I can't play almost any song fluently

[Erwitt]

Hello!

I've been playing ukulele for about two years, mainly chord melody. And after all this time I feel frustrated because I can barely play songs from end to end fluently, without making mistakes or losing tempo. I'm talking about songs like the ones in the first two books of the 'Ukelele Way', some of the easier ones by Myke Lynch, for those of you who know this resources, or this one from Ukulele Time which I'm practicing now:



Maybe I play well 80% of the song, but there's always some part that I cannot stand, like a slightly more difficult chord change or a faster passage, etc. And after a few months, I get fed up, look for another song and start again, leaving a trail of half-learned songs.

I don't know what to do to advance in my learning, whether to slow down the tempo, start with even easier songs (which ones?) or what. It's also true that during these two years I haven't been very consistent, due to lack of time, and there have been weeks when I've only practised one or two days. But I usually play 4-5 times a week.

Any suggestions? Thank you!

 

[Kermit80]

Do you follow any instructors? In my experience it makes a big difference.

If you do, try to change and find someone else. He/she may just not be the right teacher for you.

 

[ProfChris]

I'm guessing that when you make a mistake you stop. Then you try to get that bit right, then you carry on. This is what we all do to start with.

The really important thing is to practice playing right through without stopping, even if you make mistakes. Keep the time, keep it going. Believe it or not, most professional players make mistakes - their skill is to recover so fast that the audience doesn't even notice!

Once you can play a song all the way through, work on the bits where you made mistakes. You want to find out why you went wrong. Here are some possibilities:

• the chord change where you start that part, or a change part way through, is awkward. Work on that change until you get it (or get it better). Play the whole song through again (not stopping for mistakes).
• you can't make the change no matter how hard you practice it. So you'll have to change something - maybe you need different fingering. For example, when I'm playing a G7 (0212) sometimes I play it 'normally' with fingers 1-3, other times with fingers 2-4 - the second option leaves finger 1 free to move to the next chord.
• if changing the fingering doesn't work you might need a different shape - suppose your chord melody requires a D chord with the D on the A string, 5th fret. You can play this 7655 or 2225. Switching to the other shape might make the difference.

Once you know why you went wrong, keep playing the song all the way through, then working on the awkward part, then play it through again.

Also, I wouldn't work on just one song at a time. Work on 2 or 3, so you can switch between them every 10-15 mins. This stops your brain switching off, and your fingers get to move in different patterns so they don't cramp up.

Finally, audio record yourself from time to time. Listening back can help you work out what went wrong and why. Also, you can hear if you've improved, which is very encouraging!

 

[ripock]

I emphatically agree with not stopping. Plus, look at the big picture. If you spend a $100 for a night out with the boys, the pleasure is gone in an evening. If you spend $100 on a ukulele, you get to enjoy it for the rest of your life. So enjoy your time and know what you have a lifetime to improve.

 

[firesgt911]

Something that helps with rhythm is to play with other people. Are there any ukulele groups in your area? Maybe a group jam/strum along or similar could be beneficial.

Interestingly, even pros make mistakes. We just rarely notice them because they play through them and act as if they didn't even happen. As everyone else has said, just keep going. Move past the mistakes and regain your composure. It is all completely normal and just part of the learning process.

 

[Wiggy]

I often choose which notes or chords to NOT play so that I can keep it flowing. I usually stretch out the previous note or chord by letting it ring a little longer to keep the phrase intact and stay on time.

Another method is to replace an awkward chord with a transition* note. What is omitted is not noticed.

*Instead of playing the whole chord, choose a note in that chord that best connects to the next chord that follows. Use it as a long "grace" note.

 

[EDW]

While practice is important, what is truly important is HOW you practice. Just plowing though and repeating a problem will not make it better. Playing something correctly is the aim. Repeating a mistake only makes it ingrained. Part of practice is problem solving. Figure out what spot is giving you trouble and try to focus on that. Break it down to figure out what part of it is giving you trouble- is it rhythm, fingering, transition of one chord to another? Work on the components slowly or maybe even S-L-O-W-L-Y.

Take some time to make improvements, but don't expect it to be perfect right away, just try to make it slightly better. Work on it a little at a time and structure your time with some things that need work and some things that you feel are comfortable and fun. If you find a point when you are completely frustrated, walk away and come back later with a game plan. Over time you will develop the fluency so that spot is comfortable and then you can gradually put it together with the other parts of the piece. IF you find that you are at a loss as to how to fix something, you might find a teacher who can guide you. That is what they are for.

While playing and having fun is important, try to have a plan and a goal every time you play. Don't expect it to happen overnight. Don't beat yourself up over mistakes. Focus on improvement and progress not immediate mastery. When we listen to great performer it is easy to forget the hundreds or thousands of hours that were spent working though small problems. Practice is not about the parts you can play, but working on those that you can't play.

It is like planting a tree. You don't notice the growth day to day, but will see it over time. Be patient.

