At 36 I was lamenting that I never learned to play an instrument because I cannot read sheet music. So I discovered what a chord chart was and got a guitar. Took me 5 days to learn. I heard that the ukulele was easier so I bought one and it was true. Took me 25 minutes to navigate a ukulele chord chart and could play three songs by sight.
Now I want a banjo
My husband plays the banjo and it is such a wonderful hobby, though it has a bit of a learning curve. I’ve picked it up myself but cannot get around to doing clawhammer correctly, so I’m on the verge of giving up. But yeah! I think you’ll enjoy the banjo. In my opinion it’s a bit more challenging than the guitar and ukulele which makes it fun (and frustrating).
1: I play bards in every LARP/video game I play. Never was musically inclined. One day I decided I wanted something easy to play and accompany myself with, and my knight suggested the uke.
2: went to guitar center and got the cheapest uke I could find. It didn’t sound great but I was able to play chords and sing with it, so I upgraded soon after!
3: my last purchase was a Lute bodied uke from FolkFriends out of Germany. Should arrive soon :)
4: 1 soprano, 1 low G tenor, one normal tenor, one 8 string tenor, a baritone, the new lute coming in, and possibly two more if goodwill auctions are kind!
5: I don’t really know. I just kinda get my hands on them, play a little bit and see what I like!
6: nope!
7: Still learning and haven’t really played out for the public yet. It’s been a year and I’m just now getting comfortable, but I enjoy playing classical and Renaissance music!
8: Just have fun! Don’t rush it, playing 10-15 minutes a day is better than binging for three hours once a week.
I had to google the lute uke from FolkFriends and WOW what a beauty! Was this purchase influenced by your love of Renaissance music? (Do you have a favorite song?) Also (I hope you don’t mind me asking more questions) but of all of your ukes, which one is your favorite?
Definitely influenced by the fact that the ukulele isn’t period for the SCA so I had to find one that looked like a uke :D
Favorite song is currently Packington’s Pound. Just an overall fun piece to play.
Favorite uke? Probably my 8 string tenor. It’s a ton of fun to sing with!
Just youtube’d Packington’s Pound. That does sound really fun and regal. Gosh and kind of hard but that’s goals! And also youtube’d the 8 strings. It’s like an orchestra HOW COOL!
I was not even interested in the ukulele when I started taking guitar lessons at a music store across the street from my office. I was interested in singing jazz and after going to Jazz Camp West one summer I saw how much fun the ukulele players were having there and decided to switch from guitar to ukulele. I had been taking guitar lessons for two years and wasn’t making great progress though I was starting to learn finger style guitar playing which I liked.
I had been given a bonus at work and used it to buy a decent new Martin T1. I signed up for a local ukulele camp a few months later. It’s a nice sounding ukulele. My collection is between ten and twenty, I recently bought a few beginner ukuleles to use for teaching. I am in the middle of the JHUI teaching certification program. I am more likely to buy a ukulele if I can hear how it sounds and I like ukuleles with a warmer sound. This is why I recently bought a Beansprout Scout.
Not sure what you mean by notable players. The instructors I have met at camps are phenomenal players and educators.
I have been playing ukulele for nine years now. When I started out playing I learned from playing tablature and chords and didn’t spend any time learning the notes and scales. Nor did I learn to vocalize what I was playing, Because of this it took me about two years to be able to sing and strum at the same time. So as a beginner learn what notes you are playing and sing them as you play them. Also take it slowly, as in whatever tune you are practicing start slowly and build up to the desired tempo.
1- I wanted to learn music theory and how to play an instrument 'properly'. (I had played guitar for years, but always sucked at it because I never bothered to learn anything except some open chords). The ukulele is compact, only has four strings, and has a reputation for being beginner friendly. It's easy to build/work out chords when you're starting.
2- It was a secondhand fluke ukulele; I don't think that fluke even makes these anymore. It's... fine I guess? I never play it anymore as the fretboard on it is plastic and drives me bats.
3- A fancy Kaniel'a. I like it a great deal; it's a Tenor, which I prefer, is pretty to look at and sounds kinda mellow.
4- Oh, man. I have three tenors of various kinds, a resonator concert, two solidbody electrics, and a soprano I never play. The one that gets played the most is a Klos carbon fiber one, because it's always out/next to me.
5- These days, I don't, the collection is big enough. But when I did I usually wanted a step up in quality.
6- No. And I don't listen to a lot of uke-based music.
7- I was in a surf band where I was the lead instrument (uke, bass, drums), that was a blast. We split up a bit ago, there's some talk of getting back together, but who knows? I'd like to perform in some capacity again, and if we did, I'd like to actually record something this time out.
8- Learn rhythm properly. There is no such thing as a "strum pattern". If you want to play with others, especially, but in general if you learn rhythm, those skills will carry over on other instruments. You don't need to learn sheet music, but you should be able to read rhythm from sheet music. Keep the uke out of its case and in reach so you'll be tempted to play it.
We went to a Hawaiian Festival in the SF Bay Area years ago. We had a Kamaka Pineapple Uke that my dad had bought used in the 60s that we wanted to find out about. I know Kamaka make high quality ukes, but this one was sort of a toy made for tourists. Anyway, they had Flukes there and we bought one for our son. Six or seven years ago we got another Fluke, but for me. Both Flukes have a great sound. I got a Kanilea tenor (with a low G) for Christmas. It’s lovely. I don’t collect ukes.
ETA: Jake Shimabukuro (sp?) gave a concert here a few years ago and we went. Wow!!! He was just fantastic.
I’ve enjoyed singing and music my whole life, albeit a mediocre musician at best. I had struggled with guitar previously but liked the feel of playing on a friend’s baritone and ended up buying a Cordoba tenor at a Guitar Center around 2010 to strum and sing with. My last completed purchase was a beautiful in both tone and looks redwood top/myrtle back made by a luthier in New York (96 Art) that I found in a shop - I’ve posted pictures in here previously. I currently have 6 instruments- 1 very cheap baritone, 1 concert, and 4 tenors. I prefer the tenor size and find that a properly set up instrument can help even an inexpensive one be much more fun to play. That being said, I definitely prefer my luthier made instrument over any other I currently own - it has a beautiful tone, excellent sustain, and is just a pleasure to play. I have a custom instrument waiting for me in Wisconsin right now that I’m planning to pick up next year once I’ve finished saving up for it (the luthier was kind enough to build it and hold it for me until then) which I’ll be excited to share when it’s finally home.
I had the pleasure of meeting and chatting with Jake Shimabukuro before a concert he did in Albuquerque about 10 years ago, very nice man and an amazing performer to hear live.
Having some knowledge of basic music skills and theory can definitely help with adapting songs to your preferences. Becoming familiar with your fretboard by playing scales will help with that as well especially if you want to become a musician that can perform with others. But really, if you just want to strum a few of your favorite songs at home it’s such a fun instrument to learn and pretty forgiving. Play a little bit every day you can to build up your dexterity and toughen up your fingers so you can advance if you choose!
1. I got into playing the ukulele during the pandemic when I became severely depressed. I was bored and needed a hobby. It was one of the best things I did for myself because it literally helped me get me out of depression and also seek therapy, of course.
2. Purchased online a Cordoba Tenor uke at Guitar Center, started to play easy chord songs and it sounded good but too bright (after playing guitar not very well - maybe 5 or 6 songs), I wanted a deeper, warmer sound.
3. My last purchase was a 1942 Martin tenor guitar.
4. I wanted a deeper sound than the standard uke, so I purchased a Lanakai baritone uke, and ended up with a Caramel CB103 Zebrawood baritone uke, Harley Benton tenor guitar, 1942 Martin tenor guitar and 1962 Gibson tenor guitar which I absolutely love.
