Any of you "un-musical" types take up the uke and learned it well?

Welcome to the club Preacher! I just started playing the ukulele just a few months ago, also with no musical background. Also, around the same age. Let me tell you, this music theory thing is kicking my pants. I am trying to learn it, but it is kind of hard. Now, as far as playing, I am getting most of the basic chords down and learned most of it from the internet. I like to peruse youtube looking for "easy ukulele" songs and I find that alot of easy songs are not so easy. So I just keep looking until I actually find an easy song that I can play, and when I do, it feels so good.
I just spent hours and days looking for a christmas song that I could play and couldn't find one that was easy enough to sing and play. So I finally ended up finding a version of "We wish you a merry christmas" in a picking technique. I am able to finish the two verses and my wife actually recognizes the song. It's not up to actual singing speed, though, but I have my one christmas song on my song list. I have to look at the sheet every time to play it, otherwise I forget where I am.
So my suggestion to you is. Find some songs that you can play, and there are some easy ones. ("Happy Birthday" is on the easy side, even though it was pretty hard at first getting the coordination down of singing and playing. Some people don't realize how hard two chords songs can get for newbies. LOL)
In other words, some us are playing Tee Ball, some us are playing Little League Baseball and some of us are playing in the Big Leagues. Try and have fun at your level and hopefully you'll get to the next level, but in case you don't, make sure your having fun.

CeeJay said:

PS It would be fair to say that when I left home my village also lost a perfectly good idiot.

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And our village gained one.

I actually completely disagree with the folks exhorting you to "do the work". Presumably you took up uke for fun. I know I did. People have been regularly telling me (since day 1) that I'm way better than most people who've been playing the same amount of time as me. (In fact, all the other folks I know who started at the same uke fest as me have stopped playing at all. Or are still "not ready" to bring their ukes to our uber-friendly and supportive music parties. After a year and a half.)

I don't ever let it be work ... I just play. Because the moment it feels like work, I don't want to do it any more. And then I don't pick up my uke for a couple of days. And feel bad about not playing and "not getting it". Until I remember my guiding principle, "Let the Fun Drive" ... and go back to what works.

As long as I play and have fun, taking every opportunity to do it ... with others whenever possible is key (Seasons of the Ukulele, local jams, performing for others whenever they ask or will let me) ... I develop skills when I'm ready for them, and I get better and better.

Turning it into work ... or worrying about how good we are, or think we "should" be and aren't yet ... is what kills off potentially great uke players ... and deprives us of the fun of playing a ukulele.

Don't let that mind poison in. Just have fun, and play. A lot.

I agree with Ukecan1, it it ain't fun it isn't worth doing. Pick a few songs with two or three easy chords. Practice them for a while. When you're comfortable playing them then move on to songs with more chords, or more difficult chords.

http://ukuleletonya.com/files/beginner_lesson_pkg.pdf

Wow! So many great responses and so much encouragement. Thanks to you who've taken the time to answer. I am especially grateful to hear from those of you who are still "struggling" with getting it. Even after a good deal of time. That makes me feel much better about my own seeming lack of progress.

CeeJay, don't criticize katysax! Her response was what I definitely needed to hear! And she's someone who has allowed me to continue with the ukulele, having been the one who sold me my Fluke! I'm having more fun with that than I was with my tenors. Maybe the concert size is what I need.

My original post came out of the fact that I have been practicing several Christmas songs for a few weeks, and last week I got very excited as my fingers went to the next note before my mind registered it in one of the songs. I thought, "FINALLY!" And then when I went through my songs again this morning, I was stumbling all over the place. I thought I'd advanced, but apparently it was a just fluke (no pun intended). I tried again this afternoon and it was the same problem. So, I started to wonder if perhaps (as my high school daughter who's currently taking an advanced placement psychology class told me one day) my brain simply didn't have the "music lobe" developed. (And she plays beautiful piano, French horn, trumpet and xylophone. The little showoff!) The neighbor kid down the street also has taken up the uke, and he can play it by ear, with no training or apparent work. (He's a little showoff too.)

Hence the frustration. I just need some measure of growth to encourage myself. It would definitely be more fun then.

I'll keep trying. And keep hoping. (And maybe buy another uke. Because that's ALWAYS encouraging, right? )

Just keep on practicing your chord progressions and changes. Do them slowly enough to get them correct before you try to go fast. Try to use the "rubber stamp" method where you put the chord shape down on the fretboard all at once, then lift and set it down again a few times in a row to help make the muscle memory. I find that helps me, my stiff fingers want to go every way but where they should some days. Also trim the nails on your fretting hand so they don't keep you from pressing the strings cleanly.

