my ukulele progress

There are some more threads to which I cannot contribute. There was one about wanting a tenor with everything but not willing to pay for it. I have nothing constructive to say.

So I'll just mind my business. I pressure cooked some habichuelas. As soon as I could, I added some ground cumin and the tops of a few leeks.

I'll eat those tonight after my chores. Today I am going to mop the floor. The mopping isn't so difficult; it is the moving of my furniture that is the majority of the burden.

I also have work to do.

After that I'll be starting some new melodic lines.I used random.org and received "3" as my number. Interval #3 is G. At first, I was disappointed because G is boring. But then I thought: G is what you make it. There is a G in every mode. Yes, the G Ionian #5 is rather boring but it doesn't have to be.

The interesting aspect of this set-up is that G is not an element of D# dim7. Granted G and D#dim7 are all in the same key but there is some logistics involved. Sometimes a transition is needed between the chord tone and the G.

You really have to be on your toes in this situation. You're playing your arpeggio and then you move (with or without a passing tone) to the G. Now you need to figure out in a blink of an eye what modes of the minor pentatonic and the harmonic minor is this G a part of.

I was just sitting outside trying to think about what I have to do to imbricate the D#dim7, and minor pentatonic, and the G note. I took inspiration from a little chihuahua terrier who is always ready to hand a pit bull its ass...as long as a chain link fence is separating the chihuahua from the pit bull passing by on the sidewalk. Musically I am a chihuahua insofar as I pretty much suck, but I need to channel that chihuahua energy and commit to what I'm doing although I would die in the commission of that commitment.

Just to get my head straight, there are 5 voicings of the D#dim7 at positions 2, 5, 8, 11, and 14 (the 2 and 14 being the same).

position 2 (and 14): G is on the E string and obvious scales are the subdominant and (for 14) the mediant shape of the minor pentatonic, the B phrygian dominat and A dorian #11.

position 5: G is on the C string. the sub-tonic pentationic shape and the E Aiolian #7 and F# Lokrian 13 are the go to shapes.

position 8: G is on the A string. The tonic and sub-tonic pentatonic shapes present themselves as well as the G Ionian #5 and the E Aiolian #7

position 11: G is on the G string. The obvious suspects are the mediant and tonic pentatonic shapes and the Aiolian #7, Lokrian 13, and Ionian #5.
It is interesting to see that in these four voicings of the dim7 the G appears on each of the four strings. I am always astounded about how regular music is. It is so mathematical. For the uninitiated, music seems random but there is an almost divine regularity for those who are prepared to see.

So I will be spending some time with these 4 voicings and seeing what melodies obtrude themselves to my eyes. And I'll just support that picking with some easy chords. I will just play the ubiquitious 2-5-1 (or 7-3-6 if it is easier; the 7-3-6 is just the 2-5-1 but in the key of the relative minor).

The night started weird. My wife requested a stir fry of millet, kale, and corn. What the hell kind of stir fry is that? But her job is to know what she wants and my job is to do what she wants.

Then I see that people are fighting about music theory. It makes me feel that the world is good when people care enough to fuss about theory. It reminds me when I had a job at an English department and undergrads were actually fighting to get a seat for the Milton course. All was right with the world at that moment.

Of course I am also happy because I didn't cause the argument.

I worked on making melodies focusing on the G, the mediant of my E harmonic minor. I was actually moving too quickly to remember what I did with any kind of clarity. But I can give the high points.

1. started descending the D#dim7 on the F# on the 9th fret
2. eventually made my way to the G on the 7th fret
3. then I either moved down the fret board using the dominant shape of the minor pentatonic, or moved up the fretboard using the subtonic shape.
4. from there I went to some modes of the harmonic minor

then I would throw in an interlude of chords. I stuck with the 7-3-6 which was gloriously dark. I played D#m7b5, G#7/A, C#13...which is in the key of E minor and not E harmonic minor, but who's counting anyway.

Just when I was about to close down the computer, I saw that B.Hannam just posted a video of a baritone with a stauffer headstock and 3000 year old sitka. Even my wife caught the enthusiasm and could, briefly, understand what I'm buying.

I wearied of having my wife eat store-bought quiche. I thought I could do better. I made a top and bottom crust (I figured if the inside was crap, the outside would make up for it). I put in a layer of leeks and garlic, a layer of kale, and surrounded with five eggs. The eggs were seasoned with a salt mixture, a paprika mixture, baharat, and a little bit of chicken stock. It turned out fine.

I've seen a few threads lately about people getting into tenors. I think no one therein is asking the pertinent question: why do you want a tenor? What do you want to do with the tenor? It seems like most people just want a big soprano so that they can play the same old cowboy chords...but louder. It seems like a waste.

