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Hi,
Execution:
I want to complete my first chord melody arrangement (including notation and tablature) of a song I heard often on the radio as a child and have loved ever since. Probably mostly because of the lyrics.
It is the song “Život je jen náhoda” (“Life is just a coincidence”) by Jaroslav Ježek (lyrics by Jiří Voskovec, Jan Werich), which was first heard in the 1932 movie. Only the second part of the song with lyrics (loosely translated) was played on the radio:“Life is just a coincidence, once you’re down, once you’re up.
Life flows like water, and death is like the sea.
Everyone reaches the sea, some sooner and some later,
whoever loves in life, let him not lose hope.
When you see the miracles in life that only love can do,
goldfish fly above the clouds, then you’ll understand,
that life is like water that love turns into wine,
that love is an coincidence and without it there is no happiness.”I learned this part during a noodling session this summer. But I’d like to arrange the first part of the song, which I hardly know. So I’ve found an accordion arrangement and I’m going to convert it from G major to A major so that it’s in the same key as the second part of the song, which I already have arranged. So I’ll have to incorporate everything I know from music theory. I find working with notation software challenging. By the end of the month, I want to record the final video and have the music score completed, including the tablature.
Application:
I’d like to have the whole arrangement ready by the end of the week so I can practice the song based on it. I will definitely be editing the arrangement during the month. To practice playing, I will divide the piece into several parts, which I will practice separately. I will end each day by playing the entire song.Evaluation:
I’ll see at the end of the month how it went.Hi,
I can’t recommend a specific brand because most ukuleles in this price range are made in China. So it depends on your luck what piece you come across.
In general, make sure the ukulele has at least 17 frets – there are arrangements here on RC101 that go that far.
And, of course, it should be in tune along the entire length of the fingerboard (so that it’s not a half tone off at the 12th fret).
From my own experience, I also recommend avoiding ukulele models that have sharp edges on the body – it cuts into the leaning right arm, making playing such an instrument uncomfortable.
If you don’t have a dealer nearby where you can try out multiple ukuleles, choose an online store where it’s easy to return the ukulele if it doesn’t fit your expectations.
Also, I wouldn’t completely reject models with laminated bodies. When they’re well built, they often play better than cheap ukuleles with solid fronts. And they can withstand humidity fluctuations better.Good luck with your choice!
And let me know what you choose, I’m curious. 😉I AM A PREMIUM MEMBER
Hi everyone,
my last post of this year! I’ve enjoyed being here with you and I hope to see you here in good health again next year.
Thanks to Andrew and the whole team for the great lessons and challenges that make us better players.
Have a wonderful Christmas time and a happy new year!
JanaI AM A PREMIUM MEMBER
Hi everyone,
I watch all your submissions and enjoy them. You motivate me to practice regularly.This month I chose Etude No. 9. I have always really liked the classical guitar technique “tremolo”, but I have never decided to practice it. Until now. I found this etude to be a very good tool. So I’m adding an extra part by repeating the second part (triplet picking) again with tremolo. One month of practice is not enough, so the result is not very good. But I continue practicing the tremolo.
The last part of the etude also needs a lot of practice. I can play it well separately. However, it is very frustrating when I have played first parts of etude to my satisfaction and then the last (really the most difficult) part comes and I mess it up.
@Andrew , wouldn’t it be better to put the hardest parts of the piece right at the beginning?
I’m kidding!
@Andrew , I really appreciate what you’re doing for this community that you’ve actually put together. Thank you!
@mysticrick , thank you for your kind words. It’s always a pleasure when someone likes my playing. For recording I use my phone as a camera and a Zoom H1n audio recorder, which I connect to the phone as an external microphone via a USB-C connector. I do not edit the recorded audio.
Hi everyone,
I really enjoy watching all your videos. Great job!
It’s high time I posted too – another Toccata & Fugue.
Even though I’m not satisfied, I have to admit that I can’t do better – at least not on camera. 😉
But I am happy that I chose this piece. Great arrangement!
Thank you, Andrew.
@rebeca – Beautiful! I’m glad you’re back. I always enjoy your posts.
@shmu88, I love it!
@The_Bumble_Bard , @deadbuggy, @anikali – Thank you all for your kind words. I look forward to your musical posts.
@Andrew – Thank you so much for your support, encouragement and awesome content that is motivating and inspiring. You are a great teacher! And this site and its community is the best thing I could have ever met on my ukulele journey.@katazumiri – Beautiful melody! I like how you alternate between strumming and fingerpicking in the accompaniment.
Hi, everyone!
Here is my creation.
This piece was created just like the previous two – unplanned, completely by coincidence. I wanted to record a better version of Ghostbusters on Saturday, but with my family at home, recording was not possible. So I was just noodling. I accidentally strummed the transition from the Em chord to the B chord, and the A melody was born. I added a C & B chord combination and there was the B melody. It didn’t take long to get the C melody. It wasn’t too bad, so I played it over and over to remember it. I thought maybe I’d meet my quota of one tune a year.
I found it funny that Andrew had just had a lesson on songwriting the day before.
I played my creation all weekend, trying to figure out which combination of melodies would be optimal. In the end, I decided to combine A+B, A+C, A+B+C.
When Andrew posted the July challenge on Monday, it really amused me.
At first I wanted to work more on the piece to make the performance better. But it puts me in a mood I’m trying to get rid of. So I’m posting the tune to the online world as it is.
@Andrew, please exclude me from the prize draw this month.
@deadbuggy I really like your composition. I admire you for being able to make a song when you choose. I can’t do that.Jana
I AM A PREMIUM MEMBER
Hi, everyone!
Congratulations to all of you for your great work on submissions! I like to hear them.
Here’s my submission. I’m not satisfied with it. But I’ve had the whole family home for the last few days (it’s too hot outside to get the kids out of the house 😄), so I’m giving up on recording a better attempt.
Thanks to the whole Rockclass team for the beautiful song arrangements, support and feedback!
Have a nice days!
Jana
I AM A PREMIUM MEMBER
Hello everyone,
I enjoy watching your submissions. From now on, I’ll recognize Clocks and Where is My Mind when I hear them on the radio. 😀
I chose a song that I really like and know very well: Dream a Little Dream of Me. It’s the second song I learned here on RC101, so I’ve had it as my pocket song for 4 years now. But now I have a reason to record it. I focused on really playing the melody notes with my thumb. And I tried adding a little intro and mini-outro to the arrangement.
Today I watched the movie Sing 2 with my daughter and since that moment I can’t get the song
by U2 “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For”
out of my head. It was one of my favorite songs when I was young. And it’s still great. It would be very nice if we had the opportunity to learn it on a high G ukulele here at RC101.
