My learning journey with the ukulele continues!
Last week, I worked on familiarizing myself with the chords C, F and G7. Now, I have started to narrow the focus of my practices on transitioning between chords and strumming.
On Friday October 11th, our music class had a work block to practice with our instruments. A large number of people in our cohort have chosen to learn ukulele, so we decided to split off into two rooms in Maclaurin and practice together in groups.
During that time, I practiced playing the chords of the song “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star,” referencing the sheet music on my phone. For the first twenty or so minutes, I focused on getting my muscles to memorize the finger placements for the chords in the song so that I could play them quicker. I have found that, in order to give me ease of sight, I have been holding my ukulele in the wrong position, cradling it near my stomach rather than up near my chest. Changing it to the correct position was a bit of a learning curve for me because I was so used to holding my ukulele down lower at an angle. However, I have found that practicing in front of a mirror helps. This way, I can see the frets without bending over/tilting my ukulele and periodically check my holding positions.
Right now, I would say that I have improved my ability to play the chord G7. Last week, I found it really difficult to keep my fingers on the correct spots on the fret-board because my ring finger was slipping onto the next string. Now, I can confidently play the chord G7 -however I still do so slowly, especially when playing the song, because I need to adjust my fingers.
For next week, I am going to continue working on my chord transitions. I haven’t yet reached a place where I can play the chords without looking directly at my fingers, so hopefully I can master that by next week. I will also try practicing the song while humming so I can play on the proper beat.
