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Hi Rock Class 101 Community!
We’re back with a VERY SPECIAL Site Member Challenge #111! We’ve teamed up with Kanile’a ‘Ukulele and Uke Republic to give away an INCREDIBLE Kanile’a K-1 Mango Tenor Ukulele! This pro-level model is crafted from beautiful curly mango wood and retails for $2,095 USD.
I’m beyond humbled to share that over 5,000 members have now participated in our challenges! If you’ve been sitting on the sidelines, now’s the perfect time to jump in! This month’s challenge is a fun way to stay motivated and a great opportunity to connect with fellow ukulele players who are passionate about learning and growing as musicians.
Please watch the video above and read the instructions below carefully for all the details on this month’s challenge.
Pick 1 from the following 6 RC101 Lessons:
1) Kemp’s Jig – A playful melody from the Elizabethan period.
Note: This song requires low G ukulele.
2) Jasmine Flower * – Learn to fingerpick a beautiful Chinese folk song.
* Taught in its entirety for FREE!
3) Sakura Sakura * – A traditional Japanese piece featuring a melody derived from the In pentatonic scale.
Note: This song requires low G ukulele.
* Taught in its entirety for FREE!
4) Cielito Lindo – Learn to play a beautiful Mexican folk song twice! Once as a chord melody and again for vocal accompaniment.
Note: Low G ukulele is required for this arrangement. You can choose to submit a performance of only the chord melody or the entire song. If you choose to do the entire song, you have to sing in Spanish. If you’re doing only the chord melody, end on a C chord in bar 49 (voicing: 0003 or 0-0-12-15).
5) Red is the Rose – Learn a beautiful Irish ballad set to the tune of a Scottish love song.
6) La Vie en rose * – A timeless French love song.
* Taught in its entirety for FREE!
** If you need assistance with how to record yourself, check out our FREE course on recording audio/video or email me, and I will be happy to help you out. **
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GOALS FOR MEMBER CHALLENGE:
1. Beginner Level: Be able to play one of the lessons smoothly and in time. Don’t worry about trying to play fast, slow and steady wins the race 🙂
Recommended Piece: Kemp’s Jig [SEASONED BEGINNER], Jasmine Flower [BEGINNER]
2. Intermediate to Advanced Level: Be able to play the lesson smoothly, in time, and at/or close to the original piece’s tempo.
Recommended Piece: Sakura Sakura [INTERMEDIATE], Cielito Lindo [INTERMEDIATE], Red is the Rose [ADVANCED], La Vie en rose [ADVANCED]
3. Participation Goal: 50 Rock Class 101 Member Participant Videos/MP3 posted.
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GROUND RULES FOR PARTICIPATION:
1. Post your Youtube, Vimeo, or Soundcloud links of you playing 1 of the 6 RC101 pieces anytime between Monday, June 1st till Tuesday, June 30th, 11:59pm ET.
The upload feature on the site only supports photos. Members must host their own files. Creating an account is easy and free. Here are the links to create an account:
YouTube (For Video) – https://www.youtube.com/create_channel
SoundCloud (For Audio) – https://soundcloud.com/signin
2. Submit individually, as a reply, IN THIS POST.
3. Feel free to submit more than one video for the challenge, but additional videos will not count as extra entries into the raffle for the prize.
4. Have fun and don’t be intimidated by this challenge!!! Use this challenge to help you set goals and complete them by a deadline. You can also use this as an opportunity to chat with your fellow Rock Class 101 members and share tips or tricks on this challenge that you think are useful.
5. You must perform the entire piece to receive an entry into the prize raffle. Your performance must be submitted by the deadline listed (in #1) above to gain an entry in the raffle.
* Note: In my opinion, it is better to show progress versus perfection with these challenges. So if you are a beginner and can only play the first couple of measures. That is completely ok. If you play two more measures of the next challenge piece than you did the previous one, you are on track to getting better. This is what these challenges are about… you learning ukulele and getting better. Remember we are all here to support you no matter what your current playing level is.
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COMMON FAQs:
1) The prize and the challenge is open to the entire world!
2) Premium membership is NOT required to participate, but will make participation easier as it gains you complete access to the full video lessons, tabs, and the on-screen tab viewer.
