Some of your mix kit songs are really difficult to find the beat. I probably wouldn’t play that type of music anyway so it doesn’t matter. I enjoyed finding the beat on lots of the songs you listed.
Brad BordessaAug 15, 2023
There are some soundscape ones that are more ambient than anything and will be difficult to find the beat in, for sure. Focus on the more straight ahead ones.
Joseph FreemanAug 15, 2023
I’m very interested in this. I have heard your comment that there is really only one strumming pattern, and I agree. But there can be a lot of nuance in the dynamics of where the accents and the rests are, so I’m interested to see what you have to say. Thanks for doing this!
Brad BordessaAug 15, 2023
Hopefully the next couple of lessons are insightful on this, Joseph! Not enough time to go into the dynamics much, but you should see what my approach is. Any contrast is dynamics: strumming/not strumming. Enjoy!
ANDREW SCIACCAAug 15, 2023
This is a great start, the best, the pulse, that’s what moves people – what makes you want to get up and dance. No fun without the beat!
Lee CarrolllAug 15, 2023
Love this Brad. I am a teacher and my students often have issues finding the beat. Cheers Lee {Australia}
GeraldAug 15, 2023
Very helpful. What I was looking for.
Thanks
ClareAug 15, 2023
Very helpful and good examples. Good to hear it rather than reading it.
rayAug 15, 2023
I like the idea of this,but where is the course url.
I couldn’t findit on liveukulele.com.
thx Ray
Brad BordessaAug 15, 2023
It’s not live yet! Stay tuned for the announcement at the end of the week. Mahalo.
Gerald DragomirAug 15, 2023
Yep, it works, just like you said. Now I need to play with folks who can keep a beat going. I’ll be sending my buds your way. One of us will get it.
Tim LearmontAug 15, 2023
I don’t have too much problem finding beats, but I sometimes find it hard to decide which is the 1 beat, because some songs accent the second beat, and I find it harder to determine what the notes are “leading to” as you say in the video about finding the 1 beat.
Brad BordessaAug 16, 2023
I think that listening to straight-ahead rock/pop/oldies music with drums is probably the best way to get the feel for finding the 1. If you have an obvious and steady snare hit on the 2 and the 4, you’ve narrowed down your options by half. Then you can listen for a drum fill hint and go from there. You can find the beat in any style of music, but starting with Beatles, Stones, Billy Joel, Bruce, Foo Fighters, Van Halen, etc is the most obvious place to learn to listen for this.
Mandy McGregorAug 16, 2023
Wow! What fun playing along to these tunes and varying between strumming on all the beats or emphasising the1st and 3rd or 2nd and 4th beats. It´s really helpful. Thanks Brad!
Brad BordessaAug 16, 2023
It will be even better in the next couple videos! Stay tuned. Mahalo!
bob seeleyAug 16, 2023
Aloha and Mahalo nui Brad,
This is great practice for our ears even before involving a strum. An easy thing to practice even without the ‘ukulele in our hands. Clapping along or tapping quietly on a knee to find and keep that beat. Looking forward to the next video.
Brian DixonAug 16, 2023
Except for a few ambient compositions with no discernible beat, this exercise was easier than I thought it would be. Or at least, I subjectively experienced it as easy. If the timing of the one, two, three, and four tends to seem fairly obvious, am I likely to be overestimating my skill, or should I trust that I probably know what I’m doing?
Brad BordessaAug 16, 2023
You can probably trust that you’ve got a feel for it. However, better timing and rhythm is an active pursuit. Always be paying attention to the feel, even if you’re able to intuitively find the beat (it’s a lot harder once you start splitting your attention by strumming too). Sometimes it changes, sometimes it’s not where you expect, sometimes who you’re playing with will drop a beat and the easiest thing to do is compensate. Even though you can’t always predict these things, you have to be tuned in enough to notice them.
Margaret EasthopeAug 17, 2023
I always like working on timing. It’s uplifting. Mahalo Brad
EdnaAug 17, 2023
Wow!! This explanation has never been discussed at the ukulele group that I belong too!
This helps me a lot….thank you, thank you, thank you!!!❤️
GordonAug 19, 2023
That is helpful if you are playing with a group, and you have music, but when you are playing by yourself with no accompaniament, or a ukulele group of beginners…..what then?
JoramAug 19, 2023
Very helpful to get a foundation for what I’m doing here, thank you a lot. 62y m started learning ukulele (my first musical instrument), for fun and to reduce my polyneuropathy effects.
– greetings from Germany …. * music heals *
douglas powdrellAug 20, 2023
Aloha Brad; Very useful and easy to follow….Mahalo!!
Terry McAlearAug 23, 2023
My other instrument is a bass guitar so finding the beat is something that I needed to master. This the first time I have heard it described so simply. A great job Brad.
MarieAug 26, 2023
I so enjoy your lessons. It’s great to find someone that really teaches music theory that can help with other instruments too. You are a great ukulele teacher. I can’t wait to do the rest of the lessons! Thanks!
