It's been over a year since I last posted. I totally forgot about this blog. A lot has happened since then. I got married, I got a sweet job, etc., etc. However, I also just got a new uke for my birthday. It's sweet and it's got me excited about playing again. It's a Kala K-RES BRS, which is a tenor resonator uke. It's beautiful. It was $300, which may not be professional quality, but it's the most expensive uke I've ever owned. My first uke was a $100 concert, my second was a $200 baritone, my third was a $220 tenor, my fourth was a $250 concert, and this one is a $300 tenor resonator. I'm slowly moving upwards. I originally wanted to get another concert uke (my last one was stepped on and smashed), but this one caught my eye, and it sounded awesome, so I changed my mind.
It has a beautiful sound. I'm not used to how loud it is. I don't have to pluck as hard, which seems like a small difference, but I personally think I play better when I pluck softly than when I'm trying to pluck hard to make it louder. Also, the high notes are alot louder than they were on any other uke I've owned. Usually, I have to pluck the high notes extra hard to make them stand out against all the other notes I'm playing, but not with this uke. It's awesome. Plus, it looks great. It's the prettiest uke I've ever owned.
After I got it, I wanted to learn something new, so I downloaded the tab for In My Life by the Beatles from dominator's website. It's coming along. I like it alot. Thank goodness for Dominator. In my opinion, his site is the place to go for good uke tabs.
Thanks for reading,
clevceo
PS - I finished the Classical Gas tab, but it needs alot of polish before I'd feel comfortable putting it up on the net.
Tuesday, April 8, 2014
Saturday, September 1, 2012
Classical Gas - Ukulele
It's been a looooong time since I've posted. I got a new and better uke, but I hardly practiced piano in between lessons and barely passed, and I haven't touched the mandolin like I was planning to. Oh well. Anyway, there is some good news. I found this video of Classical Gas on the ukulele, arranged by sanfordandsong. I thought it was sweet, but there's no tab for it online. So I took a deep breath and decided to make my own.
I believe I mentioned before that I made a tab for Jake Shimabukuro's version of Ave Maria. I did it entirely by ear from his Gently Weeps album, but it's not a very fast song, so it was a little easier than most. Classical Gas, however, is fast, but it's a video, so I can always look at what his fingers are doing if I'm lost.
I am also learning to use Power Tab. It's no longer under development, but it's free and I like the way the finished product looks. Plus, it's actually really easy. I don't know why I insisted on using notepad for tabs in the past. I'm never going back.
I'm halfway done with the song now. When I am finished, I will email sanfordandsong for permission to put it up on the web for anyone interested, like Dominator does. Hopefully he lets me. There are already a number of people asking for it.
It's sort of exciting to be making a contribution to the ukulele community, even as small as a simple tab for a song I didn't even write. Even if only one person appreciates it, I'll be a happy man.
I believe I mentioned before that I made a tab for Jake Shimabukuro's version of Ave Maria. I did it entirely by ear from his Gently Weeps album, but it's not a very fast song, so it was a little easier than most. Classical Gas, however, is fast, but it's a video, so I can always look at what his fingers are doing if I'm lost.
I am also learning to use Power Tab. It's no longer under development, but it's free and I like the way the finished product looks. Plus, it's actually really easy. I don't know why I insisted on using notepad for tabs in the past. I'm never going back.
I'm halfway done with the song now. When I am finished, I will email sanfordandsong for permission to put it up on the web for anyone interested, like Dominator does. Hopefully he lets me. There are already a number of people asking for it.
It's sort of exciting to be making a contribution to the ukulele community, even as small as a simple tab for a song I didn't even write. Even if only one person appreciates it, I'll be a happy man.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Way to You by Brandi Carlile - Ukulele Intro
This is one of my favorite songs. The original is played on guitar and mandolin. I took both parts and tried to combine them on the ukulele. It's not quite the same, but I'm pleasantly surprised by how well it turned out. I've only completed the beginning, but since this is the most challenging part, I don't think the rest will be too bad. Here's the tab:
* h - hammer on
* s - slide
* ^ - accent
* Four dashes per beat.
* Played twice with no pause in between.