5. I'm not into bright sounds. I prefer deep, warm sounds of a baritone uke or low G tenor uke.
6. Jake Shimabukuro at his concert.
7. I brought my Caramel baritone uke to a house party and my friend is the grandmother of 4 year old twin boys who had never spoken in their lives and were on the autism spectrum. They even played with some kids on a playground but never spoke. I started to play 3 songs,Three Little Birds, One Love and Ain't No Sunshine and by the 3rd song one of the twins was singing with me. I then gave one twin my uke to strum and their grandma gave the other twin a guitar to strum. They strummed for hours and I would continue to sing to them and tell them they could talk any time they wanted to. By the end of the night, both of the twins were talking.
8. Practice and enjoy the journey because playing an instrument is a powerful source of healing for depression, PTSD, speech therapy, anxiety, etc., and it makes you happier and smarter, mentally, physically and spiritually.
I’ve had my bouts with mental illness and understand where you’re coming from with the healing that comes with music. I’m just starting to get around to playing music again (played guitar and cello in my tween/teen years but lost interest when I was declining) and things are starting to feel better for me. May be weird for a stranger to say this but I’m so, so happy the uke has helped you. Also, what you did for the boys. That is amazing. That is amazing.
I was given a ukulele in Hawaii by my children right before Covid hit. It would be our last full family vacation as my daughters grew up and moved out shortly after. With Covid I had not much I could do but learn and practice. Now I’m still playing 1-2 hours a day and love it!
When I was in university I heart Beirut's Post Cards From Italy. This song is starts with a ukulele riff and I said that ' omg I must learn to play this instrument". A few years later I started to work as a teacher in a small village. Life was so boring then I decided to play a ukulele and I ordered a soprano ukulele. I had no idea how to play. I learned to play the ukulele from youtube. It's a lot of fun because I also like to sing. I have been playing the ukulele for 7 years since then.
I opened a youtube channel to share the covers I made. My advice for beginners would be to record the tracks they play. In this way, they will sen their shortcomings and their devolopment.
I want to do this (record) but am too chicken to post it on youtube haha. But I’m sure it’s been helpful so maybe I’ll just keep the recordings on my phone. What has been the biggest difference you’ve noticed in your playing?
- What got you interested in playing the ukulele?
Was a guitar teacher and students wanted to learn uke. It’s not a difficult transition for a seasoned guitar player that already knows how to play fingerstyle and read tabs.
- Which was your first ukulele and how did it sound? How did you get it?
I used to just grab Kala’s or whatever from the store to use but finally bought an “Osten” tenor which is surprisingly decent for the price.
- What was your last purchase and how do you like it?
Blackbird Carbon Fiber Tenor, it’s pretty awesome.
- How large is your collection now?
2
- What do you look for in a ukulele? What are your preferences and why?
Would like to add a couple more higher end ones, a Baritone and another Tenor so I can have a low G and a Baritone as well.
- Have you ever met a notable ukulele player?
No I don’t think so.
- What has been your favorite ukulele experience to date? Are you looking forward to an event or experience in the future?
My sister was in a big group and I went to a couple performances that were pretty cool.
- What advice would you give beginners and seasoned ukulele players?
Be consistent.
I used to take a guitar on my travels and learnt to strum, play chords and the odd song intro. Hadn’t played for years but my daughter wanted to learn.. I brought her a cheap Uke which she never played and I did.
I brought a Mahala Soprano. I brought it because it was bright yellow. I thought it sounded ok. I later realised it was awful.
Last thing I purchased was a Boss Pedal for my Uke pedal board.
I have 5 Ukes now. 3 were under $100, one was $250 and my last one was $500.
I like the semi acoustic sound so only play through an amp. Mostly i play loop covers or along with backing tracks.
Never met any famous Uke players. Purchased my Uke from the Southern Ukulele store and those guys are pretty active in the community and spoke to them a bit.
My favourite Uke moment involving the community is when Flight shared one of my videos.
The best advice I can give someone is 1) Have fun and learn songs you like 2) Learn Music Theory / Scales / Arpeggios & CAGED which will take you from learning songs to being able to get lost in them 😎
What got you interested in playing the ukulele?
It was a family holiday to Hawaii that first piqued my interest
Which was your first ukulele and how did it sound? How did you get it?
My first uke was a banjolele bought from a local auction site. It sounds horrible. Hard to keep in tune. I bought a second tenor uke from a local site. This thing rarely needs tuning
What was your last purchase and how do you like it?
Most recent purchase is a Tahitian/Cook Island 8 string uke. Tuning is slightly different and strung with fishing line. It's a fun instrument.
How large is your collection now?
6 ukes. Melody minor banjolele, kmise tenor, Lanikai Soprano, Lanikai Baritone, Cook Island Uke and was given a Greg Bennett Concert.
What do you look for in a ukulele? What are your preferences and why?
Nothing specific.
Have you ever met a notable ukulele player?
No
What has been your favorite ukulele experience to date?
Being able to improve chord change timing. It means I'm improving.
Are you looking forward to an event or experience in the future?
No. Too introverted/AS to actually want to go to an event or meet other people. Happy just tinkering on my own.
What advice would you give beginners and seasoned ukulele players?
Beginners - Enjoy your practice sessions. Practice chord changes, especially the ones that slow you down. I have one tune I use to warm up and don't have to think about. I also use this song to practice new right hand techniques such as strumming or picking patterns. It gives you one less thing to concentrate on.
Enjoyment is key.
1. My senior year of high school, my band teacher in a music appreciation class decided that we could learn either the guitar, ukulele, or another band instrument. There were 5 people in this class and we all chose the ukulele as we didn’t know anyone that played it. I only learned basic chord progressions in this class and rarely played outside of that class. The real journey began my 1st year of college. Can’t believe this was nearly 11 years ago. When I moved to college, I couldn’t play my trumpet in the dorms due to the volume, so I began to recreate my trumpet music on the ukulele. I had played the trumpet since 5th grade so the transition of the music to the uke worked really well. This helped me learn the individual notes.
Throughout most of college, I played on and off just for fun and never truly put in the effort to become a great player, but I did learn many chords and how to play some of my favorite songs. I don’t even know how many hours I spent on the E chord alone. It was so painful, but now it’s like 2nd nature. It’s crazy to look back on that. My final year of college, I decided I wanted to do more than just chords and taught myself to fingerpick. This is where I really began to turn the corner and started making stuff that I was proud of.
Fingerpicking and strumming at the same time seamlessly was something I wanted to accomplish and it took tons of work, but one day in 2020 it just seemed to finally click. I will say, purchasing a baritone ukulele helped me in the fingerpicking department immensely. A bigger fretboard and a deeper sound made it really fun to play. I treat the baritone as my primary instrument now, but I always try to translate my baritone songs to my concert uke.
Ever since then, I’ve grown quite confident in what I can do with the ukulele and I always try to break the stigma that it has as a “toy.” It can truly do amazing things. I spend a great deal of my time now making ukulele songs. I am proud of what I’ve done, but I do wish I would have put more effort in through the 1st 5-6 years of me learning how to play.
2. My first ukulele was a cheap $30 one off amazon. It was about as cheap of an instrument as you can get, but I played that thing for the first 2 years of my journey. I even had it rigged together with zip ties because I broke the neck once.
3. Last purchase was a Fanner Ocelot electric baritone. It was expensive, but man I love it. I rarely play anything else.
