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Here’s everyone on page 12:
@sarahmusic – You did a very nice job on this one! You seem to be getting the hang of fingerpicking very quickly! Just as a general suggestion, you may want to fingerpick closer to the sound hole of the ukulele and not over the fretboard as possible to keep your fingernails from tapping the ukulele itself. Great playing on this song!
@yukalele – You are off to a wonderful start, and you did a great job of rising to the challenge of such a difficult piece! I noticed that your left hand thumb ended up sideways over the top of the ukulele at times, and working on left hand technique might make some of those passages easier to play. Keep working at it, you’re doing a great job!
@kirpuff – You’re doing great on this one! You have the notes down and are very close on the timing. There are a few spots where you are holding notes just slightly too long: in the first measure and other measures like it, the last note comes in on the upbeat rather than waiting for the downbeat of measure two. Once you incorporate that rhythm, it will feel much more like the original song. Keep up the great work!
@mac1984 – Very nicely done! You played the song great, with the rhythm exactly as it’s written. In Melody A, measure 6 will sound more like the original song if you play the first and second note of the measure as swung 8th notes instead of a quarter note followed by two 8th notes. Also, it sounds to me like when he returns to this figure at the end, he plays those notes as triplet quarter notes instead of the rhythm written. I can tell you are good at reading rhythm, as this is the first performance I’ve heard that has that rhythm as written instead of how it is played in his performance. You did a wonderful job! My only other suggestion is that playing with the thumb of the picking hand like Matt does might give the song a more relaxed feel with a softer attack on each note.
@themccoys – You are doing a great job! You have a great grasp on the song over all, and are doing a great job with the feel. I suggest trying to let the notes ring out a bit longer, which means making sure the melody notes are held out as long as possible before switching to the next note giving it more of a legato rather than staccato feel. Keep it up, you are doing a great job!
@lovebats – You are off to a great start on this one. I notice that your right hand is moving positions a lot and that it seems like you are holding the ukulele up with that hand, making the song harder. You may want to get a ukulele strap to help free that hand up to stay in one position. Unfortunately, we can’t give you an entry for the prize as the rules state that you have to perform the entire piece. But keep up the great work!
@kpurdy – You are doing a great job so far! This one is a bit tough, and it sounds like you will benefit from memorizing the piece a bit. It seems like you are only hesitating to look up at the music. In certain spots. Keep going, you’re getting close!
@kelsey91 – You are getting the hang of this! It’s a tough piece, but it’s really starting to come together. One thing that might help you is to get a ukulele strap or to sit down while playing so that you don’t have to hold the ukulele up with the right arm so much. With the left hand, I see your pinky sticking straight out from time to time, which might actually limit the motion of your other fingers a bit. If you spend a bit of time working on form, I bet your playing will become smoother just from that. Great work on this one! The edits all went together fairly smoothly!
@charles605 – You’re off to a great start! It sounds like you’re starting to have the notes down. What I would do now is take 4 measure sections and focus on one at a time, trying to keep a smooth flow for the whole phrase. This may require you to memorize a bit more of the song, but it will help you work out all of the pauses. The fire was very enjoyable!
@dividedsky – Very nicely done! You have a very nice, legato feel that is perfect for the song. It seems like the only spot to work on is from 1:17 to 1:24. It seems like you slightly hesitate here and have a slight bit of trouble getting to the last chord of that section from the previous one. Loop this section at a slightly slower speed and work on playing the notes cleanly, and then work it back up to this speed. Your performance is wonderful as it is, this is just a slight detail. Great job!
@sylus9 – You are off to a great start, and it sounds like you understand how to swing, Now it’s just a matter of getting the rhythm and notes under your fingers in time. I noticed that in Theme 1, you have a tendency to pause between measure 9 and 10. The line ends there, but there is no extra pause between those measures. As you get more comfortable with the notes and chord shifts, you will get better at the timing, too. Keep up the great work!
@dottiectrain – Very nice job on this one! You have the notes down, and are super close on the rhythm! When you hit the first chord in each section, try holding it out twice as long before plucking the second note (try counting “one, two” ). It’s a small detail, but it will sound just a bit more like the song with each phrase having that one difference. You are doing an excellent job, keep it up!
@uku241 – You are doing great so far! It sounds like it’s just a matter of getting those chord shifts a bit smoother and learning the ending chords. Your right hand is doing a great job on the techniques!
@puppylovesuke – You have a very nice and relaxing feel on this song. Very nicely played all around! I’m glad you were able to meet the deadline by uploading the compressed version!
@sarrafina – Wow! You have an excellent tone, played very well, and kept the timing and feel very solid! There are one or two spots where a shift may cause the slightest hesitation, but this was a fantastic performance over all. Keep up the great work!