3) Basic membership (free) is required to submit a reply on this forum post. You can sign up for Basic Membership HERE.
4) To post YouTube video links (in which they appear embedded on the forum), simply copy and past the video URL in its own line. For example:
YouTube URL
5) If you live in the Continental U.S., we will ship the giveaway ukulele to you for FREE! If you live outside of the Continental U.S., there will be a shipping fee ranging between $40 USD to $80 USD (as this ukulele is very expensive, shipping costs may exceed this amount. It will be shipped insured). This fee will be collected by Uke Republic. You are also responsible for any custom fees or duties.
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Giveaway Rules:
There will be 6 chances for you to win this ukulele:
SPRING CHALLENGES:
First Chance: Participate in our April Challenge.
Second Chance: Participate in our May Challenge.
Third Chance: Participate in our June Challenge.
FALL CHALLENGES:
Fourth Chance: Participate in our October Challenge.
Fifth Chance: Participate in our November Challenge.
Sixth Chance: Participate in our December Challenge.
Basic (free) members will receive 1 entry for each month they participate in, while Premium members will receive 2 entries.
On July 4th at 12pm ET, a video will premiere on our YouTube channel, picking 1 member by random drawing that will BE AWARDED 10 EXTRA ENTRIES. This event will mark the end of our Spring Challenges (April, May, June).
We will break for July, August, and September. Entries for the prize will resume for our Fall Challenges (October, November, December).
On Christmas Eve (December 24th at 12 PM ET), a video announcing the winner will premiere on our YouTube channel, picking 1 member by random drawing that will WIN this AMAZING Kanile’a Ukulele!
To qualify to win, you must submit your audio and/or video links of your playing by the deadline listed above.
Basic members can earn up to 6 entries for the prize.
Premium members can earn up to 12 entries for the prize.
You must have an “active” premium membership at the time you submit your performance. Active membership means that your membership HAS NOT expired. This does not mean that you cannot cancel auto re-bills. If you sign up for monthly membership (valid for 30 days) on the 15th of June and cancel your membership the same day, then submit your performance on the 16th (the next day), you are still considered an “active” premium member. The same concept applies for annual membership or gift card membership (3 or 6 month membership).
YOU MUST WRITE “I AM A PREMIUM MEMBER” ON YOUR PERFORMANCE SUBMITTAL POST. Please write this phrase in its own line. For example:
I AM A PREMIUM MEMBER
I will only award 2 entries to premium members that write this line. It would be too time consuming to check if everyone who submits is a premium member. If you do not write this, you WILL NOT receive 2 entries.
Grand Prize:
1) $2,095 Grand Prize! Includes:
A) Kanile’a K-1 Mango Tenor Ukulele (Includes: a premium padded case)
OUR 12 PREVIOUS KANILE’A WINNERS! WILL YOU BE NEXT?
LISTEN TO THIS SWEET UKE BEING PLAYED!
UKULELE SPECS
Tenor Body
Curly Mango Top, Back, and Sides
Mahogany Neck
Ebony Fretboard and Bridge
Traditional Soundhole
Side Sound Port
Kanileʻa Crown Headstock w/ Ebony Headplate
White Mother Of Pearl Logo and Position Markers
Open Geared Chrome TunerOther Features: Includes a premium Kanile’a padded case
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THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS!
Kanile’a: https://www.kanileaukulele.com/
Uke Republic: https://www.ukerepublic.com/
AND A SPECIAL THANKS TO YOU! Let’s crush this challenge!
Decisions. Decisions. Wow. I’m so excited. I don’t know which song to choose. So many wonderful options.
Aloha Teacher Andrew and RC101 Friends. I’ve already done Sakura, Red is the Rose and Cielito Lindo (all excellent arrangements!) for past challenges. Jasmine Flower is not really calling my name right now which leaves Kemp’s and La Vie. Kemp’s seems a little more fun and the melody is appealing to me. In the past I’ve really enjoyed your other jigs and reels such as: St Anne’s, Morrisson’s and Smash the windows lessons. La Vie, on the other hand, seems like its might be a bit more challenging and has some beautiful chord voicings. I just can’t choose between the two anybody have any thoughts? 🙂
@brettboy – They are both so different from one another that it’s hard to choose 😂
Kemp’s, overall, is def easier to play. Maybe it just comes down to if you want to play a beautiful love song or a fun, bouncy jig.