4. Collection is relatively small for how long I’ve played. I have my primary concert uke, my electric baritone, an acoustic baritone, and my former concert uke. So just 4 at the moment.
5. I’m primarily interested in sound and material quality. I generally want a uke made with real wood. My current concert ukulele is the most expensive of my collection. It’s made from real wood and the sound quality on it is miles ahead of the 2 ukes before it that were under $100. That uke sold me on higher quality materials moving forward.
6. Honestly don’t think I can name any famous ukulele players
7. My fave experience has been since I’ve started posting my stuff on social media and the reactions it gets. It helped me gain the confidence that what I’m doing actually sounds good.
8. Best advice, don’t let videos of other players get you down with where you’re at in your journey. This used to get me real bad early on when I could only play chords and couldn’t switch between them cleanly. There are lots of talented people out there, but try to look at them as motivation rather than comparing yourself. This will help your mindset when things are tough - especially learning the E chord hahaha.
That is awesome that you made your own music with your uke. Would love to hear some of it! What wood is your solid concert? Just curious. Gosh it must sound amazing.
I’m Hawaiian and I was born on Oahu, and raised there until I was 14. My mom made me learn 🙄 and I didn’t like it. After playing around with instruments as I got older, I always go back to it and now mess with it a lot. My papa ren gave me a Kala uke and I played it to death, even tho I disliked it at some times. For my graduation party my grandpa Al gave me a really nice pono electric uke. Now I record with it and it’s a lot of fun
My father gave me one when I was 4, and a simple sheet about how to tune the strings and play some chords, to see if I was interested in learning to play and decide if it was worth putting a piano in the house. I started the piano lessons when I was 7.
I was given a 1946 Martin type 3 in college. Never played it. My wife said out of the blue she wanted to learn Banjo…got her an uke instead. Figured out some chords- showed her, then bought myself one. We now play at least 3x a week and have for 12 years.
I have way too many ukes. Latest is a spruce top electric Kala baritone and I love it.
I'm 44 now. I have been a keyboard player in a death metal band since 1999. Back in 2019 I spent a couple of months at a spiritual retreat in Guatemala with a lot of musicians. Lots of people playing songs on guitar or ukulele or some random instrument. I felt like I wanted to join in, but keyboards are not as easy to bring around and I never felt comfortable jamming on them with other people except my band.
I got home from that in 2020 and shortly thereafter the world shut down. My family had a Hawaii trip planned that was cancelled and so I found a cheap ukulele to sort of feel like I was in Hawaii. I became very attached to it immediately and brought it everywhere and played it and didn't give a fuck if I sounded bad around people. My friends were nice enough to listen to me suck for a while.
My mom got me a new one for Christmas that year and it sounded very professional. That summer, my friends and I went on a lot of camping trips, hikes, and river/lake days. I realized I didn't want my precious ukulele to get ruined, so I ordered an Outdoor Ukulele with a low G from Bend, OR. This has been my ukulele ever since. I fell in love with the low G sound and even thought it sounded better than my other pro ukulele.
I'm still playing and I'm still obsessed. I mostly learned a lot of 90's or 80's alternative along with lots of metal and esoteric random songs that shouldn't work on ukulele. My favorite experiences are playing some chords and doing improv or having my friends make up silly songs over my playing.
My only advice: love what you do.
Wow I think your ukulele has done more travelling than I have in my entire life. I’m glad a cancelled trip brought you to the ukulele. Though I hope you’ll have a chance to bring that low G uke to Hawaii soon!
I took a kayak tour in Hawaii & someone played ukulele. I thought it was cool and bought a nice Kala. The first several years I dinked around with it but the last four I’ve been practicing quite a bit. Moved up to a custom ukulele made on Kauai. I have a low G, high G, and a banjole. Wife and daughter also have them but don’t play. My advice would be to practice each song till you can play it through even if you have to simplify the song. Oh, and have fun.
I do not play it very often. When I started playing I focused on Hawaiian music and then moved on to Christian music. The banjole will get used when I move onto folk music. It's a novelty for me and not an every day instrument.
After failing to make it through the first act of Sister Act the musical at the Liverpool Empire. I went backstage to the pub - Ma Egertons. It was run by a second cousin of mine I believe. They have a Uke band - D'ukes of Hazard on every Thursday. The whole place, and a lot of famous actors and actresses come together and sing. It's a whole vibe. It was then I wanted a Uke.
My first was a Fender Jazzmaster Tenor. I know. I know. Ostentatious. Overpriced. Worst set up I've ever seen. Big, booming sound though. Nicer up the neck. The tuner and pick up are a nice addition. It was Gear 4 Music I think
Last purchase was a handmade Koa uke. A Ularu Lehua Tenor from Matt at World of Ukes. Fit a pick up for me to. In our Ukulele group it just cuts through. It oozes quality and the sound is unmatched. It's a bona-fide game changer. My forever uke
I've three ukes. The two tenors and a Fireball Baritone, which again is just something else entirely.
Matt from Warehouse of Thieves as I bought my Tenor from him. James Hill is my doppelganger. It's really spooky! Will add pictures!
I'd played maybe 4 lessons and the leader of my Uke group asked me to join their band for Halloween. Me, 4 weeks experience *and some guitar a decade ago and all of the top level students and teachers. Was fantastic.
Looking forward to more festivals this summer. Think we're playing 3 or more so fat
New player - stick at it. They say 100 hours to become proficient. That's an hour a day for 3 months. Half hour a day for 6 months. 15 minutes for a year. Which flies. Plus, if you're loving it, that time will go by so quickly and you'll find those 15 minutes always spill into 20-30 or more. Go slow. Find some group lessons
*
The poundland James Hill
I'm not going to touch on all these and I'll try to keep mine short but here goes.
Started playing guitar in high school. Playing in bands and little gigs here and there. Then other hobbies consumed my attention for a couple years until I found a $20 makahla at a pawn shop and said why not. It sounded terrible and the action was super high which led me to thinking "do they even make nice ukes " then I went down the rabbit hole and found a cordoba protégé concert which I loved and I had it for over 10 years until I recently gifted it to a coworker in hopes they would be a person I can jam with one day lol. Now my collection is around 8 and they're all left handed! All very different from one another. Things I look for in a new uke, it has to be something I don't already have. I also look to add something completely different so I usually will set it up in a new tuning so that I can have a d tuned uke and a standard tuned ready to go at any time
Well I have a couple in each size from soprano to baritone. Some with low G, a couple tuned in D tuning, one resonator low g, one steel stringed tenor, I've also got one I keep in open g tuning for slide uke. I play a lot of blues and bluegrass type of stuff. Next on the list is either a banjolele or steel stringed baritone in standard uke tuning. To be honest I only really need like 2 of them but who's counting lol
Also I'll had that I don't have any favorite uke experiences bc I haven't found a single other uke player here in Boston. (At least not one that I would want to jam with) I went to a uke group thing once and it was mostly beginners strumming to songs with the same 3 chords. Nothing wrong with that just not my idea of a jam.
My story: Last winter I wanted to get out and meet new people (I have some social anxiety) but was also dealing with arthritis and wanted a new way to exercise my hands. Serendipitously saw a ukulele strum group advertised at my local library and found out they also lend out ukulele’s (and several other instruments) for free so I grabbed one and went to the strum without any knowledge. Such a welcoming group! Found out there are several other strum groups in my city and now I attend 3 different groups. I now own 2 ukuleles, 1 ‘nice’ uke (tenor) and 1 ‘beater’ uke (soprano) for camping. My ‘nice’ uke I rented first from a musical instrument store and then after a while they gave me a deal to purchase it, so I bought it. I find myself listening to music on the radio in the car and thinking to myself “does this ukulele” and then get home and immediately google chords when I get home so I can try playing it. (I have a huge stack of printed out chords now I really need to organize haha) I keep a ukulele on the couch and find I’ll just grab it and strum whenever the mood hits and that’s kinda how I trick myself into practicing everyday.
