For my music learning goal, I wanted to learn how to play one song using at least 3 chords while singing at the same time. I chose to learn “Can’t help falling in love” by Elvis Presley. This song uses eight chords but they are on the easier side which is a really good beginner piece to play. My goal for this check-in was to just play the chords of the song and to not worry about singing at the same time. Because I don’t have much experience playing ukulele, I chose to do a simple strumming pattern using two downward strums per chord, and maintained a slow tempo throughout. My friend bought me a ukulele for Christmas and I played around with it but I never really took it too seriously until now.
Below is a link to a video of me playing the song
Some things I need to work on include:
- Smoother and faster transitions between chords
- Experiment with positioning the ukulele higher so I can have a better view of my finger placement
- Left thumb placement on the back of the fingerboard
- Making sure all my chords sound
In particular, I found it hard to transition to the G chord and sometimes the sound wouldn’t come out right. Also in the bridge section, the E minor chord was the one I struggled with the most because it is the chord with the most fingers that need to be pressed down. If I work on positioning my fingers on the fingerboard in a way where it takes the least amount of distance to switch from one chord to the next, as well as lift my fingers up more, I would see much improvement. I also want to work on practicing on a regular basis and at a scheduled time each day. Consistency is key for improvement, so I want to aim to practice for 15-20 minutes a day. Hopefully by the final check in, I will be able to perfect this song and sing along to it, and maybe even play another song!
Here is a resource I used to help me figure out what chords I needed to play: https://www.ukulele-tabs.com/uke-songs/elvis-presley/cant-help-falling-in-love-with-you-uke-tab-13973.html
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