Forum Replies Created
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nthibode – Wonderful job! Very well played, lyrical, and great technique! The only thing I would say is that the notes on the low G string should be played a little bit louder in comparison so they can be heard. I hope you are having fun playing Bourrée! Have you tried playing using the picado technique rather than with the thumb? Thank you for entering the challenge!
stinyuke – Both parts sound great! I love that you look at the camera at the end on both videos in unison! I liked that you used the index and middle finger to pluck the melody. Your left hand on the melody looks like there’s a bend in your wrist in a way that might lead to injury after long playing sessions, while your left hand position looks great on the harmony video. Try to keep that form even when playing the melody. Great job again! Thanks for your submission.
edward – You played this with a very even tempo, and played it very well! There’s one tiny thing that you missed: The key signature ( b symbol between the treble clef and the time signature) is noting that every B in the piece is actually a “B flat”. This means to play the first fret on the A string rather than the 2nd fret. It’s really easy to overlook, but it lets me know that you were reading and not using tabs…and you are doing great on the reading! Review this lesson in the course. Then try playing the whole melody as smoothly as possible, leaving almost no gaps between the notes. Great work! Thanks for being part of the challenge!
mannyortiz31 – Sounds good, but unfortunately, this challenge was only for the single note melody from the reading course. If you have questions about the rules, please message Andrew. Thanks!
mariainct – Congrats on the new strap! I love that you posted this with the metronome. It’s nice to be able to measure your improvements in timing against a click track. You are doing well, it just takes time to get better at playing right with the tempo. You seem to play ahead of the beat most of the time, so I would recommend trying to play behind the beat on purpose to see if you can do it, then get to where you can split the difference to play right with the clicks. The notes sound great, and I can tell that you understand the rhythm. Thank you for joining the challenge!
hotmilktea – Very well played! I love how smooth and lyrical you are playing this. The rhythm is spot on. Great use of picado as well. I’m glad you enjoyed working on this song! Thank you for your entry!
rickeymike – The intro cracked me up…did you really try to play it backwards? I also like your one syllable verbalization of “B flat.” You are starting to get the hang of reading, and now you can go back and use the fingers to pluck! I would recommend on focusing on only one part of it each time you play: focus more on the rhythm one time, more on what fingers you are plucking with on the next play through. Keep it up! Thanks for entering all of these challenges!
tif_tif – Great job! I like that you incorporated the picado technique! You are well on your way, and did great on this challenge! I think you chopped the first note off on editing this video, but I’m certain you played it well, too 🙂 Thanks for your submission.
ukukelley1 – You played this one very well! That rhythm is not simple, but you got it right as well as the notes! My only recommendation would be to use alternating index and middle fingers when you have several notes on one string to play smoothly and lyrically. Thank you for joining the challenge!
Here’s the last of p.8 through p.10
lisadmh – That’s a very beautiful song! I like the use of strum/fingerpicking/vibrato/slides, and your use of chord shapes further up the neck. Your rhythms are very clear, and the melodies are very nice! My only advice (judging by the camera angle…) is that you might be bending your right wrist a bit more than is necessary. After long periods of playing with your wrist at that angle, it could cause your wrist to hurt. Keeping less of a sideways angle with the wrist would help with that, though you might have to alter your technique for finger picking slightly. But I love the song! Please continue to write more! Thank you for sharing this!
edward – Great work, this sounds like a hard song to play. I looked up a few versions on youtube to give you some better advice, and it sounds to me like you would benefit from taking a very small piece of it, like a 2 or 4 measure phrase, and spend a lot of time playing it slowly, then play only that part with the metronome and slowly work it up to speed. then do this with the next phrase, and piece it together slowly. You’re off to a good start! Thank you!
rickeymike – Your voice sounds wonderful on this, and you are doing a great job jumping up to the high notes! I know that some of the rhythms are different on purpose, but it seems to me like some of the pauses between parts are a bit longer, as if you are gathering your thoughts between sections. I like that in general this happens at the end of the phrase instead of the middle, but with a little more familiarity, the pauses will feel shorter and a bit more natural. Great work, and keep singing with it, it sounds great!
zukulele – Very awesome! This is a challenging piece with all the fast notes…especially at the beginning. The main thing that I notice that you could improve slightly is knowing how long the rests are in the verse: If you practice with a metronome that counts 4 beats with beat one being marked as a different sound, you can hear if you are ahead or behind when you come in after a rest. If the first note of the next measure doesn’t line up with the click, then you know you are either cutting the rest too short, or making it too long. You did a great job of keeping the rhythm during the parts with backbeats, though. Excellent work!
lyndallk – Wow! I’m sure you spent a ton of time on this! It sounds wonderful and I enjoyed it very much! Great playing, wonderful dynamics, and very few mistakes! That’s something to be super proud of! There’s not too much to add, as you are playing at a very high level! on a couple of sections where you have to go higher on the neck, it’s hard to get the chords to sustain while playing the melody…I would recommend practicing those parts a bit more, to see if there’s an angle you can get into just before those spots to get it just right. Other than that, there’s nothing to add, you played wonderfully!
mheiden – Great job on getting the Waltz feel! That is a huge improvement from the other version! Some spots are still causing you to hesitate a little bit, and I think just playing the song slower would make the performance even better! Try playing the whole song to a metronome (set to 3/4 at 100bpm) and I have a feeling you would play it spot on! Thank you for entering this challenge!