Unfortunately, we can’t give you an entry for the prize as you submitted past our deadline. Andrew tried to give everyone a friendly reminder on the 31st.Here is everyone on page 8:
terryfallon3 – You’re off to a great start on this one. The intro and verse parts are sounding pretty good, and the bridge is coming along. What I recommend for measures 22 and 23 is to play the rhythm written on the sheet instead of trying to mimic Andrew’s performance, since he is adding a slap on one of those chords. It’s the same rhythm, but it is easier to practice slowly when counting the written rhythm because the notes will be spaced apart more at your speed. It sounds like you are playing certain strums too quickly and waiting too long in other spots. Counting this rhythm will help as well. You’re doing a great job, keep it up!
evapaju – Very nicely done, and I like the syncopations you have added! There are still a few spots where you seem to be taking a bit of extra time outside of the intentional changes to get to certain chords: 0:15 is one of those spots. If I’m wrong and this is also an intentional pause, try playing this song to a metronome or while patting your foot to see if it’s staying in time with the overall flow. You sound great so far, keep it up!
robinboyd – Excellent job! You’ve definitely improved your right hand’s consistency from the last time to this one. While there are a few spots that may still be tricky, they are mostly left hand shifts at this point. You are doing an excellent job, and the feel is much more confident and relaxed this time around!
planetfink – Very well done! You had a great feel throughout, a very consistent tempo, and you have the notes under your fingers! The only thing to add now is the exaggerated accents and loose right hand vibe that Evan has in the performance. I think the easiest way to incorporate this now is to watch his performance before you play and just try to imitate that vibe if you want to. Your version sounds excellent as it is, this might make it even more fun to play! The pitter patter of the dog in the middle was cute, and it didn’t distract you at all! Well done!
ukule_lise – Great job on this one, and getting it up to full speed is awesome! There are a few notes in some passages that aren’t quite sounding at this speed, especially when it quickly shifts to the higher frets on the neck. For this reason, it may be better to perform it at a slightly slower tempo to get those spots to be more effortless, and then bring it back to this tempo gradually. Nice job on this one, you’re doing great!
robinl – Nice playing on this one, especially in the bridge! You are playing the notes very well, and have a great sound all of the way through. On the intro in the first measure, you are holding out the 2nd fret on the A string (the B note) a bit too long. The last note of that measure should happen on the upbeat after beat 4, and you are waiting just a bit longer to play it on the down beat of the following measure. That rhythm is a bit confusing, but it happens in the intro and the verse. I would work to fix this, as it is slightly interrupting the flow of the song when you play it. Try playing along with the Tab Play Along at 90% and you might hear the rhythm easier. You’re doing great, keep it up!
zongozongo – You are doing a great job so far! There are a few rhythms to keep working on, and a few spots where you are hesitating, but you are playing the notes very well with a good sound! You are well on your way, and if counting the rhythms is too tricky, try playing along with Evan’s performance with the tab player. You may even want to slow it down a touch just to keep your feel consistent as you play along. Very nicely played!
annemarie – Very nicely done! You have a nice relaxed feel on this, and you are super close to having all of the parts down. There are a few spots where you are hesitating that playing along with a metronome at a slightly slower tempo may help with. The advantage is that it holds your mind accountable to the timing for you, forcing you to get used to thinking slightly ahead so that the notes come out right in time. I suggest playing it at a slightly slower tempo to give you enough time to get to the notes without causing too much anxiety so you can stay relaxed as you practice. Keep up the great work!
gi_gi – Great job on this! Here Comes the Sun is a hard song to keep the timing solid all of the way through, and you nailed it! You have a great feel throughout! With a little work on getting the speed of the strums a bit faster at 1:29, you could start playing this one a bit faster. Excellent work on this!
ccwuke – Great playing, and the recording quality is very nice as well! I also record mono and double the sound for stereo. It may be that it’s best to record the audio seperately and line it up after recording so that you can use a program designed to record in stereo. If that’s not the issue, I’m sure you can find a YouTube video as others have most likely had this problem too. You’re playing is great on this, so I don’t have much to add there. Keep up the great playing!
ramiro – You sound great on this! Maybe the reason you don’t see much improvement is due to that you were already playing it well. Your timing, the notes, and the technique all seem to be on point. If you want to add to that, you can try adding dynamic swells to make the song “breathe” a bit more by starting certain phrases quietly, building them towards the middle, and bringing the volume back down at the end of the phrase. You’re already doing a great job, though!
marianne – Wow, it was impressive to hear you play it at that speed! You’re doing a great job, with just a few hesitations. I feel like this song actually sounds better at a slower speed with a bit more of an accent on certain notes. Play this one about 10 bpm slower, and I bet you won’t hesitate and the feel will be more relaxed. Great playing!
antotonin – Excellent feel, timing, and playing on this! It sounds like you’ve mastered the techniques! On the split stroke section, you have a tendency to rush the measures like 17 and 18 just a bit, so I recommend playing those along to a metronome a bit more to work on pacing that technique. Keep up the great work, you’re doing an amazing job!
mark1256 – You’re doing an excellent job on the notes! I recommend playing the song at a slower speed and working a bit on the rhythm. The main thing to work on is holding certain notes out long enough before moving to the next one. There’s also a few notes in the bridge you are slowing down a bit too much for that pass a bit quicker. You have the right idea, and your right hand technique is looking great! Keep it up!
bibilele – Very nicely done! You are doing a great job on all of the techniques! The split stroke section is the only one that just needs a bit of extra work to build the speed to where you have the other techniques at. You are ever so slightly slowing down when you get to the beginning of that section. Everything else is spot on, and your timing is great!
stinyuke – Great playing on this one! You keep a very solid tempo, and you play the song very cleanly! I prefer this song at a slighly slower tempo, as you can really accent certain notes and the backbeat a bit to help it swing stronger. If you get that feel right, it will make you want to bob your head or sway to the music. You are playing this song great as it is, and it might be a fun challenge to make it groove in this way. Keep up the great work!
effortless – You’re doing a great job on this one! You have the notes ringing clear, and you are getting through the piece smoothly. Now it’s time to develop the swing feel of the song: When two 8th notes are in a row on this song, the first one will be longer (about twice as long). This gives the song a looser feel rather than a mechanical one. Give the original a listen and see if you can hear the difference between that and your version. Keep up the great work!