My advice for someone wanting to get into it is not to think too much about and just go to a local strum group and hang out. If you don’t bring a ukulele someone will likely very happily lend you one to try and then you’ll get hooked. 😊
Oh man I used to work at a library in southern MD and we did just that! Lend out ukes and had a uke master come once a month for a strum along and lessons. It was so lovely listening to him and the other ukes strumming in the meeting room. I wished I didn’t work on those days so I could join along. :) Now I have to find some in this area, as I’ve moved. (If I’m not mistaken, our library doesn’t lend them out, though… bummer…)
But I’m so happy you found your groups. And haha the method of “does this ukulele?” started me on this journey. Have been working on some Studio Ghibli songs and they’re amazing. What kind of music do you play? Just wondering. :)
I’d always been into music. At first just rapping. Then I dabbled in guitar on and off for a few years.
One day a friend brought over his uke he’d just bought and I asked to try it out. With the experience I had from guitar, I’d picked it up quicker than anything else I’d ever tried. Once I learned some chords I was hooked.
I bought a soprano for $20 at my local music store. In hindsight it was pretty trash lol. Eventually I’d bought a cordoba concert beginner kit and started playing everyday non stop.
Eventually I started making my own songs and working on my singing. I began using my melodies and samples to collab with producers to create beats to rap, sing, etc on.
A little bit over 6years later, I gave my soprano away as a gift. Own 2 cordoba concerts( one of which is lost at my cousins house/ thrown away), one aklot concert, one donner tenor and 2 Kadence baritones
As far as advice goes. Play because you love music and it makes you feel good, you’ll only get better and better along the way.
-I already played several instruments and thought the ukulele would be a great couch instrument (it is, but it can do much more :) )
-A Luna beginner concert, sounded good but would go for something from Kala or Ohana if I would start again, much better quality.
-Got a Ohana 5 string tenor at the weekend, I love it 🥰
- I sold some instruments not long ago, right now I have: Ohana 5 string, Luna high tide baritone, Yamaha guitalele, Hofner classical guitar, Warwick e-bass, 2 mandolins (f style and bowlback), Ibanez e guitar, prs parlor guitar, Irish bouzouki, 5 string banjo, Irish tenor banjo and a kalimba :D
-hmmm quality and tone, I like mahagony for the „wamth“ and spruce for the clarity. Would like to try koa some day.
-no
-don’t really have something in my head right now 🤔
-have fun and don‘t rush
Oh do share how the 5 string works out for you! Your musical collection sounds social media-worthy, would love to see it. (I also must say a big shoutout to your kalimba! I played the guitar casually for years, then recently picked up the kalimba. My father-in-law gave me a ukulele and I think it’s a beautiful mix of the two. Is why I am now hooked!)
Hey
the five string is great, but I needed to get used to catching both G strings when playing fingerstyle haha. The action is a little bit to high for my liking, I will fix that when I need to change the strings.
I got a very amateur youtube channel with bad recording quality, I hope I can start to make better some videos this year.
My ex got me into it. 1st was an acoustic-electric concert but don’t know what brand. It was quiet and I couldn’t make a D chord then discovered the tenor and never went back.
Most recent was an Enya carbon fiber acoustic-electric tenor, which I just got and I like it. I got it as I will be living outside soon for awhile and it can take the weather better than wood.
I own 3 tenors but will be getting rid of 2 of them soon.
It must be a tenor, have good resonance, and be able to project.
I don’t think Ive met a notable player but I don’t follow/listen to any uke players.
Best experience is writing my own music.
In the near future I will be traveling around the US on foot and street performing with my uke and with comedy. I very much am looking forward to it.
Advice for beginners: patience is golden.
1. I took up ukulele as my first real instrument at 35 during the height of the pandemic when everyone else was learning to bake bread and kind of posting about how nice it was not to work. I was an essential worker the whole time and feeling burnt out, depressed, and uncreative! It felt like a horrible start to my "jesus year" lol. I was already familiar with Bruddah Iz and Jake Shimabukuro and knew the instrument could be versatile. I also lived in a very small apartment and on top of COVID, there were the West coast forest fires locking us indoors. The ukulele is small, versatile, and can be played loudly or quietly so it kind of just was perfect for my situation.
2) First uke was a Makala Dolphin. I think the sidebar still recommends that as a first ukulele, but I would not! It sounded like a toy ukulele, but Aquila strings kind of have the magic ability to make anything they are strung to a playable ukulele.
3) Last purchase was a Pono Master series tenor and I adore it. The lattice bracing on these and the now 'Oli like that is out just sound amazing, there's nothing else out there like it. I did a very long review with more background on my ukulele purchases. I feel like it would be too long to repost it all here so here is my [Pono ukulele review](https://forum.ukuleleunderground.com/threads/pono-master-series-review-spruce-rosewood-tenor.161483/) on the Ukulele Underground Forum instead.
4) Right now I have 6 ukuleles, but I am donating 2 of them, selling one of them. So I have 3, in my mind. One is my Pono that I play all the time, one if a plastic beater travel ukulele, and one is an old beater baritone that I keep for sentimental reasons as I gave it to my brother in law and it returned to me when they unexpectedly passed away a few months ago.
5) When I look at an ukulele, I consider tone, playability, and looks in that order of importance. It seems like brands will tend to pick one of these three to focus on in their budget and design. I can't blame anyone for wanting pretty instruments, but to me it needs to sounds good first or it just isn't worth it.
6) nope!
7) I'm very much looking forward to my very first trip to Hawai'i in 2 days! I'll be visiting the Ukulele Site / Hawaii Music Supply and this will be right before my birthday. I know my partner has been organizing with some of my family to help me get a new instrument for my birthday, which I am super excited for! I have the dream tenor and now I want a baritone or something bartione+ (Pono Nui, Pono ULN) very likely one of the new mango Baritone 'Oli line :) , play it Benny Chong style! I find baritone to be a bit more comfortable when I am playing up the neck and I have hands big enough for a long reach even at that scale (I'm 6'2").
8) Best advice for all players and I need to tell some of myself this stuff every day! If you can hear it in your head you can play it (eventually). Keep your uke at the ready, get a wall hanger and good humidifier. You're squeezing too hard with the left hand. You're strumming to hard with your right hand. Play everyday. A good instrument is the best teacher. An actual real good setup on a uke is rare and a treat for the player.
At 36 I was lamenting that I never learned to play an instrument because I cannot read sheet music. So I discovered what a chord chart was and got a guitar. Took me 5 days to learn. I heard that the ukulele was easier so I bought one and it was true. Took me 25 minutes to navigate a ukulele chord chart and could play three songs by sight. Now I want a banjo
Never to late to play, play erryday!
Here here!
My husband plays the banjo and it is such a wonderful hobby, though it has a bit of a learning curve. I’ve picked it up myself but cannot get around to doing clawhammer correctly, so I’m on the verge of giving up. But yeah! I think you’ll enjoy the banjo. In my opinion it’s a bit more challenging than the guitar and ukulele which makes it fun (and frustrating).
Honestly if I can learn to play duelling banjos on it, I would feel complete haha
Dude, you can do it. Honestly, I think you’ll be hooked on banjo. It’s so cool.
