Practice Routine

deadpool

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I now have 2 and a half weeks under my belt on the ukulele, and having a blast with it. After 14 years of guitar (11 years of lessons), and 3 years on the mandolin (~2 years of lessons), I am going it alone on the uke-using web and book based learning devices. So far I have used some of the HMS tutorials, Fretboard Roadmap, Ukulele Bootcamp and a Jumpin' Jim 60's Songbook, and just received the Fingerpicking Ukulele Solos (Mel Bay). I also picked up some stuff from Ukulele Mike on Youtube.

Here's my routine which seems to be working pretty well. Maybe other noobs can chime in on theirs or use some or all of this one if they are so inclined:

Warm up using strum patterns off the Roadmap book, HMS and Ukulele Mike-I do this using chord progressions of C-Am-F-G7 and C-Em-F-G7-Am.

Then I go through the fingerpicking rolls in the Roadmap book.

Next I work on some of the moveable chord patterns

Next I go through the Bootcamp playing a fluidly as I can doing 4 beats/chord then 3 beats/chord, then 2 beats/chord for all of the keys listed in the bootcamp sheets.

Then for fun, I mess around with some simple tunes-finger pick Happy Birthday, strum and sing "All my Loving", Big Rock Candy Mountain, and Iko Iko.

Use the Bootcamp method - practice sheet for "Dock of the Bay"

Then (as of last night) started in the Mel Bay book and was weakly playing "Twinkle, Twinkle

So.........................sorry to be so lengthy, but does this seem like a reasonable routine? It seems to take 1-2 hours. Curious what others do too. If you find something in it you like that's cool too. If you see or use a better plan, please let me know. After this I move on the the guitar and if time permits the mando (the mando hasn't seen a lot of playing time lately-LOL)
 
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Sounds like a very reasonable routine! What really seemed to help me when I first started getting serious with the uke was to simply listen to any songs on youtube and figure out the key/chord progression/solos of the song. Maybe you can try incorporating some of that in your routine?
 
Wow, I think you are my new role model for practicing!
 
Yes that's the one. It's a two chord song G and D. I think I got it off the Ukulele Bugaloo site.
 
I've been playin' ukulele for about three weeks now, and I got "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" and "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" down pretty good. I usually practice each song a few times a day. Right now I'm trying to learn "Wipeout" by the Beach Boys. It sounds pretty cool on the ukulele. I'm using MusicTeacher's lesson on it right now. Thanks a ton Uke Mike! I usually just look around youtube and practice songs I like.
 
I've been playin' ukulele for about three weeks now, and I got "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" and "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" down pretty good. I usually practice each song a few times a day. Right now I'm trying to learn "Wipeout" by the Beach Boys. It sounds pretty cool on the ukulele. I'm using MusicTeacher's lesson on it right now. Thanks a ton Uke Mike! I usually just look around youtube and practice songs I like.

Playing songs is fun, but don't forget to master the basics, chords. See what Uncle Rod has to say on the subject if you haven't already. Keep on ukin :)

http://www.4shared.com/dir/QB7udDJq/Free_Booklet_.html
 
Yeah, the only chords I'm good with right now are C, G, G7, F, A7 and C7. I wanna learn more chords, but doing songs with the chords I know is so much more fun than just practicing new, harder chords. I'll get to the more difficult chords eventually. I got time....
 
Sounds like you've got a good routine going.

I might up the fun balance a bit by (a) finding songs you like that utilize the chord changes you're practicing and (b) playing those "simple" tunes at a different positiion on the neck for each verse.

Keep strumming!
 
WOW!!!

Thanks for the tip off witht he boogaloo site. Didn't find the DR John, but found The Simpsons Baby On Board :) and many many more!! Thank you :)
 
I've been working through Pineapple Pete's site and doing the workbook that came with my uke set. I visited my uncle recently (who is a professional musician), and apparently he plays the uke! He plays really well actually. He's printing out a song list for me and we're going to work on them on a weekly basis hopefully.