^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
A ----2--------------------------------------------------------h-
E ----------4---2---0---2---4---4-----------4---2-----2-------0/4
C 4-------4-------4-------4---4---1---3/4-------1/3-3---3/4-3----
G ----1-------1-------1----------------s---------h-------s-------
Enjoy.
clevceo
EDIT: I made a minor change to the tab near the end with the hammer-ons and slides. I was listening to the song recently and it sounded different than what I was playing, but it's fixed now.
* h - hammer on
* s - slide
* ^ - accent
* Four dashes per beat.
* Played twice with no pause in between.
^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
A ----2--------------------------------------------------------h-
E ----------4---2---0---2---4---4-----------4---2-----2-------0/4
C 4-------4-------4-------4---4---1---3/4-------1/3-3---3/4-3----
G ----1-------1-------1----------------s---------h-------s-------
Enjoy.
clevceo
EDIT: I made a minor change to the tab near the end with the hammer-ons and slides. I was listening to the song recently and it sounded different than what I was playing, but it's fixed now.
Monday, September 26, 2011
Latest
It's been a while. I already performed in the bluegrass band. It was a blast, I messed up a few times, but my friends said they didn't notice. I said I messed up so bad I stopped playing a few times, but they said they thought the pauses were intentional. One person said they knew I'd messed up when I mouthed, "Sorry." But I improved dramatically on the mandolin. I want to keep improving, though I don't have much time.
As I improved on the mandolin, I found myself improving on the ukulele as well. My left hand can move faster. I learned a couple classical songs on the ukulele, namely "Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring" and "Tarantella Italiana." They sound cool on the uke. Also, my uke is getting old and creaky. I don't know how much longer it will last. It's a two-hundred-dollar uke, but it's not made well. I discovered recently that there is a guy in my hometown that handcrafts them, and I plan to get one around Christmastime. They are $350-$375, but they sound good and I like to think that more care was put into their craftsmanship, so they'll be more durable.
Lastly, I'm taking private piano lessons. Technically, students are supposed to take a few group piano classes first, but that's to learn theory and such, which I already know, so I talked them into letting me go straight to the private lessons. It's definitely a challenge. I'm used to memorizing music because, honestly, trying to sight-read with a ukulele isn't very practical. It takes some planning. Which string and finger will you use for each note? On mandolin, it's easier because only the left-hand needs preplanning, there's only one way to pick a note with the right hand. On piano, you only have to plan which finger because there's only one way to play each note. Thus, my brain is trained to memorize. I'm trying to change that.
My instructor said that she usually tells her students to play the songs slowly and speed up until they're up to speed, but she says I have no problem with speed. My problem is with reading, so she said not to worry about speed. Just play slowly until I can play it, then move on.
I'm excited to become a piano player. I know I can do it. I'm gradually improving.
As I improved on the mandolin, I found myself improving on the ukulele as well. My left hand can move faster. I learned a couple classical songs on the ukulele, namely "Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring" and "Tarantella Italiana." They sound cool on the uke. Also, my uke is getting old and creaky. I don't know how much longer it will last. It's a two-hundred-dollar uke, but it's not made well. I discovered recently that there is a guy in my hometown that handcrafts them, and I plan to get one around Christmastime. They are $350-$375, but they sound good and I like to think that more care was put into their craftsmanship, so they'll be more durable.
Lastly, I'm taking private piano lessons. Technically, students are supposed to take a few group piano classes first, but that's to learn theory and such, which I already know, so I talked them into letting me go straight to the private lessons. It's definitely a challenge. I'm used to memorizing music because, honestly, trying to sight-read with a ukulele isn't very practical. It takes some planning. Which string and finger will you use for each note? On mandolin, it's easier because only the left-hand needs preplanning, there's only one way to pick a note with the right hand. On piano, you only have to plan which finger because there's only one way to play each note. Thus, my brain is trained to memorize. I'm trying to change that.
My instructor said that she usually tells her students to play the songs slowly and speed up until they're up to speed, but she says I have no problem with speed. My problem is with reading, so she said not to worry about speed. Just play slowly until I can play it, then move on.
I'm excited to become a piano player. I know I can do it. I'm gradually improving.
