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May 2016 Q&A: Post your questions here! - CLOSED (Patreon)

Published:
2016-05-06 00:20:44
Imported:
2026-06

Content

{patron-only post}

aloha folks!


i've decided to add a new Patron perk - post your questions each month, and i will answer!  i get a lot of questions across various parts of the internet, so this is the place where I'd like to collect all your questions.  i'll reply in the comments, and i'll create a video FAQ for the most popular questions.


you can upvote other people's questions by heart-ing them.  i'll close this post at the end of the month and start a new one each month. 


you can see the March Q&A post here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/4809021


thanks!  ask away!  

cynthia.

Comments

Fuzzy

When should you replace your uke strings? Every 6 months? Every year? I play for several hours every weekend and usually a couple hours during the week. Thanks!

Maggie

How to start and run your own uke jam club/session!

Bryan Harvey

I bought a Martin tenor in January and just love playing. But my fingers get pretty sore still. I'm wondering if there's anyway to lower my strings to make it easier on my fingers. Any suggestions? Thanks and I love your music and tutorials. Bryan

Lisa Gunheim Adams

I'm kind of local to you, Marin Co. Can I join your Uke jam club?

pjy

Still loving your work Cynthia. I listen to songs you teach on my Shuffle, on repeat, it helps me learn. Any chance you'll make the audio portion of your tutorials accessible to Patrons? I already have all your songs from Itunes.

Fuzzy

Could you teach a Travis Pick variation in one of your tutorials and ways to perfect the Travis Pick? That goes for other strum variations such as the 2-finger or triple strum or 4- or 5-finger strum or tremolos, etc.

Cynthia Lin
>>1760712

Aloha Bryan! You should be able to adjust the action (height of the strings), and you can DIY or visit a guitar or ukulele shop. Here's a guide for adjusting the saddle (the white bar at the bottom of the strings) - just remove strings, lift out saddle, sand down with a file or sandpaper: <a href="http://ukulelego.com/articles/adjusting-action-ukulele/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">http://ukulelego.com/articles/adjusting-action-ukulele/</a> Just watch out for sanding too much! Tiny increments can make a big difference. Good luck, let me know how it goes! Bonus video, adjusting nut and saddle! <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SJ32cGQzg8" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SJ32cGQzg8</a> just start with saddle before you try to mess with the nut!

Cynthia Lin
>>1760825

Aloha Lisa! For sure! Search for SFUkeJam on facebook. Our jams are every other month on Saturday afternoon in Japantown SF. Next one is June 11, details will be posted on facebook.

Cynthia Lin
>>1758373

Aloha Fuzzy! In truth, I only change my strings when one breaks or when I get tired of how they sound and want to try something new. If it's been 6 months and you feel like your strings don't sound as crisp as they used to sound, then change em up. I also like to experiment with different brands of strings, so that can be a good reason to change them. Best to change all of them at once vs just replacing a broken one.

Cynthia Lin
>>1761037

Aloha pjy! I haven't considered this, and it shouldn't be too hard to do. Would you want the full tutorial or just the song to play along to?

pjy
>>1761037

A file for a portable player like Ipod Shuffle or Walkman so I can listen in the car or at the gym. You always play the song all the way through in the tutorial. If it's easy to convert your tutorial to a downloadable file that would work for me. Thank you for responding.

pjy
>>1761037

Please, do not be shy about asking for a fee. Your time is worth every dollar.

4seasonsukulele.com

Cynthia are you still working on that project "How to start and facilitate your own Uke Club? I was very Im very interested. I want to do it right! 🎸😎

kkr1986
>>1761037

Hi Cynthia..I like the idea of audio files also! A slightly slower tempo version to practice with would be awesome too :) (similar to the pace of Here Comes the Sun with your uke class vs. your cover).

kkr1986

How did you learn to create your own ukulele arrangements & do you have any advice for someone who would like to be able to do so in the future? :)

Annette Martinez

I'm so happy I found you! I'm learning how to play now, and it's so fun! I want to know what your setup is for your broadcasts... your sound is so clear and your video is great quality. What kind of camera/mic do you use to record your videos? :)

Jill Lopate

I would like to know what brand is your uke that you play in the tutorial, "Here Comes The Sun"? It's gorgeous and I like the decisive sound of it. Is it very expensive?

Cynthia Lin
>>1835010

aloha annette! my video set-up is pretty simple, i use Quicktime 7 on my Macbook Air. the audio is more complicated, I use an AudioTechnica 2020 mic through a MOTU preamp. also, i have a really fast internet, which helps with the live broadcast. thanks for tuning in!

Cynthia Lin
>>1817102

I think creating a good musical arrangement is about listening closely and learning to accent the parts of the song that really make the song special. It's important to develop good rhythm - one exercise you could do is listen to a song and take note of which beats are heavier and which are lighter, and see if you can put counts to it. for example, is it "one TWO three FOUR" or "ONE two THREE four" or "one & TWO & three & FOUR &". for an ukulele song, you could start just by playing heavier downstrums on the heavier beats and see if you can carve out the rhythm of the song. it's a bit like asking someone how to create a painting - like everything, i say start simple, and copy others. :)

Cynthia Lin
>>1812503

Yep, this will take some time to outline properly, but I definitely have it prioritized on my list. A quick way to start is to invite some friends to get together in a convenient place (some cafes are open to uke gatherings, or you can meet in the park) and you can play through my Beginner Lesson songs together - you can either bring copies of music for everyone or ask people to bring their own. As the leader, you can practice counting in the song, and practice leading the singing - or you can play my video on a computer and all play along! The most important thing is just getting together and playing. Snacks and refreshments can help too. :)

Cynthia Lin
>>1760473

Just reposting what i wrote to Rod - will outline in more detail soon! Yep, this will take some time to outline properly, but I definitely have it prioritized on my list. A quick way to start is to invite some friends to get together in a convenient place (some cafes are open to uke gatherings, or you can meet in the park) and you can play through my Beginner Lesson songs together - you can either bring copies of music for everyone or ask people to bring their own. As the leader, you can practice counting in the song, and practice leading the singing - or you can play my video on a computer and all play along! The most important thing is just getting together and playing. Snacks and refreshments can help too. :)

Cynthia Lin
>>1765215

Hi Fuzzy! I haven't used the Travis Pick very much on ukulele, mostly because the picking pattern given the GCEA tuning doesn't match with songs the same way as it does on guitar. That said, I'll keep it in mind as something to cover.

Maggie
>>1812503

Hi guys! My friend and I just hosted our first "Rubber City Uke Jam" last night! THANK you to Cynthia Lin for inspiring such an idea with her tutorials and SF Uke Jams she's posted online!!!! It was successful! We had 6 other people attend, other than myself, the co-host and an up-right bass player. Small... but nice. Everyone was so happy to meet each other. We made a packet of easy C,F,G,Am,G7 songs (4 of which were Cynthia's) and everyone came prepared and ready to play! Thanks again!

Maggie
>>1760473

--i replied to Rod too.... but.... thought I'd copy here too! Hi guys! My friend and I just hosted our first "Rubber City Uke Jam" last night! THANK you to Cynthia Lin for inspiring such an idea with her tutorials and SF Uke Jams she's posted online!!!! It was successful! We had 6 other people attend, other than myself, the co-host and an up-right bass player. Small... but nice. Everyone was so happy to meet each other. We made a packet of easy C,F,G,Am,G7 songs (4 of which were Cynthia's) and everyone came prepared and ready to play! Thanks again!

Edward Checkett

Hi Cynthia. Just joined Patreon. Started on the uke in March. I enjoy your teaching technique. Looking forward to future lessons.