Improvisation and playing up the neck

There are 5 or six groups I play with. Some meet weekly, bi-weekly, monthly or some where in between. Most of the times, while there may be a teaching/learning segments or portions, everyone simply slams on the strings.

However, I found a group (shameless promotion- Blues Jam at Berkeley Freight and Salvage) where I am the only ukulele among guitars and harps (harmonicas) where the leader tells us the song title and the key and we simply play 12 Bar Blues - often in E, but also in G, A, D, C sometimes in Bm (the Thrill is Gone) or Bb and so on.

After a few rounds, each participant is allowed the opportunity to improvise for twelve or 24 bars.

I started out simply, playing near the tuning pegs, but am learning to play up the neck.
To ‘practice’, I have a Sonos Speaker at home and I will tune to John Brim (a 12 Bar Blues artist) Radio on PANDORA radio. Listen and figure out what Key the song is in, and then play along and improvise.

I’m finding it helps me intuitively learn my instrument and tune my ear.
Any ‘speaker’ and any ‘radio’ will do, but the simplicity and consistency of 12 Bar format (to me) makes this an easy practice and learning technique.

And if y’all are near Berkeley, join us. I won’t be the only one whose guitar shrunk. (What the hell is that? I was asked when I started)

That's a good idea. I'll give it a go myself.

I play melody, flatpicking the scales, around the middle of the neck of my bari's. It gives a nicer sound than playing at the end of the neck. Not being a singer, only a sole instrumentalist, I don't have to play in a particular key. Like 'Another Ukulele' I sometimes play along with YouTube, after finding the same key by moving the scale shape up the neck. It's interesting to hear what other uker's do in a similar fashion.
By having a hair scrunchie near the nut it damps the sympathetic noise from open strings. My 2 cents, for what it's worth.

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