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Time Flies…..

4/28/2016

It's hard to believe how quickly 12 weeks passes. It's been fun, and a learning experience for me, as all teaching is.
Next Week we'll play Adoration to warm up, and see how you all did with it over the week. It's a challenging piece, but a lovely one.
Then we'll play The House of the Rising Sun. Practice the 6/8 finger picking pattern and stylize with your own strum patterns.
Other requests for our last class are:
Strum review - please bring the "Ukulele Strum Patterns" page that I gave you (attached below)
Circle of 5ths review -
Some Jazz Progression(s) - that you can work on.
See you Then,
Gail
Remember to get your tickets for the Bellingham Ukulele Orchestra's Concert on May 21, 7:00. "Just For Fun". I will have tickets in class next week. $10.00

ukulele_strum_patterns.pdf
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house_of_the_rising_sun.doc
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It's all about the Rhythm

4/20/2016

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Rhythm is what makes the music interesting. The difference in a scale and a song. We are working on a couple of songs that rely heavily on the rhythm to define them. The notes themselves, at least in Kabak da boynuma don't do much. But the rhythm that is written, along with a strum that enhances the turns it into something interesting and unique.
For Next Week:
Please practice the closed chord shapes we used in class (one major, one minor, and one dominant 7th) with Kabak da boynuma.
listen to the recording of Kabak da boynuma and try to hear the rhythm (with chords) that James plays. The work on a rhythm to play behind the melody; either the one he plays, or your own. Also continue to practice the melody focusing on the 16th note run down in measure 4. Or, pick out a new melody. consider using the chord shapes as a starting point.
Adoration - Listen to the recording to help you learn the rhythm of this melody. It is a wee bit tricky with the syncopations and ties, etc. so becoming familiar with the melody will help a lot to learn the rhythm of the notes.
I am attaching the harmony for the piece. It is the same (rhythmacally) but plays higher up the neck.
Then, practice the rhythm that I passed out in class (page 47, book 2, lines number 4 & 7) Like the Bossa Nova, this will take a bit of practice, but I think it is a bit easier.

adoration_harmony.pdf
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Got the Barre Chord Blues?

4/13/2016

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We focused on harmonizing on the Ukulele and some 12 bar blues riffs using closed chord shapes.
Continue practicing the harmonized scales and aim toward getting away from the paper. As always, it is the goal that your fingers eventually will know where to go to find those harmonies. Use Morning Has Broken (below) as an exercise to try to figure out the harmonies for the simple melody.
We then concentrated on two closed chord shapes to play the 12 bar blues. The shapes below (as shown) for playing in the keys of C and G (or any key, depending on which fret you are on. The R indicates the Root, which tells you what the chord is.
Just have some fun playing the 12 bar blues with the list or make up your own 12 bar blues tune. There will be a gold star for everyone who comes to class with their own 12 bar blues song next week!
In Book 3 Practice Kabak da Boynuma. A sweet, little simple song from Azerbaijan.

morning_has_broken.pdf
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12_bar_blues_box_chart-7th_chords.doc
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Intervals - thirds galore !

4/6/2016

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Really very nice work on Las Chaparreras. It began to seem like you didn't even have to think about the tricky rhythm. If seems like you were just feeling the rhythm of the song. And the pull-offs are getting very good also.
Then we got into intervals - how to play harmonic thirds (majors and minors) on the ukulele. Practice the scales with thirds on the page that I passed out (use the tabs to help you work through them) I am hoping that, by the end of the week, it will begin to make more sense.
Then….. working on playing Jeu Jeu (pg 58) both the Uke I and Uke II at the same time. You will notice that the interval between the parts is a third.
That's it. Have fun with it and enjoy the sound of playing the scales with harmony… all by yourself!

We are fortunate that the Ukulele duo Ruby and Smith from Vancouver have agreed to be guest at the Bellingham Ukulele Orchestra concert on May21. Ruby (Daphne Roubini) would like to give a workshop on the Sunday following our concert (May 22). It need not be large and can be at a house but we need for someone to host it. Please let me know if you would be willing to do that or of you know of someone who would. I will take care of the promotion for it.

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Time Flies…..

It's all about the Rhythm

Got the Barre Chord Blues?

Intervals - thirds galore !

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