I liked that it was explained with the help of simple diagrams, interesting topic and worth to have a look. Please note that while the explanation is good, it is also very fast for non native english persons…
After 25min video, I’m left with the thinking that “I would like to see more on this topic” š
I’m using an economic Trust 23790 microphone to record my daily ukulele on the PC. The device comes with an USB adapter, which looks like a generic audio-to-USB adapter. I guess it might work with other microphones too, not sure.
In the audacity tool, one need to select the input device. With my Ortega RFU11S ukulele, I adjusted the recording volume in the audacity to 0.97. The screenshot below shows the āUSB Audio Deviceā as input (ārecordingā) device and the recording level.
I include here song called Wake me up as audio sample (DDU UDU strumming).
I’m using an economic Behringer UCG102 Guitar-USB adapter to connect my ukuleles to my PC. The guitar plug (on right) of UCG102 is connected to the pickup microphone connector in you ukulele, with the 6.3mm instrument cable. In some ukuleles the pickup with connector is pre-installed.
I downloaded the driver from the Behringer website, and it turned out to be ASIO4ALL driver, which is used for low latency audio in Windows, nice. In the UCG102 adapter, I use the Level in HI position. (if the CLIP light comes on, then one should use the LO position).
In the audacity tool, one need to select the input device. With my Islander MT4 EQ ukulele, I adjusted the recording volume in the audacity to 0.90. The screenshot below shows the “USB Audio CODEC” as input (“recording”) device and the recording level 0.9.
I include here song called Wake me up as audio sample (DDU UDU strumming).
In the ukulele, I use the maximum volume (in pickup-tuner control panel). I don’t know how good this setup is when compared to other alternatives, but it works well enough for me1.
I’m beginner player and mostly playing my daily ukulele which don’t have microphone pickup [↩]
I include here some screenshots from the Elder Scrolls Online (ESO), focussing on PVP (player-versus-player) area called Cyrodiil. PVP area is only a fraction of things that one can do in the game.
The screensizes have been reduced to fit the blog better.
This is the inventory view of my character. (One can have several characters):
This is the PVP area, by riding from one end to the other end of the map, takes some minutes:
Waiting for enemy to attack to the outpost:
But decided to ride to the enemy keep to support, as we are trying to capture a castle (called keep):
Last part better to go as invisible:
Placing siege shield to protect from oil, and placing some healing stuff on groud, as we are trying to break the inner door with a device called RAM. One need minimum 3 players to use the RAM:
After capturing the castle (keep), we are capturing also the resources outside (by capturing the flag):
No time to releax, as then have to ride to defend our castle:
We managed to defend the castle and burn their RAM:
And fight some enemy outside too:
The 2 flags inside castle are needed to capture or to defend the castle:
For faster transport, there are teleports (called shrine) that you can use if your faction owns the castle and it is not under attack:
I include here some screenshots to give some look and feel of this game. This is not a review, just showing typical sceneries. The pictures have been resized down to fit better to the blog.
First base:
First base inside:
First base from space:
Arriving to space station with my space ship:
Inside space station:
Arriving to my first freighter (the smalleer ships on left are called frigates):
Inside freighter, one can create your own rooms like this (with some NPC workers):
List of bases, where I can teleport to (teleports exist in space stations, but you can also build own owns at bases and freighter):
All my vehicles (except underwater nautilon), one can have 6 spaceships, and several exocrafts:
Underwater, after getting out from Nautilon:
One can also find an settlement and take the Overseer position, here is view from the high hill to a settlement. The flying drone in picture is “reward” from some questline in settlement:
Some settlement status details:
Sometimes (not often), one need to defend the settlement from 6 sentinels:
harvesting, called mining, is big activity, here on my way to dig out the Buried Technology Module, and getting some Carbon and Mordite from the trees with mining laser:
Using refiner to create some ammunition, one can harvest/mine the raw items yourself, or buy in space stations:
Here, I’m jumping with the exocraft called Minotaur, good for fighting robots:
I’m listing here some ukulele play along songs at youtube that I found working for me. Naturally this is very much about personal preference, but hopefully you find some of these working for you too š
Note: In some links, the play along is at the end of tutorial
Note: with some songs, several play alongs are include to show the variations (different strumming or chords used)
Note: finger picking technique is not included in this list, even though it fits nicely for some of these songs
Note: I play E7 instead of E, for me E7 is much easier
Since about 2 years ago I started to learn ukulele, and I play it mainly for me. I’m not in a any course, nor play in any band. And I chose this instrument, because it only has 4 strings, giving me better chances to learn. 6 strings would have been way too much and causing me to stop after few attempts (future will tell if that is true).
I current have 2 ukulele’s.
On the left is the tenor size, with tuner build-in and with microphone output. I got this quite early as I thought that I really would need to get a wider neck (Islander has wider neck). The sound is great, more full and stronger than the concert size ukulele on the right. However, as the neck is wider and the ukulele is bigger, my fingers do get tired earlier than when playing with concert size ukulele.
On the right is the concert size ukulele. Great size of intrument, easy grab and go, light, and does create enough sound in a room. I can play with this 1-2 hours until fingers get tired. This depends on the songs of course, and the transposition of chords. (With transposition you can play a song with the chords that you have already learned or that are easier to play.)
One can see the names for different ukulele parts here .
The original tuning of ukulele is with “high” G, as the first/”lowest sound” string on the left (in picture). Replacing strings with low-G as the first string, gives wider sound spectrum, sounds better. The other reason is also that those Worth strings are with medium tension, personally for me more comfortable for this random solo playing.
Experience with “pin” bridges
On the left, the bridge consist of pins that hold the strings in place. It happened to me several times that a pin jumped out from the place when I started tighting the new strings, and hitting my arm. So now, every time when I change the strings, I try to keep my hand out of the way as I’m afraid it will pop out again. After the tuning, then those pins have stayed in place, so no problem there. However, due to this I prefer the other style of bridge, the one on the right.
Finding the chords for your song
https://ukutabs.com/ and https://www.ukulele-tabs.com/ are good sites for finding the chords, and they both support the transposition. For example, the 500 miles without transposition is using chords G and Em, where Em is difficult for beginner. While with transposition, the song can be played with chords C and Am, which are the easiest chords in ukulele as they both are played with 1 finger on fret board1.
playalong videos
I watched ukulele play along videos in youtube channels, and for me it worked, I’m really happy to find several videos. Search “ukulele beginner play along” in youtube.com š
As the last ukulele in this list, I also do have an electric ukulele ElectricUke-50C NT which I use when trying not to disturb other people. (This is solid wood, so it does not amplify the sound. The sound basically comes only from the strings, which is quite low but audible when no other sound sources around. The sound level is similar to keyboard typing…)
I hope one day I would utilize also electric part of the ukulele. I have tested this ukulele with small portable amplifier, and with an guitar-USB adapter, they work well in my view.
In this ukulele, I have not changed the strings yet, as I use it for practicing. But if I start to use it more, then I would change into low G string set. I feel that the high of frets is higher in this ukulele, which for me is great. And also that the fret board neck feels thinner and smaller. Personally I prefer to use the ukulele strap from “end to end” (from body to headstock), similarly to my other ukulele.
If I learn to play better, then I’m looking forward to use this ukulele more š (Perhaps even learn to play some songs with amp and distortion š )
I’m playing ukulele mainly with strumming. Fingerpicking is more difficult and would take longer to learn [↩]