Gulfcoast gaSep 1, 2023
Link to the video did not work
Leslie LindemanSep 3, 2023
Thank you. A subject rarely covered by ukulele teachers.
You are the best teacher! Mahalo nui for demystifying music to my tone deaf
Very helpful!
How to sign up for new ulkulist for ulkule website and apps
Timely lesson as I’m working on some new songs that are not the normal strum patterns I’m accustomed to. I quite enjoy your tutorials Brad!
This is an aspect I glossed over being self taught. Now I can refine and improve my approach. Thank you
It’s an easy one to miss, David! That’s why I wanted to start with it, even though it seems overly simplistic.
Very clear information! Thank you Brad!
Some of your mix kit songs are really difficult to find the beat. I probably wouldn’t play that type of music anyway so it doesn’t matter. I enjoyed finding the beat on lots of the songs you listed.
There are some soundscape ones that are more ambient than anything and will be difficult to find the beat in, for sure. Focus on the more straight ahead ones.
I’m very interested in this. I have heard your comment that there is really only one strumming pattern, and I agree. But there can be a lot of nuance in the dynamics of where the accents and the rests are, so I’m interested to see what you have to say. Thanks for doing this!
Hopefully the next couple of lessons are insightful on this, Joseph! Not enough time to go into the dynamics much, but you should see what my approach is. Any contrast is dynamics: strumming/not strumming. Enjoy!
This is a great start, the best, the pulse, that’s what moves people – what makes you want to get up and dance. No fun without the beat!
Love this Brad. I am a teacher and my students often have issues finding the beat. Cheers Lee {Australia}
Very helpful. What I was looking for.
Thanks
Very helpful and good examples. Good to hear it rather than reading it.
I like the idea of this,but where is the course url.
I couldn’t findit on liveukulele.com.
thx Ray
It’s not live yet! Stay tuned for the announcement at the end of the week. Mahalo.
Yep, it works, just like you said. Now I need to play with folks who can keep a beat going. I’ll be sending my buds your way. One of us will get it.
I don’t have too much problem finding beats, but I sometimes find it hard to decide which is the 1 beat, because some songs accent the second beat, and I find it harder to determine what the notes are “leading to” as you say in the video about finding the 1 beat.
I think that listening to straight-ahead rock/pop/oldies music with drums is probably the best way to get the feel for finding the 1. If you have an obvious and steady snare hit on the 2 and the 4, you’ve narrowed down your options by half. Then you can listen for a drum fill hint and go from there. You can find the beat in any style of music, but starting with Beatles, Stones, Billy Joel, Bruce, Foo Fighters, Van Halen, etc is the most obvious place to learn to listen for this.
Wow! What fun playing along to these tunes and varying between strumming on all the beats or emphasising the1st and 3rd or 2nd and 4th beats. It´s really helpful. Thanks Brad!
It will be even better in the next couple videos! Stay tuned. Mahalo!
Aloha and Mahalo nui Brad,
This is great practice for our ears even before involving a strum. An easy thing to practice even without the ‘ukulele in our hands. Clapping along or tapping quietly on a knee to find and keep that beat. Looking forward to the next video.
Except for a few ambient compositions with no discernible beat, this exercise was easier than I thought it would be. Or at least, I subjectively experienced it as easy. If the timing of the one, two, three, and four tends to seem fairly obvious, am I likely to be overestimating my skill, or should I trust that I probably know what I’m doing?
You can probably trust that you’ve got a feel for it. However, better timing and rhythm is an active pursuit. Always be paying attention to the feel, even if you’re able to intuitively find the beat (it’s a lot harder once you start splitting your attention by strumming too). Sometimes it changes, sometimes it’s not where you expect, sometimes who you’re playing with will drop a beat and the easiest thing to do is compensate. Even though you can’t always predict these things, you have to be tuned in enough to notice them.
I always like working on timing. It’s uplifting. Mahalo Brad
Wow!! This explanation has never been discussed at the ukulele group that I belong too!
This helps me a lot….thank you, thank you, thank you!!!❤️
That is helpful if you are playing with a group, and you have music, but when you are playing by yourself with no accompaniament, or a ukulele group of beginners…..what then?
Very helpful to get a foundation for what I’m doing here, thank you a lot. 62y m started learning ukulele (my first musical instrument), for fun and to reduce my polyneuropathy effects.
– greetings from Germany …. * music heals *
Aloha Brad; Very useful and easy to follow….Mahalo!!
My other instrument is a bass guitar so finding the beat is something that I needed to master. This the first time I have heard it described so simply. A great job Brad.
I so enjoy your lessons. It’s great to find someone that really teaches music theory that can help with other instruments too. You are a great ukulele teacher. I can’t wait to do the rest of the lessons! Thanks!
Link to the video did not work
Thank you. A subject rarely covered by ukulele teachers.