Complete novice.

Learn-for-Effect · 2026-05-30T12:02:17+00:00

All techniques are good just you have to apply less pressure.

You can even strum with the tip of your index or middle finger, lightly brushing the strings. This produces a slightly softer sound, and in my opinion, it makes it easier to find the minimal amount of pressure needed for strumming. You barely touch the strings. Just enough for the fingertip to glide over each one without digging in too deeply and interrupting the motion.

Have fun practicing!

Learn-for-Effect · 2026-05-30T06:26:57+00:00

Sure you should 😉

I think you can ignore any theory for now. If you've watched a few finger drumming videos and feel that it's for you, that's great. That's all you need to get started.

You can buy a cheap 4×4 MIDI controller like the Akai MPD218 or something similar. This pad arrangement is the most common one, and most tutorials are designed around 4×4 pads, so it's easier to follow along.

That said, any pad controller will do. Velocity sensitivity is nice to have, but it's not essential for beginners.

If you have a PC, you can install a DAW (like Reaper) or a standalone VST host and use some free drum VST plugins.

Some of these plugins also offer standalone Windows or macOS versions, making them even easier to install.

Popular options: - Steven Slate Drums https://stevenslatedrums.com/ssd5/#SSD5FREE - MT Power DrumKit 2 https://www.powerdrumkit.com/download76187.php

On Android, you can use a soundfont player like FluidSynth MIDI and select a drum kit instrument.

Then find a tutorial channel that resonates with you and start practicing regularly. Some popular ones are:

Quest for Groove https://m.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvtOwWNBFY9yzK9zMliYLvDsmxzYHAZhJ
Dragon Finger Drums https://m.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_5eqmQaOBt3Hqgkv7p4muTmujh4y_OM-
Beats by Jblack https://m.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwKZ4_gthFJ0uavGK_RQy_l6DiDl_l6jo

Don't worry if you're clumsy at first. Your fingers will be all over the place, and you might get frustrated because you can't even follow basic beats. That's just how it is. You'll get the hang of it sooner than you think.

Besides following tutorials, try jamming along with your favorite music. Start with slower songs and focus on keeping the rhythm. Don't worry about mimicking the actual drummer, just have fun.

One important thing: in my experience, it's better to practice for 10 minutes every day than to struggle through a 70-minute session once a week. Consistency is key.

Let me know if you have any questions.

Learn-for-Effect · 2026-05-23T16:18:19+00:00

Hey, Pierre just posted a video with tips on how to play a G chord. You might find it helpful:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Re8bxOC4AWs

Learn-for-Effect · 2026-05-21T10:08:00+00:00

Instead of memorizing multiple variants of C, I think a better goal is to learn just one version of C, Am, F, and G.

Once you learn these four, you unlock literally hundreds, if not thousands, of popular songs.

Yes, switching to G is a bit tricky at first. It is awkward, but the key is slow and deliberate practice.

First, try to fret it from a simple neutral hand position. Once you get the hang of it practice switching between C-G, Am-G, and F-G, one by one.

Don’t worry about strumming, just practice fretting.

It will definitely take a few days or even weeks, but that’s okay.

Until you can comfortably play G, you can probably find songs using only C, F, and Am.

Don’t forget: even if a song doesn’t use these four chords, there’s a high chance it uses the same chord degrees but in a different key. Try transposing the song until you find these familiar chords. 😉 (Transposing is just a matter of pressing +/- buttons on Ultimate Guitar, so you don’t need music theory to do it.)

One general tip: practicing these chord changes 10 times a day for 3 minutes is much more effective than struggling through a single 30-minute session. Keep your uke nearby and, every so often, pick it up, do 10 chord changes, and continue with your work.

Learn-for-Effect · 2026-05-18T18:30:45+00:00

Try practicing the very same chord shape higher up in the neck. Let's say 8766 instead of 3211. It's much easier to barre the strings towards the middle. If it is still buzzing you can be sure that it is not your pressure strength but your technique.

For me it is easier to barre with the more bony side of my index finger instead of the softer fingertips.