Make sure your uke is properly set up, if the action is too high it could make it harder to make the chord shapes. Try to do some little bit every day (get a wall hanger uke or keep the fluke where you can grab it). If I can't get to a uke for a week or three I slide back a month or two. Boot Camp is great, but stay on one page until you have it down well, then move on and add the next.

If you really feel you have memory issues get your thyroid tested and try adding a vitamin D supplement. If I don't take my thyroid med or my D I feel the difference in my mental acuity in a few days, and this is especially true in older people. 1-2K iu a day should be safe, the upper safe level is currently at 4K.

I've been "messing around with" uke on and off for almost five years and I still have a bobble in "Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head" because when I first learned it I took some shortcuts. I'm still trying to learn a double handful of songs to play cleanly and consistently from memory. Then I started "messing around with" steel string guitar and started forgetting all my uke chords names... lol. G is D, Dmin is Amin, etc. But I think it's helping because it's making my brain work harder and stretching my fingers, and making callouses.

So keep on and keep it fun and don't judge yourself harshly. Check out some of the easy Uke Minutes and videos here on UU too, on the home page.

katysax wrote:

Sarah Maisel started practicing 3 hours a day when she first learned the uke. She has a musical background and lots of talent, but it's the work that made her an outstanding uke player.

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CeeJay asked:

Sarah whom ?...

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Sarah is a young lady well worth checking out on YouTube ... wow, can that girl strum!!

kypfer said:

katysax wrote:
CeeJay asked: Sarah is a young lady well worth checking out on YouTube ... wow, can that girl strum!!

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Well not in any meaningful way that I appreciate. I strum ..I am a strummer..

She can do the flower in her hair contrived expression like she's having a poo when she plays, finger-picking small guitar thang (I make no apology for disliking facial contortions ...I do not think that they are real...it just screams "look at me ...I am really feeling this music".It is a bit of theatre.Oh,there will be letters now:stop.......and does it extremely well.....but that does not float my boat.For me as a "Second Waver" that is not ukelele playing...It is guitar for those who can't be bothered with the two bass strings E and A. I do not wish to sound offensive or scornful that is not my intent , but I cannot find a clearer way to explain my position vis a vis uke styling.

But if this is the type of playing that the very very nice folk on here like then fine ....I'm clearly taking up space on the wrong forum ....my tastes are a bit more basic and down to earth.
So to be clear. I do not "hate her" as is the next predictable comment to come my way ...she is very skilled .



YMMV as you so often write . I just have a feeling that My particular MMV is about to be met with a bucketful of scorn and derision ...

Preach......my criticism of Katysax ...well okay fair enough....it was'nt a real criticism though , just a "well why don't you really say what you think "
quip ...which once again gets lost in over the pond travel....*sheesh* And you obviously know each other so my banter stepped on your and her banter ...I'll get off the pot. Lo(I'd use another smilie but apparently have just exceeded the elastic limit of smilie availability)

So if you want robust ..."then just get your finger out,stop reading this and start strumming like you mean it !!" ....

PS You should see what I wrote to Itsme in a PM !!

CeeJay said:

Well not in any meaningful way that I appreciate. I strum ..I am a strummer..

She can do the flower in her hair contrived expression like she's having a poo when she plays, finger-picking small guitar thang (I make no apology for disliking facial contortions ...I do not think that they are real...it just screams "look at me ...I am really feeling this music".It is a bit of theatre.Oh,there will be letters now:stop b.......and does it extremely well.....but that does not float my boat...for me ,that is not ukelele playing...It is guitar for those who can't be bothered with the two bass strings E and A.

So to be clear. I do not "hate her" as is the next predictable comment to come my way ...she is very skilled .Do I want to hear her . No.

But if that is what the very very nice folk on here like then fine ....I'm clearly taking up space on the wrong forum ....my tastes are a bit more basic and down to earth.

YMMV as you so often write! . I just have a feeling that My particular MMV is about to be met with a bucketful of scorn and derision ...

