Covid Practice Blues

[actadh]

Spring was just ...wow. I have always had one or two classes online, but now the rest of mine were remotely taught to what were originally face to face classes who now had to navigate online platforms.

Fall was better. I still taught remotely or online, but everyone knew that ahead of time. Since I am only commuting two afternoons a week for office hours I picked up a lot more practice time. Like someone else on this thread, I pulled out some music books and really concentrated on them. I am always learning one song for fun, and the rest are from books that teach me a technique while I am learning the song.

Since we are all in the red for Covid 19 in my surrounding counties, I will not even need to go to the campus for office hours for the first eight weeks of spring semester. I plan on doing Ukulele Aerobics, which I have had forever, but never did more than a few pages.

[Joyful Uke]

I practice in my car! I at first did it just to not annoy my wife with my playing but I ended up loving it. It's amazing what the change in location does for my pysche. Though it's starting to get too cold for that now.

With the various restrictions in place, that may be a thought for when we're stuck sitting in parking lots, waiting for a human or animal who had a medical appointment, for example, and we're not allowed to go in with them. I've just been bringing a book to read, and never thought about bringing a ukulele.

[CPG]

With the various restrictions in place, that may be a thought for when we're stuck sitting in parking lots, waiting for a human or animal who had a medical appointment, for example, and we're not allowed to go in with them. I've just been bringing a book to read, and never thought about bringing a ukulele.

Yeah. It was a lovely realization. I discoved that I can also play my banjo in my car, just barely, but pretty comfortably. Guitar, not so much. I tried once with my little Jim Dandy parlor and it only sorta worked. I could play it but it wasn't very comfortable so I gave up on car guitar practice.

[Uncle Rod Higuchi]

For those who are willing to proceed on their own, might I humbly suggest the Practice Sheets
contained in the Ukulele Boot Camp (link listed in my signature below) at 'weebly.com'.
(NOTE: Holiday Songbook also available, same link )

This will enable those who take up this challenge to gain familiarity with 5 of the most used
keys that you will find in the majority of current ukulele songbooks. That will be the keys of
C, F, G, A, and D. I strum through the chord progressions from each Practice
Sheet (from memory) at a moderate 2 strum per chord tempo.

NOTE: a Big shout out to Choirguy (Dr Chris Russell) for creating and uploading to YouTube
a series of play-along videos which anyone can access for audio assistance for such practice.
Thank you Dr Chris! (BTW search for 'ukulele boot camp')

In order to modulate from one key to the next I end each chord progression as follows:

Key of C should end C, F, C, C7... then on to the chord progression in the Key of F.

Key of F should end F, Bb, F, D7... then on to the chord progression in the Key of G.

Key of G should end G, C, G, E7... then on to the Key of A.

Key of A should end A, D, A, A7... then on to the Key of D.

Key of D should end D. G, D (3 strums)

I hope this makes sense.

if you have any questions, please email me (rohiguchi@gmail.com)