Discussion
So the other night I bought a ukulele. Some mad idea that it may be quite fun and easy to play. Well it turned up today, so I thought I would share with you good folks how I get on (if I don't get bored with it by tomorrow!).
It is very small, weirdly much smaller than I expected. The strings seem cheap nylon things that sound a bit dull, especially the 'C' string. Build quality is a bit poor, but this was to be expected from a cheapy from China, but it is black and has glitter on it; how rock and roll is that?
Once I got it tuned up (I swear my tuning ear was destroyed after too many gigs at Rock City!) it started to sound ok; nowhere near the lovely clear sounds you get from the professionals of course but with my playing you really couldn't tell the difference.
A few basic chords and simple strums later I have played the ukulele.
It is unbelievably easy to play; getting a simple tune out of it is even easier than getting a rise out of the spelling police for misuse of the apostrophe!
It is unlikely I will be guesting with the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain in the next month (or ever!) but the odds that this one is a keeper seem good.
Trace
It is very small, weirdly much smaller than I expected. The strings seem cheap nylon things that sound a bit dull, especially the 'C' string. Build quality is a bit poor, but this was to be expected from a cheapy from China, but it is black and has glitter on it; how rock and roll is that?
Once I got it tuned up (I swear my tuning ear was destroyed after too many gigs at Rock City!) it started to sound ok; nowhere near the lovely clear sounds you get from the professionals of course but with my playing you really couldn't tell the difference.
A few basic chords and simple strums later I have played the ukulele.
It is unbelievably easy to play; getting a simple tune out of it is even easier than getting a rise out of the spelling police for misuse of the apostrophe!It is unlikely I will be guesting with the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain in the next month (or ever!) but the odds that this one is a keeper seem good.
Trace
12 inch legend said:
I was drunk in newcastle about a year ago and clocked a few in a music shop window £15 each!!! after reading your post i really really wish i had bought it now!!
Go mad on the internet like I did then! 
Well after spending the afternoon and evening playing with the thing and reading up on the internet it seems as if I have a lot to learn. However today has been a very chilled day with none of the usual frustration and angst I normally associate with learning to play a new instrument. Not bored either, which is also good.
Strumming, plucking, chord progressions and loads of info, videos and opinions on the net make for an interesting read and listen.
For those who are considering this, give it a go, it is really good fun!
And poor Judas hasn't told me to shut up yet which means I can't be all that bad, can I?
Trace
Tried to find some Fred Halibut links from The Fast Show but failed..
That's what you need to do, find some really inappropriate modern songs to play George Formby style.
Seriously, good for you. Although I really love music, I have no musical talent whatsoever so I'm very jealous of anyone who has (or has the patience to learn.)
That's what you need to do, find some really inappropriate modern songs to play George Formby style.
Seriously, good for you. Although I really love music, I have no musical talent whatsoever so I'm very jealous of anyone who has (or has the patience to learn.)
The Hypno-Toad said:
Tried to find some Fred Halibut links from The Fast Show but failed..
That's what you need to do, find some really inappropriate modern songs to play George Formby style.
Seriously, good for you. Although I really love music, I have no musical talent whatsoever so I'm very jealous of anyone who has (or has the patience to learn.)
Radiohead in the style of old George? Now that's a thought! That's what you need to do, find some really inappropriate modern songs to play George Formby style.
Seriously, good for you. Although I really love music, I have no musical talent whatsoever so I'm very jealous of anyone who has (or has the patience to learn.)
Anyway why don't you get one H-T? I really have a low boredom threshold and musically I'm not that great but I have had such fun today!
If you have a spare £20-30 then go for it, if you can afford to spend £30 on a tank of petrol taking the car out for a blast, forgo that just the once and get a uke for giggles. Nowt to lose really!
Trace
Ace-T said:
The Hypno-Toad said:
Tried to find some Fred Halibut links from The Fast Show but failed..
That's what you need to do, find some really inappropriate modern songs to play George Formby style.
Seriously, good for you. Although I really love music, I have no musical talent whatsoever so I'm very jealous of anyone who has (or has the patience to learn.)