 

[ploverwing]

I think ProfChris' suggestions are all excellent. While I certainly do work on challenging passages, by focussing on the lead up to and then that tricky part and then a bar or few after, I also practice just playing right through. They are two different forms of practice, and equally important. I also make sure that I work on something that I find fun to play when I'm specifically working on a thing in find challenging to play, so that I get a little enjoyment out of the practice session.

For the chord changes, in addition to practising with different fingers in the shapes, or practising different shapes away from first position, perhaps it's important for you to examine your left hand technique. I do know there are amazing resources available out there specifically for this purpose. That might be worth considering.

Finally: Be generous to yourself. It is so easy to be critical and negative about our own skills. Maybe your two years of effort is someone else's 6 months, but probably another person's 5 years. Frustration at the feeling of lack of progress is something I am intimately familiar with!!

Good luck!

 

[ripock]

After thinking about this for a while, I want to add that it takes courage to be flawed. After having conversations with Brad Bordessa, the great uke player, teacher, and writer, it was brought home to me that you need to stop hiding behind perfection and practicing ad infinitum. You need to just get on stage and play. But that takes courage to suppress your ego and play. If you play a 32 measure song and screw up two of the measures, that means you've played 94% correctly. That's still an awesome percentage. You've just amassed 30 measures of perfect playing. That's what you need to build on. From personal experience, I realize this is really hard to do. It is so hard to adjust your notions and to give yourself permission not to be a virtuoso. You will make more progress if you play 95% of the song correctly as opposed to stopping after a mistake and only playing 20% of the song correctly.

 

[bbkobabe]

Moon River is a pretty advanced tune to play... maybe you should back up a bit an work on material that is easier to play cleanly instead of beating yourself up over not being able to play a song that requires some more advanced chops?

I've been playing almost daily for six years and there is no way I could play that song cleanly...

 

[rainbow21]

First, that is quite good. You apparently have high standards for it being good enough.

One thought (not based on anything else) is to play it much faster than you want to play it. Usually, the advice is to slow it down. But it looks as if you have the fingerings and melody, so going faster may automate it more and push you to transition quicker. Then slow it down and see what happens.

(an afterthought: this is how sports training works... they increase the pressure so that a game situation may actually be easier, or at least closer to the practice).

 

[EDW]

BTW- you may want to check out this arrangement, which is not too tough

 

[peanuts56]

I usually practice new pieces in sections. Move on when I'm satisfied to the 2nd section and so on. I'll try connecting 1st and 2nd sections and on to the rest. Sometimes I'll use a metronome.
Mistakes happen to even the best musicians. Get used to it. Many years ago, I attended a youth symphony concert that some high school friends were playing in. There was a gal who played French Horn and was performing some concerto. She was very high strung and had a very domineering stage mother. She missed a note in a cadenza. Afterward she had a total meltdown, sobbing uncontrollably. She was quite gifted and had a scholarship to New England Conservatory. Her perfectionism issues got the best of her. Last I heard she quit playing years ago. This was an individual who was good enough to land a spot with any major orchestra.
I was performing last week in a World Make Music Day event. I had a little glitch on Kui Lee's I'll Remember You. I didn't panic and just moved on. The audience probably had no idea.
I try to relax as much as possible when performing.

 

[hendulele]

Play with others if at all possible. You’ll soon find everyone makes mistakes but they figure workarounds and continue (or just sit out a few measures and catch up later).

Asking for help is a good thing!

(As our club’s bass player says, mistakes are known as “jazz.”)

 

[Erwitt]

Do you follow any instructors? In my experience it makes a big difference.

If you do, try to change and find someone else. He/she may just not be the right teacher for you.

I don't follow any instructor, just online tutorials, books and tabs. I took a couple of online classes some months ago, but the teacher wasn't in the line of what I was looking for, so I did't continue with him. But yes, I can see how benefitial it can be.

I'm guessing that when you make a mistake you stop. Then you try to get that bit right, then you carry on. This is what we all do to start with.

The really important thing is to practice playing right through without stopping, even if you make mistakes. Keep the time, keep it going. Believe it or not, most professional players make mistakes - their skill is to recover so fast that the audience doesn't even notice!

Once you can play a song all the way through, work on the bits where you made mistakes. You want to find out why you went wrong. Here are some possibilities:

• the chord change where you start that part, or a change part way through, is awkward. Work on that change until you get it (or get it better). Play the whole song through again (not stopping for mistakes).
• you can't make the change no matter how hard you practice it. So you'll have to change something - maybe you need different fingering. For example, when I'm playing a G7 (0212) sometimes I play it 'normally' with fingers 1-3, other times with fingers 2-4 - the second option leaves finger 1 free to move to the next chord.
• if changing the fingering doesn't work you might need a different shape - suppose your chord melody requires a D chord with the D on the A string, 5th fret. You can play this 7655 or 2225. Switching to the other shape might make the difference.

Once you know why you went wrong, keep playing the song all the way through, then working on the awkward part, then play it through again.

Also, I wouldn't work on just one song at a time. Work on 2 or 3, so you can switch between them every 10-15 mins. This stops your brain switching off, and your fingers get to move in different patterns so they don't cramp up.