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Mandolin
I played the ukulele for my family at the reunion and discovered just how nervous I get when all ears are on me. I botched While My Guitar Gently Weeps. They didn't ask me to play it again. However, I did a little better on Ave Maria, and they asked me to play it a few times, each time sounding better than the last, which was good. I really wish I could've played While My Guitar Gently Weeps better because it truly is the better song, but I didn't try because I was too nervous. Maybe one day when I am better at performing, I'll play it for them again.
Then, I went back to the mandolin, which is my #1 priority right now. I went a few days without playing the ukulele, and then one day I sat down and decided to pluck around. Guess what happened? I played through While My Guitar Gently Weeps and Ave Maria flawlessly and they sounded great (by my standard). It's so frustrating that I can't play well when I most need to, but can when I don't. I am pretty sure that it's the pressure. Even when I am practicing constantly, I can't play as well as I did after a few days of no playing. When I'm practicing constantly, I pressure myself, which drives me to continue and persevere, but also seems to knock my skill down a little bit. What I need to learn is how to keep calm and relaxed at all times in order to play my best.
Anyway, I am getting much better at the mandolin. We have class once a week, so last week, we met for only our second time this semester. The first time, I was lost and could hardly play along with everyone else in the bluegrass band. I could do a few chords, but even then, I couldn't stay in sync with everyone else. I kept wanting to play at my own tempo. I need to practice with a metronome.
However, this last time, I was able to stay in sync and even do a break, which, if you don't know bluegrass music, is where one instrument breaks off and plays the melody while the others back it up with chords. It was a fairly simple break, though it wasn't the simplest, the one they usually expect beginners to play. I felt pretty good about it. I had practiced for an hour after the first class, then left for the reunion, then returned monday, and practiced that night, tuesday night, and wednesday night and came to class at least twice as good as I was the week previous. I intend to practice every day this week.
There's an experienced mandolinist in the ensemble who plays much more advanced versions of the mandolin breaks than I was given by the instructor. However, I found a more advanced version in our text, which I am guessing is the version he is playing. It's all fine and dandy that I had a simplified one because honestly, I had alot of trouble using a pick at first. Slower picking was more suited to my skill level. Plus, I was still used to the ukulele's fret spacing, so I kept missing the frets. However, I am much better than I was (though still a beginner), so I opened up the more advanced version and gave it a go.
I have gotten to the point where I can sight-read tabs without looking at the fret-board, though I usually just use the tabs long enough to play it by memory, but I often use visual memory, so I have to look at the fretboard as I play. However, this time, I sight-read it a few times just fine, then tried to play it while looking at the fret-board and I could hardly play it. I could play it better by just looking away and relying on muscle-memory. This has never happened to me before. Maybe it's a good sign. Either way, I was able to play the song without too much trouble. I would slip up once in a while, but I am definitely playing better than I did last week. After another day's practice, I could play it by heart fairly fast, with only a few slip-ups. I feel confident that by thursday, I'll be able to do a break with it, which totally blows away my pessimistic expectations. I thought it would take me much longer to get used to using a pick.
I think I am practicing more than anyone else in the ensemble. The instructor passed around an attendance sheet and had us put our practice hours next to our names. After class, a girl told me that she thinks that we practiced the most in the class. Then she said she practiced three hours. I had practiced five, which is a few less than I would've done if I hadn't been at the reunion. I learned from the ukulele that if you want to be good at an instrument, you have to practice it every day. When I only play the ukulele two hours a week, I'm lucky if I can maintain my current skill. Sure I can learn simple things in two hours a week, but advanced skills take much more frequent practice to learn and even to maintain.
Thus, I have chosen, and I recommend to all those reading (most likely nobody), to practice at least an hour a day. Sure, you can skip a day a week if you don't feel comfortable practicing on sunday, though I feel that practicing hymns and other sunday appropriate songs are appropriate as long as you are playing for fun. Now, a brand-spanking-new beginner has not yet learned to play for fun because playing anything still takes alot of effort. The ukulele, for me, is not that much work, so I thoroughly enjoy playing it. That is, unless I am practicing under pressure.