wongbrown – Very nice finger picking! My main recommendation, like for mheiden, is to practice slower to give your brain time to remember what comes next. My rule of thumb is that if you can’t play a section in time after 3 tries, it means you’re playing to fast, and it’s time to slow it down a bit. Great playing, and I totally understand how etudes like this can get frustrating fast! Thank you for sharing!
uku_on – It takes a lot of courage to try to tackle this one! You are doing great, and getting a great tone out of your uke! The part at 2:38 is quite demanding…but one thing I notice is that your strumming hand is stopping after certain strums, instead of continuously moving…when most people strum parts like this, they keep their hand moving, and miss the strings in-between strums to use their hand almost like a metronome. I would recommend working on this at that super fast tempo to get the feel that Jake does on his version. Wonderful work, though! I couldn’t do it half as well at the moment…but now I want to try! Very inspiring! Thank you for joining the challenge!
Lisa, you inspired me to make a video of a simpler version of the Chicken bass line on my youtube channel:
Thanks for the suggestion!
Here’s everyone on page 10:
gahanby – Excellent job! Your timing was wonderful, rhythm and tone were great! I like that you never let anything deter you from playing in time. I only heard one chord that didn’t come out correctly, but that was it for the entire song! You sound like you have this one performance ready! I want to challenge you to add your own dynamics, making each phrase start soft and crescendo in the middle and slowly decrescendo towards the end of the phrase. Certain sections might call for a longer build in volume, but I think this would be a nice touch for an already great rendition! Thank you for joining the challenge!
ultramom – I’m very impressed that so many people are playing this song so well! You are doing an excellent job, too! Just as a test, try playing along to a metronome just to tighten up the timing a tiny bit, but I can tell you know the rhythms and all of the notes. I would also experiment with dynamics like I mentioned to gahanby above. Thank you for entering, and Merry Christmas/Happy New Year!
shortman – Your playing sounds great! I’m not hearing the mistakes you are mentioning, and you are staying in time well. The issue that sounds rough might be the ukulele: It seems like the G (3rd fret on E string) is out of tune, but the rest of the notes sound in tune. Either that string is a little out of tune (the E string), or your Ukulele might have an intonation problem causing that note only to be out of tune. Have you tried playing it on a different ukulele? Thanks for entering the challenge! Happy New Year!
ukuleleloo – The pull-offs sound awesome, and so does the main melody (Melody A). Melody B sounds good as well, it just requires a bit more practice before you can play it up to speed. Great work, and keep it up! Happy New Year!
tiff27 – You have a wonderful voice! I enjoyed your version of Noel, and the slight change you did to the chord at the end! Your playing is great, and I feel like the one chord in the whole song that you left out was on purpose to not detract from the singing. Great job on the notes and chords! My only concern is just that your wrist on your left hand might be bending in a bit much. Try to keep it straighter as you play. One thing that can help to achieve this is to have the thumb lower on the neck as you play. It may not be bending that much, but from the angle of the video, it appeared to be in some sections. Great job, and thanks for sharing your voice with us! Happy New Year!
ellisille – Great work in spite of the performance fright! My biggest suggestion is to play with a metronome at a slightly slower tempo (60-70 bpm) several times before recording, as it might give you more confidence in the timing, and a stronger sense of rhythm. A lot of people struggle with this, and the main way to get around it is to practice twice as much as you think you have to so that nothing can phase you! Happy New Year!
coffeemug – You’ve got the idea, it’s just quite a challenging piece! I like that you went for the challenge, and I would recommend playing with a metronome at a slower speed. The hammer-ons and pull-offs should be evenly spaced: making the sound at the same time as if they were plucked. This just requires a lot of slow practice, preferably with a metronome. I hope this helps! Happy New year, and thank you for taking part in this challenge!
jacoob_slezak – Your playing sounds great! On your fretting hand I notice that your fretting hand wrist is bent inwards more than half of the time. I highly recommend straightening your wrist out more, and if it has to bend a little bit, bend outward rather than inward. Look at the video I made for Malachai below. I hope this helps. In spite of this, your version of the song sounds wonderful! Thank you and Happy (belated) Holidays!
kcharles15 – You are off to a great start! You’ve got the notes and chords right, and with a little more practice, they will become more fluid! My main advice for you is to hold notes down a little bit longer and try not to stop the sound by plucking with your thumb too early. This will help the melody sound more legato (smooth), rather than choppy in parts. Happy New Year, and thank you for joining the challenge!
malachi – Happy New Year!
