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Anne and Tom,
A teeny tiny bit of the cute tune on a teeny tiny cute ukulele. This Ohana sopranino is new to my stable and it’s harder to fingerpick than I thought. My fingers may stumble, but I’m sincere in my wish for all good things for you both.
Best,
SaraMany thanks, Andrew. And thank you for mentioning the tone of the uke — I think I’ve finally found the right kind of strings for this particular uke; Ddarrios seem to combine really well with the solid cedar top/laminate ziracote. Plus I assume the cedar top is really starting to open up.
I know it’s a little loose in some places, but think of it as a tip-o-my-hat to my lager-loving Irish ancestors. Happy St. Pats Day, everyone!
Thanks, Andrew! I’m adding the stretch exercises and also working on Spanish Ukulele which is all about the streeetttccchhh. 2019 is my Year of the Reach 🙂
I’m not tackling the music reading course just yet, so I chose the tab version of Bouree. The Polar Vortex kept me locked inside all week, so I’ve had nothing but time. And speaking of time, I finally learned how to use my metronome — very helpful!
Please enjoy the stutter step at the beginning, and the dazzling dismount at the end where I show-off the fact that I can find Am at various spots on the fretboard 🙂
I covered all that information in my initial post (how I planned to execute/application) and in the final video which definitely contained my own evaluation of my … ahem…performance 😉
I know, I know…what a suck-up, she’s posting early. But not really! I started working on this song about a week before Andrew announced the challenge. And given all the practice hours I’ve put into this, it’s probably the same amount of time everyone else has for the selection/practice aspect of this challenge. So, this rendition of Magic Ukulele Waltz is where I’d be if I had picked the song today — if that makes any sense!
Yes, there are some muffs, clamshells and strings that don’t exactly ring out. And if you listen closely, you can hear the artist laugh at her own mistakes! But the tune is basically there, I memorized the whole darn thing and kept going even as things started to go off the rails. That’s gotta count for something 🙂
This challenge has inspired me to always be working on a Level 4 song. In addition to the monthly challenges, having a ‘stretch objective’ is a great thing for me. Thanks, Andrew!
It’s actually called a pick-up and it absolutely does NOT interfere with the sound quality when played acoustically. Ukes with a built-in pick-up tend to run a tad more in price, but only about $50-100 more? If the only ukulele you eventually find that you like has a pick-up, go for it. But it’s likely not a make or break item for you at this stage!
Guitar Centers are notoriously awful places to buy quality acoustic instruments. They only care about guitars, they have people who don’t really know what they are talking about, etc etc.
Look for privately owned music stores within a couple hours driving distance. While it may seem like a long way to go just to try out various ukuleles, think of if as a super-fun day-trip! Or, if you’ll be traveling in the future, check out that city’s music store scene. Or…plan a vacation to an area where you know there’s a good store. I have one of the nation’s leading acoustic instrument stores in my area — Elderly Instruments. I can’t actually commend Lansing, MI as a vacation destination, but if you happen to be driving across the state to either Lake Michigan or Northern Michigan, it’s worth the stop!
The shop people will likely know about low G tuning, but don’t be surprised if they don’t have any low G ukes set up for you to play. I like your original plan of upgrading to a new uke and then stringing the Mitchell with a low G (you can indeed string a soprano with a low G…treat your Mitchell to a fresh set of low G strings!) Try out all three sizes of ukes — who knows, you may still prefer sopranos. Find that second, upgraded, uke and then you’ll have the $40 instrument for low G.
Lisa — Kali makes me smile! Everyone’s a critic 😉 Lovely melody; can’t wait to hear the final version.
I’m trying to break out of the advanced intermediate level and work on my finger style abilities, rhythm and dynamics. Also, it’d be great if I could memorize a long piece and remember it for longer than the challenge!
I’ve been working on MAGIC UKULELE WALTZ for the last five days, so that’s going to be my song for this month. I’ve got the A and B sections (basically) memorized. I’m trying to be very methodical in learning bar by bar. I’m also really trying to focus on how the music feels; a waltz is pretty evocative and I want to be able to bring out the lyrical emotion that’s inherent in the song.