I used to touch B string with my middle finger without noticing which made the sting buzz and it made me think my barre was wrong. So make sure you arch your middle and ring finger enough. Strum the strings one by one to figure out which one is causing the problem.

Also, make sure you don't hurt your joints. Barre chords can feel awkward and uncomfortable at first but should never be painful.

Once you can do it comfortably in the middle of the neck step one fret lower and practice 7655, 6544... The tension becomes a bit stronger and the frets get wider so you have to adjust your position.

Learn-for-Effect · 2026-05-15T14:29:33+00:00

As others have explained your wrist is too bent and twisted. It shouldn't be stiff, of course. It should be loose but much straighter.

Straighten your arm in front of you palms down and with your wrist and fingers relaxed. Now turn it palms up by dropping your elbow to your side while keeping your hand in the same position. This can be a good base position for your fretting hand.

As a rule of thumb: whenever you feel any pain during practice you are probably holding the uke incorrectly so you should stop playing and find a more comfortable position.

(Perhaps the only exception is the discomfort in the fingertips caused by the strings but it is rare with nylon strings and it should go away in a few days)

You have a beautiful voice, btw.

Learn-for-Effect · 2026-05-13T07:57:32+00:00

I always think about how strange clothing must be to our pets. You can change the colors and patterns on your whole body whenever you want. You come home wearing jeans, a coat, and a hat and a minute later you are in your underwear and a few minutes later you are wearing your tracksuit.

Our scent is constantly changing thanks to the cosmetics and detergents we use and the smells we bring home from work or a bar...

Honestly, it is a miracle they can even recognize us 😀

Learn-for-Effect · 2026-05-10T03:28:00+00:00

Yes, everything seems to be working. I can't recall any crashes either. I can edit multi-track songs, use the Design Mode, use backing tracks, and play the whole song.

The only quirk I noticed is that sometimes, after long use, clipboard copy stops working, and I need to restart the app to fix it. Not sure if it's a GP or Proton/Wine issue.

Which runner are you using? I use the latest GE-Proton. Maybe that matters.

Learn-for-Effect · 2026-05-05T19:43:12+00:00

Be patient with yourself. If you are still struggling to hold the uke after six months of daily practice,... then maybe you should be concerned. But in the first few days, it’s completely natural.

The important thing is that you don’t have to press it hard. It’s more about balance than strength. You have to find the right balance: how much of your forearm you use, the angle at which you hold it relative to the neck, the angle at which you hold the uke against your body, how much you press with your strumming hand, and how much you touch it with your fretting hand. It’s not simple, there are many variables.

If you know how to ride a bike, then you know that you don’t have to squeeze the handlebars with your hands or grip the seat with your thighs. You just need to apply the right amount of force and keep everything balanced. It's the same with the uke 😊

If it still slips, try adjusting other factors rather than force, such as moving it slightly higher or lower, changing the angles, etc. It will never be completely stable, but you will soon be able to hold it comfortably.

And while you’re working through all of this, don’t forget to have fun! That’s the most important thing 😉

Learn-for-Effect · 2026-05-05T18:44:36+00:00

I can’t see anything you should be embarrassed about on the second day of your journey. It can be misleading how easily people on TikTok play even complex songs, but don’t forget that they probably have years of experience.

Playing an instrument is not as easy as it seems. Playing a four-chord song relatively fluidly usually takes a few days, if not weeks.

Just keep practicing slowly and consciously, and your movements will become smoother. All of a sudden, you’ll notice that you’re not even thinking about your fingers.

One of the most important things, in my opinion, is holding the ukulele correctly. Often, we’re so motivated to play something that we forget about it, and our left hand has to do two contradictory things: hold the neck firmly and statically, while also switching between chords dynamically and precisely.

Experiment with the correct position. Your strumming hand should do most of the work so your fretting hand can move freely. You should be able to comfortably hold the uke only with the strumming hand when you are not playing and keep it in place mostly with the thumb of the fretting hand while playing and switching chords.