Radiohead in the style of old George? Now that's a thought! That's what you need to do, find some really inappropriate modern songs to play George Formby style.
Seriously, good for you. Although I really love music, I have no musical talent whatsoever so I'm very jealous of anyone who has (or has the patience to learn.)
Anyway why don't you get one H-T? I really have a low boredom threshold and musically I'm not that great but I have had such fun today!
If you have a spare £20-30 then go for it, if you can afford to spend £30 on a tank of petrol taking the car out for a blast, forgo that just the once and get a uke for giggles. Nowt to lose really!
Trace
Ferg said:
Ace-T said:
So the other night I bought a ukulele.
Let me know if you ever intend playing 'Running Wild' on an overnight sleeper train.... I'll be right there. I am about as far from Marilyn as you can get but 'nobody's perfect'! I bought some new strings yesterday from a music shop in Nottingham (Dave Mann Music). It has improved the sound hugely, the C string doesn't sound dull at all now; all for £2.60! A bit easier to play now and re-stringing was quite easy.
The lady at the shop seemed quite impressed with the rock and/or roll sparkly black paint job on mine and commented that it seemed to be a nice little uke even for a beginner one! How
!She also said that felt plectrums (proper ones) are like hens teeth and if anyone found any real ones she would buy a load and make millions, so H-T if you are researching, don't worry about getting a felt one. Below are some uke sites I have been using, the main one being Uke Hunt (yes, really!), to get to grips with this.
Main Uke hunt site
http://ukulelehunt.com
A bit about the make of uke I have
http://ukulelehunt.com/2007/08/09/get-good-tone-ma...
Uke Hunt beginners page - read it, very useful
http://ukulelehunt.com/2008/04/02/posts-for-first-...
A traditional method tutorial
http://www.traditionalmusic.co.uk/ukulele-kamiki/
Another tutorial created in 1914!
http://www.traditionalmusic.co.uk/ukulele-bailey/
A useful guitar chord site that can be translated
http://www.chordie.com/
An online tuner (very useful)
http://www.fleamarketmusic.com/e-tuner/
Uke forums with a link to a 200 song chord book in PDF, dunno if copyrighted or not though
http://www.ukuleleunderground.com/forum/showthread...
and finally one of the most famous uke instrumental pieces by Jake Shimabukuro
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puSkP3uym5k
Hope this helps
Trace
Ace-T said:
Ferg said:
Ace-T said:
So the other night I bought a ukulele.
Let me know if you ever intend playing 'Running Wild' on an overnight sleeper train.... I'll be right there. I am about as far from Marilyn as you can get but 'nobody's perfect'! A little update a month in to playing.
I am pleasantly surprised that I am still playing this little instrument. It is a testament to how easy it is to play and how much fun it is to learn (I tend to give up on new hobbies if they don't provide instant and ongoing gratification fairly easily!
)
I am currently working through a finger picking course created by Al from the Ukulele Hunt web site. He e-mails it to you if you register, though there is a linky to the whole thing below.
http://howtoplayukulele.com/wp-content/uploads/200...
And here are the accompanying videos
http://howtoplayukulele.com/fingerpicking-videos/
I posted a link to a tuner a post or two above but this one is better; you don't have to keep mouse clicking to play it.
http://www.get-tuned.com/ukulele_tuner.php
Highly recommended as a fun, cheap new hobby, though I will not be posting videos of me playing it on YouTube. There are some things that should just never be shared.
Trace
I am pleasantly surprised that I am still playing this little instrument. It is a testament to how easy it is to play and how much fun it is to learn (I tend to give up on new hobbies if they don't provide instant and ongoing gratification fairly easily!
)I am currently working through a finger picking course created by Al from the Ukulele Hunt web site. He e-mails it to you if you register, though there is a linky to the whole thing below.
http://howtoplayukulele.com/wp-content/uploads/200...
