This week we had time to work on our musical growth in class. It was such a wonderful experience to have peers that were working towards a similar goal as mine in the same room practicing. I was able to help some classmates out with their ukuleles, strumming patterns, and helpful tips for switching between chords. I find that helping and teaching others also helps me to learn and grow. I also got to learn some new fingerpicking techniques from my classmate, David. It was to one of my favorite artist’s songs, Breakdown, by Jack Johnson. I’ve always struggled with fingerpicking and learning those types of techniques from online or youtube videos, and I found it incredibly helpful to learn in person. I have overall learned so much from being able to collaborate with classmates, sing and play songs together, and learn from others.
For Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World, in particular, I am still finding the chord Dm7 a battle. I find that it doesn’t necessarily sound pleasant within the song, and I tend to hum or sing out of tune when attempting to play it. I have watched a couple of different YouTube videos in order to try and play the chord properly, and think that the transition into it also needs some work. I have also attempted to watch more YouTube videos of different individuals singing the song, as well as listening to the original more often. Immersing myself in the song and rhythm is assisting me in my journey, as it allows to me have a clear idea of what I should be doing in order to excel in my performance of it.