Playing Partner or Sheet Music Hog

DownUpDave

DownUpDave

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I play most of the time at my kitchen table. Our cat Parka seems to enjoy any chord melody piece I play. She lays down on top of the sheet music and starts to purr. The performance of the piece usually comes to a screaming halt cause I can't read the music. I will switch to something I have memorized to keep her happy.

This was inspired by Hollis's picture of his dog on his lap. Who else has a pet that enjoys listening to you play. Pictures are welcomed and encouraged

20160826_063802.jpg20160826_063800.jpg
 
I was attempting to learn to play harmonica before picking up the uke, & my cat George would 'plead' with me to stop! :)

He's OK with the uke though. :rolleyes:
 
DownUpDave said:
I play most of the time at my kitchen table. Our cat Parka seems to enjoy any chord melody piece I play. She lays down on top of the sheet music and starts to purr. The performance of the piece usually comes to a screaming halt cause I can't read the music. I will switch to something I have memorized to keep her happy.
Click to expand...
I laughed so hard that I spit my morning coffee out. You made my day! Maybe I need to get a cat so I have an audience too :)
 
A cat will often position itself where it's human has its attention.

I remember trying to play scrabble, and suddenly the scrabble board was the sweetest spot for the cat to lie.
You often see pictures online of cats lying on computer keyboards.

I am not sure whether a cat lying on the sheet music likes the music, dislikes it, or just want your attention.

But let's assume it likes it :)
 
UkingViking said:
A cat will often position itself where it's human has its attention.

I remember trying to play scrabble, and suddenly the scrabble board was the sweetest spot for the cat to lie.
You often see pictures online of cats lying on computer keyboards.

I am not sure whether a cat lying on the sheet music likes the music, dislikes it, or just want your attention.

But let's assume it likes it :)
Click to expand...

Hey dude.......thanks for bursting my bubble......I thought it was my excellent playing:biglaugh::biglaugh::biglaugh:

Yea we have owned lots of cats and they like to have things their way. Forget trying to read the newpaper spread out on the table
 
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I think I know what's going on in the second photo. Parka is eyeing the fish inside the sound hole.
 
My dog sits on my lap when I play the uke, and seems to enjoy it. I'm still trying to learn this instrument, so I guess he is probably tone deaf. On the other hand, when I Play the harmonica, he want to join in the chorus with a howl like a coyote.
 
Good eye David. Maybe we can do a commercial for your Ono Ukuleles...........finger licking good. A fish in every box.

20160826_090320.jpg
 
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my daughter used to keep fancy rats. the little guys seemed to enjoy finger picking and would hang around while I was playing. strumming didn't seem to interest them all that much.

when I was in college, I was sitting on the front porch with a guitar just going back and forth between A7 & D7. the 7th chords must've resonated with the local crows because they gathered on the telephone lines and started singing along. there must have been 20-30 crows joining in. it was pretty cool.
 
ramone said:
my daughter used to keep fancy rats. the little guys seemed to enjoy finger picking and would hang around while I was playing. strumming didn't seem to interest them all that much.

when I was in college, I was sitting on the front porch with a guitar just going back and forth between A7 & D7. the 7th chords must've resonated with the local crows because they gathered on the telephone lines and started singing along. there must have been 20-30 crows joining in. it was pretty cool.
Click to expand...
When I was a teen out on the farm, back in the sixties, my neighbor hired me to shoot the crows that had started a rookery in his barnyard. If I had known that they were attracted to ukulele music back then, it might have come in handy. Back to now though, I sit on the front deck to play, and often times some squirrels come out and watch. They never say anything or sing though they just listen. Back in the way back machine, I used to also hunt squirrels, but I haven't hunted anything for a decade or more, so they are pretty safe. Could be coincidence though, as I am never out on that deck unless I'm playing the uke, so who knows? Maybe they are just up there wondering when I will quit and go back inside.
 
Last spring I was playing on my front porch enjoying the weather. I looked over to my right and the rat snake that lived under the steps came out to give a little listen (I say "lived" as I saw him/her a lot over the past couple years, but there hasn't been a sighting at all this year).

snake.jpg
 
Dave,
Our cat likes to play the piano if the lid is left up, sorta like kitten on the keys, just likes the tinkling she makes.
 
I use a music stand now, so that takes care of the cat-on-the-music problem. As for cat on the lap, I've discovered that the cat makes a nice resting place for the uke--puts it at a great playing height--and she doesn't seem to mind. So she has to work for her entertainment. If that's what it is :).
 
My little cat will sit up on the arm of the chair when I'm playing my one of my ukuleles or the nylon-strung guitar ... she's got no time for the steel-strung guitars, mandolin or banjo!!

Sometimes when I'm tootling on a recorder I've noticed pigeons peering in through the window from the trees outside and cooing a bit ... it might just be coincidence, but they don't seem to make as much noise when I'm not playing ;)
 
How cute. They seem to want to help.
But this is why we use music stands.
 
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