Here’s everyone on page 8:
rickeymike – I enjoyed your rendition of Noel a lot! Great job singing along and playing! You really know the melody and the chords well! My only advice would be to add the notes back in that are in between the melody notes (chord strums and pick up notes). I know that it’s easier to leave space rather than to put a chord in between sung notes, but the chords and pick up notes will fill out the sound nicely! Thank you for sharing this, and I hope your holidays were Merry. Happy New Year!
lisadmh – You sound great, and the right hand technique is awesome! Sometimes to get the multi-string pluck to be equal in volume, you have to pluck certain strings harder rather than equally. The thinner strings will project better most of the time, so with the C string especially, you may have to pluck just a bit harder to even it out with a thinner string. The contrast between strums and plucks is cool, but the thumb will make for a more consistent sound over the whole piece. The strums do add a nice percussive elements, though! Wonderful job! Happy New Year!
rpina61 – Take 2 definitely had better sound quality, and I think you played a bit stronger on that take as well! Your timing is pretty good over all, it’s just a few spots, and some of slowing down (even in unintentional places) works very nicely! If you want to get those sections in time a bit better, it takes some quality time with the metronome at a much slower speed to get all the tricky transitions. You are well on your way, though! It just takes a bit more time. Awesome work on the fingerpicking!
cconuku – I’m amazed at how well everyone is doing with Noel! Yours is awesome like many of the others! Every now and then, you are cutting the half note in measure 4 (and a few others) just a little bit short. I would recommend counting two full beats as to not rush those sections, but everything else sounds great! If you want, you can also add some dynamics (like volume swells) to make the peace more dramatic, but it sounds great as is! Thanks for joining the challenge! Happy New Year!
hlglazi – You have a very nice touch with the right hand thumb, and a natural sense of how hard to strum. I would play the song several more times with the metronome to get a feel for the timing, then abandon it…but even with a rubato loose time feel, you would get a stronger phrasing from practicing through each phrase in time. You sound great, and I totally agree about recording! I don’t know what it is that makes it so different, but it certainly does! Happy New Year!
kellyblackburn – Way to rise to the challenge! That’s not an easy arrangement! Over all you are doing great. There are just a few sections to keep working on, and then play to the metronome to get some of the rhythms a little more solid! I notice that the pull-offs are giving many people trouble on this song. This technique requires slow practice to make sure you have the mechanics right to hear each individual note. Then by gradually bringing the metronome up to speed, you should retain the dexterity at the faster tempos. It’s a lot of work, but it will carry over to other arrangements. Thank you again for joining the challenge!
Here are the first few on page 6:
kmelton – That’s very cool that you added the other melody notes on the third melody! My only suggestion would be to change the chord at 0:42 seconds to a single note B (2nd fret on the A string), but the rest of the melody sounds correct! Great idea to innovate on the arrangement!
zukulele – Noel sounds great! Your timing is virtually flawless, and I love that you sustain the melody notes all the way through! My only suggestion is to add your own dynamics to spice things up a bit: volume swells and accenting certain notes where the melody builds up to a high note would add a nice touch. You’ve definitely spent a lot of time on this, and it really shows! Great job!!!
becky7777 – Wonderful playing! I hear what you are saying about the gain…it really seems to be more of an eq issue than just gain. It sounds like only the A string is overpowering, so lowering the high frequencies might help. Your playing was great, though—timing, sustain, and rhythm were all strong! Another recording option might be to upgrade the microphone you are using. I hope this helps! Thank you for your entry!
andracass – You played this one great! the rhythm and notes all sound spot on! Try sustaining the melody notes on the A string a little longer before letting them up to help phrase more like a singer, and you will be on your way! Thank you for donating and being part of this challenge!
Here’s everyone on page 5:
mikeramsey2 – Great Job on this one! You have the notes and the rhythm down great, there’s just a few spots where you are hesitating slightly. Play through those spots a few times more, then try playing the whole song with a metronome to check that you are staying in time. Thank you for taking part in the challenge!
brenna – Merry Christmas! I enjoyed the 3 kings in front of you! Awesome right hand technique on this one! There are just a few chord shapes on the left hand to practice transitioning into and out of smoothly, and you will sound flawless! The only other work to add to that is practicing the hammer-ons and pull-offs a bit more for more clarity. Sometimes lower action (string height) on the Ukulele can help with this as well. Great work, Thank you for entering the challenge!
sprinting yogini – Wonderful job! On Melody B, measure 10 is a bit tricky because of the Em shape. I would recommend practicing just Melody B slowly with a metronome to force you to get to the Em on time. Other than that, you’ve got it! Thank you for being part of this challenge!
peropata – Your timing is great, and you really seem to know the rhythm and all of the notes! There were two slight things: One chord that was slightly off on the 2nd half of the repeat of Melody A…but you got it correct the first time, so this seems to just be a performance-specific mistake that you most likely wouldn’t miss again. Then at measure 16, you are holding out the second beat slightly too long, although this really just creates a dramatic effect. If you want to play it perfectly in time, I would recommend playing the measures around that one (14-17) with a metronome to perfect the timing. Great work on this!
Here is everyone on page 16 (Benjamin: Andrew will do yours soon):
curlyuke: Great job, you are getting close on the rhythm! There are certain parts, like measures 6-8, that are tricky for almost everyone. That spot in particular is one to go back to with the tab player and play much slower. Then once you are positive you have the rhythm right, try building up speed slowly with a metronome. The notes are sounding great, and as you get even more familiar with the piece, all of the other rhythms will flow smoothly (I can tell you understand them, it just takes a lot of practice)! Thank you for joining the challenge!
hondamom – Great job on this! When a note wouldn’t sound, or there was a slight mistake, you did a brilliant job of continuing on without getting hung up on it! That takes a long time to develop a sense of staying with the tempo you set. Very professional! I can tell that the bar chords we talked about are still giving you a little bit of trouble, so I recommend playing measures 52 to 54 over and over a bit slower to practice getting your fretting hand pointer finger at the correct angle to push down all of the strings. With work on this and the hammer on/pull offs in the ending, you’ll be set! Thank you for your entry!