mikeramsey2 – Very nicely done! The notes are sounding spot on! The next step is getting some of the passages to sound more legato (smooth and connected). One of the main things that will help this on the outro in particular is to get the hammer ons and pull offs in bars 57 and 59. If notes are connected with a slur, don’t pluck the second/third note. Instead, lift your left hand finger with enough force to make the next note sound. Once you get this technique down, that section will sound smooth. Then it’s just a matter of leaving the fingers down a bit longer on other sections to let notes ring out a bit more. You’re doing great, keep it up!
gstriph – You’re off to a great start with the notes! For the tempo and rhythm, I think you would benefit from playing this arrangement with a metronome at a slower speed. Right now you are hesitating on some spots that are harder for you to play, and you are speeding up on the easier spots. While it’s hard to keep a metronome going through the bridge of the song, I would practice the first section or two with one to see where you tend to pause the most. The notes sound great, and I recommend getting the timing down before changing sections up too much. Keep up the great work!
ldarrow – You are doing a great job with the bar chords! Everything sounds great on this, I just recommend playing slightly slower with a metronome so that you can work on keeping the tempo consistent throughout the song. It will help you to know which parts are giving you the most trouble, too. You’re doing great, and it sounds like you’re really doing well with bar chords now!
lintuu – Amazing job! You played so well, we shared your performance on our social media. Keep up the great work!
joelnal – You are off to a wonderful start! Now that you have the notes and chord shapes down, try playing along a touch slower with a metronome. There are a few spots where certain chords/techniques are causing you to hesitate, and playing these parts with something keeping you in time will show you which chord shapes to work extra on. You’re doing great so far, keep it up!
henri0 – Excellent job! Your rhythm and notes were both spot on! at 0:41 seconds in, it sounds like muting the A string is something you’re struggling with. I recommend slowing that section down and focusing on how you’re muting that string. It may be that you can find another way to mute it more effectively so that it doesn’t clash with the melody. You’re doing a fantastic job!
june2020 – You are doing great so far on the notes and chords! Now it’s time to work on the rhythm. Certain notes in the piece are being cut short in relation to the the other notes. To learn how long to hold each note, there is a great section in the Introduction to Reading Standard Notation course that can help here.
Once you learn how to read and work on rhythms, it will help you learn songs quicker as well. Keep up the great work!
lisadmh – The new version sounds great! My only suggestion rhythmically is to not pause too long before the pickup measures: bars 8, 16, and so forth. There isn’t a fermata before the slides, so make sure to come in on the up beat on these measures. It’s a slight difference, but it keeps the flow of the song consistent for those listening that like to bob their heads or dance. You’re doing a great job, and you seem more relaxed for sure!
nthibode – Wonderful playing on this! You picked a great tempo to really get into the feel of this song, your notes were very legato, and the song seemed to “breathe” dynamically. Very nice performance all around!
rafaela – You picked a great tempo for this, and you stayed very consistent throughout. In this style, it’s good to accent the subdivisions a bit more, especially in the section at 0:35. Don’t be afraid to hit the chord strums with a bit more force/emphasis. You’re doing a wonderful job, and it sounds like you’re ready to speed this one up at this point!
patricia81 – You’re doing a great job so far! Now that you have the notes down, it’s time to work on the rhythm a bit more. You are ready to add a metronome to your practicing. Keep up the great work!
brettboy – You have a very nice and relaxed feel on this that is perfect for the song! You’ve done a great job all around! I must ask, in measure 10 and where this melody repeats, did you purposely change the melody to make the 3rd fret on the A string on an up beat? If so, it’s a very nice syncopation. Keep it up, you always sound great!
joe150 – Your notes and chords sound very clear on this one, and you are off to a great start! I recommend breaking this one down into smaller phrases and memorizing the notes so that you can focus on rhythm next. Try 4 bar sections at a time, and don’t forget about the repeat signs. You’re playing great, now it’s time to take it to the next level!
turkgoose – Very nicely done! Overall you had great timing and were very close to getting all of the notes cleanly! On the few spots that were tricky, can you play those cleanly at a slower tempo? I recommend playing just a bit slower and getting the piece cleanly over having the piece at full speed. Excellent job!
baggyuke7 – Wonderful job on this challenging piece! You’re playing the majority of it extremely well! Section C is the one part I suggest looking at slightly closer: measures 17 and 18 have the same rhythm and strum pattern. You seem to vary the rhythm up just a bit, so I would look at those and play that pattern at a slower speed to internalize that rhythm as well as in measures 21 and 22. You’re doing a great job, this will just help to keep the timing consistent on this section.
misterbones – Very nicely done! Your playing is very clean, and you have a very nice feel on this! Great job!
lyndallk – Great job on this one! Your playing was very nice, and your interpretation was very cool! I couldn’t help but notice that some of the melody and rhythm differed from Evan’s arrangement, so I wanted to ask, did you pull from other versions of this song for this performance? If not, you may want to revisit certain sections in his arrangement. If so, I’m curious what other versions you are pulling from.
smokealot – Nice playing on this classic! You have the notes and the rhythm down overall. The only spot I would spend an extra bit of time on is in the bridge: It’s hard to get the timing between repeats on this section correct, so work on this section just a bit more to get the timing to be consistent without rushing any notes. Other than that section, you have this song down!
deadbuggy – You are playing this one very nicely! There are a few sections you are playing differently from the original, though they still sound good: On measures 8, 16, and anywhere else this passage happens, you are holding the third note out, while Evan plays this note as just an 8th note (no fermata or lengthening of this note). At 0:15 seconds in, you are adding a melody that isn’t in the original, but it once again sounds cool. I’m pointing these things out just in case they were not intentional and you wanted to go back and learn this particular arrangement note for note. Either way, it sounds great!
