Uketropolis: Ukulele Q&A with James Hill

Barbara on "Lesson 5: Carnival of Venice (Interlaced)"
When playing a song like this, I often find myself playing one string off on my right or left hand (sometimes both) because I am looking at the music. Do you have any suggestions on how not to get "lost"?

James answers:
Hi Barbara, good question! I second what Zsolt said and I'll add this. It sounds a bit odd, but try playing with your eyes closed! Even if that means you just memorize a small part of the piece (1 or 2 measures) and then play that part 10 times with your eyes shut. You will hear and feel things in a new way. Try it and let me know if it helps!

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Catherine on "Lesson 3: Interlaced and Synchronous Arranging"
How do you choose which note to insert for the interlacing accompaniment?

Reply by Zsolt from Team Uketropolis on "Lesson 3: Interlaced and Synchronous Arranging"
That is a great question! There are many ways - on the above example James fills the gaps with one note from the underlying harmony - usually in a way that the fill is below the melody note (which is a bit more challenging with the re-entrant tuning, so you might check out the re-entrant version of this lesson too to really get the idea). As you go along, you will see some more ways to do it.

James answers:
Great reply, Zsolt, I couldn't have said it better! Does clarify things, Catherine? If not, keep asking questions; we're here to help!

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Catherine on "Lesson 7: Carnival of Venice (Synchronous)"
James: I'm really enjoying your ukulele series. Any info on music theory is appreciated. Somewhere about ten seconds into your explanation on why chords are marked C when they're really C6 or CSUS4, my brain shut down. Do you have tutorials on straight theory for the non-musically inclined? It would be so helpful to be able to review theory on its own without having to search it out within each tutorial. Thanks so much.

James answers:
Hi Catherine, glad you're enjoying the lessons! There aren't any theory-only lessons in The Ukulele Way although one of the learning paths in the Navigator (https://www.uketropolis.com/navigator) has a special focus on theory. This is a topic that would be great to put out to other students on the Community page to see what others recommend. I'd also be happy to clarify anything in the discussion of C vs. C6 vs. Csus4 if you'd like!

Join the next Uketropolis LIVE and be part of the podcast! Bring a uke, bring a friend, bring a question on the first Thursday of next month. It's free to attend. Details at www.uketropolis.com/podcast.

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• Learn more about Uke Heads and join the band at www.ukeheads.com
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