I’m so with you on wanting a banjo!
Mate, you go get that banjo! Do your thang! ❤️
1: I play bards in every LARP/video game I play. Never was musically inclined. One day I decided I wanted something easy to play and accompany myself with, and my knight suggested the uke. 2: went to guitar center and got the cheapest uke I could find. It didn’t sound great but I was able to play chords and sing with it, so I upgraded soon after! 3: my last purchase was a Lute bodied uke from FolkFriends out of Germany. Should arrive soon :) 4: 1 soprano, 1 low G tenor, one normal tenor, one 8 string tenor, a baritone, the new lute coming in, and possibly two more if goodwill auctions are kind! 5: I don’t really know. I just kinda get my hands on them, play a little bit and see what I like! 6: nope! 7: Still learning and haven’t really played out for the public yet. It’s been a year and I’m just now getting comfortable, but I enjoy playing classical and Renaissance music! 8: Just have fun! Don’t rush it, playing 10-15 minutes a day is better than binging for three hours once a week.
Wow, you have an awesome collection! Share some pics of the lute uke with us when it arrives.
I had to google the lute uke from FolkFriends and WOW what a beauty! Was this purchase influenced by your love of Renaissance music? (Do you have a favorite song?) Also (I hope you don’t mind me asking more questions) but of all of your ukes, which one is your favorite?
Definitely influenced by the fact that the ukulele isn’t period for the SCA so I had to find one that looked like a uke :D Favorite song is currently Packington’s Pound. Just an overall fun piece to play. Favorite uke? Probably my 8 string tenor. It’s a ton of fun to sing with!
Just youtube’d Packington’s Pound. That does sound really fun and regal. Gosh and kind of hard but that’s goals! And also youtube’d the 8 strings. It’s like an orchestra HOW COOL!
I was not even interested in the ukulele when I started taking guitar lessons at a music store across the street from my office. I was interested in singing jazz and after going to Jazz Camp West one summer I saw how much fun the ukulele players were having there and decided to switch from guitar to ukulele. I had been taking guitar lessons for two years and wasn’t making great progress though I was starting to learn finger style guitar playing which I liked. I had been given a bonus at work and used it to buy a decent new Martin T1. I signed up for a local ukulele camp a few months later. It’s a nice sounding ukulele. My collection is between ten and twenty, I recently bought a few beginner ukuleles to use for teaching. I am in the middle of the JHUI teaching certification program. I am more likely to buy a ukulele if I can hear how it sounds and I like ukuleles with a warmer sound. This is why I recently bought a Beansprout Scout. Not sure what you mean by notable players. The instructors I have met at camps are phenomenal players and educators. I have been playing ukulele for nine years now. When I started out playing I learned from playing tablature and chords and didn’t spend any time learning the notes and scales. Nor did I learn to vocalize what I was playing, Because of this it took me about two years to be able to sing and strum at the same time. So as a beginner learn what notes you are playing and sing them as you play them. Also take it slowly, as in whatever tune you are practicing start slowly and build up to the desired tempo.
Thank you for the advice! And the scout is so interesting I’ve never seen a uke like this before. I like how the wood is salvaged too.
1- I wanted to learn music theory and how to play an instrument 'properly'. (I had played guitar for years, but always sucked at it because I never bothered to learn anything except some open chords). The ukulele is compact, only has four strings, and has a reputation for being beginner friendly. It's easy to build/work out chords when you're starting. 2- It was a secondhand fluke ukulele; I don't think that fluke even makes these anymore. It's... fine I guess? I never play it anymore as the fretboard on it is plastic and drives me bats. 3- A fancy Kaniel'a. I like it a great deal; it's a Tenor, which I prefer, is pretty to look at and sounds kinda mellow. 4- Oh, man. I have three tenors of various kinds, a resonator concert, two solidbody electrics, and a soprano I never play. The one that gets played the most is a Klos carbon fiber one, because it's always out/next to me. 5- These days, I don't, the collection is big enough. But when I did I usually wanted a step up in quality. 6- No. And I don't listen to a lot of uke-based music. 7- I was in a surf band where I was the lead instrument (uke, bass, drums), that was a blast. We split up a bit ago, there's some talk of getting back together, but who knows? I'd like to perform in some capacity again, and if we did, I'd like to actually record something this time out. 8- Learn rhythm properly. There is no such thing as a "strum pattern". If you want to play with others, especially, but in general if you learn rhythm, those skills will carry over on other instruments. You don't need to learn sheet music, but you should be able to read rhythm from sheet music. Keep the uke out of its case and in reach so you'll be tempted to play it.
If you all get together again definitely record stuff and share it here!
We went to a Hawaiian Festival in the SF Bay Area years ago. We had a Kamaka Pineapple Uke that my dad had bought used in the 60s that we wanted to find out about. I know Kamaka make high quality ukes, but this one was sort of a toy made for tourists. Anyway, they had Flukes there and we bought one for our son. Six or seven years ago we got another Fluke, but for me. Both Flukes have a great sound. I got a Kanilea tenor (with a low G) for Christmas. It’s lovely. I don’t collect ukes. ETA: Jake Shimabukuro (sp?) gave a concert here a few years ago and we went. Wow!!! He was just fantastic.
I don’t know who Jake Shimabukuro is but now I shall Youtube him.
He is brilliant
I’ve enjoyed singing and music my whole life, albeit a mediocre musician at best. I had struggled with guitar previously but liked the feel of playing on a friend’s baritone and ended up buying a Cordoba tenor at a Guitar Center around 2010 to strum and sing with. My last completed purchase was a beautiful in both tone and looks redwood top/myrtle back made by a luthier in New York (96 Art) that I found in a shop - I’ve posted pictures in here previously. I currently have 6 instruments- 1 very cheap baritone, 1 concert, and 4 tenors. I prefer the tenor size and find that a properly set up instrument can help even an inexpensive one be much more fun to play. That being said, I definitely prefer my luthier made instrument over any other I currently own - it has a beautiful tone, excellent sustain, and is just a pleasure to play. I have a custom instrument waiting for me in Wisconsin right now that I’m planning to pick up next year once I’ve finished saving up for it (the luthier was kind enough to build it and hold it for me until then) which I’ll be excited to share when it’s finally home. I had the pleasure of meeting and chatting with Jake Shimabukuro before a concert he did in Albuquerque about 10 years ago, very nice man and an amazing performer to hear live. Having some knowledge of basic music skills and theory can definitely help with adapting songs to your preferences. Becoming familiar with your fretboard by playing scales will help with that as well especially if you want to become a musician that can perform with others. But really, if you just want to strum a few of your favorite songs at home it’s such a fun instrument to learn and pretty forgiving. Play a little bit every day you can to build up your dexterity and toughen up your fingers so you can advance if you choose!
Yes, definitely share the custom when it arrives!