And here are the accompanying videos
http://howtoplayukulele.com/fingerpicking-videos/
I posted a link to a tuner a post or two above but this one is better; you don't have to keep mouse clicking to play it.
http://www.get-tuned.com/ukulele_tuner.php
Highly recommended as a fun, cheap new hobby, though I will not be posting videos of me playing it on YouTube. There are some things that should just never be shared.
Trace
Glad you are enjoying the uke.
Like most small stringed instruments (mandolin, banjo etc) they can sound great but can also be a royal pain to get good recordings from.
Even very good players get regular choked chords and notes so do not feel that you are not getting anywhere if it is less than perfect all the time.
Like most small stringed instruments (mandolin, banjo etc) they can sound great but can also be a royal pain to get good recordings from.
Even very good players get regular choked chords and notes so do not feel that you are not getting anywhere if it is less than perfect all the time.
Thanks for the advice and encouragement Keith. Playing the uke has made me realise how much I like playing music. I have always dabbled in it (recorder, glockenspiel(which I loved but didn't have access to one for very long when I was a kid) guitar, clarinet, bass guitar, drums, piano and studied theory to grade 5) but never got very far with any of them. Combination of laziness and frustration at not being able to play well instantly!
The uke seems to have got round those blockers to playing as it seems to be no effort to hold/play/get a tune out of. Instant gratification! Me likey!
Trace
Playing the uke has made me realise how much I like playing music. I have always dabbled in it (recorder, glockenspiel(which I loved but didn't have access to one for very long when I was a kid) guitar, clarinet, bass guitar, drums, piano and studied theory to grade 5) but never got very far with any of them. Combination of laziness and frustration at not being able to play well instantly!The uke seems to have got round those blockers to playing as it seems to be no effort to hold/play/get a tune out of. Instant gratification!
Me likey!Trace
A thread res to bring you this young chap, pretty darn good if you ask me!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uluw_n-X4xA
I am not there yet though...
Trace :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uluw_n-X4xA
I am not there yet though...
Trace :
Ace-T said:
and finally one of the most famous uke instrumental pieces by Jake Shimabukuro
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puSkP3uym5k
Hope this helps
Trace
That's so great - not watched it for ages but it's still awesome - Thanks for the thread resurrection!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puSkP3uym5k
Hope this helps
Trace
No probs PkM. How about this then? Rhapsody in Blue on the uke.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ca5-xVA-AX4
I am so very seriously tempted by this too.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/proms/2009/takepart/ukulele/
Firstly it is the Proms, secondly it is the Ukulele Orchestra of GB and thirdly it is Ode to Joy, one of my favourite pieces of music.
Trace
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ca5-xVA-AX4
I am so very seriously tempted by this too.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/proms/2009/takepart/ukulele/
Firstly it is the Proms, secondly it is the Ukulele Orchestra of GB and thirdly it is Ode to Joy, one of my favourite pieces of music.
Trace
Vagabond said:
Is the ukelele the thing that guy played when he did the "when im cleaning windows" song? If so, do you have a fireplace?
Are there many differences (apart from size) between that and a guitar?
George Formby is the chap you are thinking of I believe. He played the banjo ukulele. The ukulele I have is a soprano, all the history, dimensions etc. are here. There is a smaller uke called the sopranino (sp?) too, which is teeny!Are there many differences (apart from size) between that and a guitar?
Trace
Read the wiki link you put there, actually sounds kinda cool, was thinking of getting an accoustic guitar as I played many moons ago but this is probably even better as it's so small it can be used anywhere.
Check this out as well http://www.michaeljking.com/electric_ukuleles.htm really cool!! electric ukelele, I hadnt really even looked at a ukelele before reading this and must admit I was kinda taking the p a bit about them, but might get one now.
Have you ever played guitar? I imagine I might find it having only 4 strings is restrictive, that's the only downside I can think of for one of these.
Check this out as well http://www.michaeljking.com/electric_ukuleles.htm really cool!! electric ukelele, I hadnt really even looked at a ukelele before reading this and must admit I was kinda taking the p a bit about them, but might get one now.
Have you ever played guitar? I imagine I might find it having only 4 strings is restrictive, that's the only downside I can think of for one of these.
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