11 month progress report of my Ukulele Journey

Howdy all,

I am going to hit the 11 month milestone of playing my first musical instrument, the Ukulele. I did a video of IZ's Somewhere over the rainbow/It's a wonderful world after playing for 3 months. I just recorded a condensed version (Instrumental) about an hour or two ago. PLease check them both out and let me know what you think

Thanks
UkeTruck

Original 3 month video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-PTR7IG6Xc&list=PL0__phLpjk_TdgrkwIWdZc34U59Wpets8&index=2

My Video I created a few hours ago
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xre9B_GgM6o&list=PL0__phLpjk_TdgrkwIWdZc34U59Wpets8&index=1

Transitions are much smoother, well done.

Just need to add the singing now......:nana:

I have been following a similar course of progress since starting playing ukulele last January. Isn't it fun to think back to past challenges and consider how we have improved over time? I think both of us had string instrument experience before starting, which does speed up the process a bit.

There is nothing wrong with the playing in either example! The first captures where you were at 3 months...which wasn't bad at all!

In the most recent recording you are clearly more familiar with the chord changes and I don't think you are even looking at music, resulting in a more fluid performance.

For the next step, I would add singing, and I would also suggest a detailed study of IZ's playing pattern--there are a few YouTube instructional videos about this--but there are subtle differences between IZ's performance and the pattern you are playing. I'm going to be studying that pattern more deeply the next time my students sing "Over the Rainbow," which we will start with 8th Grade students in March. Then again, the goal is to have students play as we sing...so we aren't going to get that pattern right by the concert performance in June.

Thanks Uke1950 and Choirboy for the feedback and words of encouragement!!

I only tried to play the electric guitar for a month or two (couldn't even do barre chords) and that was the only time I ever played an instrument. I am doing 3 things right now to try and improve myself. I am going through the Ukulele Aerobics book by Chad Johnson, using James Jill's Ukulele way website, and I just got a voice instruction program called Weekend Warrior by Ken Tamplin which I hope will increase my current signing skills. I think I sing at a 2 or 3 skill level out of 10 and hope to get it to a 6 or 7 in a year. It is very tough for me to sing and play at the same time. I am going to have to work on it. You are correct, I know Over the Rainbow by heart and I do know I do not do the strumming as IZ does it. He has a mute in the middle of that strum I do not have yet

Thanks,
UkeTruck

Thanks Camsuke !!!