I woke up this morning to the tune of “Take Five” in my head. Since recording my new duet using only five notes and five chords, why not make it in 5/4 time? After all, “Take Five” got into my psyche in quintuple meter. Why can’t I add a note to every measure and make it 5/4 time? Take Five Chords on Five Notes. Take Five Notes on Five/Four Time. It clicks.
From 2/2 to 5/4 time
Adding an extra beat in every measure changes everything. Can you still dance to it?
We are so accustomed to playing in common time (4/4) that adding an extra beat may throw us off.
Why is it that we can listen, hum along, and even dance to “Take Five” without missing a beat? (pun intended).
Take Five think in groups
The way to play “Take Five” is to think in groups of eighth notes and make deliberate use of accents. Not groups of five as in “1 – 2, 1 – 2, 1 – 2, 1 – 2, 1 – 2” but two groups of 3 and two groups of two, as in “1 – 2 – 3, 1 – 2 – 3, 1 – 2 , 1 – 2.”
When it comes to the section starting in measure 13, we’ll have to think or count in groups of five, with swinging pairs of eighth notes.
Take Five on Five duet
My duet is way easier than “Take Five.” I simply added an extra quarter note in each measure and changed a few measures to make it a bit more challenging.
How would you strum to this? If you can squeeze in a down and up strokes for each note, you’d play five of these down-up per measure.
Practice suggestions
- Analyse the piece first.
- Start at a low tempo (i.e. slow).
- The left hand only uses the index finger to make the F note. Whenever it’s needed, press that E string on the first fret for as long as possible.
- The right hand is at work here. Use the thumb and index finger to fingerpick the notes.
- Next add the middle finger. Compare the two ways. Which is easier?
- Sometimes it’s easier to play a piece at a higher tempo.
While it’s possible to play the piece on low G ukulele, I wrote the melody for high G ukulele specifically.
More information
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