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Good on you, CeeJay, say it like it is ... colourful, maybe, but definitely to the point

I certainly don't think you're taking up space on the wrong forum, though maybe I am

I can appreciate your dislike of the "theatre" of the performance, I feel the same about many other performances, in different genres. I just happen to find this multi-chord "jazz-style" playing attractive and have actually got a tenor on order to allow me to develop this style for myself, without having to bother about the two bass strings on my guitar(s) !!

Horses for courses etc etc

kypfer said:

Good on you, CeeJay, say it like it is ... colourful, maybe, but definitely to the point

I certainly don't think you're taking up space on the wrong forum, though maybe I am

I can appreciate your dislike of the "theatre" of the performance, I feel the same about many other performances, in different genres. I just happen to find this multi-chord "jazz-style" playing attractive and have actually got a tenor on order to allow me to develop this style for myself, without having to bother about the two bass strings on my guitar(s) !!

Horses for courses etc etc

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Horses for courses definitely.....two thumbs up for that .

As to the theatricality of gestures ....you want to have a look at some piano accordionists(I dabble, badly) on You Tube....I think that they possibly take the biscuit for "gurning"......in fact somebody on the Accordion Forum actually once wrote that music is often best listened to and not watched ....

Good Luck with the tenor adventure ...I sometimes am tempted ...but look at the geetars on the wall, ackordeen on the shelf the 'monicas in the drawer and then the missus and think ...hmmm there's only so far we can push our luck..


I'll just get me horse of course.....

There are alot of over weight out of shape people that exercise.............once or twice a week maybe. You only get results from constant consistent practice. That being said it does not have to be hard or gruelling. Don't go more than two days without picking up and spending some time with your uke. :music:

Keep it simple, we crawl then we walk then we run. If you are having trouble with a G chord forget about finger picking at the moment. Learn the most common chords C, Am, F, G and D and one or two simple strums. Do an Uncle Rod type sheet with just these and mix up the order. Find simple songs that you like with these chords and play those. Slow and steady wins the race.

To answer the question in your title, yes I am unmusical amd yes over 9 months I have learned it well. I have over 20 songs committed to memory. I am 57 years old never took music in school, never played an instrument in my youth, no musical members in my family. I do understand HOW to acquire physical skills and I just put that into play. Crawl, walk, run.......do something everyday and make it incrementaly progresive in difficulty.

Preach......my criticism of Katysax ...well okay fair enough....it was'nt a real criticism though , just a "well why don't you really say what you think "
quip ...which once again gets lost in over the pond travel....*sheesh*

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Now don't be going all sensitive on me, CeeJ! I must remember you're from over the pond and have that wonderful gift of bluntness without malice. I didn't mean to sound too put out about it--I just happen to like katysax for her generosity toward me (and no, we aren't "friends" in the traditional sense in that we've never met and only shared a couple emails) and didn't want you ripping on her. Plus, she really DID say what I needed to hear. I keep waiting for the magic to happen with my playing. But as she, and many others here have said, there really isn't any magic--there's effort and work and slow progress. (Mine is apparently VERY slow. Hence the post.)

Make sure your uke is properly set up,

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Teek, my tenor ukes are from Mainland and Mim, so they're set up very well. And my Fluke feels perfect. And I hadn't ever tried the "rubber stamp" method. I will definitely give it a go.

UkeCan, you're right--there is no way I'm ready for Seasons! (That is, you're right in that's how I feel!) I may (and that's a BIG "MAY"!) give it a try if I can get a song down from memory. Though it has to be one that fits the season too.

And to the person who offered to send me a copy of a song, please do! I'd be grateful.

I should probably get off here and go pick up my uke. Thanks again everyone! This group is SO aloha!

Hey Mark. Ya gotta hang in there. Our first meeting is on the 28th, correct? There will be a couple of more beginners that are also trying to learn. Oh, and check your e-mail. I am sending you and Dale today my thoughts on putting the uke group together.

Dan

64 years old. I don't know if I have any musical talent or not. I have nothing to measure it with. I started playing in April. I play almost every day. I say play, because just some of it is practice. I work at it, in that I try to learn new skills. I do not obsess over it though. I think that you need to stay a little more consistent. Better to play a little every day than to play a lot every two weeks. I found that I can read music, as I had music classes back in grade school, and surprising how much of that came back to me. I mean, Every Good Boy Does Fine and FACE. How hard can that be? I know an eighth note, a quarter note, a half note, and a whole note when I see it. That is about all I've needed to know actually. I feel like I'm progressing.