karenj – You are doing awesome! The rhythm on measures 6-8 is tricky for almost everyone, so that’s the main part to work through slowly and repeatedly focusing on rhythm. Being able to get this rhythm solid will help with a lot of future songs! The fingerpicking specifics are the other thing I would recommend working on, as that technique seems to make an appearance in a lot of the challenges. Keep up the great work! Thanks for entering the challenge!
marni11 – You are playing the notes very well! Excellent job on that! Now it’s time to work on the rhythm a bit more: There are certain notes you need to pause on a bit longer…for a beat or half of a beat longer. I would play through with the on screen tab player slowly, but I would also look at some of Andrew’s courses and rhythm lessons to understand the way the rhythms are written a bit better. With those held out notes and rests, you will be spot on! Thanks for joining the challenge!
ultramom – I am impressed that you played at a slower tempo and stuck to it! That’s a great way to learn the song! You are so close on the rhythm…just measure 7 needs one little thing: wait just half a beat longer to play the open A string – it happens on beat 3 (a downbeat) rather than the and of two (an upbeat). If you get that one thing, then your rhythm is spot on! You are doing super well, just play it more and more, and you will get smooth and flowing on it in time! Thank you for being part of this challenge!
timstacks – Your sense of rhythm is wonderful! Playing in front of the camera is very different for sure! It seems to me like you really get everything about this song, you just need to practice certain passages a touch slower to get the accuracy perfect. Great work!
peropata – Great job! I agree with you…just a touch slower and your accuracy would have been spot on! I like how expressive you are with the way you pluck! It sounds great, especially on this song. One slight thing to be aware of: don’t let your fretting hand wrist bend too much, as playing with it bent (out or in) could put stress on the wrist over time. Every now and then is ok, just not bent too much for long periods of time. Thank you for your entry!
shortman – That was really solid! You understand the rhythm very well! You may have gradually sped up a little bit, but it was so gradual that it felt natural! I can tell you’ve spent a great deal of work on this! I think it’s time to try a faster tempo if you’d like! You sound ready! Thank you for being part of the challenge!
josephus – Very good job! You have most of the song under your fingers! There seems to just be a couple of spots to go over slowly and work up to speed, and one spot to check on the rhythm: in measure 7, the open A string is on a downbeat (beat 3) instead of an upbeat (the and after 2) which is how most people seem to hear it. If you wait the extra half of a beat, then the rhythm is spot on! Every other section was great! Thanks for being part of the challenge!
akshxd – You sound great! The notes and rhythm are 90% there! Measure 7 seems to be giving everyone trouble, wait just a half of a beat longer before hitting the open A string in that measure. The only other spot I hear that is rhythmically difficult is the measure with the pull-offs: make sure to pace each note as 8th notes, and not pull off too quickly. Practice slowly and work it up to speed. You’re doing very well! Thank you for your entry!
planetfink – You are doing a great job on a difficult piece! Way to go! Most of it is wonderful, there’s just one section that stands out as needing a little bit of work: measures 51-56. The hardest part of this is barring the 5th fret all the way across with one finger while playing melody notes. Once you get comfortable with this, the piece will flow a bit smoother. Just keep isolating this part and playing slowly so that your hands can develop the slight angles they need to play this section smoothly. Then you can go back in and really exaggerate the dynamics you are already hinting at. Very well done! Thank you for being part of the challenge!
arbuscula – Very nicely done! You got the rhythm correct on the hard part from measure 6 to 8! Great attention to detail, and your plucking hand technique is spot on! On some of the faster runs, you have a small tendency to speed up a bit. I would recommend practicing with a metronome a bit more just to know where you have the tendencies to do that. Overall, you did a wonderful job! Thank you!
pauvaliente – I love that you picked a tempo that gives you time to get most of the song correct! So many people want to play super fast, so they reinforce the mistakes they don’t catch. You did a wonderful job of mastering the rhythm in measures 6-8, which is one of the hardest spots! It sounds like you just need a tiny bit more work on a few of the melody lines, and then you’ll be on your way to speeding up the song! Thank you!
flora– – The tempo you started at was a perfect speed for you! You nailed everything right up to the end of measure 15. From there, you did very well, but you sped up just a tiny bit at Melody C. I would recommend doing the whole song at the tempo you started at with a metronome, and then isolate measure 15 to 16 just to get it super solid. Then just play the whole song at that speed, and you’re well on your way! Thank you for being part of the challenge!
Here is everyone on page 14:
rickeymike – I like the hat! I like the loud strums, they add a nice effect! I like that you did your own version of the rhythm, over all it’s really an interesting take! I suggest going back to learn the original rhythm at some point, as there are a lot of really cool syncopations and variations to learn from! Also, as you said, you played it all with the index finger, which works just fine, but it might be a fun challenge to alternate with the middle finger too. Great work! Thanks for being part of the challenge!
kellyblackburn – This entry has a lot of cool things going on in it, but just out of curiosity, are you going from memory? There are a few passages you are playing very differently, which is awesome if it’s on purpose. The main spot that I hear is still the rhythm from measure 6-8. I think there’s a benefit to breaking that down, even if you choose to play it differently later on. Thanks again for entering!