Here’s everyone on page 7:
ldarrow – You are doing a great job on this one! There are a few spots where you are hesitating as you shift in certain sections. I would isolate those sections to work on getting the shifts up to speed towards the middle of the song, and then you’ve got it. Everything else sounds great!
biancak – Very nicely played! I cant hear what sounds half finished, this was an excellent performance! You have the swing feel, the notes, and the techniques in all of the right spots. On Melody B, it might be possible to have a bit more clarity with some of the notes, possibly a slightly harder attack or a bit more of a plucking motion on the pull offs. However, the notes are clear enough, you did a wonderful job!
concan – You’re doing great on this one! It seems like just a bit more practice getting the shifts at the section 50 seconds into your performance and you’ve got it. Try isolating that part if you don’t have a lot of time to practice. Keep up the great work!
andrewvh – Well done on getting the swing feel and working on the nuance in the song! In Melody B, there are a lot of tricky spots where you might benefit from playing 75% of the speed you are currently at to work on getting the techniques a bit cleaner. I recommend playing the whole song at whatever tempo you can play that section at comfortably. Keep it up, you’re doing a great job!
morrieuke1 – That was a great performance, and patting your foot really added a nice percussive element to the song. Your notes and rhythm were clear and precise, and your gradual ritard at the end was well executed. Excellent job!
sarahd – Very nicely done, especially on the ending! Your notes ring clearly, and you played the rhythms fairly well. Now there’s just one small hesitation on the transition leading into Melody B to work on a bit more, and then you can speed the tempo up slightly if you want to match the original speed. Nice job on this one!
santai – Great job on this, you are definitely getting good at this fingerpicking pattern. There were only a few spots where you hesitated a bit on a chord transition, mainly at 38 seconds into the piece. Once you get these transitions cleanly, you’re ready to speed the tempo up a bit. Keep up the great work!
kirpuff – I’m so sorry you are going through a tough time, and I’m glad that having the music to work on has helped. You are doing a wonderful job on this one, there are just a few tricky spots to work on getting to the chord shapes in time. I know the added challenge of the larger frets can make things difficult, and you are doing a great job. Just isolate those spots until they feel comfortable. Your playing sounds great on this.
tux4tgvf5 – It seems like so many members are having tendonitis issues on here. I hope you made a full recovery! You are doing a wonderful job on this. The only spot I’d suggest playing several times to get a bit smoother is from 13-15 seconds in. A little bit of work on keeping the timing consistent even with the slide, and your performance will sound even better. Great work on this one!
Here is everyone still needing feedback on page 6:
gi_gi_ – You improved a lot between take 1 and take 2. You worked out a few hesitations and you played with a clean sound and steady tempo on take 2. Now you just have a little bit of work on the ending to have it flow smoothly as it slows gradually. Keep it up, you’re doing a wonderful job!
somasoma321 – Very nice job on this one! Your tempo was very steady, and all of the notes were very clear. The next steps from here are to speed up the tempo gradually to Andrew’s, then to experiment with your own dynamics: Try crescendos into each phrase and gradually decrease the volume towards the ends of the phrases to help the song breathe. Keep up the great work!
timolnz – You’re off to a great start, and the idea of adding a progression is fun. The rhythm of the song could use a bit of work to keep it in the same timing as the original. The notes at the ends of the phrases should be a bit shorter, and the timing in Melody B is fairly different in the original. You’re doing a great job, a little more work on the rhythm and you’ve got it.
june2020 – Great job on this. Memorizing definitely helped the flow of the song, now there are just a few tricky spots to work on. I recommend isolating these measures and practicing them slower, just looping one to four measures where it’s hardest. Whatever tempo you get these spots up to should be the tempo you use to play the whole song. Keep it up, you’re sounding very good on this one!
gstriph – You’re doing great on this one. You have the notes down, and now there’s just a bit to work on rhythmically: First: hammer-ons and pull-offs are hard to time, but the idea is to have those notes move at the same pace as the other ones in the melody. The tendency is to rush through those notes rather than giving them their full duration. Second: on Melody B, there’s not any extra time to switch between the chord shapes, so you may want to work on this at a slower tempo to get the shifts in time so that the first two measures of this section are evenly spaced 8th notes. You sound good on this one, keep up the great work!
joe150 – The notes are sounding very nice and clear! I think it would help to work on memorizing longer phrases at a time so that you aren’t having to hesitate at the end of each two measures to look at the sheet music. Thinking in longer phrases helps, then you’ll get to the point where you can look ahead while playing. Keep it up, you sound great on the notes!
xrisrari – You have a great sense of timing, and all of the notes are sounding cleanly! One small suggestion I have is to let the notes ring out more, especially on the part at measure 5. Right now, one of your hands is either muting the strings that aren’t being plucked, or your left hand may not be holding the notes down as you play the others. Other than letting all of these notes ring out longer, you are doing an excellent job! Congrats on your first challenge entry, you played this one very well!
terryfallon3 – You’re off to a great start, and you’re playing the notes well. The swing rhythm is kind of tricky to get a handle on, so I recommend using the on screen tab player at 50% or 75& to really grasp that concept and hear how it works with the composition. You’re doing a great job, and that swing rhythm will make things even stronger!
