Am I lazy? Graded Repertoire for Classical - moving Greensleeves position

[ploverwing]

I'm starting in on Grade 2 of the "Graded Repertoire for Classical Ukulele", and they have an arrangement of "Greensleeves" which to me, is super awkward in shifting up & down the neck. I get it - there is a lot of value in learning how to shift up & down the neck (and I enjoy doing so in many other pieces). This piece, though, feels awkward as heck, so I just shifted everything up the neck and barely have to do any moving around at all. Plus it sounds really satisfying that way (on the tenor, not bad on the soprano either, just requires a lot more skill since it's more sensitive to proper technique, especially up the neck).

For anyone else working through this book, what are your thoughts about it? Have you tried it and found it kind of weird, or does it just make sense naturally for you to follow the recommended left-hand fingering?

 

[pmorey]

I definitely agree with what you are saying but I have found the there is literally a method to the madness of this book and the UCA. So, though I have often found Jeff's suggested fingerings awkward at the time, I have seen these earlier techniques pay off later ( I am finishing up grade 3 currently).

Having said that, the grade 2 Greensleeves is not a piece I play regularly specifically due to the arrangement. I'm sure you've seen there is a more complete arrangement in grade 5 and I figure that will be the one that becomes part of my repertoire.

 

[ploverwing]

I definitely agree with what you are saying but I have found the there is literally a method to the madness of this book and the UCA. So, though I have often found Jeff's suggested fingerings awkward at the time, I have seen these earlier techniques pay off later ( I am finishing up grade 3 currently).

Having said that, the grade 2 Greensleeves is not a piece I play regularly specifically due to the arrangement. I'm sure you've seen there is a more complete arrangement in grade 5 and I figure that will be the one that becomes part of my repertoire.

No I've not yet seen that thanks for pointing it out. Ok, I'll endure and practice with the cumbersome fingering, but for good alternate practice (i.e. it's food for my brain and fingers to remember there is more to the fretboard than 1st position), I'll throw in my fingering arrangement too. Thanks a lot for your feedback!

 

[Ukelori]

This is an earlier lesson so you are probably long past this level. My big takeaway on the lesson was learning to move between different positions up and down the fretboard while keeping the left hand in good form. Oh, and alternating between index and middle, Every Single Note. A lesson side benefit was learning notes higher up on the A string and 6/8 time with dotted notes.

The lesson in grade 5 has chords and melody, similar to the John King arrangement up and down the fretboard. So my guess is that this early one is a skill building version. Yes, what pmorey said.

 

[ploverwing]

This is an earlier lesson so you are probably long past this level. My big takeaway on the lesson was learning to move between different positions up and down the fretboard while keeping the left hand in good form. Oh, and alternating between index and middle, Every Single Note. A lesson side benefit was learning notes higher up on the A string and 6/8 time with dotted notes.

The lesson in grade 5 has chords and melody, similar to the John King arrangement up and down the fretboard. So my guess is that this early one is a skill building version. Yes, what pmorey said.

Well those would be good skills for me to develop so I'll definitely suck it up. Thanks a lot for your comments, too. No I'm definitely not past this level, there are still pieces in grade one that I'm struggling with to sound clear.

Do either of you (@pmorey too) subscribe for the online tuition of this program or just the books? So far I just have the books. If you (or someone else in UU land) does subscribe to the online program, what are your thoughts about that vs just working through the books?

 

[RPAtech]

I'm thinking of buying this book. Are there video links that accompany each of the songs in the book?

 

[Ukelori]

Yes, I signed up back in May for lessons and am so impressed. There are a lot of good teachers and books, not knocking anyone else, but his curriculum and style was what I was looking for.

Could I learn with just the books? Maybe, but his lessons for a year cost less than my first uke. This Greensleeves lesson was 15 minutes and there have been 20-30 lessons before this.

I do toy with the idea of buying the spiral books, the digital books/pages are included with the lessons, but if I had the books I could make my notes on them.

 

[ploverwing]

I'm thinking of buying this book. Are there video links that accompany each of the songs in the book?

