Youkalaylee
Well-known member
So I can play a few chords confidently and switch between them correctly most of the time - D, Am, A, F, G, Dm, Em, C.
The first few weeks of learning I followed the Dummies book. However I felt like I was just being bombarded with techniques and (at the moment) I just wanted to learn enough to be able to play through 1 or 2 songs.
So I got 2 songbooks (The Ukulele Playlist Red and Orange book) and I've been learning to play "I can see clearly now" as it only features 6 different chords (D, G, A, F, C#m and D6). Been learning it roughly since Christmas.
But I've felt frustrated as this song features 2 barre chords. Now I know that these things come with time so I've been practising barre everyday and I have noticed a gradual improvement, no problems there.
Yet during the rest of the song I've felt like I've made little improvement the last 2.5 weeks. Chord changes between D and G are really awkward, my fingers feel really slow. I watched a video on here about doing the up-strum open so you can change chords, but the strumming pattern for this song is the "swiss army knife strum" from the dummies book, so DDU(D)UD, with the part in () being 'silent' (theres a 'tie' between the notes), so what I actually play is DDU(pause)UD. Don't feel like I can change chords in time, even slowly.
I'm beginning to think that the strumming pattern + the barre chords makes this a poor choice for me to start out with, even though I intend to practice barre chords regardless. I know 2.5 weeks isn't very long, but I've been practising around 2 hours every other day, my partner says I have got better but I just think I'm gonna get frustrated before I achieve anything.
So, should I just stick at it until I get it, choose something else but still practice this, or abandon it entirely and do something else? I feel like I'm in a rut.
The first few weeks of learning I followed the Dummies book. However I felt like I was just being bombarded with techniques and (at the moment) I just wanted to learn enough to be able to play through 1 or 2 songs.
So I got 2 songbooks (The Ukulele Playlist Red and Orange book) and I've been learning to play "I can see clearly now" as it only features 6 different chords (D, G, A, F, C#m and D6). Been learning it roughly since Christmas.
But I've felt frustrated as this song features 2 barre chords. Now I know that these things come with time so I've been practising barre everyday and I have noticed a gradual improvement, no problems there.
Yet during the rest of the song I've felt like I've made little improvement the last 2.5 weeks. Chord changes between D and G are really awkward, my fingers feel really slow. I watched a video on here about doing the up-strum open so you can change chords, but the strumming pattern for this song is the "swiss army knife strum" from the dummies book, so DDU(D)UD, with the part in () being 'silent' (theres a 'tie' between the notes), so what I actually play is DDU(pause)UD. Don't feel like I can change chords in time, even slowly.
I'm beginning to think that the strumming pattern + the barre chords makes this a poor choice for me to start out with, even though I intend to practice barre chords regardless. I know 2.5 weeks isn't very long, but I've been practising around 2 hours every other day, my partner says I have got better but I just think I'm gonna get frustrated before I achieve anything.
So, should I just stick at it until I get it, choose something else but still practice this, or abandon it entirely and do something else? I feel like I'm in a rut.