My final goal for my midterm demonstration was to play the song Riptide and coordinate the strumming pattern with the chords while playing at the correct tempo. The final demonstration video that I included demonstrates that I did reach my goal. I am now comfortable with the ukulele, tuning the ukulele, and playing through the entire song. I also feel like I exceeded my learning goals, as I added an extra chord to the song and a second strumming pattern.

I enjoyed my process of learning the ukulele. I found that it was a “brain break” from my other homework and it was really rewarding to see my progress over the past few weeks. While learning, I think the most challenging part for me was strumming. It was difficult for me to find a finger position that worked for me when strumming; however, when I did find one, I was able to strum easily and I have become comfortable with the process. Also, I found the chord transitioning difficult, especially transition from Am to G. To become comfortable, I practiced the transition slowly and gradually became quicker.

Another thing I found helpful throughout the learning process was my reflections I wrote after practicing. I was able to keep track of when I practiced, and I was able to write down a few notes after each practice session. This helped me recognize what I was struggling with, what I wanted to focus on the next time I practiced, and how I stayed on track/ went ahead of my learning plan. These reflections also made it easy to write these blogs, as I remembered the specific details of my learning experience.

Overall, I enjoyed becoming familiar with the ukulele and learning the song Riptide. I am looking forward to learning my next two songs for my final demonstration!

Click the link below to watch my final demonstration of the song Riptide, by Vance Joy!

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