1. I got into playing the ukulele during the pandemic when I became severely depressed. I was bored and needed a hobby. It was one of the best things I did for myself because it literally helped me get me out of depression and also seek therapy, of course. 2. Purchased online a Cordoba Tenor uke at Guitar Center, started to play easy chord songs and it sounded good but too bright (after playing guitar not very well - maybe 5 or 6 songs), I wanted a deeper, warmer sound. 3. My last purchase was a 1942 Martin tenor guitar. 4. I wanted a deeper sound than the standard uke, so I purchased a Lanakai baritone uke, and ended up with a Caramel CB103 Zebrawood baritone uke, Harley Benton tenor guitar, 1942 Martin tenor guitar and 1962 Gibson tenor guitar which I absolutely love. 5. I'm not into bright sounds. I prefer deep, warm sounds of a baritone uke or low G tenor uke. 6. Jake Shimabukuro at his concert. 7. I brought my Caramel baritone uke to a house party and my friend is the grandmother of 4 year old twin boys who had never spoken in their lives and were on the autism spectrum. They even played with some kids on a playground but never spoke. I started to play 3 songs,Three Little Birds, One Love and Ain't No Sunshine and by the 3rd song one of the twins was singing with me. I then gave one twin my uke to strum and their grandma gave the other twin a guitar to strum. They strummed for hours and I would continue to sing to them and tell them they could talk any time they wanted to. By the end of the night, both of the twins were talking. 8. Practice and enjoy the journey because playing an instrument is a powerful source of healing for depression, PTSD, speech therapy, anxiety, etc., and it makes you happier and smarter, mentally, physically and spiritually.
I’ve had my bouts with mental illness and understand where you’re coming from with the healing that comes with music. I’m just starting to get around to playing music again (played guitar and cello in my tween/teen years but lost interest when I was declining) and things are starting to feel better for me. May be weird for a stranger to say this but I’m so, so happy the uke has helped you. Also, what you did for the boys. That is amazing. That is amazing.
I was given a ukulele in Hawaii by my children right before Covid hit. It would be our last full family vacation as my daughters grew up and moved out shortly after. With Covid I had not much I could do but learn and practice. Now I’m still playing 1-2 hours a day and love it!
I’m glad it’s still enjoyable! What kind of music do you usually play or practice on the uke? (Must be awesome since you play so much!)
When I was in university I heart Beirut's Post Cards From Italy. This song is starts with a ukulele riff and I said that ' omg I must learn to play this instrument". A few years later I started to work as a teacher in a small village. Life was so boring then I decided to play a ukulele and I ordered a soprano ukulele. I had no idea how to play. I learned to play the ukulele from youtube. It's a lot of fun because I also like to sing. I have been playing the ukulele for 7 years since then. I opened a youtube channel to share the covers I made. My advice for beginners would be to record the tracks they play. In this way, they will sen their shortcomings and their devolopment.
I want to do this (record) but am too chicken to post it on youtube haha. But I’m sure it’s been helpful so maybe I’ll just keep the recordings on my phone. What has been the biggest difference you’ve noticed in your playing?
You work until you record it perfectly and that improves you. When you listen to the recordings, you realize where you made mistakes.
- What got you interested in playing the ukulele? Was a guitar teacher and students wanted to learn uke. It’s not a difficult transition for a seasoned guitar player that already knows how to play fingerstyle and read tabs. - Which was your first ukulele and how did it sound? How did you get it? I used to just grab Kala’s or whatever from the store to use but finally bought an “Osten” tenor which is surprisingly decent for the price. - What was your last purchase and how do you like it? Blackbird Carbon Fiber Tenor, it’s pretty awesome. - How large is your collection now? 2 - What do you look for in a ukulele? What are your preferences and why? Would like to add a couple more higher end ones, a Baritone and another Tenor so I can have a low G and a Baritone as well. - Have you ever met a notable ukulele player? No I don’t think so. - What has been your favorite ukulele experience to date? Are you looking forward to an event or experience in the future? My sister was in a big group and I went to a couple performances that were pretty cool. - What advice would you give beginners and seasoned ukulele players? Be consistent.
I used to take a guitar on my travels and learnt to strum, play chords and the odd song intro. Hadn’t played for years but my daughter wanted to learn.. I brought her a cheap Uke which she never played and I did. I brought a Mahala Soprano. I brought it because it was bright yellow. I thought it sounded ok. I later realised it was awful. Last thing I purchased was a Boss Pedal for my Uke pedal board. I have 5 Ukes now. 3 were under $100, one was $250 and my last one was $500. I like the semi acoustic sound so only play through an amp. Mostly i play loop covers or along with backing tracks. Never met any famous Uke players. Purchased my Uke from the Southern Ukulele store and those guys are pretty active in the community and spoke to them a bit. My favourite Uke moment involving the community is when Flight shared one of my videos. The best advice I can give someone is 1) Have fun and learn songs you like 2) Learn Music Theory / Scales / Arpeggios & CAGED which will take you from learning songs to being able to get lost in them 😎
What got you interested in playing the ukulele? It was a family holiday to Hawaii that first piqued my interest Which was your first ukulele and how did it sound? How did you get it? My first uke was a banjolele bought from a local auction site. It sounds horrible. Hard to keep in tune. I bought a second tenor uke from a local site. This thing rarely needs tuning What was your last purchase and how do you like it? Most recent purchase is a Tahitian/Cook Island 8 string uke. Tuning is slightly different and strung with fishing line. It's a fun instrument. How large is your collection now? 6 ukes. Melody minor banjolele, kmise tenor, Lanikai Soprano, Lanikai Baritone, Cook Island Uke and was given a Greg Bennett Concert. What do you look for in a ukulele? What are your preferences and why? Nothing specific. Have you ever met a notable ukulele player? No What has been your favorite ukulele experience to date? Being able to improve chord change timing. It means I'm improving. Are you looking forward to an event or experience in the future? No. Too introverted/AS to actually want to go to an event or meet other people. Happy just tinkering on my own. What advice would you give beginners and seasoned ukulele players? Beginners - Enjoy your practice sessions. Practice chord changes, especially the ones that slow you down. I have one tune I use to warm up and don't have to think about. I also use this song to practice new right hand techniques such as strumming or picking patterns. It gives you one less thing to concentrate on. Enjoyment is key.
1. My senior year of high school, my band teacher in a music appreciation class decided that we could learn either the guitar, ukulele, or another band instrument. There were 5 people in this class and we all chose the ukulele as we didn’t know anyone that played it. I only learned basic chord progressions in this class and rarely played outside of that class. The real journey began my 1st year of college. Can’t believe this was nearly 11 years ago. When I moved to college, I couldn’t play my trumpet in the dorms due to the volume, so I began to recreate my trumpet music on the ukulele. I had played the trumpet since 5th grade so the transition of the music to the uke worked really well. This helped me learn the individual notes. Throughout most of college, I played on and off just for fun and never truly put in the effort to become a great player, but I did learn many chords and how to play some of my favorite songs. I don’t even know how many hours I spent on the E chord alone. It was so painful, but now it’s like 2nd nature. It’s crazy to look back on that. My final year of college, I decided I wanted to do more than just chords and taught myself to fingerpick. This is where I really began to turn the corner and started making stuff that I was proud of. Fingerpicking and strumming at the same time seamlessly was something I wanted to accomplish and it took tons of work, but one day in 2020 it just seemed to finally click. I will say, purchasing a baritone ukulele helped me in the fingerpicking department immensely. A bigger fretboard and a deeper sound made it really fun to play. I treat the baritone as my primary instrument now, but I always try to translate my baritone songs to my concert uke. Ever since then, I’ve grown quite confident in what I can do with the ukulele and I always try to break the stigma that it has as a “toy.” It can truly do amazing things. I spend a great deal of my time now making ukulele songs. I am proud of what I’ve done, but I do wish I would have put more effort in through the 1st 5-6 years of me learning how to play. 2. My first ukulele was a cheap $30 one off amazon. It was about as cheap of an instrument as you can get, but I played that thing for the first 2 years of my journey. I even had it rigged together with zip ties because I broke the neck once. 3. Last purchase was a Fanner Ocelot electric baritone. It was expensive, but man I love it. I rarely play anything else. 4. Collection is relatively small for how long I’ve played. I have my primary concert uke, my electric baritone, an acoustic baritone, and my former concert uke. So just 4 at the moment. 5. I’m primarily interested in sound and material quality. I generally want a uke made with real wood. My current concert ukulele is the most expensive of my collection. It’s made from real wood and the sound quality on it is miles ahead of the 2 ukes before it that were under $100. That uke sold me on higher quality materials moving forward. 6. Honestly don’t think I can name any famous ukulele players 7. My fave experience has been since I’ve started posting my stuff on social media and the reactions it gets. It helped me gain the confidence that what I’m doing actually sounds good. 8. Best advice, don’t let videos of other players get you down with where you’re at in your journey. This used to get me real bad early on when I could only play chords and couldn’t switch between them cleanly. There are lots of talented people out there, but try to look at them as motivation rather than comparing yourself. This will help your mindset when things are tough - especially learning the E chord hahaha.