laurasil – You sound great! Your notes are spot on, and the rhythm is locking in on almost every part! In measure 6, the tricky part is that there isn’t a pause after the second chord strum, it just goes right to the 1st fret on the C string. Pausing after the second strum in bar 6 is putting you out of time for a moment…but you are playing the rest of the phrase (measure 7 to 8) correctly after this added pause. The only other part of the song to work a bit more on is the pull offs in measures 19 and 21. You have a tendency to speed up a bit on the pull offs, so practicing each note in the pull offs as equal length notes with a metronome might help. I know pull offs are challenging, but you’ll get there! Everything else sounds great! Thank you for joining the challenge!
hzhuodie – Your timing and feel are super consistent! Measures 6-7 are so close to being right, the second time around you had it correct all the way until the open A string in measure 7. If you had waited half a beat longer, it would have been perfect! I like how you chose to end the piece right after that phrase, it’s a very natural sounding ending even though the piece is just a tiny bit longer on the tab. Great choice to end it there (I almost like the ending better there)! Thank you for entering!
springer1 – Absolutely fantastic job! You nailed the rhythm all the way through, and even got double thumb slaps in measures 17, 18, and 20! Now that you know every bit of it, you can add expression and attitude to it! I would pluck the melody a little bit more accented. This will help the song sound a bit more authentic. Then I would add dynamics, making certain parts quieter and making the strums a bit louder. Wonderful job!
jacoob_slezak – Great work on this one, and I love the way that ukulele sounds! The rhythm in measure 7 is tricky…the open A is on a downbeat (beat three) rather than an upbeat (like almost every other phrase in the song). This means the open e string (2nd note of measure 7) is half of a beat longer than it feels like it should be! So wait for beat three to keep this section in time, and then almost everything else is spot on! You are alternating your fingers so fluidly on the plucking hand, it’s super well done! Thank you for joining the challenge!
ryzeonly – Awesome job! You got the trickiest part (measures 6-8) down great! With a little work on the slapped harmonic and one or two other small sections, you’ll have it perfect! My main advice for you is to not let something like missing the harmonic affect your rhythmic flow. You had such a great sense of timing on the other sections, that it’s good to pass by mistakes in time rather than getting hung up on them…even for a split second (when performing)! Wonderful job, and I don’t think it’s too difficult for you! You are super close! Thank you for your entry!
ukukelley1 – Wow! Incredible job Sheryl! I’m very impressed that you played the whole song and flowed rather well with all of it! Some of those passages are super hard because of the shapes you have to do higher on the neck, so my main recommendation would be to get a concert or a tenor ukulele so that you don’t have to cram your fingers so close…although you did really well with this! There might be a section or two near the end that could use a slight bit more isolated work, but this might just be that it’s tough to play such a long piece! The only other thing I might add is: exaggerate the dynamics to give an even more emotionally driven performance: make the soft sections softer, and really dig in on the climax of the song. Great work! Thank you for entering this challenge!
Here is everyone on page 12:
dreadhead – Very well done! The only spots that could use a touch of extra practice are the pull offs. measure 21 in particular has the toughest ones: pulling off from the 3rd fret to the 1st fret. To make the second note in each pull off sound louder, I sometimes pull my ring finger (on the 3rd fret) down slightly as if I’m actually plucking the string with my left hand ring finger…rather than just lifting it up. Then the only challenges are keeping the other finger down as you do this motion and not hitting the other strings. Great work on the timing and over all feel!
kellyblackburn – Over all, your timing and technique is great! There are just a few spots where the rhythm is a bit confusing; measures 6-8 are a bit tough: after strumming beat 2 in measure 6, you immediately play the first fret on the C string without pausing. Then the next 4 notes after this are straight 8th notes until you reach the first open e string in measure 7. Then the open A string is on beat three in that measure, and the rest are just straight 8th notes until beat one of measure 8. I would highly recommend practicing measures 6-8 slowly with the tab player. Then the song will flow smoother. Thank you for entering the contest, and for being the first premium member!
incywincy – Great Job, Deb! There may be one or two spots with rhythm here or there, but I’m convinced that you just slightly rushed them, and that you know what they should sound like (as you play them right on after the D.S.). The slapped artificial harmonic is tough! it requires you to flatten your pointer finger on your plucking hand out a bit more in order to make contact with multiple strings. Then it’s the accuracy of being right over the intended frets! It’s super tricky, but you did well to get it on one of the strings! Keep working, you’re doing great! Thank you!
felixpitterling – You are playing well, and very fast! Every now and then the rhythm gets away from you, so I would recommend playing it slower, though you are doing a great job on the Rasgueado! Focus on measure 19 slowly with a metronome to get each note in the pull offs on the right beat. Keep at it, you are off to an excellent and authentic sounding start! Thanks for your entry!
annegodfrey – Anne, you are doing very well…it’s just a super difficult piece with lots of chord shapes and challenges! You are playing great, so keep at it! I can tell you have spent a lot of time on this. I think isolating each transition to a new shape would help a lot. Start with just measure 14-15 and getting the transition and every note as clean as possible in time at a slow tempo. There are so many transitions, that this might be a tedious process to do for the whole piece, but you will get there! I will keep your husband in my thoughts and I hope he is getting better each day! I’m glad that the Ukulele can provide a bit of light in such hard times! Thank you!
lyndallk – Wow, that was awesome! Your fingerpicking is wonderful, and your feel is great! Over all you did a wonderful job on dynamics as well. There were a few sections towards the middle that you could exaggerate a crescendo here or there for a little more expression…but honestly, it’s absolutely wonderful the way it is! Great work, and thank you for your entry!
