Self-Examination Tool for Ukulele Proficiency

Merry Christmas Uncle Rod!

I have to thank you for Boot Camp, I have had it in my practice practice practic folder and moved it to my desktop a couple of months ago so I would try to pick up a uke once in a while. My jobs were excessive and my hands were feeling the strain, with hot swollen sore joints, and I was so discouraged and depressed I just looked at a uke and felt it was pointless. Too often it seemed when I had a bit of time my fingers were wrecked from work, when they were better I had no time to slow down for some uke minutes. But every now and then I would just sit down and go through Boot Camp. I knew it was a great exercise.

So for not really trying to play anything for at least the last 8 months, but doing a little Boot Camp, I was mostly able to go through the exercise mostly cleanly on two strums. So I added it to my exercises. For how much time I have had off from my ukes, it was encouraging, and it's all because you offered BC to the community.

:smileybounce:

Hey RAGZDADDY,

please feel free to click the link below my signature for the Boot Camp.

I hope you find those exercises helpful.

keep uke'in',

Much graci !



QUOTE=Uncle Rod Higuchi;818052]Hey RAGZDADDY,

please feel free to click the link below my signature for the Boot Camp.

I hope you find those exercises helpful.

keep uke'in',[/QUOTE]

many thanks for this i was doing ok till i got to the Bb but on the positive side i knew all the chord shapes so that is a small achivement but im still a beginner i tried finger picking them all as well, im gonna practice this all over the xmas break, thanks so much for this exercise happy holidays everyone

Uncle Rod Higuchi said:

Anyone can create their own 'test' using each of the keys (first chord in each line).

What you'll need to do is to find the 7th chord at the end of the line just BEFORE the line/key you want to use,
as that would be the 'natural' lead-in chord for that key. Clear as mud?

OK you will want to play a G7 before going to the key of C,
C7 will lead in to the key of F,
E7 will lead in to the key of A
A7 will lead in to the key of D
D7 will lead in to the key of G

If you follow these guidelines you can mix up the order, just remember the 7th chord that leads into the next key.

Have fun and keep uke'in',

Click to expand...

Ok thats cool, i am gonna give it a go, as for progress on your original, after a couple of weeks i am actually getting somewhere, not there yet but almost, great fun and one hell of a challenge, thanx Uncle Rod

The one chord that will still give me problems isnt even Fm7, its just Fm. How different is Fm7?

I can do 1 strum per second (60bpm) through the whole sequence, except for F#m! For some reason that one keeps throwing me off...

Happy New Year Everyone! Hau'oli Makahiki Hou!

UkuleleDaveey, keep up the good work. For a good picking pattern, look up Gordon Mark (2 min lesson) for a 6-pick pattern.

Kaisersoza, before you know it, it will seem natural and any ukulele songsheet with chord names will be a piece of cake for you and you'll be miles ahead of your peers and in a position to assist them along in their journey toward ukulele mastery.

Raiden590, way to go! If you can finger Fm7, then Fm should be no problem. Fm7 uses 4 fingers and Fm uses 3 in the same position except with the 3rd string open. I confess I generally like to substitute an Fm6 (1213) for the Fm (1013) chord. I like the sound, although it doesn't work all the time.

Toolate4chickenfries, just think of the F#m as a G7 shape using strings 2-3-4, instead of 1-2-3. PS I also use the G chord form on strings 2-3-4, at the 2nd fret, for my B7 sometimes.

Thanks for sharing your comments and progress! Please encourage your ukulele-playing friends to give it a try. Also, please direct them to the Boot Camp for a fuller, and more comprehensive, challenge. (Boot Camp and FREE Songbook links below my signature)

I'm glad that so many of you are enjoying this SET-UP, and that some of you are also moving on to the Boot Camp. Like Miltary Boot Camp it can seem like hard work and drugery at times (maybe all the time), but check out the FREE Songbook to see the 'system' as it is applied to learning new songs. Just create your own 'Practice Sheets' and you'll be playing your favorite songs in no time!

May your 2012 be even more rewarding than all years past! (wait until 2013, the chord will sound better!)

And may our beloved UkuleleUnderground.com welcome many, many more like-minded and sweet-spirited new Ohana members.

Mahalo Nui Loa, UU creators and maintainers!

Keep uke'in' everyone!

Uncle Rod Higuchi said:

This is a SET-UP, lol - just for fun.

Still consider yourself a 'Beginner'?

Play through the following Chord Sheet, left to right, top to bottom, 4 times.

FIRST time - 4 strums per chord
SECOND time - 3 strums per chord
THIRD time - 2 strums per chord
FOURTH time - 1 strum per chord... end with C.

Set your own tempo and try NOT to 'break your stride'. Your eventual GOAL would be
1-2 strums per second.

If you can play through the chord sheet without breaking your stride/tempo, especially
at 1-2 strums per second, do NOT label yourself a 'Beginner'.

Hand someone a properly-tuned ukulele and ask them to play through the chord sheet.
If they can do it at an even tempo without interruption, how can you call them a
'Beginner'?