Finally, audio record yourself from time to time. Listening back can help you work out what went wrong and why. Also, you can hear if you've improved, which is very encouraging!

Woow, thank you for so many useful tips! Sometimes I stop when I make a mistake, but other times I keep going. I don't have a specific action plan.

Something that helps with rhythm is to play with other people. Are there any ukulele groups in your area? Maybe a group jam/strum along or similar could be beneficial.

I wish I had that possibility, but there isn't any group where I live (a small city in Spain, where the ukulele is not popular at all). I know a few people who play it, but just a few chords as accompaniment while singing.

 

[Kermit80]

I wish I had that possibility, but there isn't any group where I live (a small city in Spain, where the ukulele is not popular at all). I know a few people who play it, but just a few chords as accompaniment while singing.

Someone should start a group to play online together. I know there are tools to do this.

 

[70sSanO]

Everyone has given you great advice. And to be honest, you do a very nice job with the song.

My only suggestion going forward is to try and incorporate other fingers on the right hand if you are able. I imagine it will be a slow process.

Trying to play every note and chord with your thumb is really tough. I’m not sure I could play fluently with that technique.

This will really smooth things out since it becomes instinctive using the index, middle, and ring finger and not moving your thumb all over the strings. It will also give you some variety in sometimes plucking multiply strings instead of a downward strum.

Good luck.

John

 

[Erwitt]

I often choose which notes or chords to NOT play so that I can keep it flowing. I usually stretch out the previous note or chord by letting it ring a little longer to keep the phrase intact and stay on time.

Another method is to replace an awkward chord with a transition* note. What is omitted is not noticed.

*Instead of playing the whole chord, choose a note in that chord that best connects to the next chord that follows. Use it as a long "grace" note.

That's brilliant! I had never thought of that possibility... Thank you!

While practice is important, what is truly important is HOW you practice. Just plowing though and repeating a problem will not make it better. Playing something correctly is the aim. Repeating a mistake only makes it ingrained. Part of practice is problem solving. Figure out what spot is giving you trouble and try to focus on that. Break it down to figure out what part of it is giving you trouble- is it rhythm, fingering, transition of one chord to another? Work on the components slowly or maybe even S-L-O-W-L-Y.

Take some time to make improvements, but don't expect it to be perfect right away, just try to make it slightly better. Work on it a little at a time and structure your time with some things that need work and some things that you feel are comfortable and fun. If you find a point when you are completely frustrated, walk away and come back later with a game plan. Over time you will develop the fluency so that spot is comfortable and then you can gradually put it together with the other parts of the piece. IF you find that you are at a loss as to how to fix something, you might find a teacher who can guide you. That is what they are for.

While playing and having fun is important, try to have a plan and a goal every time you play. Don't expect it to happen overnight. Don't beat yourself up over mistakes. Focus on improvement and progress not immediate mastery. When we listen to great performer it is easy to forget the hundreds or thousands of hours that were spent working though small problems. Practice is not about the parts you can play, but working on those that you can't play.

It is like planting a tree. You don't notice the growth day to day, but will see it over time. Be patient.

Yes, maybe that's part of the problem. I don't have any plan or goal for my practice/playing sessions. I just sit and think, what do I do today?

After thinking about this for a while, I want to add that it takes courage to be flawed. After having conversations with Brad Bordessa, the great uke player, teacher, and writer, it was brought home to me that you need to stop hiding behind perfection and practicing ad infinitum. You need to just get on stage and play. But that takes courage to suppress your ego and play. If you play a 32 measure song and screw up two of the measures, that means you've played 94% correctly. That's still an awesome percentage. You've just amassed 30 measures of perfect playing. That's what you need to build on. From personal experience, I realize this is really hard to do. It is so hard to adjust your notions and to give yourself permission not to be a virtuoso. You will make more progress if you play 95% of the song correctly as opposed to stopping after a mistake and only playing 20% of the song correctly.

That's a very encouraging way of looking at it indeed. We are often too hard on ourselves, aren't we?

Moon River is a pretty advanced tune to play... maybe you should back up a bit an work on material that is easier to play cleanly instead of beating yourself up over not being able to play a song that requires some more advanced chops?

I've been playing almost daily for six years and there is no way I could play that song cleanly...

Do you think so? I consider this arrangement in particular relatively easy. But yes, maybe I should take a step back and look for easier tunes.

 

[Oldscruggsfan]

Everyone has given you great advice. And to be honest, you do a very nice job with the song.

My only suggestion going forward is to try and incorporate other fingers on the right hand if you are able. I imagine it will be a slow process.

Trying to play every note and chord with your thumb is really tough. I’m not sure I could play fluently with that technique.

This will really smooth things out since it becomes instinctive using the index, middle, and ring finger and not moving your thumb all over the strings. It will also give you some variety in sometimes plucking multiply strings instead of a downward strum.

Good luck.

John

John is correct. Coming from a banjo background (for 45 years)I can’t imagine using only my picking hand thumb and I can’t get even close to making it work as well as you’ve done.

 

[Patty]

Once you can play a song all the way through, work on the bits where you made mistakes

That makes a lot of sense. I’m going to start working this way.