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You've almost made it….

4/27/2016

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……through Book 2 ! I am always surprised when the 12 weeks is over. It seems like the weeks just zipped by. 
Excellent work on Ruslan and Lyudmila, and I think we played it quite "presto" enough.
Woolly Boogie is a fun song that you can enjoy playing around with on your own, or with someone else playing the 12 bar blues chord progression for you.
Speaking of 12 Bar Blues, I have posted on the resource page a recording of me playing the 12 bar blues in C (2 recordings, one is slower). You can use this to practice improvising over it with the pentatonic scale notes (from Book 1), or use it to practice Woolly Boogie or any other 12 bar blues song in the key of C.
This week we talked about major and minor 3rds and the difference between major and minor chords (flatted 3rd).
​Also, we introduced the idea of secondary dominant chords (borrowed from other keys) and how this works with the circle of 5ths. 
Next week we'll finish up our sessions by playing:
My Grandfather's Clock - practice the notes but focus on the chords. 
Capital Blues, another 12 bar blues song where you can practice chromatic scale notes some more (slow recordings on the resource page).  
My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean - notes and chords.
FYI - I certainly will be in the mood to go out for a little drink to celebrate the final class with anyone who wants to join me, but it will have to be after the last class finishes at 8:30. How about Archer's Ale House in Fairhaven. 
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
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Glow, Little Glow Worm, Glimmer, Glimmer

4/20/2016

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You all have taken to the Chromatic Scale very nicely! Next Week we'll try another Chormatic scale piece - Woolly Boogie.
Great Job on Latin Time. It is an easy piece to play, to be sure. But a song doesn't have to be complex to be interesting. The rhythms, the two parts in harmony, and spaces in this tune always make it a fun and interesting song to play in a group.  
​And the 12 bar blues is always fun, too. I encourage you to play this progression with a song like Hound Dog, and try for a bluesy sound and then do it again but try for a Rock 'n Roll sound. You can do this by altering your strum a bit (emphasis) or by tempo, or with your own unique style of singing. 
For Next Week:
Practice your double strum exercises on pages 46-47
Overture to Ruslan and Lyudmila - pg 48
Woolly Boogie - pg 52
Slow versions, and words for Hound Dog on the Resource page
Gail
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A "colorful" scale and Latin time  

4/13/2016

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Our new scale is Colorful because it contains all of the notes that exist….. in the "Western Scale". Of course, many some cultures use different scales, and many of them have a lot more notes that ours, so be thankful that we only have 12 notes to deal with. 
It was fun playing the spirited latin rhythm in A Mountain High-Top.  It is always one of my favorites and I am always impressed by how quickly classes catch on to it.
Little Brown Jug allows us to play a tune that is straight forward, with few big challenges, so that we cancentrate on the pesky Eb, which you ALL got right. GOLD STARS all around !
I suggest that you continue to practice chords,  Bb, Eb and F7. Why not tranpose the Crawdad Song into the key of Bb?
For Next Week, please practice:
Latin Time - 
Chromatic Scale and exercises on pages 40-41
Glow Worm (recording on Resource Page)  You will almost certainly recognize the second page which is the chorus but only a few of you will find the first page, which is the verse, to be familiar. Use the recording to hear how it sounds. We will work on the staccato in class so for now, concentrate on learning the notes.  The second page is very good practice for the Chromatice Scale notes we learned yesterday. Refer to page 40 if you are confused about the notes. remember that sharps and flats (called "accidentals") apply for one measure unless cancelled by another accidental on the same note in the same measure.
12 Bar Blues chord progression. Just play this like crazy and have fun with it. Play songs on the list, or make up your own blues song (Chromatic Scale Blues??) 
Gail

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Without Music life would B flat

4/6/2016

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This is our new Key this week - Bb.  We are familiar with the Key of F and so now we just have to add one more flat, and a couple of chords (Eb and F7). 
By the way, you can be very pleased with your performace on Rondeau and the sight reading with Drink to Me Only with Thine Eyes.
This week remember to practice the chords in the Gypsy Rover and then try changing the key…. just to practice playing the I, IV, V chords in various keys. 
Also, practice the new chords on page 34. Remember the techniques we talk about in class for learning new chords.  
Practice Bill Grogan's Goat. This is a call and response song in Bb. Work on the notes and the chords. You can play along with the (slow) recording.
AND … Little Brown Jug. Practice both Uke I and Uke II paying close attention to recognize the Eb notes in the song. It is OK to highlight the Eb notes to help you remember to play them correctly. (C string, 3rd fret). 

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    Instructor

    Gail MacDonald is a
    Fully Certified Instructor with the James Hill Ukulele Initiative with  over 6 years experience teaching Ukulele In The Classroom classes. 

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