lbilkie – That was a very nice performance, especially knowing you had tendonitis! Your ritardando was very nice and gradual, and your playing was all around very clean and had a great flow/tempo. From the angle I was watching, your left wrist looked a bit more bent than is ideal, so try to watch that to hopefully avoid future injuries. You sound wonderful!
maryjanew – You’re off to a great start, and your form looks good, it’s just challenging to get those stretches on the baritone ukulele. I recommend going through this one at the tempo you are currently at and practice all of these chord shapes…I think you have the right idea, it’s just a matter of having the time to put in. Congrats on your new granddaughter!
coffeemug – I’m so sorry to hear about the tendonitis! You played this one great in spite of that, and I’m glad it’s feeling better. There are just a couple of chord shapes that seem to cause you to hesitate slightly in Melody B on this, but otherwise you’ve got this one down! Keep up the great work, and I hope your tendonitis days are gone forever so that you can enjoy playing!
Brett! That’s cool that it turned out cool like that, I just wanted to make sure you knew you were doing that. That was a very cool mistake to make. There were a few measures that you played in 4/4, but I believe they had a similar rhythm to the other spots. When you look at the notation, try to figure out the rhythm from the page if you can. It might be useful to practice reading the rhythms correctly rather than simply relying on the performance video anyway. I enjoyed your performance either way. Cheers!
brettboy – Your rendition of this etude sounds great! You played the first part in a different time signature, and it sounds great like that. I must ask, did you play this in 6/8 instead of 4/4 on purpose? If so, very nice! If not, can you hear the difference or try the rhythm from the notation? Either way, your version is great the way it is!
katazumiri – Very nice job on this one! There’s just one or two spots where some of the notes are a bit too quiet in comparison to the rest due to a slide and a hammer-on. The dynamics are nice, but maybe having just a slight bit more volume in those spots would help. Keep up the great work!
ebetsimo – Great performance all around! Your technique, timing and notes were all spot on! Keep up the great work!
henri0 – Very nicely played! Your notes and timing sound great! The hammer-ons and pull-offs seem to be the one thing that’s hard to hear. For those, a slight bit more force/quicker movement on the hammer-ons, and pulling off at a slight angle to get the notes to sound a bit louder might be the answer. Keep it up, you’re doing great!
saiyara – Great job on this and an excellent first entry! You’re off to a wonderful start and playing great! On Melody B, the melody could be a bit more legato by using the chord shapes/finger patterns Andrew is using. Watch the performance video to see what he does there, and it may help that part sound even better. Keep up the great work, and I look forward to seeing more entries from you!
bethany_guardiani – You’re doing a great job on this one! I know the baritone is tricky to get used to with some of the stretches being a bit farther and potentially having higher string tension. Just do your best to keep your fretting hand wrist at as little of an angle as possible to not cause it to fatigue to quickly. It sounds great, keep it up!
bemarlie – You’re off to a great start, and the timing in the first half of the song is great! I would isolate the part from about 45 to 50 seconds in and play it at a slower tempo to get it consistently. It may help to play the whole song at a slower tempo so that you have the time to keep up with that section without feeling rushed. You’re doing an awesome job!
annefgodfrey – You are doing a wonderful job on this! The notes sound great! It might help to play this one a bit slower with a super steady tempo for now to keep the flow throughout the piece. You are making progress, keep it up!
slr4chums – Great job on both songs! With the Fingerpicking Etude, it sounds like you’re doing great, but pausing between the different sections. I think your goal on that one should be to play through the piece without those pauses. With DayDreaming, it’s just a matter of getting the section around 24 seconds in a bit more comfortable under your fingers. Try slowing the tempo down for the whole song to give your mind/fingers time to prepare for this section. Both performances sound nice, keep it up!
philbateau – Very nicely played. The slightly slower tempo was very consistent throughout, and your notes sounded great! You might be ready to move onto one of the more challenging songs. Keep it up!
samash07 – You are doing a great job on this! Your notes sound nice, and you have the whole song down. Just a tiny bit of extra work on the last few measures of Melody B to work out that slight hesitation, and you’ve got it! Keep up the great work!
malku2603 – You’re doing a good job on this one, and you are staying in time very well! I recommend sustaining the notes at the ends of the phrases in the B Melody for just a touch longer, leaving slightly less space. Keep it up, you’re doing great!
rafaela – That was a very nice rendition of DayDreaming! You had a solid tempo throughout and played each section very well. Wonderful job on this one!
shmu88 – Your performance on this one was very nice. You have the notes and rhythms down. I suggest playing the song slightly slower so that you don’t end up slowing down for the part at 24 seconds in. Why not start at the tempo you slowed it down to in that section? You’re doing great, keep it up!
robinboyd – This is the perfect setting for such a relaxing song. That was very nicely played! It seems like every now and then there is an ever so slight hesitation on a few of the shifts. It’s very slight, so playing with a metronome a few times may solve this. That was very well played, great job!
qiuyan – Very nicely done! You play with a very steady tempo, great technique, and clarity. Now it’s time to add a little bit of expression and a legato/rubato feel specifically on the part at 0:30 into the song and where it appears later. This part could use a volume swell as well as the smooth/connected feel and dramatic-but-slight slowing of the tempo. Other than adding that, you have a very solid and strong performance on this song!
xavierrahfael – I love the hat flip at the beginning of the video! Your playig is very nice, and you have a very smooth feel! There are a few pauses here and there as you shift. To get those spots in time, try playing the whole song a bit slower, but keep the tempo by patting your foot or swaying. Then you can add the spots where the tempo really does slow down back in after the hesitations are gone. You’re doing a wonderful job, and you already have a great sound and style to your playing! Keep it up!
