy classical pieces that are possible, plenty of which are on RC101, but also John King and Jeff Peterson and people like that I’ve learned of through here–All of them are very inspiring to me for what’s possible to do on uke. 😊

[The_Bumble_Bard]

@dianna, I was confused and thought the longer part of your post was directed to me, half asleep still this morning. 😂 @jgillard made some really great points. For me, trying to change my approach and mentality towards recording has at least helped me improve being on camera, including the advice @Andrew gave last month about starting to record as you warm up to play, and for me, NOT stopping recording when I mess up, because then it’s more like it is when you’re relaxed and playing just for yourself. Also, trying to speak more on camera oddly has helped a bit. I think it’s just pushing through the initial anxiety, keep going past that, that can be helpful.

@muzikmama, IMO, only keep in complete memory, and in your regular playing routine, the songs you love to play the most. Then you’ll always want to play them. Otherwise, it will be a chore, which is the last thing anyone wants, more chores. 😅😂 Even if you forget songs, I feel like it is constructive because you learn so much on the process of learning any song that you can carry with you as you learn new songs.

I have thoughts about memorization as well but I’ll let @jgillard answer. I love these kind of discussions. 😂

[The_Bumble_Bard]

@dianna, thank you so much for your thoughts! I only have a minute to reply right now but just wanted to clarify that that was literally my first time looking at the sheet music and playing it at all. I hadn’t played through any of the song at all before that or even looked at the tabs (I’m behind). 😅 So maybe somewhat pointless to share, but I just thought it could be interesting and it has been so far. 😂 I’ll reply a bit more later but thank you so much. 😅😂😅

[The_Bumble_Bard]

@jgillard, good golly, that was good! That was your first time playing through the whole thing or your first take recording it? So good. It’s really almost perfect now. 😯

……….I’ll keep practicing……… 😂😅🥺😭😳🤯🤢😵

[The_Bumble_Bard]

@leb397, ha, it’s good to know that most students here probably sound that way the very first take. 😅 I won’t lie; I was second guessing sharing that one, but I’m glad that it can be a good example hopefully, lol. I’m so glad you didn’t quit but kept going! That is sometimes what it takes, is to move forward, then backtrack again to the part you were struggling with. I haven’t gotten that far yet; I’m a little nervous but it’s encouraging that you pushed through. 😅 Thank you so much, my friend! Am I a musician? Only time will tell. 😂😅😭😳

Oh, I was going to say, normally I watch the video once, fully paying attention and watching then listen to it multiple times. Then I play through the arrangement completely, then watch the video again because there are always things you notice more once you’ve played through it.

And also, @dianna, I really need to watch that! Maybe tonight or tomorrow I can finally. 😅

• This reply was modified 2 years, 7 months ago by The_Bumble_Bard.

[The_Bumble_Bard]

Okay, and last update for a while. Here is the progress with “theme 2” and “theme 3” (there is much more complexity in there, but this is the simplified way I’m thinking of it for now):

I meant to say that with theme 2, the two disparate rhythms overlapping, the idea of how to approach that was inspired by James Hill’s Billie Jean because in that he combines the chords and baseline in a similar way, playing them both together (as Matt talked about in the live lesson on Favorite ukulele players, I think it was). The way I’m hoping to approach achieving speed with the very fast part was inspired by Andrew’s song based on the Interstellar movie theme, even though I never learned that one fully, I did try it and learned from the lesson.

Okay, that’s all! Thank you for reading. I’m still working on my other projects but I like to work on multiple things at once. 😅

[The_Bumble_Bard]

Okay, so, @jbmills07, you asked if I could record an earlier take for a “before and after,” well, here is the literal first take, going in cold. 😂 This may even be too early of a take. I feel like maybe I would have done ever so slightly better if I had watched the video right before and if I weren’t “trying to be entertaining” instead of sitting in silence the whole time but these are all excuses. Hope you enjoy me fumbling around in “scum mode” (because I recorded immediately after work in my tattered, Little Orphan Annie clothes and filth). 😂 I’ll record a more complete take later, but thought this could be interesting. 😅😳

[The_Bumble_Bard]

@muzikmama, thank you so much! I really appreciate that. I feel like I pretty much never would’ve been able to do things like this, even attempt to, without Rock Class. I knew almost nothing about playing uke before I joined here. I always knew I wanted to try things like this, but I don’t know if I ever would’ve gotten this far without the help and encouragement of the people here, and indeed all the amazing educational material. I just also like to have these weird little projects while I work on Rock Class songs. 😂

[The_Bumble_Bard]

@jbmills07, very beautiful playing! That kanile’a sounds so nice, too. Ha … I can try to do that, a “before and after” (hopefully there will be a big enough difference). 😂 I’ve meant to try that before, but it just didn’t quite happen due to forgetful spasticness. I could try to record the first, maybe second, playthrough, that could be interesting. 😊

@johanna2509, ha, I can see how they are cute, too, but this might fit into the category of “things 95% of people find cute, but I find creepy,” like sloths, monkeys, and certain owls. I can see it though. 😅

@muzikmama, very lovely playing! I do agree with @jgillard that a bit more legato-ness would be a good approach. 😊

@leb397, awww, thank you so much! That’s so nice. 😊 I don’t think I’ll be too creative with that one until I learn it completely. 😅 So looking forward to your entry! Maybe during the week this week I’ll give that movie Spirited Away a watch. 😊

[The_Bumble_Bard]

Okay, here is an update. It more shows how the theme sounds being slightly more smoothed out, but that one trill is still getting me a bit: 😂

I’m also trying to work on my sound issues, still. This is what the video sounded like before I edited it:

I only had a short bit of time to record, so I didn’t have time to record the other themes but they also have progressed.

I also want to add more nuance to these song chunks because they are still very simplified. It’s because I figured them out by ear in a key I know that’s easy, C Major. But I know there are some things missing and I can add more subtely and complexity I think, even with the uke’s “limitations.”

Okay that’s all. More soon hopefully. 😅 Thank you for letting me share this with yass (you). 😅

[The_Bumble_Bard]

@rickkhan, wow, that was crazy! You did really well with some of those insane, huge, super quick jumps. And true so much material to learn, you did really well with it. I hope you keep playing it! Thank you for sharing! 😊

[The_Bumble_Bard]

@leb397, NGL I am nervous, I haven’t even started learning it. 😅🥺 It does seem daunting, but I haven’t learned a Steven arrangement for a little bit and it’s just so pretty indeed. I’m trying to not only learn the beginner arrangements (or compulsively turn them into clawhammer as fun as I find that 😅), but try harder ones if I like them enough. The October entries were amazing, agreed, yours was very lovely as well. 😁

@johanna2509, very prettily played! Prettily … That word doesn’t seem right but it is. 😅 Beautiful job! 😊

Even as an adult I continue to be creeped out by the Totoro creature a bit. 😅

• This reply was modified 2 years, 7 months ago by The_Bumble_Bard.

[The_Bumble_Bard]

@deadbuggy, that was so beautiful! Well done. That’s also the one I want to learn along with @dianna, too. I still need to watch the movie. 😅

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