When I retired, two years ago, I decided that I was going to be an artist. My wife sort of kidded me that she had never known me to draw anything more than a stick man. I told her that I was going to give it a go, and if all I was ever able to draw was stick men, then stick men would be my art. I took up drawing and painting. I do pretty well. People have actually taken some of my drawings and paintings home and hung them on their walls, so that means someone likes my art. But for me personally, I see anything more than stick men as gravy. In that sense, I've been wildly successful as an artist. I took the same attitude when I started playing the uke. I figured that if I could just play Elvis' Hound Dog, then I could sing it over and over. Anything more, is gravy. In that sense, I've been wildly successful as a ukulele player. If you set your sights low enough, you are sure to succeed.

I am like you....I taught myself to play the uke. I started out playing songs I knew that had the basic chords in them, C, Am, F. I would play those songs and then start to look at other songs I knew that had those chords but added a new chord. That way I could play fairly well and just have to remember that one new chord. I just keep doing this and after a while you will know many many chords.

Preacher said:

UkeCan, you're right--there is no way I'm ready for Seasons! (That is, you're right in that's how I feel!) I may (and that's a BIG "MAY"!) give it a try if I can get a song down from memory. Though it has to be one that fits the season too.

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Mark, is it? You are ready. You are so ready.

You do not need to memorize a song to enter it in a Season. You just need to play it. I read most of mine off charts when I make my videos.

I will be hosting Season 150. The theme will be posted at around 6pm US Eastern time on Saturday, December 27. You can enter it any time between 12:00:01 Hawaii time (5am ET) Sunday, December 28 and 11:59:59pm Hawaii time (5am ET) Monday, January 4 - eight whole days.

It's custom for the host not to reveal the theme before the night before, but I will tell you this:
I aim to set a record for most new Seasonistas entering a first Season that week. I would love for you to be one of them. (All of you!)
If you don't feel up to learning a song on the actual theme in 8 days, you are welcome to enter absolutely any song you wish. Bonus theme!
(Alternatively, feel free to PM me ahead of time, and I'll help you choose one.)
This invitation (this whole paragraph) is for all of you, anyone reading this. I hope you'll come!

Now go make sure you have some means to make a video and post it to YouTube, and you are all set!

I promise you that Seasons participation will help you beyond measure with the quest that started this thread. It's one of the fastest, most supportive, fun places to learn and grow, pain-free. So I hope you will take me up on my invitation!

Preacher said:

Now don't be going all sensitive on me, CeeJ! I must remember you're from over the pond and have that wonderful gift of bluntness without malice. I didn't mean to sound too put out about it--


I hadn't ever tried the "rubber stamp" method. I will definitely give it a go.

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Preach....sensitive...now you would need to sit me down and explain all about that .Sen sit ive........hmmm..

Rubber Stamp Method ...really OOoold school ....but a new wrinkle on it is this ......here's one I done earlier..

The smaller boxes are just the right size to cut out and lose on the way to pasting them onto a score.......

Just "Save image as" ...and then open it in something like "Paint".....




Then put the dots in the write place and right the name of the chord under the box..............I can't believe what I just did there !!

Have at it ...

Just to add a little to my post above. (I had to go out for a while and didn't get to finish my thoughts) I think that some people see Jake, or someone like Jake, playing the ukulele and it inspires them to play the ukulele. They think, "wow, that is so great, I want to do that." So they get their uke and start learning to play, and realize that they ain't gonna sound like Jake, ever. And they get discouraged. I think that those of us who are inspired by people like that need to realize that Jake is Jake, and set our goals lower. A lot lower. If you measure your success using Jake as your basis, you are setting yourself up for failure. If you play your uke, then watch him play, and you do a comparison, you are setting yourself up for failure. And it doesn't even have to be Jake. I see videos posted by people here on UU, who are really really good. Better than I probably ever will be. I have to remind myself that I'm not in competition with them. I have to remind myself that I'm in competition with me, and if I can just get a little better each day, or even each week, I am progressing. I think that setting attainable goals, reaching them, then setting new attainable goals, is a secret to continued success. My point, don't set yourself up for failure when it is just as easy to set yourself up for success.

