April 2023 Patreon Live Lesson - "Sukiyaki" by Kyu Sakamoto (Patreon)

{$5+ Patron-only post --> now available for all Patrons}

Aloha, Patrons!

This Thursday, April 20th at 2:30pm Hawaii Time / 5:30pm Pacific Time / 8:30pm Eastern Time is our monthly Live Lesson.

***PLEASE CHECK START TIMES*** for Daylight Saving Time changes. Hawaii does not participate in Daylight Saving Time. Mainland US will start an hour later than last month. CHECK time zone converter

Tune in here: https://youtube.com/live/Q7403louhA0

Chord chart: Please look for the PDF link at the bottom of this post - the PDF should download immediately when you click on it.

If you click on the video above, you’ll see a countdown for your time zone. If you can't join in live, the recording will be available to replay at your convenience. Instructions for both are below. (Find all Patron events on our Patron Google calendar).

Is this your first Live Lesson?  Check out these Tips for Live Lessons from Patron Mark Pierce:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-guest-for-23871916

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This month's Live Lesson: "Sukiyaki" by Kyu Sakamoto

Let's review last month's lesson "Hey Jude" at the top of the session.

I had the opportunity to perform "Sukiyaki" (also known as "Ue o Muite Arukou") on my recent trip to Tokyo with my ukulele friend Yoshi Hana. Watch our performance here.  We mixed an English verse with Japanese verses, and this is the version I'll teach.  Take a moment to follow Yoshi's channel as well, she definitely carries the song! :)  We recorded at the Kiwaya Ukulele Museum, who also hosted the Tokyo meet&greet, where I got to meet several local Patrons.😊

The melody of "Sukiyaki" is undeniably catchy, even if you don't understand the lyrics.  The original Japanese version of this song topped the charts in the US, UK, and Australia in the 1960s, and was renamed "Sukiyaki" for the English-speaking markets.  Popular English versions came later (I remember this a cappella version, back in the Boyz II Men era), and Selena even recorded a Spanish version.  That's the power of the melody.

My version with Yoshi is quite high, so feel free to drop the octave.  This song has a lot of chords, so our focus will be chord transitions.  Beginners can stick with chords they know and add new chords slowly.  Intermediate/advanced can try flowing through those quarter-note changes on end of the chorus.  Be patient with yourself, and refer to the Mindful Chord Transitions Lesson for Beginners.

If you've been following my 100 Days Projects in the past few years, you may have seen several videos where I learn new languages through song.  Language-learning and music are closely connected. and both require a sensitivity in our listening and vocalizing abilities.  I'll talk about how to sing the phonetics of Japanese. I've included the Japanese translations as well, because I think it's helpful to know what you're singing about.

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Join our pre-lesson Zoom Social

If you're free before the lesson begins and would like to meet and chat with other Patrons on Zoom, join me before class for a Zoom Social from 2pm to 2:25pm Hawaii Time. (We'll end the Zoom before the lesson, and go to YouTube for the lesson).

Click here to go to the Zoom Social, or use Meeting ID: 876 1498 3301, Passcode: aloha.

Please comment if you're planning to join the Zoom Social, or you're interested in helping out with more Zoom Socials in the future.  Hope to see you there!

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How to Watch the YT Lesson Live (2:30pm Hawaii Time)

1. Click on this direct link to the lesson: https://youtube.com/live/Q7403louhA0

Please note this is a private link, intended for Patrons only.

2. Log in to YouTube to join the live chat, and please say hello so I know you're watching.  If you have trouble using chat on a mobile device/tablet, you may want to try on a desktop or laptop browser.

3. Feel free to post your questions to me or to the community.

How to Watch Later

1. Watch the video linked above (the same link you'd use to join live).

2. Feel free to post your comments and questions below.

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*After the Lesson: Open Mic - Submit a Video, Share your Progress*

You are invited to practice this song and record a short video to share. This is not a competition - your goal is to do your best, for whatever level you are at.

How to submit:

• record our lesson song (a verse or short section is fine, doesn't need to be the whole song)
• upload to your platform of choice (some options: your own YouTube channel, shareable drive like Google or Box or Dropbox, shareable photo album like Google photos or iCloud)
• post the link to the video in the comments on this post (don't worry if the link doesn't work, I'll copy and paste it)
• I'll watch as many videos as I can, and I may show your video in class (if you're opposed to this, please say that in the video).
• one video per person per month

Look forward to seeing your videos!  Over time, it will be cool to track your progress from month to month. This is a new experiment, open to your ideas of how to make the sharing easier.

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A note about our monthly Live Lessons

My goal is to teach and arrange a lesson that is interesting for all levels. I will walk through the lesson by starting with beginner-level strumming, and gradually layer on more challenging options for advanced players.

I encourage you to play at your level, and embrace your own pace of incrementally leveling up. You can re-watch the lesson as many times as you like. Grasp the basics on the first go-round, and each time you review, you'll pick up new tips and techniques. You can use this method to become a better student and better learner - by building more awareness and more patience. :)

I look forward to seeing you online!

xo cynthia

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See all previous Live Lessons