Haha! Truly the agony of choice!😂 I know that I want to learn “La Vie en Rose.” I’ve decided on the ukulele part, but…Edith Piaf’s version didn’t have drums. I really like Dalida’s version (1967) and Grace Jones’s disco version (1977). So, I still haven’t decided which of those two versions I’ll use as my basis. I’m not sure I’ll have the time to do both versions…
So many great choices indeed! 🙂
@brettboy, I suggest… go outside and pluck a flower. Pull out the pedals, alternating between saying “Kemp’s” and “La Vie” with each one you pull. The last pedal you pull is the tune you play!!! (That’s not usually what that is used to decide, LOL!) Also, if you do that, you should 100% film it and have whatever song wins playing over that footage (or a picture within a picture)! This is probably not helpful at all, but this is what I want to happen and that image amuses me way too much! 😂Not sure what tune I’ll choose, either! I just know, I’m definitely not waiting until the last day of the challenge again. 😆
@brettboy Like you Í have also played Red is the Rose, Sakura, Cielto Lindo and also Kemp’s Jig. Right now I’m working on relearning Red is a Rose (I recorded it 7 years ago) and trying to get all the chords of La Vie working. I’ll see which one comes out better in the end
Andrew, after some soul searching I think its gotta be Kemp’s for me this month (although I did just post an IG story of me playing bars 16 to 19 of La Vie 🙂
@the_bumble_bard Absolutely a wonderful idea 🙂 It didn’t come down to that this month but I’m going to keep that in my back pocket!
@planetfink Awesome 🙂 Looking forward to hearing your performance!Ditto on deciding… already entered at least 2 songs before, but I wasn’t great in either… leaves the choice wide open. Maybe I’ll go pick a flower as @the_bumble_bard suggests. However, life’s distractions may lead to going for a walk instead of practicing ☺️
Sorry I haven’t commented much these days, been hard lately. The Bard, wish you well and @brettboy cool that you are playing with a group. LouisaIt’s Red is the Rose for me because I’m going to be short on time this month and all the pull-offs in Kemp’s Jig looked like they’d need more time, but I do prefer that tune and will be going back to it later.
@jbmills, I can’t wait to see how your cat chooses to accompany you this month, although I don’t know if anything can top the headdress he decided you needed two months ago (and the fact that you played so calmly throughout)!
I AM A PREMIUM MEMBER
That’s surprising – more than one week into the challenge, and I’m the first one to enter it. I don’t think I ever managed to do that in almost six years of challenge participations 🙂
Anyway, I picked Red is the Rose, such a lovely tune, and such a perfect arrangement. I haven’t played any Irish folk tune on the Ukulele up to this point yet, so it was about time to finally learn one. Reminds me of my summer vacation I spent in Ireland almost 30 years ago – I don’t think I’ve ever been to another place so steeped in music as that. It’s literally everywhere at all times. Loved it.
@Misterbones That was amazing. I’m playing that one too. I was wondering who would be first this month 🙂 Congrats.
@misterbones – Bravo, beautifully played 👏
@Misterbones it sounds wonderful. I wish I could play like this.
I AM A PREMIUM MEMBER (finally 🙌)
Hey everyone!
Oh gosh, this month isn’t easy. My first choice was La Vie en Rose until I realized after Part A that it was waaay too difficult for my level. So I went with Jasmine Flower instead (since I only have a high-G ukulele).
To be honest, I didn’t really like the tune. It reminded me of those cheap Chinese restaurants we used to go to when I was a child in Germany.
What surprised me was that even though I practiced a lot, I didn’t really feel like I was improving. I kept making little mistakes again and again. I also struggled to let some of the notes ring out properly.
Even just to memorise the progression was hard.Of course, I could have waited longer before posting and practiced more, but I simply wasn’t enjoying the practice. So I decided to get it done and move on to something else 😉
I hope it counts for the entry…What do you think? I appreciate your feedback.
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