One thing I need to improve on in my practice is playing smoothly. Though I am getting faster, it still doesn't sound that good. The picking sounds stunted. I have it about down with the ukulele, but that's because I'm used to fingerpicking. I am not used to using a pick. For example, it takes some coordination to play softly. Why? Because the farther your finger or pick dips down beneath the strings before the pluck, the louder it will be, and it takes some precision to use the very tips of your finger or pick. A beginner will find himself occasionally dipping too far and giving a string a good SNAP sound. In other words, I can't yet play the mandolin quietly. Right now, I'm happy to hit the right string, but the coordination will come with time.
Another problem I have has to do with my mandolin. The tuning is funny. After I tune the strings, I test the strings against each other, pressing the seventh fret on one and comparing it with the next one, and they aren't the same. It's really frustrating because it's supposed to be a $200 mandolin. It's supposed to tune right.
Anyway, there's this week's story. Thanks for reading,
clevceo
Then, I went back to the mandolin, which is my #1 priority right now. I went a few days without playing the ukulele, and then one day I sat down and decided to pluck around. Guess what happened? I played through While My Guitar Gently Weeps and Ave Maria flawlessly and they sounded great (by my standard). It's so frustrating that I can't play well when I most need to, but can when I don't. I am pretty sure that it's the pressure. Even when I am practicing constantly, I can't play as well as I did after a few days of no playing. When I'm practicing constantly, I pressure myself, which drives me to continue and persevere, but also seems to knock my skill down a little bit. What I need to learn is how to keep calm and relaxed at all times in order to play my best.
Anyway, I am getting much better at the mandolin. We have class once a week, so last week, we met for only our second time this semester. The first time, I was lost and could hardly play along with everyone else in the bluegrass band. I could do a few chords, but even then, I couldn't stay in sync with everyone else. I kept wanting to play at my own tempo. I need to practice with a metronome.
However, this last time, I was able to stay in sync and even do a break, which, if you don't know bluegrass music, is where one instrument breaks off and plays the melody while the others back it up with chords. It was a fairly simple break, though it wasn't the simplest, the one they usually expect beginners to play. I felt pretty good about it. I had practiced for an hour after the first class, then left for the reunion, then returned monday, and practiced that night, tuesday night, and wednesday night and came to class at least twice as good as I was the week previous. I intend to practice every day this week.
There's an experienced mandolinist in the ensemble who plays much more advanced versions of the mandolin breaks than I was given by the instructor. However, I found a more advanced version in our text, which I am guessing is the version he is playing. It's all fine and dandy that I had a simplified one because honestly, I had alot of trouble using a pick at first. Slower picking was more suited to my skill level. Plus, I was still used to the ukulele's fret spacing, so I kept missing the frets. However, I am much better than I was (though still a beginner), so I opened up the more advanced version and gave it a go.
I have gotten to the point where I can sight-read tabs without looking at the fret-board, though I usually just use the tabs long enough to play it by memory, but I often use visual memory, so I have to look at the fretboard as I play. However, this time, I sight-read it a few times just fine, then tried to play it while looking at the fret-board and I could hardly play it. I could play it better by just looking away and relying on muscle-memory. This has never happened to me before. Maybe it's a good sign. Either way, I was able to play the song without too much trouble. I would slip up once in a while, but I am definitely playing better than I did last week. After another day's practice, I could play it by heart fairly fast, with only a few slip-ups. I feel confident that by thursday, I'll be able to do a break with it, which totally blows away my pessimistic expectations. I thought it would take me much longer to get used to using a pick.
I think I am practicing more than anyone else in the ensemble. The instructor passed around an attendance sheet and had us put our practice hours next to our names. After class, a girl told me that she thinks that we practiced the most in the class. Then she said she practiced three hours. I had practiced five, which is a few less than I would've done if I hadn't been at the reunion. I learned from the ukulele that if you want to be good at an instrument, you have to practice it every day. When I only play the ukulele two hours a week, I'm lucky if I can maintain my current skill. Sure I can learn simple things in two hours a week, but advanced skills take much more frequent practice to learn and even to maintain.
