La Folia - ukulele improvisation

[infekteddotit]

Awesome piece, thanks for sharing!

[KenMiddletonUkulele]

Thanks for listening.

[mataquatro]

i feel like this is the start of long-term obsesion. i'm tempted to find all the recordings of la folia possible. you guys are a bad influence on graduate students like myself. great playing!

[KenMiddletonUkulele]

I did another one on one of my other channels. I put Sultans of Swing to it.

[KenMiddletonUkulele]

Thank you for the comment.

[TenaciousFlea]

fantastic!

[KenMiddletonUkulele]

Thanks.

[waterdog226]

Wonderful playing!

[KenMiddletonUkulele]

Thank you.

[julianmartin10]

Forgot to ask - which ukulele are you using there?

[KenMiddletonUkulele]

Ohana TK-35CG. One of my absolute favourites.

[julianmartin10]

Absoloutely stunning as always Ken - you never fail to surpass yourself!

[KenMiddletonUkulele]

Thanks.

[fourteentwelve]

Take 17 was wonderful Ken!!! Well worth such an epic attempt.

[KenMiddletonUkulele]

Thank you, Michelle.

[MrPlatypus70]

Wow you play much better in your sleep than I can when I am wide awake!

[KenMiddletonUkulele]

Haha. Thanks.

[krabbers]

now this is superb

most excellent ken

[KenMiddletonUkulele]

Thanks K.

[doctimdc]

Thanks for sharing that one. Remarkable!

[KenMiddletonMusic]

Thanks very much.

[casetone2514]

This is marvellously mellow and easy to listen to. Plus - what a gorgeous sounding uke.

[KenMiddletonUkulele]

Thanks Tony.

[reyalpEleluku]

very fine!! -- (specially because it appears to have taken you an hour and a half at least to produce.)

[KenMiddletonUkulele]

Some takes didn't take long because I went wrong or played something I didn't like so I stopped. It took under half an hour to record.

[reyalpEleluku]

all the more impressive then

[DonfromMT]

Seems to me Albert Einstein used to lay down to nap with a pebble in his palm. When he feel asleep, the pebble would drop and wake him up. He figured inspiration came when the conscious mind was turned off, and he used this technique to cultivate that state. I'm not sure, could be apocryphal, but it seems to work for you. Unfortunately, it might be the sound of your ukulele dropping that woke you up. Better play lying down with pillows on the floor. I found this beautiful, Ken.

[KenMiddletonUkulele]

I suspect it is not true sleep. It's is a state of not thinking at all about what I playing. Some people call it muscle-memory, but this is not really correct. Anyway, thanks Don.

[iamblinkin]

Wonderful job Ken! I was feeling similar regarding how many times I had to do Blue Roses Falling...though I must admit it was not 17. :) You deserve an extra good job for persistence! The end result though, is beautiful as always.

[KenMiddletonUkulele]

It got the the point where each new take was getting worse though. That's why I like to do it in one.

[idrnoel]

Spellbinding! Wow! Fantastic performance. 3:05 The sigh added in a really nice touch of passion.

[KenMiddletonUkulele]

The sigh was frustration, Dylan.

[Rouyome]

Wonderful!

Take #17... Bravo;)

[KenMiddletonUkulele]

Thanks very much.

[kennymelodica]

favorited ! 5 stars

ps Wow!

[KenMiddletonUkulele]

Thank you Kenny.

[KYOTOZOOM]

Very beautiful done!

I love this take.

[KenMiddletonUkulele]

Thanks T.

[phillipsderek]

Just beautiful Ken, stunning sound from that uke.

[KenMiddletonUkulele]

Thank you Derek.

[UkeVal]

Wonderful version !

Val

[KenMiddletonUkulele]

Thanks Val.

[jmmquah]

Keith Richards used to fall asleep playing guitar according to legend...so you are in good company! You might not think too much of it, but I though it was a pretty special performance

[KenMiddletonUkulele]

Haha. I certainly am in good company, James.

[jmmquah]

Although Keith had some "chemical assistance"...

[BaronK69]

Sweet playing Ken! And you proove that you play better in your sleep than most of us do fully awake after several cups of coffee....

[KenMiddletonUkulele]

Thanks R. My new uke should be ready to pick up on Friday. I'm looking forward to it.

[BaronK69]

I bet! Is it a soprano? What kind of woods? I think you've told me but I have forgotten.

[KenMiddletonUkulele]

It is a tenor: mastergrade koa (with sausage curl) and ebony. No bling.

[deach69]

Wow. 17 takes? That usually equates to 17 videos.  I'm glad you stuck with it though. Beautiful playing!

[KenMiddletonUkulele]

Yep, it's a record for me, by a long way. Thanks Deach.

[ken6675]

awsome job ken

[KenMiddletonUkulele]

Thanks Ken.

[ukeshale]

You certainly do look tired.

I was hoping you'd take this challenge up. Really inspirational playing.

[KenMiddletonUkulele]

I won't give in to it though, Shane. Thanks.

[UKISOCIETY]

My first comment didn't stick.

Thanks for this, Ken. The ukulele and strings sound wonderful. -what a ring it has! Some wonderful runs and picking patterns here. I hope you can catch up on your sleep.

[KenMiddletonUkulele]

Thanks Alan, it was fun (for the first 16 takes ...). I don't think I have recorded any piece of music so many times ... ever.

[heinbanjo12]

When I was 17 I played it on the violin. You did a wonderfull and original Job. Hein

[KenMiddletonUkulele]

Thanks Hein.

[uke5417]

When people ask, I'll say I SAW him do it in his sleep.

Beautiful. The bend at 4:30 is exquisite.

[KenMiddletonUkulele]

I actually fell asleep in one other video. Thanks.

[UKISOCIETY]

I fell asleep during a Chicago Cubs baseball game at Wrigley Field. That's the oddest place I've fallen asleep. Don't think I'll ever do that while playing uke. But I'd like to try!

[russbuss415]

very nice playing Ken! also funny to hear you use the word "crappy". i hope to be able to meet you someday and see what other words come out.

[KenMiddletonUkulele]

I don't use many profanities. We look after my latest grand-daughter a lot so the word "poo" comes up quite a lot. "Crappy" is just a variation of it.

[ruth7784]

Wow take 17, you look quite exhausted! lol. Heard you sighing at 3:03, were you losing the will? lol I don't know the tune so wouldn't notice any mistakes but it sounds really great to me! Am I right in thinking it's a renaissance piece? Sounds like it. It's really pretty! You've got a funny idea of what a "crappy performance" is, it's definately not! :-) X

[KenMiddletonUkulele]

Thanks Ruth. It's just a chord sequence and I'm just making it up, but it doesn't make the notes any more correct.

[okvolleyball]

nice job  Ken .

[KenMiddletonUkulele]

Thanks Stephen.

[Ukenick]

Asleep or not, still lovely. Nice work.

[KenMiddletonUkulele]

Thanks Nick.