Here is what I wanted to accomplish for Weeks 1-3 (from my learning plan):

  • Watch videos to learn the basics of the ukulele
  • Learn how to tune the ukulele
  • Learn how to play 3 chords (Am, G, C) and transition between the chords
  • Learn a strumming pattern (down, down, up, down, up) and practice the strumming pattern with chords

During the first week of my practice schedule, I became familiar with the ukulele, how to hold it, and where to place my fingers for specific chords. Since I have never played a string instrument before, it was difficult to hold the ukulele and coordinate my hands with the strings. However, I feel that I caught on to the process pretty quickly and overall, I did not find the process too challenging!

To tune the ukulele, I used the app Guitar Tuner, in addition to Music Play Online’s tuning resource. The initial tuning was a bit complicated, as I was confused about which way to turn the tuners to make the sound higher or lower. However, once I became familiar with the tuning app, it was so easy to tune my ukulele in C. Also, the app made it easy to quickly alter the tuning before playing, as I found that my ukulele went out of tune in between my practice sessions.

Chords:

While learning the chords, I found that Am and C were fairly easy, and I was able to learn these quickly. However, I did find G the most difficult, as my fingers tended to touch all 4 strings, as opposed to the specific strings needed for that chord. To help with this, I talked to my friend who is familiar with playing the ukulele. She gave me some tips, such as curving my wrist, and she explained that it will come easier with practice! During these first few weeks, working on G was my biggest challenge.

Strumming:

Strumming was also a challenge for me. I researched various ways to strum to find what worked best for me. I started strumming with my thumb, which worked for down strums, but I found it difficult to strum upwards. I talked to another friend who gave me some strumming tips, and she recommended that I strum with my index finger and thumb pinched together. She explained that I should use my index finger to go downwards, and the nail of my thumb when strumming upwards. She also suggested that I strummed closer to the neck. This was much easier and helped me become more comfortable with strumming!

During these first few weeks, I decided to start learning the song a bit earlier than I planned. My learning plan said Week 4; however, I started learning the song at the beginning of Week 3 since I was becoming familiar with the chords and was getting more comfortable with strumming. It was super fun to play the song and apply my knowledge of strumming/ chords to something more dynamic. While playing, I was finding it difficult to imagine how these chords sound in relation to my typical view of the song, So, I got my sister to sing for me (at a slower pace than the actual tempo) to help visualize it, which really helped.

So far, my process of learning the ukulele has been really enjoyable. Once I found a strumming pattern that worked for me and I became familiar with the chords, learning to play the song was not too challenging. I think it is awesome that I moved a little ahead of my learning plan schedule and explored playing the song a bit earlier than expected because it has been really enjoyable!

During the next few weeks, these are some things I wanted to focus on:

  • Smoother transitions between chords
  • Smoother strumming
  • Playing at a quicker tempo (and playing at a more consistent pace)