I figured my Kamaka would need its humidifers charged with water, so I played the Kamaka today. I focused on the G note as a pivot. I played a few different progressions and inserting the finger picking between. Low on the neck I used D#m7b5 / G+ / Cm. On mid-neck I used G7 / D#m7b5 / Cm7

That last entry was supposed to be longer, but I fell asleep. What was even more incredible was we had 24 hrs of winter. When I arose at sunrise, it had snowed overnight and all the trees were completely flocked. It looked a bit eerie. However, by 2 pm every trace of snow was gone. That's the beauty of living in the high desert.

I contacted my luthier if I could just send him the money for my baritone; I'm getting a bit tired of having it sitting in my account. It made me think back to a thread from quite some time ago that featured people who just don't belong in the world of bespoke ukes. They actually wanted sound samples! And they were indignant at the lack thereof. The luthier could have just played a Kala and said your uke will sound kind of like this but it may be a bit warmer or a bit brighter. In the bespoke world there's just a level of trust. You just assume it will have perfect intonation and that it will sound like a ukelele, plus or minus a variation in timbre.

Anyway, I was just pursuing my study of G and rather astonished that I haven't made any bad jokes about the G-spot. I started off this period of time by going to the pub and having a few whiskies while I wrote down my encapsulation of the first 5 epistles of Horatius. I was thinking on the macro-level and how each epistle fitted into a narrative and what role it was playing in the story-arch that is this set of 20 epistles. I read a book a while ago about the logic behind the ordering of hellenistic epigrams in poetry books and I was thinking along similar lines.

I have also been reading Apollonios in my spare time. I took a volume of the argonautika with me while I waiting for my appointment at the barber and I will take it with me when I go to have Moh surgery to eradicate some skin cancer. I hear the process is long and they slice you, examine it, and slice you some more if warranted. I figure on reading between the slices.

When I settled down to playing, I focused on the G at the 19th fret. The obvious tools to use were the dominant shape of the minor pentatonic.
As far as my modes are concerned, it was quite interesting. Since the end of the fret board interrupted things, you could only play partial modes. So it really help unlearn the shapes and just focus on notes. And I did use my D# dim7 arpeggio to move from the treble to the bass side of the fretboard.

Chord-wise, I just played as high as I could. I played the Em on the 14th position and used close by Am and B7. It sounded appropriate.

I just got the next note that I am going to be studying. And it is B. I am actually on really good terms with B and it will be interesting to see if I can do anything with it.

Wise words as always.

I wanted to get the money to the maker because I am having a few surgeries soon and I could foresee the possibility of borrowing from my ukulele fund to pay for these or for some other emergency.

Wow! Surgery ain’t much fun, and, sometimes, healing is the worst part. I hope you’re gittin’ through it alright. Get well soon . . .

Down Up Dick said:

Wow! Surgery ain’t much fun, and, sometimes, healing is the worst part. I hope you’re gittin’ through it alright. Get well soon . . .

Click to expand...

Thanks. Lest I be accused of being histrionic, I have to mention they are minor surgeries. Some skin cancer and I have to have a screw drilled into my mouth from which to depend a fake tooth. Actually the money will be more painful than the stitches. I am always super healthy, so I have insurance with super high deductible. That has benefited me for the last 30 years, but now I have to pay thousands of dollars out of pocket.

You’re welcome. I had some minor surgery lately too. I had a bit of trouble with mine though. Healing takes a long time when one is old though. Mine‘s just about done now. I’m glad you’re okay.

It was a busy day for me. After a trip to the barber, I drove over to my tailor. I dropped off my favorite sportscoat to have a new lining put in. It is going to cost $200 but I have been wearing that coat for 20 years and hopefully it will last another 20. Then although I was stripped down to my waistcoat, I went to the market because my wife wanted 2 things. Pears and I couldn't remember the second thing. I stalled to give myself time to think. I went to the butcher who had brand new chorizo. I usually just get a pound or two of trout from him but since he was evidently avid for me to try some, I bought a few.
Then I remembered. My wife wanted crackers. In my defense, we don't eat processed grains and pastries like bread...so crackers is very abnormal for us. In fact, despite going to this market for years, I did not know where the crackers were located. I found them alongside the cookies across the aisle from frozen treats like ice cream and pizza (no wonder I had never traveled down this aisle). My wife's guts are in a mess from years of taking ibuprofen and I guess she's casting her net wide trying to find things she can eat...even though she is now courting that most dangerous bedfellow, Food Inc. However...not my problem. Happy wife, happy life.