Rllink said:

Just to add a little to my post above. (I had to go out for a while and didn't get to finish my thoughts) I think that some people see Jake, or someone like Jake, playing the ukulele and it inspires them to play the ukulele. They think, "wow, that is so great, I want to do that." So they get their uke and start learning to play, and realize that they ain't gonna sound like Jake, ever. And they get discouraged. I think that those of us who are inspired by people like that need to realize that Jake is Jake, and set our goals lower. A lot lower. If you measure your success using Jake as your basis, you are setting yourself up for failure. If you play your uke, then watch him play, and you do a comparison, you are setting yourself up for failure. And it doesn't even have to be Jake. I see videos posted by people here on UU, who are really really good. Better than I probably ever will be. I have to remind myself that I'm not in competition with them. I have to remind myself that I'm in competition with me, and if I can just get a little better each day, or even each week, I am progressing. I think that setting attainable goals, reaching them, then setting new attainable goals, is a secret to continued success. My point, don't set yourself up for failure when it is just as easy to set yourself up for success.

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Amen.......dots for ten.

Hey Preacher.

I picked up my first ukulele two years ago at the age of 60. I can sing pretty well and read music to the extent that it the notes are going up my voice should be going up too. I'm also a preacher and do my share of chanting in church.

What worked for me was to follow a series of online lessons to get the basics of chording, rhythm, and strum. There are plenty of interesting and simple 2 or 3 chord songs you will know just from having grown up with them. You know what they sound like and can sing along easily when you hear the recording. Get a chord and lyrics sheet for a couple of those and start playing them. Use a tempo that doesn't out run your ability to land the chords. Have fun.

Once you get a sense of success from one of those songs you'll begin to see your way forward.

I am a musical type and I tried to stay away from this thread for that reason. One, Two, Three, Lots.... I can count I play the Banjo. "A horse is a Horse of course of course, And no one can talk to a horse of course"..... Sorry, I needed to get that out of my system.

Mark, you need to put aside a little time each day to at least learn the chord shapes. BootCamp is good for that. Ignore the rubber stamps write down the chord shapes in BIG BLOCK LETTERS YOU CAN SEE FROM ACROSS THE ROOM. Some one mentioned Hawaiian chords D7 2020, G or G7 0202. Here's a PA Dutch chord Bb 3210. (Once you get comfortable with these ersatz chords go back and learn them the right way; but that's not the issue now).

Once you know the chord shapes work at putting them together smoothly. Songs with simple chords and simple repeated progressions are what you need now.

Forget about the songs you love and having fun for now. Learn Good King Wenceslaus http://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/m/misc_christmas/good_king_wenceslas_ver2_crd.htm in the key of G. (Bm is easy play a hawaiian E for the E chord 0002) Words too hard on that one? Try Jingle Bells: http://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/j/james_pierpont /jingle_bells_ver4_crd.htm. Everybody knows the words to Jingle Bells. They will be singing and won't know if you flub it up anyway. OK now you should be able to half play and sing one Christmas song so let the Christmas anxiety go. You have a week to learn Old Lang Syne: http://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/m/misc_christmas/auld_lang_syne_ver2_crd.htm Hit the transpose button until the last chord is C.

Well its January now you can relearn those songs again next year. Try Soldiers Joy, Key of D. Soldiers Joy is easy to learn. It is a reel. Now you'll be able to play at the church Dances, BlueGrass Festivals and Old Time Jams. This one you can play all year long. Clawhammer is not required.
http://folkguitar.us/chords/Soldiers-Joy.htm
http://www.traditionalmusic.co.uk/ol...diers_joy.html
As a Bonus song here is A Robert Burns song for Burns Night. Its played to the tune of Soldiers Joy: http://mudcat.org/@displaysong.cfm?SongID=45

OK February Lent is coming up as is Mardi Gras. Lets learn Jambalaya. You get a Cajun Tune and a Hank Williams for the price of one The original tune is Grande Texas -(pronounced Teha) http://www.chordstrum.com/pdf/Ukulele/Jims_songbook_2014-V1.pdf Page 306. You can Use a D7 instead of the D. This is for the Key of G. Try Transposing it to different keys: Key of F (F and C7 chords), Key of C (C and G7 chords) Key of A (A and E7 chords - E7 is a fun chord and you should be having fun by now) Key of D (D and A7 chords).

I think you get the idea. One song a month - seasonal - relearn every year if you have to. The one thing that hasn't been stated here is YOU WILL GET BETTER FASTER IF YOU PLAY WITH OTHER PEOPLE. Ask your parishioners about where and when the Jam Sessions are. If there aren't any start one in the church. First Sunday Matamoras (PA) Community Church 2PM to 5PM. If your in the area stop by. I'll lend you a uke.