Hi Dalia!

Great work today. Your homework was well done, and you were getting better at the challenges I kept giving you in class!

Here is what to play this week.

Strumming Patterns

Play the following SP’s. Do each one over the following chords. One SP on only one chord at a time.

  • The challenge with each of these is to remember to restart them with a down-strum. — Watch your RH (Right Hand) when playing these. Make sure to restart each SP with a down-strum every time!

Last week

“Pineapple Rest Rest!” — D DU rest rest

“Watermelon Che-rry!” — DUDU D D

“Apples Peaches Plums and Pears!” — DU DU DU D

This week

“Pineapple Pear Rest!” — D DU D rest

“Pineapple Rest Pear!” — D DU rest D — I named it differently in class; this name works too

  • The idea is to keep learning to silence the strings. Or as we say in guitar: mute the strings
  • Well done on this today!

Try all the above SP’s on the following chords.

Last week

This week

  • Aim to hold down each of these frets nice and strongly
  • Curl your fingers onto the frets
  • When in doubt, adjust the ukulele up so that your left arm and hand have plenty of space to hold down the frets nice and strongly
  • For the Am (A minor) chord: If finger 2 is too challenging, then feel free to play it with finger 1

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

Just pick twice on each of the first 2 notes.

  • Fret 0 on the E string
  • Then fret 7 on the E string
  • Picking is done with a smaller movement of your RH. Push down through the string with mostly your thumb
  • Make sure to have the pointed part of the pick be the one plucking through the string

Additional notes

  • The LH (Left Hand) nails need cutting to be able to hold down frets properly. Please do that as soon as possible. — Having RH nails is also not very good if you’re going to be using a pick, like we’re doing. This is not as important as it is for the LH. But if you’re going to be doing lessons with me for a long time, then I do recommend cutting those, too
  • Remember to stretch your hands after an ukulele playing session. The 3 different ones I demonstrated today: Fingers back. Thumb down. Wrist forward

Dalia will remember these stretches from class today. The man in this video demonstrates them, too. — If she forgets, have her watch this video.

  • The video starts with him showing some other ones that are really good for the arms and the back. Feel free to do these too. But it’s most important that you do the first 3 I described
  • He says do them before a session. That’s not necessary. You can do them in between a playing session, if you want. But for sure do them at the end of a playing session
  • Watch from 0:00-2:10

https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=1XsLRQFV7rY

Thank you so much, guys! See you in a week!