Got First Uke, Anything I Need To Know??

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BigJon

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I FINALLY got my first ukulele, I've been borrowing a friend's uke for about six months and thought it was time to get my own. I didn't want to go into it spending hundreds of dollars, so i went with the kala ka-c mahagony laminate ukulele. I realize that laminate ukuleles usually don't have the best sound, (if i'm wrong, correct me) but i though the reviews of the ka-c were good enough for the price. Basically I just want to know if there is any important information that i need to be aware of while starting to play the ukulele (care, maintenance, playing, ANYTHING!) just let me know!!!! :)

Mahalo!!!!:shaka:
BigJon
 
my advice: spend lots of time on this site, looking at the uke minutes, lessons, etc. also look over the beginners section, which you seem to already be doing, since this thread is in it. other than that, the golden rule is...(drumroll) ENJOY YOURSELF!!! dont ever get frustrated, take it one step at a time. some things will require practice, for instance, you will most likely have problems with chunking. practice practice practice. play play play.
 
With that uke...you don't have to worry too much. Keep it in it's case when not playing it, play it when you wake up, play it before bed, play it as much as possible in between and give it a good night kiss before bed. When you do those things out of habit, naturally and without thinking...you have come to love the ukulele.

Then watch out for UAS!!! :p
 
Yeah, no worries. Kala's are good brand ukuleles - I have two of them. I would suggest downloading some chord charts, search the internet for some easy ukulele songs (there are a bunch out there). And just start learning songs. After a few months you'll be an old pro.

Then that's when the addiction sets in and you start spending your bill money on ukuleles. :eek:
 
Do you have a tuner? The electric clip on I got is PRICELESS to me. It is way way worth the money I spent.
 
Make sure you keep it in a room with good temp!
Start strumming and know your chords. Once you know the basic chords progressions, start picking learning new songs.
Once you learn new songs.. finish them. LOL (because i dont! lol :()
But most of all, have fun playing ukulele. Its your best friend.
 
Find uke players in your area. That's where you really start learning, when you find like minded people to play with. Uke players are the coolest musicians.....
 
Yes, playing and practicing are very important but don't forget to plan ahead: is your second uke going to be a different size? what kind of wood? all solid or solid top/laminate body? gCEA or GCEA (or ADF#B) tuning. And it's never too soon to start planning for a third uke too. Maybe you should start clearing out one of the spare rooms at your place.
 
make a humidifier, depending on how it is where you live. oh and try not to leave your uke in a car for a whole day in the heat! everybody else pretty much said everything you need to know almost. Have fun!
 
Dilphat said:
make a humidifier, depending on how it is where you live. oh and try not to leave your uke in a car for a whole day in the heat! everybody else pretty much said everything you need to know almost. Have fun!
Click to expand...


Humidifiers are mainly to take care of real wood.
Kalas are laminates.
While it wont hurt the Kala it isn't a necessity.
 
Spooner said:
Humidifiers are mainly to take care of real wood.
Kalas are laminates.
While it wont hurt the Kala it isn't a necessity.
Click to expand...
1. Not all Kalas are laminates.
2. Laminates are still real wood, just layered instead of solid.
3. Low humidity doesn't just affect the body...it can also affect the neck and action.
 
You'll probably want to experiment with different strings which have different feel and sound. I'm still experimenting. I'm on my third set in the last five months. There are a lot of threads on this subjet. Search strings at top of page. Most of all have fun and enjoy! :music:
 
Congrats! What I did when i was a beginner (gradually moving my way up) is print out a chord sheet and taped it to the wall of my room, (unless u already got a poster) then just kept playing easy 4 chord songs, usually some starter were R&B since most can be played with C G Am & F that got me used to it then i gradually moved on to new songs and new chords as well :D

Also helps to find other Uke players so u can jam.:cheers:
 
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