I can smell the chorizo which are well on their way to being cooked, so I better do my weekly assessment of what I have to do. I am moving to the note B for this week.

I am very familiar with the B on the 4th fret. That's the dominant shape of the pentatonic and the B Phrygian dominant mode. I am not so familiar with what's just above that mode. It is the C Lydian #2 which is just the C and D# notes on the G string and then the re-entrant E Aiolian #7 for the top 3 strings.

[interlude: The chorizo is great but somewhat tame in the heat department; however I can take care of that. I have an Australian hot sauce called Bunster's that I fancy. One drop of it makes everything uncomfortably spicy]

The B on the 11th fret is also very familiar with me.

The B on the 7th fret I am not so familiar with. That is the E Aiolian #7 or the F# Lokrian mode or, for the pentatonic, the dominant or subtonic shapes.

Of course the higher B's on the 16th, 14th, and 19th frets are just repeats of the lower B's. It should be a fun week of transitioning between arpeggios to these melodies.

ripock said:

I contacted my luthier if I could just send him the money for my baritone; I'm getting a bit tired of having it sitting in my account. It made me think back to a thread from quite some time ago that featured people who just don't belong in the world of bespoke ukes. They actually wanted sound samples! And they were indignant at the lack thereof. The luthier could have just played a Kala and said your uke will sound kind of like this but it may be a bit warmer or a bit brighter. In the bespoke world there's just a level of trust. You just assume it will have perfect intonation and that it will sound like a ukelele, plus or minus a variation in timbre.

Anyway, I was just pursuing my study of G and rather astonished that I haven't made any bad jokes about the G-spot. I started off this period of time by going to the pub and having a few whiskies while I wrote down my encapsulation of the first 5 epistles of Horatius. I was thinking on the macro-level and how each epistle fitted into a narrative and what role it was playing in the story-arch that is this set of 20 epistles. I read a book a while ago about the logic behind the ordering of hellenistic epigrams in poetry books and I was thinking along similar lines.

I have also been reading Apollonios in my spare time. I took a volume of the argonautika with me while I waiting for my appointment at the barber and I will take it with me when I go to have Moh surgery to eradicate some skin cancer. I hear the process is long and they slice you, examine it, and slice you some more if warranted. I figure on reading between the slices.

When I settled down to playing, I focused on the G at the 19th fret. The obvious tools to use were the dominant shape of the minor pentatonic.
As far as my modes are concerned, it was quite interesting. Since the end of the fret board interrupted things, you could only play partial modes. So it really help unlearn the shapes and just focus on notes. And I did use my D# dim7 arpeggio to move from the treble to the bass side of the fretboard.

Chord-wise, I just played as high as I could. I played the Em on the 14th position and used close by Am and B7. It sounded appropriate.

I just got the next note that I am going to be studying. And it is B. I am actually on really good terms with B and it will be interesting to see if I can do anything with it.

Click to expand...

Had Moh’s surgery myself recently. On the nose. And I have the Frankennostril to prove it.

I started off playing m7b5's which are the same shapes as the dom9 which are the same shapes as the m6. I find it fascinating that I do not really like the sound of the dom9 whereas m6 is my favorite. They are the same shapes; the only difference is where you conceive the root of the chord. So it is amazing how much difference context makes in these situations.

I'm afraid that I was so busy zipping around the fretboard that I find it impossible to explain what I was doing. I'll just give one example. I started with the F# on the 9th fret and then descended the D#dim7 and when I would get to the A, then I'd slide back up to the B and C. Then I'd play around in the F# Lokrian 13 mode.

That's just one of the musical moments I used. I more or less just used those moments paratactically--although there was an internal logic. I started to think of these along the lines of Foucault's episteme, a crystalization of different elements to build a moment.

I saw a thread about entry level Hawaiian ukes. I didn't look at the thread but it sounds like people who desire quality but don't want to pay for it. Since I didn't actually read the thread, I'm not criticizing anyone...aside from the putative respondent of the thread as I imagine it. I think my answer to an entry level Hawaiian uke would be a very simple Kamaka. Just plain old koa without purling or marquetry.

In my melodic studies with B this week, I stuck with the pentatonic side of the equation. I switched to the m7 arpeggio and for chords I just used the top or lower edge of the shapes to make chords.

Since necessity drove me to finalize my baritone order, it has been on my mind lately. And I was looking at some stuff and saw quite a bit of dGBE strings and thought: WTH! Why would anyone do that? I mean...it is like microwaving kittens. The kitten will certainly fit into the microwave, so it is possible. But should we do it? No. Liberty does not equal license.