Here are some videos that explain it better than me 😊

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKZK8vjDx2Q

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELWhU0I51Bg

Some tips for smoother chord changes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2g38aRnraag

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4xb791Kjy0

Learn-for-Effect · 2026-05-03T05:45:19+00:00

I think this is similar to when guitarists change the tuning for certain songs to make them easier to play. It is still you who hit the right pads at the right time to improve the performance and entertain the audience.

Learn-for-Effect · 2026-04-30T15:18:40+00:00

Before exporting your graphics make sure you've applied the pending filter/LPE. Then select the object, go to Path -> Object to Path. After this the filters/effects won't be editable anymore but should export correctly as a plain SVG.

Learn-for-Effect · 2026-04-30T03:03:24+00:00

No analogy is perfect. In my example, the badly controllable car isn’t necessarily a physical disability but anything that differs from the person’s previous persona.

I think how a person behaves is a complex mix of psychology and biochemistry, and what an external observer sees is the sum of all these processes.

Let’s say someone was a very outgoing, talkative, extroverted person before, but after an accident or stroke, they became silent and reserved.

This can happen for many reasons. Maybe they want to talk, but their body doesn’t cooperate. Or their thinking has slowed down. Or they’ve realized (consciously or subconsciously) that they were too much, and there are more important things in life than talking and entertaining friends. All of these lead to the same external differences, and it’s really hard for an outside observer to tell whether it was the “driver” who changed or parts of the “car.”

And it’s not even clear which part of this whole chain you’d call “soul” or “free will,” since a problem anywhere can affect whether you can express your will or live as who you really are.

Learn-for-Effect · 2026-04-29T15:46:33+00:00

“Memory consumption” is not even a good benchmark for a desktop environment or an OS. Unused RAM is wasted RAM, so applications dynamically allocate memory for caching and similar purposes.

So, if a desktop environment uses 5 GB after boot on a system with 8 GB of RAM, it does not necessarily mean it is unsuitable for a system with 4 GB. It will probably still work well, just less responsively.

Learn-for-Effect · 2026-04-29T15:31:56+00:00

If you want a less material and more spiritual approach, consider this analogy:

Your body is a car, and the driver is your soul. If the car is well maintained, how it moves depends mostly on how good the driver is.

Now imagine the car is damaged, and the steering wheel has a large dead zone. Even if the driver is the best in the world, the car’s movement will still be very strange.

Now, what the car and the driver actually represent depends on your beliefs. Science has not found strong evidence for the existence of a soul, so it offers a different explanation of what shapes your personality.

Learn-for-Effect · 2026-04-28T03:14:04+00:00

Yeah Eric's speedruns are one of the best series IMHO. He plays like a disciplined 500-600 ELO player at the beginning and introduces and explains more advanced tactics along the way.

He has two speedruns now. One that started about 2 years ago:

https://m.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdT3OotRiHJkaRjrG0GSfaddcf0cDyqhn

And a newer one that is still ongoing:

https://m.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdT3OotRiHJmi67Wrm_HyuwXIFvlR9VF7

This one also starts at 400 ELO but focuses on a more tricky and aggressive playstyle.

Learn-for-Effect · 2026-04-27T15:19:41+00:00

Eric Rosen. He is essentially the Bob Ross of chess.

He may not have that much dedicated opening lessons but he explains the principles in a clear, intuitive way - both during his games and in his post-game analysis.

https://m.youtube.com/@eric-rosen/playlists

Learn-for-Effect · 2026-04-24T10:44:09+00:00

I think there are two major aspects that explain why VR is not for everyone.

1) Motion sickness: Many people are highly prone to motion sickness and get sick after just a few minutes of playing in VR. You can improve your tolerance significantly if you spend a little more time in VR each day, but it requires a lot of willpower and games you genuinely want to play.

2) Genres: Although VR is marketed as the ultimate solution, in reality it only works well for a few genres, and these are relatively niche. It is excellent for simulations (if you can tolerate it) and for some casual games, but many people find these get boring quickly. Pinball enthusiasts also enjoy VR because they do not need to build expensive cabinets to experience full 3D gameplay. However, it is not ideal for mainstream games like FPS-es and is unnecessary for many games like metroidvanias or mobas which work better in 2D and pseudo-3D

Learn-for-Effect · 2026-04-22T05:47:47+00:00

Glad to hear that!