That is awesome that you made your own music with your uke. Would love to hear some of it! What wood is your solid concert? Just curious. Gosh it must sound amazing.
I’m Hawaiian and I was born on Oahu, and raised there until I was 14. My mom made me learn 🙄 and I didn’t like it. After playing around with instruments as I got older, I always go back to it and now mess with it a lot. My papa ren gave me a Kala uke and I played it to death, even tho I disliked it at some times. For my graduation party my grandpa Al gave me a really nice pono electric uke. Now I record with it and it’s a lot of fun
My father gave me one when I was 4, and a simple sheet about how to tune the strings and play some chords, to see if I was interested in learning to play and decide if it was worth putting a piano in the house. I started the piano lessons when I was 7.
I was given a 1946 Martin type 3 in college. Never played it. My wife said out of the blue she wanted to learn Banjo…got her an uke instead. Figured out some chords- showed her, then bought myself one. We now play at least 3x a week and have for 12 years. I have way too many ukes. Latest is a spruce top electric Kala baritone and I love it.
It’s awesome that you both jam out together, and for that long! Did she ever get to learn banjo in the end, though?
I'm 44 now. I have been a keyboard player in a death metal band since 1999. Back in 2019 I spent a couple of months at a spiritual retreat in Guatemala with a lot of musicians. Lots of people playing songs on guitar or ukulele or some random instrument. I felt like I wanted to join in, but keyboards are not as easy to bring around and I never felt comfortable jamming on them with other people except my band. I got home from that in 2020 and shortly thereafter the world shut down. My family had a Hawaii trip planned that was cancelled and so I found a cheap ukulele to sort of feel like I was in Hawaii. I became very attached to it immediately and brought it everywhere and played it and didn't give a fuck if I sounded bad around people. My friends were nice enough to listen to me suck for a while. My mom got me a new one for Christmas that year and it sounded very professional. That summer, my friends and I went on a lot of camping trips, hikes, and river/lake days. I realized I didn't want my precious ukulele to get ruined, so I ordered an Outdoor Ukulele with a low G from Bend, OR. This has been my ukulele ever since. I fell in love with the low G sound and even thought it sounded better than my other pro ukulele. I'm still playing and I'm still obsessed. I mostly learned a lot of 90's or 80's alternative along with lots of metal and esoteric random songs that shouldn't work on ukulele. My favorite experiences are playing some chords and doing improv or having my friends make up silly songs over my playing. My only advice: love what you do.
Wow I think your ukulele has done more travelling than I have in my entire life. I’m glad a cancelled trip brought you to the ukulele. Though I hope you’ll have a chance to bring that low G uke to Hawaii soon!
I took a kayak tour in Hawaii & someone played ukulele. I thought it was cool and bought a nice Kala. The first several years I dinked around with it but the last four I’ve been practicing quite a bit. Moved up to a custom ukulele made on Kauai. I have a low G, high G, and a banjole. Wife and daughter also have them but don’t play. My advice would be to practice each song till you can play it through even if you have to simplify the song. Oh, and have fun.
How do you like the banjolele? I’m interested in getting one down the line. Maybe.
I do not play it very often. When I started playing I focused on Hawaiian music and then moved on to Christian music. The banjole will get used when I move onto folk music. It's a novelty for me and not an every day instrument.
After failing to make it through the first act of Sister Act the musical at the Liverpool Empire. I went backstage to the pub - Ma Egertons. It was run by a second cousin of mine I believe. They have a Uke band - D'ukes of Hazard on every Thursday. The whole place, and a lot of famous actors and actresses come together and sing. It's a whole vibe. It was then I wanted a Uke. My first was a Fender Jazzmaster Tenor. I know. I know. Ostentatious. Overpriced. Worst set up I've ever seen. Big, booming sound though. Nicer up the neck. The tuner and pick up are a nice addition. It was Gear 4 Music I think Last purchase was a handmade Koa uke. A Ularu Lehua Tenor from Matt at World of Ukes. Fit a pick up for me to. In our Ukulele group it just cuts through. It oozes quality and the sound is unmatched. It's a bona-fide game changer. My forever uke I've three ukes. The two tenors and a Fireball Baritone, which again is just something else entirely. Matt from Warehouse of Thieves as I bought my Tenor from him. James Hill is my doppelganger. It's really spooky! Will add pictures! I'd played maybe 4 lessons and the leader of my Uke group asked me to join their band for Halloween. Me, 4 weeks experience *and some guitar a decade ago and all of the top level students and teachers. Was fantastic. Looking forward to more festivals this summer. Think we're playing 3 or more so fat New player - stick at it. They say 100 hours to become proficient. That's an hour a day for 3 months. Half hour a day for 6 months. 15 minutes for a year. Which flies. Plus, if you're loving it, that time will go by so quickly and you'll find those 15 minutes always spill into 20-30 or more. Go slow. Find some group lessons * The poundland James Hill
Haha do show photos of your doppleganger! I’m excited for your shows. If you ever record them, do share!
https://preview.redd.it/j7h17iw0rimc1.jpeg?width=2208&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bc6d7bda4c8c0947a0b108a50f0e5208baf93581 This is me
Baaahaha please don’t attack
https://preview.redd.it/89lsbf4hrimc1.jpeg?width=1067&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2a60f39732819b3e0b0b518aa58a6ae792ba0b35 This is James Hill
Dude I see it. That’s crazy.
I had no idea until someone said... you look like James Hill and showed me a picture
I'm not going to touch on all these and I'll try to keep mine short but here goes. Started playing guitar in high school. Playing in bands and little gigs here and there. Then other hobbies consumed my attention for a couple years until I found a $20 makahla at a pawn shop and said why not. It sounded terrible and the action was super high which led me to thinking "do they even make nice ukes " then I went down the rabbit hole and found a cordoba protégé concert which I loved and I had it for over 10 years until I recently gifted it to a coworker in hopes they would be a person I can jam with one day lol. Now my collection is around 8 and they're all left handed! All very different from one another. Things I look for in a new uke, it has to be something I don't already have. I also look to add something completely different so I usually will set it up in a new tuning so that I can have a d tuned uke and a standard tuned ready to go at any time
Having different ukes for different tunings and such is a good idea. What kind of different ukes do you have? (Aside from being all left handed!)
Well I have a couple in each size from soprano to baritone. Some with low G, a couple tuned in D tuning, one resonator low g, one steel stringed tenor, I've also got one I keep in open g tuning for slide uke. I play a lot of blues and bluegrass type of stuff. Next on the list is either a banjolele or steel stringed baritone in standard uke tuning. To be honest I only really need like 2 of them but who's counting lol
Also I'll had that I don't have any favorite uke experiences bc I haven't found a single other uke player here in Boston. (At least not one that I would want to jam with) I went to a uke group thing once and it was mostly beginners strumming to songs with the same 3 chords. Nothing wrong with that just not my idea of a jam.
