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Thanks for this, Matt! It’s given me some very helpful ideas. I’m working on an arrangement of a song which is not scary but does have a sudden shift in mood to become sort of dark and alarming. I already switched to minor chords to signal that shift, but I can see where adding a minor with a major 7, or maybe an add 9, will heighten the effect.
I really enjoy the lessons that push a little further into music theory, to see how and why different effects can work.
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Because this version is with a singer, I play the chord melody (duet with her) only the first time. Then I drop back to strumming chords as accompaniment, with a couple of fills. We added variations both for ukulele and voice before the final duet. Added a little intro and a 6/9 chord to finish.
I recorded Dream a Little Dream of Me in 2022 and probably submitted it for a challenge then. I’m hoping to make it cleaner and smoother, adapt the arrangement to include vocals, and add an intro and solo.
[Apologies if this is a duplicate post. I thought I had posted it earlier today but it doesn’t seem to appear.]
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So many lovely performances of this piece have been posted already, I’m almost reluctant to put mine out there – but I really do want a chance at the Kanile’a Baritone! It was a very interesting challenge to play legato and let the notes ring as long as possible. Even at a slow tempo that requires nimble fingers so as not to lift them and dampen the sound early. And working on the harmonics was good exercise as well. Congratulations to everyone.I AM A PREMIUM MEMBER.
Here’s my rendition of Dream a Little Dream of Me. Full disclosure: I actually did this song a few years ago for an earlier challenge – I hope that doesn’t disqualify me!
But I think my playing has improved since then. Also to freshen it up from my earlier attempt, I’ve added a four-bar intro and some fills, and a different voicing for the final chord.
I’m 72 years old. If I practice 1.5 hrs/day, which is a bit aspirational but within the realm of possibility, I’ll be about 90 when I finally get to 10,000 hours!
On a more serious note, I think it’s really all about the quality of practice, focusing on specific skills that I want to improve, developing musicianship, and having fun! As Stu Fuchs, another great teacher, says – “drop by drop, the bucket is filled.”
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I’m also working on Steven’s lovely arrangement of the Godfather theme, but won’t have it ready by the deadline. So here’s my take on Jurassic Park (also a lovely arrangement and fun to play!).
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Great song, great arrangement. Although it’s very, very far from perfect, I’m more satisfied with this performance than anything I’ve submitted in past challenges. Thanks to Matt, Andrew, and everyone at RC101 for all the great lessons!
@ukule_lise that was great playing and great singing – bravo! Happy Holidays!
@Andrew thanks for the tips! Very embarrassed about the timing on the first two bars. After learning the notes of the intro, I was only looking at the score for the main melody – didn’t want to have to turn the page! – so I was completely oblivious to the fact that I was not playing the correct rhythm! Easy to fix since you pointed it out. And I definitely want to aim for a sweeter sound.
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I really want to learn What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve, but I know I won’t get it ready by the deadline. So here’s Rudolph. Sorry about the botched penultimate chord!
Thanks to Matt for this arrangement. I’ve had lots of fun with it, even if the video doesn’t look like I’m enjoying myself. Camera jitters. Pretty easy to play, but surprisingly hard to memorize. Maybe because the chord shape is often the same but with different finger-picking patterns. So my “muscle memory” gets easily confused.
I just donated $50 to Ukulele Kids Club.
Wow, Andrew, that is one great tip! It addresses two of my biggest problems: my weak & inaccurate pinky – which caused me a lot of grief in the Tarraga Etude – and looking at the fretboard constantly while playing. At first it’s frustrating to try to play without looking, because most of us are so accustomed to relying on sight as our strongest sense. But I’m learning that it’s possible to play faster and more accurately without looking, as the brain directly senses and controls the fingers, without the delay of processing what the eyes see. Thank you!
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Last month, despite practicing Blue Moon all month, I could never get a decent take. So this time I decided to stick to “beginner friendly” level – still challenging enough! This is a beautiful piece and lovely arrangement. I’ll keep it in my repertoire and hope to play it better and more consistently in the future, but for better or worse this is an accurate picture of what I can do right now. Thanks!
Thanks @Andrew, @bethany_guardiani, and @ukandrea for the tips!
I won’t be able to catch the live lesson in real time but I look forward to watching the replay.
I think one of my own bad habits is the same as Pat described – trying to do too many things at once. I want to learn blues, jazz, rockabilly, classical, fingerpicking styles, strumming . . . and every week RockClass101 posts another lesson that makes me think “I gotta learn that song!” It would probably work better to choose one skill or style and practice it intensively before moving on to another.
Anyway I can hardly wait to hear what Matt thinks are bad habits – and how to overcome them.