Here’s everyone on page 16:
jenaenlaxson – Great playing and tone! You are playing this one smoothly, so I would recommend adding the challenge of the alternating finger picking pattern on A string notes. It will allow you to stay smooth, even if you play it faster! The only other spots are the transitions to the new chord shapes. Just isolate one measure before each shift and play through one measure after the shifts. Practice doing this a lot, and it will no longer slow you down at all when you do a full play through! Congratulations on your first challenge!
awiealissa – Awesome job on a challenging piece! My only suggestion to make it even better is to really focus on those tricky pull off sections! They are hard to get definition on, especially if your action is high. Also, I notice that you are using your ring finger to start the pull off in measure 9. While Andrew does play it this way, it might benefit you to use the middle and index finger to gain clarity since these fingers are stronger until you build up the dexterity in the ring finger. The rest of the piece sounds great! Thank you for your entry!
suzie1 – You’ve got the notes down! You are off to a wonderful start, and I love the vibrato you add on certain notes! The hardest part of this song is keeping the relaxed yet consistent swing feel throughout the whole song. One thing that helps is to play along with a drummer and really lock in on the rhythm. Try playing along to this video and see if it helps! Great job, and I’m glad you didn’t break your A string!
yukalele – Nicely done, David! The only spot that took you out of your very consistent timing was the measure with the strum! It’s a tricky shift, but after practicing that transition some more, you’ll sound almost perfect! The only thing to add after that is some exaggerated dynamics (volume changes) to set the mood of the song! Very well played, and congratulations on entering your first challenge!
josephus – Great work, Joseph! I like that you didn’t let the shifts slow you down at all! And the volume swells were nice! I would make the strum at bar 13 a little slower, or make it more of a fan strum for some added excitement! Then it’s just picking the notes a little more evenly, and you’ll be close to Andrew’s performance! Thank you for joining the challenge!
lisamcc – That was wonderful, Lisa! There might be a few spots that weren’t perfect, but you were also playing a much faster version! I would slow it down and really dig into certain strums a bit more to accent the swing feel! Then you’re ready to add your own touch to it like Evan did (with embellishments in between the strums). You are on your way! The pull offs were very smooth towards the end as well! Thank you for your entry!
ineonfox – That was fast! Great work on getting it up to that speed! You are ready to add the dynamics in…make sure to start quiet so you have room to grow in volume. To do this, just pick lighter at first, and dig in more when you want it to be louder. Also, I would hold the Ukulele a bit differently to avoid the angle on your right wrist. holding the neck at a 45 degree angle instead of horizontally will help you get a better angle. Thank you for being part of the challenge!
_elizabeth_ – Wonderful job! Your finger picking is very even and you have a nice touch! I would exaggerate the dynamics a bit more so they really come across as you play! Excellent performance!
carmen-s – Very well played! My favorite part was the beautiful up strum at the end of the song! The dynamics were on point! My only suggestion is to work just a tiny bit more on the transitions to new chord changes so you aren’t having to move slower on those measures…even though you did make it feel natural! Thank you for taking the time to join the challenge!
kcharles15 – For a brand new technique, you are rocking the fingerpicking! Excellent job! The same transitions seem to be hard for almost everyone: moving into measure 5 and getting into and out of the strum at measure 13 are both just tough spots! Isolate these spots (starting at bar 4 and going to 6, then starting at bar 12 and playing to measure 14). Playing through these parts slowly on repeat will make you unstoppable when you go to play the entire piece!
jlbross – Great job given the lack of time you had for this after working on the other song! I know recording can be nerve-racking, but I want to hear you play the next challenge without apologizing in the middle! You are doing great! Try adding the fingerpicking pattern that Andrew plays on the first 4 measures (using index and middle fingers alternating on the A string notes). This addition will allow you to increase speed greatly. I love how the hood on your costume is perfect for looking down at the tabs! Thank you for your entry.
Here’s everyone on page 14:
timstacks – Awesome job getting through the whole arrangement! It’s a tough one for sure! After listening to your version and Evan’s back to back, I noticed how much faster you are playing it! I would recommend slowing down a bit for the relaxed feel, but also to get to the notes (especially in measure 37-38) in a bit easier. You are off to an excellent start, it will just take a little bit of extra slowing down and isolating in a few key spots to get it even better! Thanks for entering the challenge!
shortman – The look of excitement at the end is the reason I love these challenges and Ukulele in general! There’s no better feeling than executing a great take after working on something for a long time! You did an excellent job of staying in time and getting the fingerpicking down! Even the strum was right in time with the rest of it! Now you can go back in and add more dynamics and expression and think of it like telling a story. Keep working on getting the alternate finger picking as smooth as possible on the A string to really make the notes sustain and sing! Great work, and I hope to hear many more from you!
cyberloh – I understand the frustration! It’s hard to get those transitions smooth! You are doing a great job on it, though…it just takes work. I notice a little bit of tension in your left wrist. Try relaxing that hand a little bit more to avoid injury! Besides just a little bit more slow practice isolating certain parts, I would recommend working on holding the pinky note on the first phrase out a little bit longer and focus on making it sustain just a tad bit longer to add a lyrical element to that section. Great job on the dynamics, and I hope November’s challenge is slightly less frustrating!