I've found YouTube videos at least for someone playing the pieces, not necessarily going through the nitty gritty details; that's what the subscription is for.

Yes, I signed up back in May for lessons and am so impressed. There are a lot of good teachers and books, not knocking anyone else, but his curriculum and style was what I was looking for.

Could I learn with just the books? Maybe, but his lessons for a year cost less than my first uke. This Greensleeves lesson was 15 minutes and there have been 20-30 lessons before this.

I do toy with the idea of buying the spiral books, the digital books/pages are included with the lessons, but if I had the books I could make my notes on them.

OK, I'll keep it in mind. I don't feel yet like investing in online lessons, I'm going to start with one-on-one lessons at the end of August, so we'll see where that takes me. I agree, I really do like this method, it really suits what I was looking for, too (as does Samantha Muir's Introduction to Classical Ukulele, for reentrant tuning). I have the hard copy (not spiral bound) from Amazon, and I do mark them up (in fact, I've made some notes on the tabs for a couple of the studies in the Grade 1 for my Requinto efforts).

 

[pmorey]

Do either of you (@pmorey too) subscribe for the online tuition of this program or just the books?

Yep, I started in June of 2021 and renewed again for this year as well. In the past I subscribed to Ukulele Way and Artist Works but UCA is the only one I renewed - it just seemed to suit me best.

I started with just the book for a year before that. I really started to accelerate my progress after joining. Jeff is incredibly helpful and very willing to provide feedback to videos. I do get some fatigue and sometimes need a break from the baroque arrangements, but there is MUCH more there than just what is in the Graded Repertoire book. I would feel safe in saying it is well worth it to try for a month to see if it suits you. Very highly recommended, especially if you like the book.

If you are not aware, he is about to release a second book of repertoire. All of those arrangements will be available for download as part of UCA as well.

 

[ploverwing]

Yep, I started in June of 2021 and renewed again for this year as well. In the past I subscribed to Ukulele Way and Artist Works but UCA is the only one I renewed - it just seemed to suit me best.

I started with just the book for a year before that. I really started to accelerate my progress after joining. Jeff is incredibly helpful and very willing to provide feedback to videos. I do get some fatigue and sometimes need a break from the baroque arrangements, but there is MUCH more there than just what is in the Graded Repertoire book. I would feel safe in saying it is well worth it to try for a month to see if it suits you. Very highly recommended, especially if you like the book.

If you are not aware, he is about to release a second book of repertoire. All of those arrangements will be available for download as part of UCA as well.

That's very helpful feedback, thank you so much!

 

[Patty]

I'm starting in on Grade 2 of the "Graded Repertoire for Classical Ukulele", and they have an arrangement of "Greensleeves" which to me, is super awkward in shifting up & down the neck. I get it - there is a lot of value in learning how to shift up & down the neck (and I enjoy doing so in many other pieces). This piece, though, feels awkward as heck, so I just shifted everything up the neck and barely have to do any moving around at all. Plus it sounds really satisfying that way (on the tenor, not bad on the soprano either, just requires a lot more skill since it's more sensitive to proper technique, especially up the neck).

For anyone else working through this book, what are your thoughts about it? Have you tried it and found it kind of weird, or does it just make sense naturally for you to follow the recommended left-hand fingering?

I like this book a LOT. At times I’ve been tempted to simplify a fingering here & there, but I’ve always gone back to following Jeff’s recommended fingering. Why? (1) His turned out to make more sense in the context of the piece as a whole, and in the context of the “graded repertory” approach to teaching. (2) I learned something about playing, gained some new skill, stretched myself a bit, by following the harder, tougher route.

Not sure whether this makes sense, or whether it addresses your question. But when I first picked up this book I took a lot of shortcuts. And those shortcuts didn’t take me anywhere, in terms of my progress. So at around Grade 4, I went back and started all over again and paid attention to what each step was supposed to be teaching me. Found that it was much more rewarding this way.

 

[Patty]

I'm thinking of buying this book. Are there video links that accompany each of the songs in the book?