I've mostly been working on strumming and fingerpicking drills. My uncle loaned me his soprano Oscar Schmidt which is a hell of a lot easier to play than my Makala tenor, so I see a lot more practice time in my future. I hope to be able to get to the point of being able to practice some songs by the end of the week. I'm taking it slow though.
 
Yeah, the only chords I'm good with right now are C, G, G7, F, A7 and C7. I wanna learn more chords, but doing songs with the chords I know is so much more fun than just practicing new, harder chords. I'll get to the more difficult chords eventually. I got time....

I think that's a wise comment. I play another instrument as well as learning the uke. I've found that if you have to force yourself to play, you won't. You'll come up with all kids of excuses not to practice. As long as it's fun, you'll do it. FWIW
 
Just bumping this thread to see if there are other newer suggestions out there. I'm a more advanced beginner: I have basically memorized all the major and minor chords in two positions or so, and am making good headway on the more "jazzy" chords (m6 and m7, sus, etc), but I'm a little sloppy when it comes to practicing. I'm starting to read music, and taking tentative steps toward crafting solos (I have a few already memorized via a class that Joel Eckhaus did in the early 2000s), but I'm a long way from being able to find my place jamming with others, and would like to be much stronger when it comes to picking melody.

I've been using Chalmers Doane's book on reading music, and a couple of the older Smeck books, as well as Edly's Music Theory for Practical People, but I'm wondering about restructuring my routine because there is a LOT more material out there since I started. One thing is I use the D tuning, which has nicely forced me to learn a little more theory in order to translate the mostly C-tuning material out there.

I'm poised to check out the online stuf because it is free, but I'm trying to reduce the time I'm in front of the computer...hm.

I'm hearing good things about the Ukulele for Dummies book, but before I buy yet another book, I want to see if it truly has value for a sort of intermediate player like myself...more I'm looking to for a program of study that is structured to keep me from drifting into noodling...
 
deadpool - I know I'm jumping in a little late here but 2 1/2 weeks and 4 ukes already? That's some serious UAS!

Keli'i Koa/Mahogany Soprano, Ohana CK-50WG, Ohana PK 25G, Kala KA-C, Makala Dolphin (green burst)
 
Just bumping this thread to see if there are other newer suggestions out there. I'm a more advanced beginner: I have basically memorized all the major and minor chords in two positions or so, and am making good headway on the more "jazzy" chords (m6 and m7, sus, etc), but I'm a little sloppy when it comes to practicing. I'm starting to read music, and taking tentative steps toward crafting solos (I have a few already memorized via a class that Joel Eckhaus did in the early 2000s), but I'm a long way from being able to find my place jamming with others, and would like to be much stronger when it comes to picking melody.

I've been using Chalmers Doane's book on reading music, and a couple of the older Smeck books, as well as Edly's Music Theory for Practical People, but I'm wondering about restructuring my routine because there is a LOT more material out there since I started. One thing is I use the D tuning, which has nicely forced me to learn a little more theory in order to translate the mostly C-tuning material out there.

I'm poised to check out the online stuf because it is free, but I'm trying to reduce the time I'm in front of the computer...hm.

I'm hearing good things about the Ukulele for Dummies book, but before I buy yet another book, I want to see if it truly has value for a sort of intermediate player like myself...more I'm looking to for a program of study that is structured to keep me from drifting into noodling...


Uncle Rod (search him on UU) has good practice sheets, mostly consists of 4 chords, in C, F, G, A, D-keys. They mix things up a bit using majors, minors, 7th, dim, etc. And, the major-to-7th transitions are included, i.e., C-->G7, F--> C7, G-->D7, A-->E7, and D-->A7, so you get to practice transitions among different keys. I also found this proficiency test made by him that basically says if you can do this then you're an intermediate. I think this is the same thing mentioned in the original post.

'Uke for Dummies' is informative and comprehensive, but I would use it as a side, side reference (maybe borrow it from the library).
 
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