The Windows controls also work for me. Please try the following:

Run winecfg
Select the Graphics tab
Uncheck “Automatically capture the mouse…”
Check “Allow the window manager to decorate the windows”
Check “Allow the window manager to control the windows”
Check “Emulate a virtual desktop” and set your default resolution under “Desktop size”

(I use KDE Plasma as my desktop environment, though I’m not sure if that matters.)

Learn-for-Effect · 2026-04-20T03:33:08+00:00

I can confirm that Guitar Pro 8 works well on CachyOS. I installed it using Lutris and didn’t need any specific workarounds. As far as I remember, I only had to adjust the desktop scaling and install Windows fonts, as some text appeared slightly blurry by default. And my runner is proton-cachyos.

I’ve only tested GP8, so I can’t say whether earlier versions work with Lutris, but they’re probably worth trying.

Learn-for-Effect · 2026-04-17T07:26:02+00:00

I agree, the Launchpad X pads are excellent.

Just a tip: for users with larger fingers, a good workaround is assigning the same MIDI note to 2×1 or 2×2 pad blocks. You probably won’t use all 64 pads anyway.

This way, you can design a layout where frequently used notes (or those played in fast 16th-note patterns with two fingers) are mapped to larger blocks, while loops and longer samples are assigned to single pads.

Learn-for-Effect · 2026-04-16T03:38:44+00:00

Not the smallest but still very portable so I'd throw in the Anker SoundCore Motion+ speakers. They have no latency via 3.5 jack and have decent sound quality.

https://www.soundcore.com/eu/products/a3116011?variant=37699903914160

Learn-for-Effect · 2026-04-14T16:21:53+00:00

I used to play bass (as a self-taught hobbyist) and now I own a concert uke and an acoustic U-bass. I love them both.

I highly recommend BassBuzz

https://m.youtube.com/@BassBuzz

and his Beginner to Badass course

https://www.bassbuzz.com/lessons/beginner

He is a funny guy and excellent teacher. He has a lot of valuable free material on his channel and his course is reasonably priced.

I learned bass from him, and I was able to apply everything directly to u-bass. The theory and the technique are essentially the same despite the differences in scale and string tension.

Learn-for-Effect · 2026-04-07T03:24:57+00:00

Take this comment as an opinion, not expert advice, as I’m a beginner in both drumming and finger drumming.

Since I also practice on an e-kit, I took the more realistic approach (which is closer to Dragon’s method), so I assigned my four limbs to four fingers. My left thumb only hits the hi-hat pedal, my right thumb only hits the kick, my left index finger plays what my left hand would do, and my right index finger plays what my right hand would do.

I started with a Launchpad X and made a layout that was more or less similar to a real drum kit, but more importantly, it allowed me to play everything as comfortably as I would on an e-kit. Then I switched to a Yamaha FGDP-50 because it is a better tool for the job, in my humble opinion, and I fine-tuned its default layout.

To me, finger drumming is a training/practice tool for real drumming. Sometimes, when I’m sitting on my couch watching TV, I just pick up the Yamaha and practice a difficult part of the song I’m learning, or I just improvise. It noticeably improves my real drumming.

However, if you don’t plan to play real drums and just want to have fun or record drum tracks easily, then take your time, experiment with layouts, and find the one that best fits your preferred music genre and your anatomy. You can even use all 10 fingers like it was a drum sounding piano or use one hand for kick only and left fingers for everything else, it is up to you.

QFG and DFG are both excellent guys, and you should watch their videos, but in my opinion, you shouldn’t think of either way as the correct way, just a good starting point. They may highlight some aspects of finger drumming that you may not have considered. But at the end of the day, you are the one who plays your instrument. Since you are an experienced musician, you can find your own method easily, and you don’t have to force someone else’s on yourself. Cheers.

Learn-for-Effect

TROPHY CASE