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On memorization - there is that caterpillar memorization - by small chunks then linking them - sth. like: C1 C2 C1+C2 C3 C2+C3 C1+C2+C3 C4 C3+C4 C1+C2+C3+C4 etc... Also for a tune like Andantino I would think "melody in top note - harmonized in low note in same interval + middle note drone" rather than memorizing each note separately - think about what functional harmony is outlined - then you only have very few things to remember.

Great effort, Peter! A lovely sounding piece, and I'm sure the more you post performances like these, the more confident you will become. I also appreciate the questions you asked, many of which are directly relevent to my own challenges re performance. And Jeff's answers were really helpful too!

The progress among the 2 videos is impressive!!! Thank you, Maria! I appreciate this feedback. Summer is on the way. Let's see what improvements it brings! :)

That was well played, Peter - nice tone - well execute cohesive melody and dynamics. I do not here any tension or memory skips when I listen to your recording - I hear deliberate structuring.

Peter, your rendition sounds good! I can't play a single piece by heart myself, and I feel like I'm wasting too much time consciously trying to memorize pieces instead of practicing other things. But I also realize that I can only sight-read a more challenging piece if I've memorized parts of it through a lot of practice. By "memorized," I mean that at a certain passage, I know what comes next. So it’s not as if I could play the…

Thank you all for your nice comments! I think slack-key tunings are often used on lap steel guitars. An expert could probably explain better what advantages an open tuning has on the ukulele. I think a lot of things sound different than they do with standard tuning. And it’s fun to think a little differently for a change. The A string is tuned two semitones lower in this tuning, which you have to take into account when looking for fingerings…

Just lovely!

Very nice, Peter! It sounds very soothing. I’ve never really understood what slack key guitar was. Maybe I’ll take a little look at that path to finally wrap my head around the distinction! There is a good introductory album called "Hawaiian Slack Key Masters" - came out in 1995 - still in print. You can find it on YT too.

Very nice, Peter! It sounds very soothing. I’ve never really understood what slack key guitar was. Maybe I’ll take a little look at that path to finally wrap my head around the distinction!

Ka Uluwehi O Ke Kai (Slack-key version) I learned this song a few days ago at a ukulele festival from Charlie Fischer, a singer born in the Philippines who lives in Switzerland and sings and plays Hawaiian songs with great authenticity. No wonder—Bryan Tolentino is her teacher and mentor. Herb Ohta Jr. even plays on her new CD. But here is Jeff’s slack-key arrangement, which I hope to eventually combine with what I learned from Charlie. There are a few…

Thanks Jeff, both for your words of encouragement and the wise advice - all of which I'll heed. :-) Peter

Aloha Peter, Great first entry to your progress journal! Yes--the Carcassi Andantino is in the key of F and not C. There should be one flat in the key signature. With more experience recording you will be able to relax and get through the other two pieces you are working on--thank you for your continued effort. I like to run through entire set lists in "performance mode" after practicing pieces extensively. You can actually develop your ability to adjust to…

Aloha Stephen, Great improvement in your left hand technique to achieve sustain--very well done with both the scale runs and arpeggiated chords. I can see that you focused on this and can really hear a more connected sound now--excellent work! For your right hand, I would suggest using more tilt in the wrist away from the sound board which can allow your fingers to move directly back towards the palm instead of pulling up and away. Just a slight adjustment…

At last! I've successfully recorded and uploaded a not-very-good performance of playing a simple ukulele piece with which to start a Practice Journal. It wasn't easy; in fact, the challenges I encountered along the way brought me to the brink of giving up trying to play the uke altogether. I started with an extended version of Sanz's Rugero - a piece that I love and thought I had committed to memory. The moment I started playing in front of my…

Perhaps some adjustment to the angle of attack for your thumb would take tension from your right hand? Your thumb is bent at first (from tip) - interphalangeal joint - IP. You seem to be applying energy to string by slightly twisting the thumb, inserting it "under" the string and pulling slightly outward. If I understand thumb technique IP joint plays no role - movement comes from carpometacarpal CMC joint - where thumb meets the wrist. I would rewatch Jeff's…