terryfallon3 – You’re off to a great start, and the notes are sounding great! To work on the flow of the song, it may be helpful to just take one section of the piece (maybe 8 measures or so) and just focus on memorizing that part so that you can play it along with a metronome. Then once you’ve mastered that section with a steady tempo, do that with another section. You’re doing great, keep up the good work!
lisa-k – Excellent job on this one! Your notes and rhythm are fantastic, and you were very expressive on the ritardando. It’s really hard to get a perfect take, but this one was very good, with very few minor mistakes. I’m glad you didn’t have to do as many takes to get it to this point…I know how recording anxiety can be. Great job on this one all around!
andrewvh – Very nicely played. You have a good grasp of the notes, and stayed in time very well. There are a few spots where you are playing a bit more staccato than the original, but it sounds fairly good like that as well. If you aren’t meaning to have that feel, try playing the melody notes a bit smoother and more connected. It may have less of a bouncy feel to it that way, but it will have a bit more emotion with more of a legato feel. Keep up the great work!
mademoiselleannette – You played this one very well! You have a nice feel and a great concept of the rhythm and notes. One small suggestion: On the sections where you are strumming, try not to mute the notes after the strum, but let them ring out to keep the legato feel that you are already doing great on throughout the piece. It’s a small detail, but it keeps your performance consistent. Great job, you’ve got this one down!
marianne – That was amazing for only 2 days of work! It sounds like you have a few small hesitations on a few shifts to work through, but otherwise it’s great! If you find yourself with this little time, it might help to play the piece at 75% of this tempo to give your hands/mind time to recall parts and shift in time. This song also sounds great at the slower tempo, so it’s a good one to do that with. Very nicely done!
Idarrow – You’re doing great so far! There are just a few spots to work on a few stretches and shifts, and then you’ve got it! It might help to play the song even a touch slower to get all of those spots in time. Keep up the great work!
timolnz – Very nice and lively version of Summertime. You have a nice bounce to your playing. The hard part on this one is to express the emotion of the piece. To do this, a lighter touch, a more legato feel, and even a bit slower of a tempo will help. Keep up the great work, and focus on relaxing your hands to achieve a lighter sound.
themccoys – You have a very relaxed feel on this, and a nice sound on the ukulele. It seems like you have a great grasp on the song, and just a bit of extra work on measure 9 and 10 is all you need. I recommend just playing those 2 measures over and over until the shifts become second nature to you. Then you won’t pause in preparation for that measure. You are doing great, you’ve got this!
morrieuke1 – Very nicely done! You have an excellent sense of timing and all of the notes sound very clearly on this. Now that you have the song down, you could add some dynamics by starting certain phrases of the song softer and crescendoing to the middle of them, pulling back towards the end. This will help some of the phrases breathe a bit, which might help to add some emotion to an already great performance. Great job on this one!
acornjasper – Great job on this! You have a nice, steady flow throughout the song, and you’ve got the notes down. I agree that practicing hitting the notes with a consistent lighter touch takes time and is a bit different from ukulele to ukulele. It’s all in relaxing the right hand enough to have control over how hard you are hitting the strings. Tensing up is usually the cause of an unintentionally hard attack. Keep it up, you are doing a great job!
sarahd – You got this one in time with 13 minutes to spare! Your performance sounds very nice, and you have the notes and the rhythms down. Now it’s time to make it ROCK! On this song in particular, feel free to break out of your shell and really give those strings more of an attack to get the attitude of the song. It sounds great how you are playing it, and I feel like you have it in you to add a little more excitement to an already great performance. Keep it up!
bethany_guardiani – Great job on this one! You have the timing and notes down, and almost all of the nuances in the piece. If you have time, I would go through now with the intent of playing everything as smoothly and super connected as possible. The original performance of this arrangement is super legato. Once you can get those finger shifts to have even less space between them and slide a bit smoother, the piece will have the right feel. You’re doing a wonderful job, keep it up!
brettboy – I love the surfing Stitch towards the end, that was a nice touch! You are doing an excellent job on this one, and your percussive playing in the middle sounds great! When you come back into the melody after that drum section, the pick-up to the melody comes back in on the upbeat after beat 3. If you count through the rhythm in measure 25, you’ll get it. Awesome work on this one!
katazumiri – Fantastic job! You played the notes and rhythms with a very comfortable and legato feel. You are ready to speed the tempo up at this point. Excellent job!
joelnal – Very nicely done! You’ve got the right notes, you understand the rhythms, and the percussive part was pretty good! I think working on things like this help to build strumming speeed while relaxing the wrist. Your strumming arm/wrist looks a little bit tense, so practice this at a slightly slower tempo with the goal of a more fluid, loose motion. Then build back up to this tempo. Then it’s just getting a few of those chord shifts in time. Keep up the great work!
bibilele – You sound great on this one! As far as the tapping harmonic at the end: You have to be very precisely over where the harmonic is (the 12th fret itself…the actual piece of metal), then hit it like the hammer in a piano would, or think like a drum stick – your finger has to bounce off of the string quickly to not mute it. Keep up the great work!
lhamilton – Excellent job on this, you’ve got a great feel, the timing, and the notes. I have just one suggestion: On measures 9 and 10, don’t slow down quite as much…the three downstrums in measure 10 should be fairly close in tempo to Melody C right afterwards. It’s a small detail, but it helps to keep the flow of the song. You’re doing great, keep it up!
misterbones – You’re doing a great job on this one! Even your rendition of the ending lick was very nice! The main spot to spend a bit more focus on is the transition from the end of the melody into the percussive section. The timing was a little bit different in that one spot, but you recovered nicely after that. Keep it up, with a little more practice you’ve got it!
karenj – Great job on this one! You are very close, and there are only a few hesitations to work out. I recommend comparing it to a few other takes to see which places you hesitate on consistently, then isolate those few measures to practice the transitions where the hesitations occur. Other than that, you’ve got it! As far as getting high notes in tune: it could be that your ukulele has intonation issues up high…have you tried playing it on a different ukulele? If that’s not the case, it could be that you are slightly bending the strings by accident when you go to push down certain notes. Practice those sections clearly and with intention, and you’ll get there. Keep up the great work!
