GUISC Kid Song Edition: RAINBOW CONNECTION

There you have it everyone! Our winning song, by three votes, for this round of the Great Ukulele Instrumental Challenge is...

THE RAINBOW CONNECTION, by Kermit the Frog/Jason Mraz.

Reason you should participate:
1) It's fun
2) You'll like it
3) It was highly irritating to write "The Rainbow Connection" in seventeen different colors.

Quick refresher of the rules:
--There aren't any
--No singing allowed
--Okay, so there's one rule.

If somebody could post a few videos and/or whatever chords, that would be fabulous.

In the past two rounds, the challenge has lasted exactly one month, BUT, I'm going to completely abuse my founder privileges and make this round a little longer. Why, you ask? Because in the next month I have grad school applications due, a massive language test, and a trip to Sweden. So therefore...

This round of of the GUISC will start: RIGHT NOW!

This round of the GUISC will end: NOVEMBER 23RD!

Use this thread in the meantime to ask for help, make suggestions, post stupid pictures, or pick fights with people.

All jesting aside, I really encourage anyone who's thinking about it to really give it a try! Whatever you come up with doesn't have to be the be-all end-all of musical endeavors...this is just meant to be a fun exercise in arranging instrumentals and learning from others. If you can even just pick out the melody...congratulations, put it on Youtube! You have participated, and we want to see it!

Remember, multi-tracks, multi-instruments, and any and all key changes/blatant wanderings from the song are allowed. You can even reorder the rainbow if you so desire, just join in the fun!

I'm not sure if this counts as an entry as I recorded this song close to 2 months ago. I do link to the thread where I got the tabs a few posts down.

http://www.ukuleleunderground.com/forum/showthread.php?51809-Rainbow-Connection-solo-instrumental

That was great Nuprin! (not entering now. Ha!)

Wow ! That was amazing Nuprin ! Cant wait to get my MPs now.
Here is my motion for new rules :
-Nuprin gets a prize for nailing that song even before the contest started.
-Curly haired people that speak french get bonus points

rem50 said:

That was great Nuprin! (not entering now. Ha!)

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This is not a best-cover-wins-a-puppy game, this is a record-your-own-version-learn-your-own-style-and-share-with-others game!

coriandre said:

Wow ! That was amazing Nuprin ! Cant wait to get my MPs now.
Here is my motion for new rules :
-Nuprin gets a prize for nailing that song even before the contest started.
-Curly haired people that speak french get bonus points

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Okay fine, Nuprin, you get a puppy. Curly haired people that speak french get bonus points if they participate.

Yay! A puppy!

Nuprin, change a few notes and call it original!! LOL

Great playing.

Given the chord progression and melody, the chords and voicings I've worked out for Low G tuning so far are almost exactly like the ones in Nuprin's video - same key, same 4th finger stretches for the melody. The only difference is that I was planning to attempt the half-step modulation for the last verse. But that could ruin the whole thing. I might just multitrack the melody on uke over chords on guitar or something.

Here is your puppy Nuprin !!!
Hmmmm, its a mixed breed......

Inn Sea said:

Given the chord progression and melody, the chords and voicings I've worked out for Low G tuning so far are almost exactly like the ones in Nuprin's video - same key, same 4th finger stretches for the melody. The only difference is that I was planning to attempt the half-step modulation for the last verse. But that could ruin the whole thing. I might just multitrack the melody on uke over chords on guitar or something.

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should we go with another song then? The song in second place was Puff the Magic Dragon. If Nuprin's amazingness has totally intimidated the crap out of everyone, we can always switch it.

Also, Patrick, I hope other people besides us are participating this time around, or else we're going to have to stop calling it the Great Ukulele Instrumental Challenge, and start calling it the Patrick and Tina Play the Same Song and Patrick Wipes the Floor with Tina...Challenge.

should we go with another song then? The song in second place was Puff the Magic Dragon. If Nuprin's amazingness has totally intimidated the crap out of everyone, we can always switch it.

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Sorry Nuprin, you might loose the puppy.......

Also, Patrick, I hope other people besides us are participating this time around, or else we're going to have to stop calling it the Great Ukulele Instrumental Challenge, and start calling it the Patrick and Tina Play the Same Song and Patrick Wipes the Floor with Tina...Challenge

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Well, I intend to participate (I was promised extra points) but it might be an audio track only (but will try to borrow video equipment).
This sounds like fun ! Have fun with it people. There are puppies to win here !

coriandre said:

Well, I intend to participate (I was promised extra points) but it might be an audio track only (but will try to borrow video equipment).
This sounds like fun ! Have fun with it people. There are puppies to win here !

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yuuuuuuuus! SO EXCITED! Just an audio track as A-Okay. So, consensus: should we stick to Rainbow Connection or should we switch to Puff the Magic Dragon?

coriandre said:

Here is your puppy Nuprin !!!
Hmmmm, its a mixed breed......
View attachment 28888

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This is so fitting. For some reason, each member of the band I'm in has a "bear" nickname. "Fuzzy Bear", "Sloppy Bear", etc. Being half Asian, my bear nickname is "Panda Bear". Now I have a Panda Dog to match!

austin1 said:

should we go with another song then? The song in second place was Puff the Magic Dragon. If Nuprin's amazingness has totally intimidated the crap out of everyone, we can always switch it.

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Well it's not that I'm intimidated - but I thought the idea behind this whole challenge is to figure something out, not to play from someone else's tab. After spending some time with the song, the key of C just jumps out as a logical choice (particularly in low G tuning, since the 3rd and 4th string can accommodate the bass pattern for C -> Am -> Dm -> G). Playing in C allows quite a few open strings for the inner harmonies - something which, in my experience, is very welcome in fingerstyle chord melody.

So to challenge myself I'm focusing on the 2nd part, after the modulation to Db. If I can figure that out with no open strings, then I'll just slide those chords down a fret for the C major opening. Then it will be different from the version Nuprin played, and probably smoother through the modulation.

As much as I love all children's music, Puff the Magic Dragon doesn't make my hall of fame for one reason - the verses and chorus are the same melody and chords. This would become even more evident in an instrumental rendition. It would be very repetitive. Or rather, it would take some real creativity not to sound repetitive.

So I'll keep wrestling with Rainbow Connection. If I can't pull it off solo, I'll try my guitar + ukulele idea. Maybe I'll swing it in 4 like the Sinatra version of Fly Me to the Moon or something like that.

Inn Sea said:

I thought the idea behind this whole challenge is to figure something out, not to play from someone else's tab.

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I'll admit, I haven't ventured into any of the GUIS challenges thus far...what you say makes sense though. I'm terrible at figuring out songs by myself and rely heavily on tabs or videos of other people's arrangements to learn. I certainly don't think anyone should be intimidated as I didn't figure the song out by myself. So, with a heavy heart, I hereby return the Panda Puppy and disqualify myself from the challenge. I wish the best to all who are able to work out a solo arrangement for themselves and I hope that someday I'll be able to work past the already published tabs and come up with my own arrangements. Good luck everyone!!!

Like it ain't hard enough, anyone want to try it in Hawaiian, the Brothers Cazimero do a beautiful rendition:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jL4uBir91Y

okay, it stays Rainbow Connection! And that Hawaiian version is LOVELY.

bump. how are we all doing on this? My life has been so insane, I have barely started, but I'm back from sweden now, now I'm starting today!

I'm in on this one.

Progress so far: I've played the melody a few times through in a few different keys. My paws are leading me toward Bb for the first couple verses, then to C for the modulation. That Kermit-y key of G sounds so sweet, though. Hmm, different ukulele tuning?