Thus, I have chosen, and I recommend to all those reading (most likely nobody), to practice at least an hour a day. Sure, you can skip a day a week if you don't feel comfortable practicing on sunday, though I feel that practicing hymns and other sunday appropriate songs are appropriate as long as you are playing for fun. Now, a brand-spanking-new beginner has not yet learned to play for fun because playing anything still takes alot of effort. The ukulele, for me, is not that much work, so I thoroughly enjoy playing it. That is, unless I am practicing under pressure.
One thing I need to improve on in my practice is playing smoothly. Though I am getting faster, it still doesn't sound that good. The picking sounds stunted. I have it about down with the ukulele, but that's because I'm used to fingerpicking. I am not used to using a pick. For example, it takes some coordination to play softly. Why? Because the farther your finger or pick dips down beneath the strings before the pluck, the louder it will be, and it takes some precision to use the very tips of your finger or pick. A beginner will find himself occasionally dipping too far and giving a string a good SNAP sound. In other words, I can't yet play the mandolin quietly. Right now, I'm happy to hit the right string, but the coordination will come with time.
Another problem I have has to do with my mandolin. The tuning is funny. After I tune the strings, I test the strings against each other, pressing the seventh fret on one and comparing it with the next one, and they aren't the same. It's really frustrating because it's supposed to be a $200 mandolin. It's supposed to tune right.
Anyway, there's this week's story. Thanks for reading,
clevceo
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Uke Performance
That's actually misleading. It is not an official performance. I am playing for my family, but only a few of them have heard me play, and that was a few months ago. I have improved since then. We are having a family reunion and they want me to bring my uke. I, of course, have been practicing While My Guitar Gently Weeps, though my practice has been a bit sparse lately, and when I have practiced, I have neglected the bridge of the song so that I would not annoy my roommates. Basically, I need to go to a private room like I used to and jam out before the reunion. I need to practice the bridge a few times before I play for my family.
Ave Maria, however, has not been neglected. It is a quieter song from top to bottom, so I can play it just about anywhere without annoying anybody. However, there are a couple parts that I need to polish. I really like that song.
After the reunion, I do not know how much time I will be giving the ukulele. For the Bluegrass Ensemble, I will be devoting alot of time to the mandolin. I am afraid that the ukulele will be shrugged aside. However, that is okay. It was never my dream instrument in the first place, though I sure do enjoy playing it. The mandolin has been my dream instrument for a while now. I would love to be in an actual bluegrass band. That would be awesome.
Thanks for reading,
clevceo
Ave Maria, however, has not been neglected. It is a quieter song from top to bottom, so I can play it just about anywhere without annoying anybody. However, there are a couple parts that I need to polish. I really like that song.
After the reunion, I do not know how much time I will be giving the ukulele. For the Bluegrass Ensemble, I will be devoting alot of time to the mandolin. I am afraid that the ukulele will be shrugged aside. However, that is okay. It was never my dream instrument in the first place, though I sure do enjoy playing it. The mandolin has been my dream instrument for a while now. I would love to be in an actual bluegrass band. That would be awesome.
Thanks for reading,
clevceo
Monday, April 18, 2011
The Classical Ukulele, Bluegrass Ensemble
I got a book by John King called The Classical Ukulele. It's apparently pretty good. It says it's best for more experienced players, which is nice because 99% of the books out there are for beginners. I'm excited.
I'm starting my Bluegrass Ensemble class in two days. We have to get a book called 50 Tunes by Mark Geslison, which is a good sign because I like Mark Geslison. I am stoked for this class. I think it will be exactly what I need. One thing I really need to learn is how to play with other people. Every time I try, I always play at my own tempo. I have such a hard time staying in sync, but that is only because I never practice with other people. Now I will. Also, it will give me incentive to learn the mandolin, which I have always wanted to learn.
I am stoked.
clevceo
I'm starting my Bluegrass Ensemble class in two days. We have to get a book called 50 Tunes by Mark Geslison, which is a good sign because I like Mark Geslison. I am stoked for this class. I think it will be exactly what I need. One thing I really need to learn is how to play with other people. Every time I try, I always play at my own tempo. I have such a hard time staying in sync, but that is only because I never practice with other people. Now I will. Also, it will give me incentive to learn the mandolin, which I have always wanted to learn.
I am stoked.
clevceo
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