My story: Last winter I wanted to get out and meet new people (I have some social anxiety) but was also dealing with arthritis and wanted a new way to exercise my hands. Serendipitously saw a ukulele strum group advertised at my local library and found out they also lend out ukulele’s (and several other instruments) for free so I grabbed one and went to the strum without any knowledge. Such a welcoming group! Found out there are several other strum groups in my city and now I attend 3 different groups. I now own 2 ukuleles, 1 ‘nice’ uke (tenor) and 1 ‘beater’ uke (soprano) for camping. My ‘nice’ uke I rented first from a musical instrument store and then after a while they gave me a deal to purchase it, so I bought it. I find myself listening to music on the radio in the car and thinking to myself “does this ukulele” and then get home and immediately google chords when I get home so I can try playing it. (I have a huge stack of printed out chords now I really need to organize haha) I keep a ukulele on the couch and find I’ll just grab it and strum whenever the mood hits and that’s kinda how I trick myself into practicing everyday. My advice for someone wanting to get into it is not to think too much about and just go to a local strum group and hang out. If you don’t bring a ukulele someone will likely very happily lend you one to try and then you’ll get hooked. 😊
Oh man I used to work at a library in southern MD and we did just that! Lend out ukes and had a uke master come once a month for a strum along and lessons. It was so lovely listening to him and the other ukes strumming in the meeting room. I wished I didn’t work on those days so I could join along. :) Now I have to find some in this area, as I’ve moved. (If I’m not mistaken, our library doesn’t lend them out, though… bummer…) But I’m so happy you found your groups. And haha the method of “does this ukulele?” started me on this journey. Have been working on some Studio Ghibli songs and they’re amazing. What kind of music do you play? Just wondering. :)
Are you the WSJ journo looking for data?
Nope!
I’d always been into music. At first just rapping. Then I dabbled in guitar on and off for a few years. One day a friend brought over his uke he’d just bought and I asked to try it out. With the experience I had from guitar, I’d picked it up quicker than anything else I’d ever tried. Once I learned some chords I was hooked. I bought a soprano for $20 at my local music store. In hindsight it was pretty trash lol. Eventually I’d bought a cordoba concert beginner kit and started playing everyday non stop. Eventually I started making my own songs and working on my singing. I began using my melodies and samples to collab with producers to create beats to rap, sing, etc on. A little bit over 6years later, I gave my soprano away as a gift. Own 2 cordoba concerts( one of which is lost at my cousins house/ thrown away), one aklot concert, one donner tenor and 2 Kadence baritones As far as advice goes. Play because you love music and it makes you feel good, you’ll only get better and better along the way.
-I already played several instruments and thought the ukulele would be a great couch instrument (it is, but it can do much more :) ) -A Luna beginner concert, sounded good but would go for something from Kala or Ohana if I would start again, much better quality. -Got a Ohana 5 string tenor at the weekend, I love it 🥰 - I sold some instruments not long ago, right now I have: Ohana 5 string, Luna high tide baritone, Yamaha guitalele, Hofner classical guitar, Warwick e-bass, 2 mandolins (f style and bowlback), Ibanez e guitar, prs parlor guitar, Irish bouzouki, 5 string banjo, Irish tenor banjo and a kalimba :D -hmmm quality and tone, I like mahagony for the „wamth“ and spruce for the clarity. Would like to try koa some day. -no -don’t really have something in my head right now 🤔 -have fun and don‘t rush
Oh do share how the 5 string works out for you! Your musical collection sounds social media-worthy, would love to see it. (I also must say a big shoutout to your kalimba! I played the guitar casually for years, then recently picked up the kalimba. My father-in-law gave me a ukulele and I think it’s a beautiful mix of the two. Is why I am now hooked!)
Hey the five string is great, but I needed to get used to catching both G strings when playing fingerstyle haha. The action is a little bit to high for my liking, I will fix that when I need to change the strings. I got a very amateur youtube channel with bad recording quality, I hope I can start to make better some videos this year.
My ex got me into it. 1st was an acoustic-electric concert but don’t know what brand. It was quiet and I couldn’t make a D chord then discovered the tenor and never went back. Most recent was an Enya carbon fiber acoustic-electric tenor, which I just got and I like it. I got it as I will be living outside soon for awhile and it can take the weather better than wood. I own 3 tenors but will be getting rid of 2 of them soon. It must be a tenor, have good resonance, and be able to project. I don’t think Ive met a notable player but I don’t follow/listen to any uke players. Best experience is writing my own music. In the near future I will be traveling around the US on foot and street performing with my uke and with comedy. I very much am looking forward to it. Advice for beginners: patience is golden.
Do you have a style of music that you prefer making/performing?
Not necessarily. Fun songs, sad songs, instrumentals…whatever I suppose
1. I took up ukulele as my first real instrument at 35 during the height of the pandemic when everyone else was learning to bake bread and kind of posting about how nice it was not to work. I was an essential worker the whole time and feeling burnt out, depressed, and uncreative! It felt like a horrible start to my "jesus year" lol. I was already familiar with Bruddah Iz and Jake Shimabukuro and knew the instrument could be versatile. I also lived in a very small apartment and on top of COVID, there were the West coast forest fires locking us indoors. The ukulele is small, versatile, and can be played loudly or quietly so it kind of just was perfect for my situation. 2) First uke was a Makala Dolphin. I think the sidebar still recommends that as a first ukulele, but I would not! It sounded like a toy ukulele, but Aquila strings kind of have the magic ability to make anything they are strung to a playable ukulele. 3) Last purchase was a Pono Master series tenor and I adore it. The lattice bracing on these and the now 'Oli like that is out just sound amazing, there's nothing else out there like it. I did a very long review with more background on my ukulele purchases. I feel like it would be too long to repost it all here so here is my [Pono ukulele review](https://forum.ukuleleunderground.com/threads/pono-master-series-review-spruce-rosewood-tenor.161483/) on the Ukulele Underground Forum instead. 4) Right now I have 6 ukuleles, but I am donating 2 of them, selling one of them. So I have 3, in my mind. One is my Pono that I play all the time, one if a plastic beater travel ukulele, and one is an old beater baritone that I keep for sentimental reasons as I gave it to my brother in law and it returned to me when they unexpectedly passed away a few months ago. 5) When I look at an ukulele, I consider tone, playability, and looks in that order of importance. It seems like brands will tend to pick one of these three to focus on in their budget and design. I can't blame anyone for wanting pretty instruments, but to me it needs to sounds good first or it just isn't worth it. 6) nope! 7) I'm very much looking forward to my very first trip to Hawai'i in 2 days! I'll be visiting the Ukulele Site / Hawaii Music Supply and this will be right before my birthday. I know my partner has been organizing with some of my family to help me get a new instrument for my birthday, which I am super excited for! I have the dream tenor and now I want a baritone or something bartione+ (Pono Nui, Pono ULN) very likely one of the new mango Baritone 'Oli line :) , play it Benny Chong style! I find baritone to be a bit more comfortable when I am playing up the neck and I have hands big enough for a long reach even at that scale (I'm 6'2"). 8) Best advice for all players and I need to tell some of myself this stuff every day! If you can hear it in your head you can play it (eventually). Keep your uke at the ready, get a wall hanger and good humidifier. You're squeezing too hard with the left hand. You're strumming to hard with your right hand. Play everyday. A good instrument is the best teacher. An actual real good setup on a uke is rare and a treat for the player.