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Wrapping it all up.....

4/26/2017

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There is a lot to think about, and work on, in Give My Regards to Broadway.  We'll work on this again next week.  Focus on making the MOST LOGICAL chord changes. They come fast at times and you have to be efficient. I find that when I play it, I sometimes use closed chords, and sometimes not, depending on what chords comes next, and what chord I am coming from.  Work on the strum (Pattern was in the last blog). and picking the notes. 
Our last song in the book is Adoration; A fun Latin American style with pretty simple notes and a challenging rhythm. You will have to LISTEN to this song alot to be able to internalize the rhythm of it. Then try playing it with music, but first listen! I have put a slow version of the song below. 
I also have attached a copy of Ukulele Chord Forms and Fretboard. It is a scan and if I can find a better copy of this, I'll send it later or give it to you next week. This is basically an easy reference showing you all of the closed chord forms you will ever need, and where the root is, and the notes on the neck (the circle of 5ths that appears on this sheet has errors on it. See if you can find and correct them) . We will talk about it in class next week. 
Have a good week! 
​Gail

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April 26th, 2017

4/26/2017

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April 26th, 2017

4/26/2017

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Give My Regards to Broadway

4/19/2017

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Remember to practice your major scale across the neck pattern. If we begin on F (5th fret) it is an F scale. But if we begin on D (2nd fret) it is a D scale. 
Nice work on Kabak Da Boynuma. IT's really good practice to play a piece over and over because your fingers start to learn where to go and you don't have to think so much. Also, a good way to get up to speed is gradually. Start slowly and just speed up a little at a time.
AND...try practice something easy with a metronome. It can be very enlightening, and helpful.

Next Week we'll play Give My Regards to Broadway. Focus on learning the chords. Also pick the notes but I believe some of the quick chord changes will be more challenging. Remember the strum is:
   1.          2.         3.          4
Down. Down-up  Down  down-up

And just have fun playing the Garden Song, in honor of Spring, which we wait so long for...

Click Here for infomation about where The Bellingham Ukulele Orchestra is playing this Spring:
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Have patience, my dears.....

4/12/2017

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Getting those shape in your fingers. Be gentle with your self, don't hurt your fingers or thumb, do a little every day. Listen for the chord changes and you will hear them. 
I recommend that you continue practicing those 2 chords songs from last week. Hopefully it will get a little easier this week.  I strongly recommend that you do not write down the changes and read them off of a paper.
Next week we will warm up with Nu'a O Ka Palai. Practice it with and without flat picks. Also try some tremelo on the longer notes (dotted quarter, and half notes)
We will also play Kabak da Boynuma. Begin by practicing over and over the little 4 note 16th note run. in measure 4. Practice the songs first with thumb picking and then go to flat picks. It's meant to be lively and rather quick..... but also graceful. 
Listen to this song on your CD to help get the melody in your head. Also, remember to practice the chords using the new closed chords shapes. The strum is a back beat, meaning that the emphasis is on the  "and",  So it's : one AND, two AND.
​See you next week,
Gail
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More I and V chords up the neck

4/5/2017

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I have copies of the Daily Ukulele Leap Year Edition For Sale. This is the book we are using for BUG "stretch". $30.00 cash or Checks made out to Wes Lewis.  

Practice the new I and V closed chord shapes (pgs 51 and 59) in various keys by playing (by ear) the following 2 chords songs.
Banana Boat Song (Day Oh)
Clementine
Down In the Valley
Iko Iko
Rocka My Soul
He's Got the Whole World in His Hands
Jambalaya 
Buffalo Gals
Some more tips:
*Don't Press too hard: Just practice making the shapes without pressing or strumming at all 
*Try changing the position of your thumb: move and point it a bit more toward the head of your uke.
*Go slow.............
*Don't change chords too soon: Stay on it until you are HAVE TO to change. 
*It's OK to make a mistake.
*It's OK if your barre chords don't sound very good at this point. 
*Think about what you can do now that you couldn't do a year ago!

Also practice Jeu Jeu with flatpicks and tremelo strum. Great work on that. We'll play it again next week. 

AND Nu's O Ka Palai (pg 61)- Listen to this song, pay attention the rhythm and work towards a full warm sound. Practice both Use I and II

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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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