Here’s everyone on page 8 that entered in time:
lisamcc – You played this one very nicely! Great feel, timing, and clarity! If you would like, now’s a good time to experiment with dynamics. If you start each phrase quietly and crescendo to the middle of the phrase, then decrescendo towards the end of the phrase, the music almost feels like it’s breathing. This can add an extra emotional appeal to your performance. Note that it’s not always exactly like this on every phrase, use your intuition to decide which parts swelling in volume create the right feel. Excellent work on this one!
iyers408 – Great job picking a good tempo to work at. I know it’s very hard to play at that slower pace, and you are slightly ahead on some of the faster section. You did a great job of coming back to the timing on the chord strums, but to stay in time for the fast section, it might help to hear which notes line up with the drums and to try to use that as a reference to keep time. It also might help to try this at 75% speed, as it’s just hard to play with the tempo quite this slow. You’re doing great, keep it up…and nice shirt!
karenj – You’re doing great on this one! You have the notes down, now it’s just time to work out a few hesitations. Try playing this one slower at the start so that you can mentally prepare for the next shifts/sections ahead of time while playing. I suggest about 3/4 of your current speed would allow your hands to keep up and allow you to think ahead. You’ve got this, keep it up!
mac1984 – Excellent job on this! Your timing was very strong, and the notes were very clear! Just a tiny bit of work on making the ending feel a bit more natural, and you’ve got it! After getting that part, you can go back and add some dynamics (volume swells into and out of each phrase) and work on playing a tiny bit smoother and more connected. You’re doing a wonderful job, and you’ve got the hardest parts down!
timolnz – I really like the confidence you have in your playing. The strong strums and clear notes are great! Now it’s time to go back through and work on some of the rhythms. The intro has a slightly different rhythm, and there were a few spots around 18 seconds and 32 seconds into the piece that also have a slightly different rhythm. Once you fix those spots, then it’s just the rhythm at the ending. You’re doing great, keep it up!
emiliano – Very nicely played! You have a good feel all the way through the piece. I think you’re ready to add the triplet strums to the intro. Keep up the great work!
sylus9 – You’re doing great on the notes, now it’s time to go back and work on the rhythm a bit. If you can take it at an even slower tempo but keep the tempo consistent, that will help a lot. This is a hard song to work through, so just know that you are doing great. On the ending, it really helps to use multiple fingers on the fretting hand rather than trying to do all of that with just the pointer finger. You’re off to a great start, all of these things just take a lot of practice.
kelsey91 – You’re off to a great start! This one is quite tough…maybe the hardest song in this level on the site in many ways. You’re doing a great job of working through the song, so my main suggestion is just to strum the intro with a little more volume to give the song that rock attitude! Everything else will come with time. If your hands are tiring out, definitely take breaks at that point and stretch out your arms. It’s easy for the muscles to get tense, which can sometimes lead to injuries. Keep up the great work!
john316 – You’re off to a great start! It seems like there are a few sections that you are still working on memorizing, but you are getting there! Once you work out those hesitations, work on getting the tempo to be steady throughout the song. It might be easier to play the song at about 75% of this speed so that your mind can stay slightly ahead of where you are playing. Keep it up, you’re doing great!
ukealori – You’re doing great on the intro! Unfortunately, you are correct that we can’t give you an entry for the giveaway since you didn’t play the entire arrangement. Still, thank you for sharing, and your triplet strum sounds great!
Here’s everyone on page 7.
joelnal – You’re doing great so far, it seems like it’s mostly a matter of connecting segments at this point. Try playing at a much slower tempo to train your brain and hands to shift to the following parts in tempo rather than pausing between each phrase. Once you can get through the whole song this way, slowly build the tempo to one you like. Then it’s just a bit of extra work on that tricky triple strum, and you’ve got it! Keep it up!
themccoys – So far you’re doing an awesome job! This song is a bit hard, and I like that you are already practicing with a slower tempo. At this point, I would add a metronome and practice isolating the spots where you are hesitating. First play through just the measure before and after the shift that’s causing the pause, then try playing 2 measures before and after each tricky shift. Once you can play through these spots comfortably, keeping the flow through the whole song will become easier. Keep up the great work!
joe150 – You’re getting a hang of the notes! At this point, I would take 4 measure pieces of the song and practice playing through these small pieces with a slow and steady tempo (possibly with the metronome). The chords and notes are sounding good, keep it up and work on the rhythm a bit. You’ve got this!
riley_ukulele – You had a nice fast tempo and a solid groove all of the way through the first 3/4 of the song. Great job on this! It seems like you have a bit more work on the ending, but you are very close! I suggest playing the song at about 75% of that speed until you have the ending solid. For a performance, keeping that flow all of the way through is more important than speed in almost every scenario. Keep it up, you are super close on this one!
