Over the Rainbow/What A Wonderful World
  Bellingham Ukulele Orchestra
  • Zoom/Roster
  • Music Library
  • Online Opportunities
  • Recipes
  • Orchestra Blog
  • About
  • Photo Gallery
  • Exercises
  • Links
  • Set Lists
  • Gail and Pat Asia adventure 2020
  • YouTube Videos

More Calypso and Sway

2/26/2014

0 Comments

 
For this week continue practicing Brown Eyed Girl with the calypso strum AND transpose it into the keys of F, G, D, and A. You know how to do it. It's just the I, IV, V  AND the vii (which is a minor).
When you transpose, practice with just the chords and a straight strum before adding the calypso strum.  Don't try to do all of the transposing in one day. Do a different key each day. 

ALSO - In preparation for playing the fun song SWAY, practice your Em and B7, moving back and forth between them.  Remember to teach your fingers this shape without looking at them and without "building" chords. 
This song plays consistently two measures B7, two measure Em, etc., through the whole thing except for 2 additional chords (briefly) in the Chorus so it is a great exercise for learning very well these two chords. 
Picture
sway.doc
File Size: 24 kb
File Type: doc
Download File

0 Comments

Calypso Strum and Brown Eyed Girl

2/20/2014

0 Comments

 
Bravo and GOLD STARS to all of you who wrote about your personal blues and shared with us. I think that the reason for singing the blues …...is to chase them away !
Learn the pattern for Brown Eyed Girl (Daily Ukulele) - Try to think of other songs that might use this same pattern I, IV, I, V. 
We are going to be working on the calypso strum again next week, so practice it this week.  Below is  Ukulele Mike with a good tutorial with 4 basic strums. His calypso strum has an extra "up" at the end.  I think it actually makes the strum easier. 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_dIPS9R8kU
0 Comments

More 12 Bar Blues - shuffle and riffs

2/12/2014

0 Comments

 
So continue practicing the  12 bar blues but this time start with the Key of A then D, then G then C then F, or in some way that is the reverse of how you usually practice.  We all tend to practice the keys we are most familiar with first and then we get tired and the less familiar keys (less fun?) get neglected. 
Try practicing with the shuffle strum we worked on Tuesday and then with the little fun licks (rocking chords and walk-ups) that we learned. 
Attached are a couple of recordings that may be helpful.
Also attached is a very bad scan of some blues notes showing the rocking chords notes (Michael calls it "bending" the chord) and the shuffle strum.
Remember ----- for another GOLD STAR - write your own 12 bar blues song. You name it. Melody and Evelyn can write the flat tire blues. Or it could be the No snow blues, or the Is it still February Blues. Whatever it is that is giving you the blues. Turn it into music to chase the blues away. And remember ……. have fun with the riffs and strum and ….. play the blues. 

See you next week.
Gail
P.S. One of my favorite blues guys, Keb Mo, is coming to the Mt Baker theater this month.  If you can't catch his show you might look up some of his music. He known as a kind of "happy" blues guy.  I See Love is attached for your enjoyment. 
0 Comments

12 Bar Blues

2/5/2014

0 Comments

 
Picture
For this week, try working through some of the strumming patterns on the strums page that was on the last post.  Remember to keep your hand and arm going up and down like a metronome. 

Practice the 12 bar blues until it becomes second nature to you. Use only the grid we made with the numbers (Roman Numerals) Play it in the keys of C, G, D, A and F (for a gold star).  We'll play it some more next week with songs and add some fun licks.  If you look around on the internet you will find some small variations on the 12 bar blues (a V instead of a I, less or more 7th chords).  It's all the 12 bar blues with slightly different interpretations. 
0 Comments
    Picture

    Author

    Gail MacDonald

    Archives

    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed