Hello

Jak Flash

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Hello all.

My name is Jak.

My wife bought me this uke about 4 yrs ago and I have always wanted to learn to play it. So 3 weeks ago I finally broke the box out and have been struggling along learning how do play "Somewhere over the rainbow".

It's been fun and I have been reasonably obsessed with playing it. However, I'm sure the neighbours are getting tired of it. Oh well, they will have to get used to it 'cause it here to stay.

My fingers are getting callused and the sounds are getting better. :D.

I reciently came across this UU forum and am very pleased with it. I have started "boot camp" and am practicing regularly but I haven't a clue how to make my fat fingers hold some of the frets on some of those chords. I'm sure time will begin to make them sausage fingers bend and twist the way they are supposed to.

I have never played any type of musical instrument before the uke.

So, thanks for this place. I intend on learning lots from here.
 
Hi Jak- Welcome to UU! It's a great place to learn and meet lots of friendly and helpful people that are similarly obsessed.
About feeling like your fingers are too big, you may just need a different size of ukulele. Ukuleles come in 3 sizes, soprano (smallest), concert (bigger, with a roomier fretboard) and tenor (the biggest), plus Baritone ukuleles which are larger still but are tuned more like a guitar. If you are a big guy, you may find that you are happiest with a tenor sized ukulele.
 
Hi, Jak - welcome! This site is a great place/resource! What kind of/size uke do you have?
 
Thanks for the warm welcomes.

Hi, Jak - welcome! This site is a great place/resource! What kind of/size uke do you have?

The uke is a "Kay U10". I believe a soprano. I prefer the small size as it will fit easily in the back of my jeep when I take it on one of the many travels into the wilderness. But I will have to check out the concert one.
 
Welcome!

You'll find that certain chords can be fingered different ways. For example, a D chord can pretty much be done with either one or three fingers, and my guess is even two fingers could work, when doing the standard holding at 2nd fret of GCE. And, when I do three fingers, I don't do the standard way of doing it ( I put my middle finger on the G, index on the C, and ring on the A instead of the order Index, middle, ring).

Find what works for you and you'll still be able to play with sausage fingers.
 
^ are there guidelines for the suggested fingers for the chords? I've been searching and I'm sure that I'll find it.... but any pointers are always welcome. :cool:
 
^ are there guidelines for the suggested fingers for the chords? I've been searching and I'm sure that I'll find it.... but any pointers are always welcome. :cool:

I just know that certain books like Ukulele for Dummies will show you fingerings, or youtube users giving instructional videos. Many chord diagrams will show you numbers on the graph indicating which finger to use - 1 for index, 2 for middle, 3 for ring, etc.
 
So haven't been back here in a bit as I've been busy with my other project....

If your curious check it out... Let me know what you think...
click Here. It's a jeep thing... You may understand..


Anyways, I've been learning. Been practicing and have a couple of questions.

Firstly, I'm messing up my strumming. I find that my thump nail catches the strings and it kinda makes a terrible twang sound. I tried to strum with a felt pick and didn't like that at all... I'm attempting using my index finger but am still having some trouble. Also, I keep the thumb nail trimmed.

So, is strumming more of a learned item or will experience and practice clear up the issues? Any suggestions on how to not develop any bad habits in the beginning of my learning?


And secondly.

As mentioned previously I have been learning the "somewhere over the..." blah blah blah song... It's fun and all. But my overall preference in music is more of a reggae. Recommendations on where to find good lessons on some bob marley tunes? Please and Thanks.
 
Welcome aboard, Jak!

It's been fun and I have been reasonably obsessed with playing it. However, I'm sure the neighbours are getting tired of it. Oh well, they will have to get used to it 'cause it here to stay.
Your neighbors should just be grateful you don't play the saxophone, or trumpet, or drums, or accordion, or bagpipes, or...

Truthfully, uke is one of the least obnoxious instruments you could play and really isn't that audible from a fairly short distance. My husband can take a nap in the next room while I'm picking away. :) No complaints on that front, but I have been forbidden to play my mando-banjo when he is home. :eek:
 
^. Lol. I'm starting to get comments from the neighbours.

I have one that lives two doors down and she keeps telling my wife how cool it is and that I need to get an amp... Lmao...

Then I noticed one guy behind me today when i was practicing doing the rubberneck thing wondering where the sound was coming from.

Know I'm getting better... But I've a long way to go.
 
Fathers day

Celebrating fathers day today. Kids hooked me up with a case for my uke...

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Better than the cardboard box it was living before.
 
^. Lol. I'm starting to get comments from the neighbours.
Many years ago I was practicing my flute with the sliding glass doors on the balcony open for air circulation. Next day I ran into a neighbor who complimented me on my playing and told me she really enjoyed it. I was a bit embarrassed, as I hadn't realized how much the sound carried. After that, I made a point of making sure the doors were closed when I played. :eek:

Celebrating fathers day today. Kids hooked me up with a case for my uke...

Better than the cardboard box it was living before.
What an awesome gift from your kids! I really like the look of those tweed cases. Bought one for my Mainland tenor, but it was way too big and the vendor said there was a mixup in what they had shipped to the Amazon fulfillment center and they didn't know when it would be sorted out.

Every time I returned the uke to the cardboard box it came in, I think I heard it sigh a little, like "Please, I'm the nicest uke you have, don't I deserve better than a cardboard box?" So I gave up, returned the tweed and got a Lanikai polyfoam case instead. (Yes, I know I could have bought one elsewhere, but I had Amazon gift credits to use.)

Happy Father's Day to you! :)
 
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