cconuku – The first part was very clean! I think you got very good at that section! Some of the finger picking patterns in the second and third sections are a bit tougher, but you are getting there! The part in measure 9 is certainly a tricky section, and I feel like using the thumb this quickly might be new to you. Work slowly to evenly space the notes plucked with the thumb, and the song will flow a bit smoother. Try isolating the section from measure 9 to 13. You have a wonderful start! Thank you!
hlglazi – You are doing awesome, especially for your first finger style piece! A few things I noticed to make it even better: Now that you have the patterns down, try playing each measure (square of music) back to back with no extra space at the end. Each note in each section of this song should be evenly spaced (with very few exceptions). At 0:55 into your video, I noticed that you played the chord as an up strum, but it’s actually supposed to be a down strum with your fingernails hitting the strings. I hope this helps you understand how this works:
lynettejd – You’ve got the notes down, and it sounds very evenly spaced within the sections! Now that you have that part out of the way, add to it by trying to hold each fretting hand finger down longer to let each note ring out longer. This will make the whole song sound more lyrical, and less choppy. This is especially hard with the pinky on the first section, but you can do it! Great job on each section! Thank you for being part of the challenge!
bklynsoul – While I appreciate the Walking Dead pun, your performance was not lifeless! You did a great job using the dynamics and getting a smooth lyrical quality out of each note! The finger picking pattern at measure 9 might need a little more practice, but it’s a tough pattern, especially with the seemingly backwards finger order! You are doing great, and I hope to hear you more in the challenges to come!
edward – I love the reverb you added! Was that an effect, or are you recording from a cave? Spooky either way! You’ve got the notes down, it just takes a little work to get them a bit more evenly spaced. Fingerpicking is tricky, but you are off to a wonderful start! I hope life lets you play more Uke! Thank you for making the time to enter!
karenj – Very fast and smooth fingerpicking! You certainly have the patterns in each section down very smoothly! The transition to the chord at measure 5 is super close! Just isolate measure 4 to 5 slowly for a bit to really master sliding to the Abm chord! Measure 8 is the other challenge left to go, I would say play it slowly over and over and you will get there! And you are right…there’s something about that record button that makes everything more of a challenge! Awesome job, and thank you for your submission!
robinboyd – Great playing! I enjoyed the dynamics, you fingerpicked smoothly with the pattern Andrew taught, and you stayed in time even on the tough transitions! I would work on getting a slower strum or even a fan strum in at 0:23 to add a little flare to it, and then the only challenge is keeping the fret buzz out of the entire song (You did so well on this for the first 3/4 of the song…I think you just lost focus right towards the end). Over all, this is one of the best submissions of this song I’ve seen yet! Keep it up!
frenchfries54 – Great job on each section! You played very well, now you just need to isolate where the left hand shifts to different chords (by playing one measure before and one measure after each transition). It’s super tricky! But if you practice slowly with a metronome and focus on getting to each shape in time, then gradually speed up, you will get there! The metronome or the slowed down tab player will give you a way to gauge your improvement! Thank you for joining the challenge!
vidafntn – It sounds pretty good so far! To make it sound less mechanical, one secret is to sustain some of the notes a little bit longer (not cutting them short). Another thing that might help is to jam with a drummer!
This backing track is a little bit slower, which might help you lock in with the groove more. Just try to match the drummer’s vibe, and it should help! Thank you for your submission.
casadot349 – The notes sound great! I can tell you spent a lot of time on this! The hardest part of this arrangement is to maintain the relaxed swing feel while playing the difficult passages! Try playing with the drum track I suggested for vidafntn…sometimes jamming with a drummer helps to lock in with that feel. Great work, thank you for being a part of the challenge!
ultramom – You’re off to a wonderful start! You almost have the transitions in time! I would isolate the tough spots and play them with a metronome slowly. Also, at the beginning, holding the pinky down a bit longer before lifting it for the next note will help the song flow smoother. Very well done overall! Thank you for entering!
cinichol – The shorter version still has all the parts, so that’s a great way to do it! I like that you worked on getting the transitions in time! Keep working on strengthening the pinky, you will get there! Thanks for participating!
mr_moltes – I like your use of dynamics! Great playing and flow on most of the sections! The only trouble spot seems to be getting to the chord at 0:26 in. If you just work on that shift, you’ve got the whole thing down! Thanks for entering the challenge!
zukulele – Wow! That was super fast! All of the transitions were in time, too! Great work! My only suggestion would be to work on using the pinky a bit smoother. It’s possible that it’s the fingerpicking on the same string, too and not the pinky…but one or the other is causing the first section to sound slightly less smooth than the other parts. It’s a small detail, but it will help the song flow even better! Super job!
poopsies – I think you did an excellent job! What you are saying about the first chord change is very slight, and you stayed in time through it! There’s just a tiny spot at the end to clean up (string noise and a slight hiccup in the timing, but nothing big), but judging by how smoothly you played the first part, that should be a piece of cake for you! Thank you for joining the challenge!