I object in principle to emasculating the baritone just as I am opposed to de-clawing cats. However I have a more personal reason as well. High fourth strings cut the number of my scales in half. It screws up arpeggios. And I do not care for the shrill voicings. Plus it makes open tunings nonsensical because you're going to make the first and fourth strings identical; it is such a waste.

I have an hour to kill before I go to get my dental implant. I've already bathed and shaved. All I need to do is wax my moustache to a degree that I normally don't...at the request of my doctor. So I thought I would catch up on what I was doing.

I was focusing on the B on the 14th fret. It is surrounded by the highest voicing of the D# dim7 arpeggio. Right above it on the A string is the C and right next to it is the F#. So it is really easy to move to the B. And that B is very familiar to me. It is the high note both of the B Phrygian Dominant and the mediant shape of the E minor pentatonic.

As for chord support, instead of playing a progression. I used chords that just part of the shapes with which I'm improvising. The pentatonic shape lends itself to the A7sus2 if you play the bottom of the shape or the G add9 if you play the top. The mode isn't as easy to squeeze chords from. There is an Am, but nothing else comes to mind.

So the basic song idea was arpeggio to B, to pentatonic, to chord, to mode. That's the basic idea. Obvously the song comes more from the repetition, the phrasing, the silences.

My plan is to next focus on the B on the 14th fret. Well, that's my musical plan. My life plan is to go to the pub this evening, drink some whisky, and read some ancient poetry. That's what I did for my bone graft surgery and it is what I'll do after the implant is implanted.

I have had some set-backs recently. I went to the Dr. and she essentially screwed a molly bolt into my jaw which, when healed, will received a screw and a fake tooth. That went fine but as I was jauntily walking to my jeep I heard a mixture of a pop and a crunch, and all of a sudden I couldn't put any weight on my left leg. In the 90's I was messing around with my wife and I scooped her up in a fireman's carry and I blew out a tendon or ligament...some soft tissue. I think this is that injury again. At least it feels the same. I can now walk with a limp as long as I don't use any angles or get up on the ball of my foot. Growing old isn't for sissies.

My bathroom sink wasn't draining, so I took out the plunger-stopper that it had, cleaned out the drain and I decided to go old-school. so I didn't replace the plunger...which I couldn't anyway; those things are difficult to put in. I just went to the hardware store and got an old rubber stopper that I can use to plug the drain when I shave. I also bought a monkey wrench because I know it will be just a matter of time before my wife drops her wedding ring down the drain and I will have to retrieve it from the trap.

Musically, I am very content right now. I can just play non-stop for an hour or so using my system and it is just nice incidental music. My wife can just do what she does and the music doesn't bother her. And that's saying something.

I was focusing on the B on the 16th fret to make the melodies and those notes up there are very rich. It is very nice. It is too tight for chords up there, so I have to use chords from around the 12th fret. And for some reason the B on the 14th fret really starting to pop out and I was really cognizant of it. That really made it easy to play the shapes. So things are turning a corner for me. It was one of those quantum leaps you experience every so often.

Ha! I did the very same thing with my bathroom sink. It was leaking and wouldn’t hold water long enough for me to shave. The old ways work every time. and don’t cost as much.

My only regret is not looking for one of those mesh covers you put over the drain when it isn't stoppered. That would take care of my wife's ring because I do not believe she ever fills the sink with water. But that's me in a nutshell: always pick the complicated solution when a simple one was available.

Whew! My butt's on fire. My post-op instructions said no green chiles but it didn't say anything about scorpion peppers. So I ate some food with my favorite sauce, Bunster's. It is rather middle of the road in term of Scoville units at 99,000. However it can sneak up on you. I put way too much on. To let you know how hot that was: I had to use lemonade. That's the pro-tip for today. Milk doesn't do anything really but as long as you hold the lemonade in your mouth, it cancels out the burn. Bunster's is actually flavorful...as long as you don't over-apply it. For me, anything hotter isn't food. It is more of a dare. Bunster's however has fruit and brown sugar and cilantro flavors. And there are other varieties. The less hot varieties taste like a rather spicy steak sauce. I've always purchased the black label variety which is discernible because it says that it is 16/10 in hotness and the scatological warning that cautions you about anal leakage.

Made a quick meal of boiled potatoes, turnip greens and beans. I put stuff like a chive mixture with the potatoes and some black strap molasses with the beans, but you get the picture. It was just simple.

Then I spent a bit of time centering around the D# super Lokrian bb7 trying to squeeze out some melodic lines privileging the B note. I slipped in dome D# dim7 arpeggios and fell back on the pentatonic a bit. I obviously moved up and down the neck a bit but I kept the super Lokrian as my base.