Jeff plays most of the pieces—at least the more advanced ones—on YT; check out the Ukulele Corner website.

 

[RPAtech]

Jeff plays most of the pieces—at least the more advanced ones—on YT; check out the Ukulele Corner website.

Thank you. That's good to know there is something supporting the book.
I will take a look.

 

[ploverwing]

I like this book a LOT. At times I’ve been tempted to simplify a fingering here & there, but I’ve always gone back to following Jeff’s recommended fingering. Why? (1) His turned out to make more sense in the context of the piece as a whole, and in the context of the “graded repertory” approach to teaching. (2) I learned something about playing, gained some new skill, stretched myself a bit, by following the harder, tougher route.

Not sure whether this makes sense, or whether it addresses your question. But when I first picked up this book I took a lot of shortcuts. And those shortcuts didn’t take me anywhere, in terms of my progress. So at around Grade 4, I went back and started all over again and paid attention to what each step was supposed to be teaching me. Found that it was much more rewarding this way.

I have caught myself doing some changes to fingering, but I am trying really hard to follow as exactly as I possibly can (there have been a couple that I just can't quite make the stretch yet, so in order to keep the flow, I change slightly, but I do continue to practice the "proper" fingering to get it in there). This one was the only so far that I just couldn't be bothered with the fingering as is (initially), but I do appreciate the reasoning behind the way it is arranged, so I will work on it somewhat. I'm also wanting to play to enjoy things, and to make music beautifully, so I'm not sweating it too much. I will come back and try things again as I build my skills, too.

Thanks, everyone, I really appreciate your input. I am following this method because it does, on the whole, match what I was looking for, and there are, as you all say, reasons for the arrangements as they stand, so I will spend time also learning the approach as it's intended.

 

[merlin666]

Not familiar with the book but isn't the whole purpose of a graded approach to grow the skill level? Many teachers make playing some songs more complicated than necessary as a way to teach specific techniques, so modifying this defeats this purpose.

 

[ploverwing]

Not familiar with the book but isn't the whole purpose of a graded approach to grow the skill level? Many teachers make playing some songs more complicated than necessary as a way to teach specific techniques, so modifying this defeats this purpose.

Yes, absolutely a fair comment.

 

[Yash Adams]

I'm starting in on Grade 2 of the "Graded Repertoire for Classical Ukulele", and they have an arrangement of "Greensleeves" which to me, is super awkward in shifting up & down the neck. I get it - there is a lot of value in learning how to shift up & down the neck (and I enjoy doing so in many other pieces).
This piece, though, feels awkward as heck, so I just shifted everything up the neck and barely have to do any moving around at all.
Plus it sounds really satisfying that way (on the tenor, not bad on the soprano either, just requires a lot more skill since it's more sensitive to proper technique, especially up the neck).

For anyone else working through this book, what are your thoughts about it?
Have you tried it and found it kind of weird, or does it just make sense naturally for you to follow the recommended left-hand fingering?



I remember how sad I was when I graduated. It was time to start building a career and it was scary. I always liked studying and even the large number of assignments did not cause me difficulties. Sometimes I asked for help with writing assignments. And with fixgerald.com, I was always confident that my work was unique. It helped me a lot in my studies.

This book was very helpful for me.

 

[ploverwing]

This book was very helpful for me.

Welcome to the forum Yash Adams! Thanks for contributing, I'm so glad you've joined the conversation

 

[Edspyhill05]

Not familiar with the book but isn't the whole purpose of a graded approach to grow the skill level? Many teachers make playing some songs more complicated than necessary as a way to teach specific techniques, so modifying this defeats this purpose.

Classical guitar has too many methods, and each teacher creates a new method. Transferring CG methods directly to the ukulele just makes progress too difficult. The only person with CG background who takes a more graded approach is Samantha Muir. In fact, she just modified the Carulli method for reentrant ukulele for her PhD. The old, original methods still are relevant.

This is just my experience with CG and the ukulele. I also have to recommend Elisabeth Pfeifer's Renaissance book.

I wonder if there is a Suzuki ukulele method.