bibilele – Wonderful job on this! The hardest part of such a fast and repetitive line is playing it consistently all the way through. Your technique is looking good, so it’s really just a matter of practicing even more (no one likes to hear that, but it’s the only way to get that consistency!). Keep it up, you’re doing an excellent job!
sarahd – You are playing the notes very well with a nice tone on this one! It seems like half of the shifts to different chords are taking you just a tiny bit longer to get to than the tempo allows for. I suggest playing this one with a metronome just a touch slower to encourage your brain and fingers to move in time with the song. It can be nerve-racking at first, but it really helps you to meausure your improvement if you know what tempo you can currently play through the song without hesitations.
seoulkim – Great job on this one! You are playing with a strong sound and a steady tempo over all! There are a few chords that cause you to hesitate slightly, so I would work through those transitions a bit more. After that, just add in the triplet strums. You’re doing great!
brithor – That ukulele has such a beautiful tone! You are doing an awesome job inspite of the injury/healing time. The notes sound great, now it’s time to play just a touch slower and work on playing with a steady tempo. A metronome can help a bit with this, as well as swaying slightly or bobbing your head…just some way to feel the tempo as you play. You’re doing a wonderful job so far, keep it up!
concan – You’re doing a great job! Now it’s time to work on keeping a steady tempo. To do this, pick the hardest part of the song and figure out how slowly you have to play that part to play it correctly. Then play the entire song at that speed. A metronome can help hold you accountable. Sometimes it’s a matter of training the brain to read/remember ahead of the next part of the song to be able to play it at the right time. Keep going, you’re doing great!
cheun133 – Very nicely played! You kept a very steady and consistent tempo, which is very important in this song! Now it’s time to go back to the intro and add the triplet strums in. Excellent job on this one!
acornjasper – Very nicely done! I like that you sway with the rhythm as you play. It definitely feels natural and your tempo was very steady. You seem to have this one down, with just a tiny bit of smoothing out at the very end of the song. Awesome job on this one!
Here’s everyone on page 6
katazumiri – You’re doing a great job on this one! You picked a nice steady tempo, and are getting the notes right with the correct rhythms over all. There are a few transitions between chords that are causing hesitations, and for those spots I recommend practicing the measure before the shift into the next measure. For example: play measure 17 into 18 several times until the shift feels comfortable. Your triplet strum sounds great, keep up the good work!
ldarrow – You are getting close on this one. I recommend playing it slower to get the timing right and work out all of the hesitations at the ends of phrases. If you played it 75% of the speed in this video, it would help you get certain rhythms and shifts a bit smoother. You’re super close, you sound great!
lbilkie – It’s funny how the little red dot makes our hands forget what we’ve worked on! I have similar things happen to me. I find that the increase in anxiety from recording really exposes the parts we are less comfortable with (even if we have played it right several times in practice). I recommend practicing the section at 38 seconds a bit more to get to the point where it’s second nature for you to play. Then when the recording anxiety hits, your fingers function on auto pilot. You played this wonderfully, and I can tell you’ve spent a lot of time working on this. Keep it up!
marianne – Very nicely done! You played this one well in spite of your travels getting in the way. If you have less time to polish a song, I suggest playing it a bit slower than you normally do for a performance to get the tricky sections in tempo. You played this well, so this is a small detail, but something to keep in mind.
lhamilton – You are off to a great start! You have the notes and most of the technique of the song down, so now it’s time to get the rhythm a little bit stronger with a steady tempo. I recommend playing this one at 50% speed and really lock in with a metronome to get all of this to rock! You’re doing a great job, keep it up!
ukandrea – Great job on the notes, and I can tell you understand the rhythms. It sounds like you are playing the song a bit faster than you are comfortable with. I recommend playing this one at about 75% of that speed and really focus on keeping the notes and shifts in time. Keep it up, you’re doing a great job so far!
richard_siegert – You are doing a great job, and the fluency will come with time. Your right and left hand technique looks good, so it’s jut a matter of working patiently on playing each section until you develop muscle memory for the song. Excellent work, keep it up!
isabelm – I like the 50’s wardrobe! I also like the way you are accenting the beat to establish the feel of the song (along with swaying to it) You’re playing with the right attitude, there are just a few small hesitations while shifting chords to work through, and then you’ve got it all! Excellent job, and great style!
chiaracasella – You have a very nice feel on this one. Between the vibrato and your use of dynamics, you are conveying the emotion of the song very well through your playing! It seems like Melody B has a few spots where you are hesitating slightly. Just work through that section a bit more and then you will keep the great flow you have in Melody A throughout the whole piece. I enjoyed your playing on this one!
ukulelee – The intro and your triplet strum are great on this! The melody and chord shapes need a little more practice in a few spots, but you’ve got the right idea! Isolate each spot that’s causing a hesitation and work on the shifts, and then you’ve got it! I can tell that you have a great rock feel, so the song will have the right feel/attitude once you are confident on those spots! Keep it up!
terryfallon3 – You’re off to a great start on this one, and the ending was very strong. A good next step is to break the verse/chorus into smaller segments of 4 to 8 measures and really commit them to memory one at a time. Your goal should be to play these segments with a steady tempo. Once you work through the song this way, try connecting the segments 2 at a time. Keep up the great work!
givingtree89 – Very nicely played. You’re doing a great job on Melody A, and it seems like you’re still working on getting to where you can play Melody B with as steady of a tempo. You’re doing great, just a bit of memorization or looking ahead on Melody B and you’ve got this. Keep it up!
