Down Up Dick
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What's more important to you, having a great looking/sounding ukulele, or learning to play the ukulele really, really well? 
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Choices, Choices . . .
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sam13
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Both.
:cheers:
:cheers:
philrab66
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What's more important to you, having a great looking/sounding ukulele, or learning to play the ukulele really, really well?
If you are a beginner I think any uke will do but when you start playing you notice the faults. I mainly finger pick so to me a decent sound is more important. Playing uke seems to be very difficult to play well as most instruments. I am trying to knuckle down and actually trying to learn new things, before I would just try and play a song that was to hard.
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Down Up Dick
Well-known member
Ha! I new someone would say that, and i was gonna add "no fair--both" but didn't. Anyway your post ends my thread--Ahhh, well . . . ld:
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Playing, definitely. So long as my ukulele intonates okay, (or to be honest even if it doesn't) I'm happy playing it. :music:
I don't want to say both but I guess it would, #1a good playing uke, #2 a good sounding uke, #3 learning to play. An easy playing uke is number #1 as long as it has a good sound. If a uke does not sound good to me I will NOT play it so then I will not get better.
I do strive to expand my skills and get better all the time but the instrument must perform or I am not captivated enough to put in the time to improve. Making music must move me, when it does it is magic.
I do strive to expand my skills and get better all the time but the instrument must perform or I am not captivated enough to put in the time to improve. Making music must move me, when it does it is magic.
i think the better of a player one becomes, the better of an ukulele you want to play.
Yes, a really good player can make an okay ukulele sound good. But a good ukulele makes everybody sound better.
Yes, a really good player can make an okay ukulele sound good. But a good ukulele makes everybody sound better.
Rllink
Well-known member
Interesting Dick. I mean, what is a great looking/sounding uke? I personally have categorized ukuleles as junk, economical, working man, and eye candy. Junk is junk, economical is playable, just economically so. The working man's uke looks pretty good, plays pretty good, you don't have to save for a couple of years to afford to buy it, and you don't have to wait a couple years for someone to make it. I prefer the working man's uke. A good Mainland is my choice, and I like playing it a lot. I don't want anything else.
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Down Up Dick
Well-known member
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Well, Name Bro, your answer stimulates my curiosity even more.
What is a good playing Uke? They all have four (of the very, very best) strings, and, surely, they should be well set up. But I can't see why one would play better than another.
It's true that some Ukes sound better than others, but if the sound is reasonably good, one could still make good music with it or at least learn with it.
I think Rllink had the right idea. He bought a Uke, learned how to play it and then bought a better, nicer one. Now, I admit that I didn't do that myself. I gave in to UAS just as most everyone else does, but I sorta wish I hadn't. I
really feel that I have more Ukes than I need. There's no doubt about it, of course, some Ukes can be very beautiful and nice to look at, but, if one cannot play them well, they're just great looking knick-knacks.
Alas, it's very difficult to ignore UAS.
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sam13
Well-known member
I would settle playing a cheap Uke for a year ... if the Uke Fairy bestowed on me the skill of Kalei Gamaio.
Hands down.
Hands down.
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Down Up Dick
Well-known member
Ya know, I think many of us make Uke playing way more difficult than it need be. When I started a while back, I just planned on strumming my very old pineapple Uke and singing, but I'm waaaaay past that now. I might be happier with my Uke/singing if I had stuck to it, but we don't seem to be able to just be satisfied.
There's something about Ukes that make one want more and more. I don't think many trumpet or clarinet or violin players have 20 instruments.
I think UAS and tinkering is just part of uking.
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sam13
Well-known member
Ya know, I think many of us make Uke playing way more difficult than it need be. When I started a while back, I just planned on strumming my very old pineapple Uke and singing, but I'm waaaaay past that now. I might be happier with my Uke/singing if I had stuck to it, but we don't seem to be able to just be satisfied.
There's something about Ukes that make one want more and more. I don't think many trumpet or clarinet or violin players have 20 instruments.
I think UAS and tinkering is just part of uking.
Interesting point you bring up.
I used to play saxophone and I had one saxophone and just played the HECK out of it. Just one. Loved it. My mom on the other had SAS ... Saxophone Acquisition Syndrome ... bought and sold about 10 of them.
THAT'S I am selling everything except one!!!!
Now, which of my babies do I sell first ... hmmm ...
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Down Up Dick
Well-known member
I wonder how many Ukes Jake has . . . ld:
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A well-playing ukulele makes me a better player and more inclined to improve my skills. So it's kind of a win-win situation for me. The $$$ I dropped on my KoAloha concert probably had more impact on me than if I had spent it on lessons.
Doc_J
Well-known member
+1 on that.
I wonder how many Ukes Jake has . . .
Don't know. But Joe Bonamassa (one the best, if the best, blues rock guitarist) has quite a few guitars.
It's a passion, don't try to make logic of it.
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bunnyf
Well-known member
Given the choice, I'd rather be a good player with a cheap uke than a crummy player with a good uke ANY DAY! Unfortunately, I fall in the second category. Case in point
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Well, Name Bro, your answer stimulates my curiosity even more.
What is a good playing Uke? They all have four (of the very, very best) strings, and, surely, they should be well set up. But I can't see why one would play better than another.
It's true that some Ukes sound better than others, but if the sound is reasonably good, one could still make good music with it or at least learn with it.
I think Rllink had the right idea. He bought a Uke, learned how to play it and then bought a better, nicer one. Now, I admit that I didn't do that myself. I gave in to UAS just as most everyone else does, but I sorta wish I hadn't. I
really feel that I have more Ukes than I need. There's no doubt about it, of course, some Ukes can be very beautiful and nice to look at, but, if one cannot play them well, they're just great looking knick-knacks.
Alas, it's very difficult to ignore UAS.
I always enjoy the posts you start and the questions you ask brohem, mom raised a smart one there.
I have anatomical issues with the fingers on my left hand. Through trial and error (read: buy, try and sell) I have discovered what neck, fretboard and fret sizes make it easiest for me to play. So for me certain dimensions make the difference between effortless barr chords or sounding like a hack. That is what I meant by " ease of playability being number 1 priority".
If I can't play it don't matter how purty it sounds or looks:music:
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Down Up Dick
Well-known member
Yes, NameBro, I knew about your hand but forgot about it--my bad--sorry. Remembering things is certainly not a forte' of mine.
Do you know who Django Reinhardt is? He was a terrific jazz guitarist who badly burned his left hand, but he didn't let it stop his great playing. And now you're doing it too--good for you.
Just keep on keeping on and enjoy all your Ukes.ld:
Do you know who Django Reinhardt is? He was a terrific jazz guitarist who badly burned his left hand, but he didn't let it stop his great playing. And now you're doing it too--good for you.
Just keep on keeping on and enjoy all your Ukes.
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stevejfc
Well-known member
Don't know...............but George Harrison supposedly had one for every room in his house. I believe Friar Park (George's house) is 65=/- rooms. Also not counting his homes in L.A., Hawaii.I wonder how many Ukes Jake has . . .
JessicaM
Well-known member
At first, I didn't understand the question (of COURSE I'd rather be a better player! Wouldn't everyone?), so it's interesting to see that my initial thought isn't right for everyone!
Still, though, I'd rather be a better player (x1000).
I also think that junky instruments should be saved for great players. Let the beginners all have something that does some of the work for them! They (we) need all the help they (we) can get!
Still, though, I'd rather be a better player (x1000).
I also think that junky instruments should be saved for great players. Let the beginners all have something that does some of the work for them! They (we) need all the help they (we) can get!