rpina61 – This etude is super challenging! You are off to a wonderful start! The hammer on-pull off combinations at the beginning require a lot of dexterity, but if you have the time to spend, you can get there! That technique seems to be the only thing giving you any trouble—great fingerpicking! Just isolate ever section with hammer ons and pull offs and you’ve got it!
suzums – Very great job! I love the tone of your ukulele as well! Such a warm and mellow sound! I think you’re doing most of the transitions super well, just a touch more work on a couple of them and it will sound wonderful. You can experiment with accenting (hitting certain notes/strums a bit harder) to give the song contrast, but it already sounds wonderful! Thank you for participating!
kanae926 – You are doing a wonderful job! It’s so tough not to overthink things while playing, so I totally understand the “deeper into my own head” part. It’s ok, everyone does it! You’re playing is great, it’s just the same transitions that are giving almost everyone a really tough time on this challenge. Isolate those spots instead of just playing through the whole piece, and then you can trust yourself to nail them every time on the full play through because that practice will give you confidence! I enjoyed the video effect and the themed T-shirt, too! Thank you for taking part in this!
kellyblackburn – Great job on this! I think it’s the first “Bad Moon Rising” I’ve seen thus far! You have a very relaxed feel on this. I can’t think of anything to add to it. Awesome!
akshxd – Great work! You’ve got most of the transitions down, it seems like it’s just the first chord change that you can work on getting to a touch quicker. Thank you for submitting!
hotmilkjtea – That was a very good rendition! I liked the dynamics (volume swells), tempo changes, and you nailed the fingerpicking with a very subtle finesse! My only advice would be to get to each new chord shape just a bit faster to interrupt the flow just a little less, although you made each change flow very well! It works how you are playing it, but with having to stop less between each new shape, you could focus even more on the other musical elements! Very haunting, and thank you for joining the challenge!
gstriph – Very nice job on the fingerpicking patterns and fretting hand notes! You definitely paid attention to detail! To add to what you’re doing, try to hold each note out longer…leaving less space between each picked note. This will make each phrase sound smoother. Then you can add in volume swells to add emotion to the piece, and isolate where the chord shapes change (2-4 measures at a time). Practicing these transitions will also make it easier to play smoothly! Great work, keep it up!
brenna – Awesome! I can tell you practiced this a ton—your timing and feel was great! There seemed to be only one or two spots that gave you any challenge at all! The ending just needs a little bit more work: Make it sound emotional by really treating each note as a heartfelt journey. I would exaggerate slowing down on the last few notes before the harmonics instead of rushing through them. But this is a very minor detail…overall that was one of the best submissions so far! Keep them coming! Thanks for being a part of the challenge!
lyndallk – Wonderful! Was that really your first take?! I think the only thing to do to make this better is to practice the song a bit more…it seems like a few of the transitions caught you off guard, but that you knew each section really well! I enjoyed it! Thank you for your entry!
hondamom – You nailed it! It’s very hard to get all of the transitions in time, but you managed to do them very well! I enjoyed the dynamics as well! There was a little bit of fret buzz on one of the transitions, so a tiny bit of work on transitioning seemlessly might add to it, but it’s a super slight detail, and it’s super hard to get the transitions in time at all, and you did it great! Thank you for participating!
mycb3tm3n – I’m so sorry to hear about your Ukulele! It sounded fine even having been stepped on! Wonderful playing…it’s hard to believe you’re only 11! My only advice would be to play a bit lighter on some of the melody notes with your right hand. They sing better with just a tiny bit less attack. Way to go on picking the harder song, you did VERY well! You have a very bright Ukulele future ahead of you 🙂
andracass – Very good under the time constraint! The chord transitions are the hardest part for almost everyone, and it sounds like a bit of work on that and the finger picking pattern would smooth out the rest of it! Thank you for participating!
arbuscula – Nicely done! You played great, the finger-picking was on point, and there was only one slight hesitation going into the last section (where the chord is strummed). It worked well even with the slight pause (sounded intentional)! 0:16 seconds in, I would just be careful with the angle you have on the fretting hand wrist in this section, as playing for an extended time with the wrist bent this way can cause wrist pain. Instead, try to play it in a way that allows you to keep a straighter wrist. However, it was only on this section, so it’s probably fine, just worth noting so you don’t injure yourself in the future! 🙂 Great playing!
coffeeemug – Great playing! The transitions are tough, for sure! Looping is the right idea, it just takes lots of practice and patience! Have you tried smaller loops (two measures at a time right with the tricky spot in the middle of the two measures)? If so, then you’re doing it right…just practice slowly enough to get it in time at the slow tempo, and work up to full speed. On your fingerpicking hand, have you tried curving your fingers in a “C” shape as you play? It might help just a bit. Thanks for submitting this, and you did great!
mycaptain – Your playing sounds great! It sounds to me like one of your strings are out of tune on the recording! If you do a video (if you haven’t already…), make sure to tune to make it sound even better! Then it’s just a matter of working on a couple of those tough transitions between sections (mentioned to others above). Great job! Thanks for participating!
annefgodfrey – You’re doing great! I love the skull mask! A very creepy, but nice touch! I hope your husband is feeling even better than before! You sound like you are working through the sections and getting more comfortable with each section as you go! On your finger picking hand, try making smaller motions with the fingertips to have more control, and pick over the sound hole to get a slightly louder sound with less effort! Thank you for participating in spite of such a busy and hectic month! 🙂
