New here and new to the ukulele. I need some guidance please.

Philipraposo1982

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Hi everyone :)

I played piano as a child so I can read sheet music but not amazing but good enough. I have a very strong ear (I was told all through my lessons) and I can read tab.

I been playing the ukulele for just a little while but I play almost daily. I love it!

I have been focusing on my strumming which I feel is pretty good now and I know quite a few cords now too. A of which I can transition in and out of quite well (20+ chords, I lost count).

Anyways, I been using YouTube to teach me and with such a crazy work schedule and not much money I dont plan to take any lessons. But I want to keep progressing and this is why I am writing to you today. I stumbled across this cover (https://youtu.be/iY5vW_9MWys) and really want to work my way up to be able to play stuff like this.

Can anyone offer some advice and how or what is the best way to go from where I am to something like in the video? What sort of things can I practice? Techniques I should know, etc.

I can chuck well and I can 5 fingers roll strum (I dont know proper term). Where do I go from here?

Thanks so much in advanced for all the great advice.
 
Hi Phillip,

Have you looked at the tab/music sheet that he linked in the notes of that video? If so, have you tried to play from that?

It is here: http://liveukulele.com/wp-content/uploads/21-Guns.pdf

The performer in that video, Brad Bordessa is 'Hippie Guy' here on UU and he also gives lessons if I'm not mistaken.

He's also a regular and meaningful contributor here on UU, as well as a highly respected musician and accomplished ukulele player.

I'd like to think that if you sent him a PM, or message him via email to the address on his web site (http://liveukulele.com/ - also listed in the YT video description), he'd respond to you in a helpful way.

By all accounts he's a great person, so if it were me, I'd contact him directly, in addition to sourcing guidance from the crowd here on UU.

If you try the above, please report back with your results.

Aside from that, I'd say to go over the music sheet, and practice until you can play it with your eyes closed. He's using a variety of techniques in the video, but none of them are impossibly difficult, but remember that a good player makes complicated playing look easy, and your don’t see the thousands of hours of practice that lead to that deft hand.

-Booli
smile.png
 
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