Want to Sound Hawaiian?
These Lessons Will Show You the Way!
A huge part of Hawaiian-style lead playing (also blues and folk) is made up of double-stop 6th harmonies – also called “runs” or “shapings.”
Whether leading your ear to the next chord with a little fill or harmonizing a melody, these 6th double-stops are key building blocks to the laid-back, pleasing music of Hawaiʻi.
6th Sense is an in-depth, 16 video lesson course covering everything you need to know about 6th intervals on the uke:
- The two simple shapes you need to play them
- How to line shapes up to play harmonized scales
- Fitting simple runs around chords
- How to create 6th fills in songs
- Practical examples of how to implement them, including two classic Hawaiian songs
Watch this video for some examples and an overview:
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“These practical examples are sooo helpful. I feel like I’ve won the lottery!”
– Val Slemko
What You Get
Videos
16 videos with a total of just under two hours of lessons recorded in 1080p HD.
Each lesson is shot with two camera angles so you see a wide angle when I’m explaining something:
…and also a close-up, fingers-only view when there’s a demonstration to see:
Lesson topics include:
- Intro/Welcome – Overview of the course along with basic terminology, concepts, and expectations
- The Two 6th Shapes – How to play the major and minor 6th shapes and place them on the proper strings and frets
- Your First Harmonized Scale – How to harmonize a simple scale using major and minor 6th shapes
- More Scales + Scale Concepts – How scales function internally with 6th harmonies and several additional scales
- BONUS LESSON: Switching String Pairs – How to extend scales onto other strings to extend their range and location
- How to Learn More Scales – Study tips for learning more scales in a harmonized style
- Playing Over Chords: Part 1 – Learning how 6ths fit around chord shapes
- Playing Over Chords: Part 2 – (Continued)
- Playing Over Chords: Practical Examples – Part 1 – Using 6ths to connect the dots between chord changes and play basic fills
- Playing Over Chords: Practical Examples – Part 2 – (Continued)
- Symmetrical Chromatic Connections – How to use back-to-back 6th shapes to create sour and intriguing transitions
- Scrubbing – Tips for dipping the harmony shapes out of line to create movement
- Broken 6ths – Using the individual components of the 6th shapes to create melody variations
- “Ka Moaʻe” – Song tutorial including how to play the melody and how to jazz it up using tricks learned in past lessons
- “Hilo One” – Song tutorial including how to play the melody and how to jazz it up using tricks learned in past lessons
- Final Study Tips/Outro – How to continue learning about 6ths beyond these lessons and some final inspiration
Printables
Over 25 PDF downloads accompany the lessons to illustrate key concepts and provide additional study. These include beautiful fretboard maps and TAB transcriptions of examples played on camera.
Printables include:
- Video Examples – TAB x9
- Scales With Chromatic Walks (C, F, G) – TAB
- Fretboard Charts (Main Keys) x6
- 6th Shapes in Major Chords Map
- 6ths Over Chords – Fretboard Diagrams x5
- “Ka Moaʻe” – Lead Sheet TAB
- “Ka Moaʻe” – Video Improv Transcription TAB
- “Hilo One” – Lead sheet TAB
- “Hilo One” – Video Improv Transcription TAB
Backing Tracks
Four exclusive backing tracks give you a chance to improvise and play along and utilize 6ths yourself. There are two options each for two keys.
“As an intermediate player, most of the on-line resources and books that I have used are either too focused upon specific technique or present so much information that I am overwhelmed. Brad Bordessa’s material seems to hit the “sweet” spot for me by teaching topics that are within my technical ability and yet have broad application.
His new 6th Sense course has just enough theory for it to make sense and enough practical skills to make it immediately useful. My first viewing of these videos and supporting materials has already given me much food for thought and enabled me to add musical interest to my projects. And there is enough depth to keep me busy for a long time.”
– Harold Crawford
Who Are You?
My name is Brad Bordessa. I live in Hawaiʻi. I’ve been playing and teaching ukulele for over a decade and a half.
Teaching ukulele in Freiberg, Germany
I’m an honors graduate of the Institute of Hawaiian Music and annual staff instructor at George Kahumoku, Jr.’s Slack Key & Ukulele Workshop. I’ve performed and taught alongside James Hill, Kevin Carroll, Fred Sokolau, Herb Ohta, Jr., and many other great Hawaiian and ukulele artists.
My four ukulele instructional ebooks have all garnered critical acclaim and sold over 2,400 copies.
Testimonials
$24.99 for a Lifetime Membership
FAQ
What Level Player is This Course For?
Advance-Beginner and up players will probably get the most out of this subject and presentation.
In order to avoid frustration, you should be able to switch between basic chords easily, understand ukulele learning lingo (up=higher, down=lower, string names, etc…), and have some practice playing single-note melodies.
Is it for High-g or Low-G?
6ths are easiest to play with a low-G since this gives you more range. There are some examples that make use of this, but the majority of the material is played on the C- and A-strings so it works for high-g tuned ukes too!
For those moments where we do duck down to the low-G string, I have a video explaining how high-g players can still make lovely music with the same shapes and patterns, instead utilizing a 3rd harmony sound in those moments.
Can I Use 6ths For Genres Besides Hawaiian?
Absolutely! 6ths are common is many styles of music including blues and folk.
My expertise is Hawaiian music so I teach it from that angle, but everything you learn can be applied to any genre.
Is it Live or Pre-Recorded?
The entire course is pre-recorded so you can study on your own time.
Can I Use Baritone For This Course?
6th Sense is taught in standard GCEA tuning and I have no plans to make a baritone version.
However, the content and concepts can be adapted for baritone tuning if you’re willing to put in a little extra work and deal with the inherent quirks of spanning the two tunings.
Baritone players have two main options for adapting the material:
Play along with me fret-for-fret and transpose the names of the notes as you go. The sound will be off, but you’ll be learning blow-for-blow how the shapes work on the fretboard and teaching yourself what the notes are called in DGBE tuning.
OR…
Capo on the 5th fret and follow along as if you were playing a GCEA uke. This is a more straightforward option since the note names and sounds will match mine. The trouble is that you’ll be missing the lower part of the fretboard. The good news is you’ll be well equipped to figure out what’s there on your own by the end of the course.
Is There a Guarantee?
Yes. Just email me at liveukulele@gmail.com and I’ll refund your money.
I strive to make the very best content available, but if it just doesn’t work for you, it’s fully backed by a no-frills guarantee.
“Brad has presented a clear, concise and thoughtfully created lesson sequence for understanding 6ths. The video and audio content is as sharp as the many ways he helps us understand and use 6ths in actual music. I love the Hawaiian songs he has chosen for bringing his teaching ‘home’ musically. Excellent learning tool!” (PC: Craig Chee)
– Kevin Carroll
$24.99 for a Lifetime Membership