I’d be happy to help beta test. I’ve got several iphones, iPads, and Android tablets I could test on, and provide feedback as far as usability, design patterns, defect reports, etc.

The Koke’e strum version is easy but the tab version is too much for me, I can’t keep up with it at 150 bpm. I’ve decided to keep focusing on the UU 101 basics, and I picked out a slower and easier song with fingerpicking….yellow bird. Surprisingly I found some of the chord stretches harder than I thought I would. Hoping to be able to play through it without too many horrific errors by this weekend if I keep practicing an hour a day.

Nice! This inspires me to practice more!

I’ve run through the first half of UU 101 (the 2017 version) several times, plus lots of generalized chord and picking practice. Then decided I wanted to have a song to focus on along with the basics so I don’t lose enthusiasm. I picked Koke’e, but not the easy chord only version, the version with picking also, I think it’s UU Lesson 125. Since rolls were suggested in the strum, I diverted to the lessons on rolls, then came back to the Koke’e lesson. This will keep me busy awhile. The chord part is easy without roll,s but I can’t consistently do it with a roll yet. For the picking part I am too slow, plus I tend to want to use more than just my thumb (my classical guitar experience showing through). Once I master the song (or at least get adequate it, I want to learn the words also as it is quite beautiful).

I’ll mix up continuing to practice the basics (especially strumming in the right form, as I have a tendency to revert when I don’t pay attention), and mix in practice of this beautiful song.

I did indeed reward myself with a mint Kamaka HB-D2 Ohta San (bell-shaped concert), made in 2005, which I am told means it is highly likely to have been made by Casey Kamaka (Update: I contacted the Kamaka factory and they very nicely told me the seller was leading me on and that it was made by the production team, but I don’t care as it is still awesome). It’s a thing of beauty to behold and sits more comfortably in my hands than my Oscar OU280SWK (which I can tell may stay in the case a lot now). Something about the neck rests easier in my left hand and the bell-shaped body seems easier to hold. It just feels like the perfect fit for me! I love it! Now I have to really practice to become worthy of this instrument (and the Kala Elite tenor I purchased several days ago. The Kala is at a luthier, as I think the action may be too high, and until I strengthen my hands more, the increased tension on the strings is too much for me on a daily basis. It is a lovely uke though with quite the mellow sweet sound).

The Kamaka came with what I think are Aquila strings and is strung to high G. Considering switching back to factory Kamaka strings with low G or possibly the Aquila Lava strings in Low G….. if I can put it done long enough to do so. I really dig the low G sound of it I’ve seen in videos.

My Kamaka

• This reply was modified 2 years, 8 months ago by shanmoon.
• This reply was modified 2 years, 8 months ago by shanmoon.
• This reply was modified 2 years, 8 months ago by shanmoon.

Nice to meet you in the coaching session! I feel so much better about my slow progress after Aldrine’s guidance. After hearing some of the other’s in the coaching session I realize I have far to go, but I determined to get there.

Totally psyched! Been struggling with chunking all week, and did a live group lesson with Aldrine. In less than 2 minutes, he helped me fix my cruddy strumming form (darn bad guitar habits and nerve damage!)… now I can chunk (sort of). I’m still clumsy and need some serious practice to get the proper strumming motion down, but now I know what I was doing wrong. I’ll have to look down at my hand while strumming for awhile til I get the muscle memory to stick since I can’t really feel what I am doing with that hand well.

Very happy! My persistence shall be rewarded with a nicer uke! Kamaka or Kanile’a. I feel like I can practice hard and get past this nerve deficit in my hands.

Thanks for sharing! I’ve got a Kamaka Ohana San (bell concert), and this will really inspire me to work on it. I may try to transcribe that tab to a format with sheet music above and tabs below and share it back to the community if the original tab author doesn’t mind. I’ll have to email him.

…and UAS hit me hard.

Saw a mint 2015 Kala Elite Koa Tenor on Reverb on June 1, and ended up ordering it after listening to some samples of one on TUS. It arrived today. I wasn’t sure if I would like the low G or not but I do. I like the bell-like sound of the Kala fluorocarbon strings, but it is almost too bright. I am having a hard time pressing the strings down and was surprised at how much they cut into my fingers. Considering Aquilas instead, but someone suggested I have the action checked for being too high before I change.

Regardless, I love it- it is beautiful to look at and listen too. I will be working with it, but probably not as much as my OU280SWK, at least until I get the basics down better.

And did I say UAS hit. On a crazy whim, I ordered another uke I saw on Reberb, a 2005 Kamaka Ohta-San. I have wanted a Kamaka since I first started listening to ukes, and at half price of a new one, I couldn’t resist…. Probably not the best financial decision to make on top of the Kala purchase, but I was feeling down (my dog passed away). The Ohta-san intrigued me because it is described as being made for fingerpicking, and I used to finger pick on classical guitar years ago. We’ll see what I think of it.

Continuing to repeat the UU 101 vids, strumming vids, chord vids, and a few basic songs. This will probably be what I do daily for the next month until my technique is consistent. I still suck at chunking.

Thanks! I am also already thinking about my next uke. I’m hoping to make a trip to Hawaii around Christmas 2019 and visit the Kamaka and Kanale’a shops in person to pick out a soprano or tenor.

I’ve been practicing hours every evening hoping to get to the point where I can do the more complex chord changes, and then maybe tackle the “Dexterity Test” intermedia course once I can actually play some beginner songs.

Nice to see another uke newbie here! I found the UU 100 and Basic Strumming courses to be great intros. I’m definitely going to keep my subscription up.

Finding that I need to focus on the basics. This is where my prior guitar experience and nerve damage from my hangliding crash are working against me. I’m expecting too much from myself, and need to focus on basic strumming and other simple techniques. Worry about playing real songs later.

Completed all 6 lessons in the Basic Strumming Coures. Will revisit this again, particularly the lesson on the Calypso pattern, which I still need to work on to get it consistently.

Completed Ukulele 100 Lesson 4 & 5. Found 5 challenging with the different chord strumming and singing patterns. Sure wish someone had introduced that to be early on playing guitar. I will probably revisit lesson 5 quite a few times in the future.

• This reply was modified 2 years, 9 months ago by shanmoon.