CHORD SHEET:

C Am F G7 C F C A7

D Bm G A7 D G D C7

F Dm Bb C7 F Bb F D7

G Em C D7 G C G E7

A F#m D E7 A D A G7 (return to top) / (last time end with C)



Enjoy and Keep Uke'in',

Click to expand...

I've been playing since August 2009, but I'll never get beyond beginner, it seems. I just can't make some of those chord changes that fast (especially on the one strum per chord). And Bm and Em still kill me. I can get there, but not fast. And there's the ever-unpopular Bb. Hate it. I can't get a clear tone reliably on that one.

Oh well.

Mousie

ahhh almost not a beginner! just need to get used to that Bb x]

Well, I can get to all of them pretty well, except the darn Bb. I had to look up F#m... never use it!

Oops, two threads, well same thing though for those that like Chordpro

{tractise}
{st:Uncle Rod}

1 to 2 Strums a second is the target speed (1/1 Time)

4 [C]Strums, 4 [Am]Strums, 4 [F]Strums, 4 [G7]Strums, 4 [C]Strums, 4 [F]Strums, 4 [C]Strums, 4 [A7]Strums
4 [D]Strums, 4 [Em]Strums, 4 [G]Strums, 4 [A7]Strums, 4 [D]Strums, 4 [G]Strums, 4 [D]Strums, 4 [C7]Strums
4 [F]Strums, 4 [Dm]Strums, 4 [Bb]Strums, 4 [C7]Strums, 4 [F]Strums, 4 [Bb]Strums, 4 [F]Strums, 4 [D7]Strums
4 [G]Strums, 4 [Em]Strums, 4 [C]Strums, 4 [D7]Strums, 4 [G]Strums, 4 [C]Strums, 4 [CGStrums, 4 [E7]Strums
4 [A]Strums, 4 [F#m]Strums, 4 [D]Strums, 4 [E7]Strums, 4 [A]Strums, 4 [D]Strums, 4 [A]Strums, 4 [G7]Strums

3 [C]Strums, 3 [Am]Strums, 3 [F]Strums, 3 [G7]Strums, 3 [C]Strums, 3 [F]Strums, 3 [C]Strums, 3 [A7]Strums
3 [D]Strums, 3 [Em]Strums, 3 [G]Strums, 3 [A7]Strums, 3 [D]Strums, 3 [G]Strums, 3 [D]Strums, 3 [C7]Strums
3 [F]Strums, 3 [Dm]Strums, 3 [Bb]Strums, 3 [C7]Strums, 3 [F]Strums, 3 [Bb]Strums, 3 [F]Strums, 3 [D7]Strums
3 [G]Strums, 3 [Em]Strums, 3 [C]Strums, 3 [D7]Strums, 3 [G]Strums, 3 [C]Strums, 3 [CGStrums, 3 [E7]Strums
3 [A]Strums, 3 [F#m]Strums, 3 [D]Strums, 3 [E7]Strums, 3 [A]Strums, 3 [D]Strums, 3 [A]Strums, 3 [G7]Strums

2 [C]Strums, 2 [Am]Strums, 2 [F]Strums, 2 [G7]Strums, 2 [C]Strums, 2 [F]Strums, 2 [C]Strums, 2 [A7]Strums
2 [D]Strums, 2 [Em]Strums, 2 [G]Strums, 2 [A7]Strums, 2 [D]Strums, 2 [G]Strums, 2 [D]Strums, 2 [C7]Strums
2 [F]Strums, 2 [Dm]Strums, 2 [Bb]Strums, 2 [C7]Strums, 2 [F]Strums, 2 [Bb]Strums, 2 [F]Strums, 2 [D7]Strums
2 [G]Strums, 2 [Em]Strums, 2 [C]Strums, 2 [D7]Strums, 2 [G]Strums, 2 [C]Strums, 2 [CGStrums, 2 [E7]Strums
2 [A]Strums, 2 [F#m]Strums, 2 [D]Strums, 2 [E7]Strums, 2 [A]Strums, 2 [D]Strums, 2 [A]Strums, 2 [G7]Strums

1 [C]Strum, 1 [Am]Strum, 1 [F]Strum, 1 [G7]Strum, 1 [C]Strum, 1 [F]Strum, 1 [C]Strum, 1 [A7]Strum
1 [D]Strum, 1 [Em]Strum, 1 [G]Strum, 1 [A7]Strum, 1 [D]Strum, 1 [G]Strum, 1 [D]Strum, 1 [C7]Strum
1 [F]Strum, 1 [Dm]Strum, 1 [Bb]Strum, 1 [C7]Strum, 1 [F]Strum, 1 [Bb]Strum, 1 [F]Strum, 1 [D7]Strum
1 [G]Strum, 1 [Em]Strum, 1 [C]Strum, 1 [D7]Strum, 1 [G]Strum, 1 [C]Strum, 1 [CGStrum, 1 [E7]Strum
1 [A]Strum, 1 [F#m]Strum, 1 [D]Strum, 1 [E7]Strum, 1 [A]Strum, 1 [D]Strum, 1 [A]Strum, 1 [G7]Strum, 1 [C]Strum