Anyone using Yousician?
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@odilongreen Jan 2022
Just wondering if anyone else here subscribes to Yousician (automated computer music lessons that actually listens to you perform and lets you know if you're hitting the right notes or not).
I've been using it about 5x per week for the last 5-6 months for both ukulele and singing, about 25-30 minutes a day each. (Piano, guitar and bass are also available.) I have no question that a knowledgeable in-person teacher would be preferable, but Yousician fits well into my irregular work schedule and availability, and the instant feedback (i.e., gamification) does keep me coming back to practice regularly.
If anyone else is using Yousician, I am curious as to how you feel it's working. For me, on the ukulele side, I find it very helpful, and think my playing of both melodies and chords has improved significantly. I'm still far from "great," and, again, I do not doubt I'd be even further along with a dedicated in-person teacher (who probably could also be correcting bad habits I'm sure I've picked up). But on balance, I'm very happy with my uke progress, and definitely notice regular improvement.
On the vocal side, my results are a lot more limited. I have noticed some very modest, minor improvement, and can certainly hit the notes that flash on the screen better than when I started (although still not great). But I remain very dissatisfied with the quality and "sound" of my voice, even when I do hit a note correctly. Part of it is undoubtedly psychological; I've struggled with singing (or trying not to be bothered by my singing) for so long that I think I'm sabotaging myself. But again, it is convenient, and I do think I'm making *some* limited progress, so I keep at it.
Anyone else have Yousician experience? -
@cts Jan 2022
I take it it's Yousician dot com?
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@odilongreen Jan 2022
Yes, although you don't actually use it on the site; you download a program to your desktop or tablet or phone (and can move between them).
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@czep Jan 2022
I enjoy it. Great to keep me motivated on the ukulele. I wish it had a harmonica feature.
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@ductapeguy Jan 2022
I have been using Yousician for about 6 years. It was the first time in my life that I had a regular practice regimen. My guitar, bass, and uke playing improved significantly. About 2 years in, I picked up a USB keyboard and started to learn piano for the first time using the app. I'm a pretty rudimentary keyboard player but I can get around it. In the last year I haven't been using my yousician subscription very much, so I canceled it in November, and got a black Friday sale on Melodics. I've been using melodics daily to practice finger drumming on my pad controller, and keyboard skills. I also use musician regularly with bass and piano. I may need to refocus on guitar and ukulele, because even though they are my primary instruments, I think my chops are a bit Rusty. Overall, I have found that using a gamified practice system with real backing tracks is The Sweet Spot for getting this old guy to actually practice.
