I’m having a blast with Nani Ka’ala so far. I took your advice and avoided downloading the tabs in favor of learning by ear and watching. The language pronunciation lessons and backing tracks have been so helpful. There is so much useful material to work on with this song alone, but I can see how it all applies to anything I choose to play. So glad you have put in the time and thought this out so clearly. The backing tracks really help with my timing, and this course is geared toward every level of player. Thanks again.
Brad BordessaFeb 18, 2023
Glad to hear it, Bob!
William MoellerFeb 23, 2023
Language pronunciation and meaning are so interesting even if I can’t sing! Learning by ear is a new concept to me and worked great on this first song. More importantly, solo arrangement #2 opened my ears to all new possibilities on playing! Brad, your approach to learning is so different from others and I love it! I’ve learned so much from just the first song.
Brad BordessaFeb 23, 2023
Knowing the meaning changes your interpretation of the instrumental side too, IMO.
Glad you tried playing by ear! The melodies get more tricky as you go, but you also have this experience to build on so it probably balances out!
Holomua!
Stephen SmithFeb 25, 2023
I really enjoyed this! Love how you’re breaking everything down and the open-ended approach to putting together an original arrangement. Is it okay if I share my rendition here
*tear* I’m so proud! I had a big grin on my face the whole time! Thank you for being vulnerable and sharing.
Mark TroyMar 13, 2023
I agree completely with what the others have said. I’m starting to get some confidence playing by ear.
Brad BordessaMar 13, 2023
Fantastic! If there’s one thing that I’d like folks to take away from these lessons, it’s a little bit of ear confidence.
Paula BishopApr 27, 2023
My uke is tuned with re-entrant tuning which means brushing the G string is sometimes higher than the melody. It’s making it harder for me to get a feel for the brushing technique, but I’m sure I’ll eventually find something sounds ok to me.
Brad BordessaApr 27, 2023
It’s certainly going to sound different, Paula. I recommend listening to Troy Fernandez and the Kaʻau Crater Boys to hear the other side of the spectrum. He makes that high-g do amazing things I could never do with a low-G. Both high-g and low-G have advantages and disadvantages. It’s just a matter of getting comfy with what they are.
Patrice LeguyMay 30, 2023
Thanks Brad for your precious thoughts ! More than teaching a song, you reach a rich palet of music knowledge, open to creativity. I took (really ;O) ) my time for this first lesson, (practicing too much things on uke) and I’ve done some research to approach open C taropatch tuning for slack key uke as well. I think I lean more and more to hawaïan music… (I live in a Pacific island too). Aloha !
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I’m having a blast with Nani Ka’ala so far. I took your advice and avoided downloading the tabs in favor of learning by ear and watching. The language pronunciation lessons and backing tracks have been so helpful. There is so much useful material to work on with this song alone, but I can see how it all applies to anything I choose to play. So glad you have put in the time and thought this out so clearly. The backing tracks really help with my timing, and this course is geared toward every level of player. Thanks again.
Glad to hear it, Bob!
Language pronunciation and meaning are so interesting even if I can’t sing! Learning by ear is a new concept to me and worked great on this first song. More importantly, solo arrangement #2 opened my ears to all new possibilities on playing! Brad, your approach to learning is so different from others and I love it! I’ve learned so much from just the first song.
Knowing the meaning changes your interpretation of the instrumental side too, IMO.
Glad you tried playing by ear! The melodies get more tricky as you go, but you also have this experience to build on so it probably balances out!
Holomua!
I really enjoyed this! Love how you’re breaking everything down and the open-ended approach to putting together an original arrangement. Is it okay if I share my rendition here
https://youtu.be/hId8XPxKyfc
*tear* I’m so proud! I had a big grin on my face the whole time! Thank you for being vulnerable and sharing.
I agree completely with what the others have said. I’m starting to get some confidence playing by ear.
Fantastic! If there’s one thing that I’d like folks to take away from these lessons, it’s a little bit of ear confidence.
My uke is tuned with re-entrant tuning which means brushing the G string is sometimes higher than the melody. It’s making it harder for me to get a feel for the brushing technique, but I’m sure I’ll eventually find something sounds ok to me.
It’s certainly going to sound different, Paula. I recommend listening to Troy Fernandez and the Kaʻau Crater Boys to hear the other side of the spectrum. He makes that high-g do amazing things I could never do with a low-G. Both high-g and low-G have advantages and disadvantages. It’s just a matter of getting comfy with what they are.
Thanks Brad for your precious thoughts ! More than teaching a song, you reach a rich palet of music knowledge, open to creativity. I took (really ;O) ) my time for this first lesson, (practicing too much things on uke) and I’ve done some research to approach open C taropatch tuning for slack key uke as well. I think I lean more and more to hawaïan music… (I live in a Pacific island too). Aloha !