Ukulele at parties

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Anyone take their uke to parties? I did it last night and it was a hit. I got everyone singing and dancing. Well I'm sure the alcohol helped.

But I played Blister In The Sun, I'm Yours, Stairway to Heaven, Hello by Lionel Richie, and other well known songs. Have you done this? If so, what songs were the best to get people singing along?
 
haha. At my townhouse on campus, all our parties end with people yelling for me to get a uke :p

We have massive sing-a-longs and always a good time.


I go for originals that my friends know, I'm Yours, Fell In Love With A Girl, Lollipop, Touch My Body, and more that I can't think of now.
 
Niiice! Those would be good ones to have in the songbook. Especially Fell In Love With A Girl. Such a good party song.
 
always take it when i can, everyone gets on the band wagon itss like open mic for everyone but usually when i do im only drinking lightly or it will come out in early hours cause im to well known to wipe myself out
 
I have a funny story...
There was a party going on at my neighbor's house. I was BBQ'ing dinner on the patio and she called to me and told me and my wife to come over NOW. I suggested to my wife that we eat dinner first and then go down and she said, "Nah, let's just go down now for a bit and then come back and eat. So I finished up the chicken and put it in the fridge. Two hours later my wife was basically passed out from drinking on an empty stomach. I took her upstairs and put her to bed. I was still feeling like I wanted to have a good time so I grabbed my uke and went back down to the party. I remember pulling my ukulele out of the case and starting to play, but then realizing that I was too drunk to play and then I don't remember much else.

The next day, the new roommate at my neighbor's said, "who was that guy with the ukulele? He was SO good!"

I wish I knew what I was playing! Maybe I'll have to play something for her when I can actually play.
 
Anyone take their uke to parties? I did it last night and it was a hit. I got everyone singing and dancing. Well I'm sure the alcohol helped.

But I played Blister In The Sun, I'm Yours, Stairway to Heaven, Hello by Lionel Richie, and other well known songs. Have you done this? If so, what songs were the best to get people singing along?

This is one advantage ukulele has over guitar--when you bring it to a party, you can be sort of casual about it, because of its size. It's like, "here's the beer and chips, and oh I just sort of grabbed this on the way out, you never know..."

With a guitar, its arrival is obvious and premeditated. Busting out the guitar at a party can look show-offy, but no so with the uke!
 
always take it when i can, everyone gets on the band wagon itss like open mic for everyone but usually when i do im only drinking lightly or it will come out in early hours cause im to well known to wipe myself out
Good point. I was hammered last night. Good thing I took my Flea, because I half passed out and fell off my chair. Broke my clip on tuner, but my Flea survived. My buddy fixed the tuner.

Pueo, thats awesome. My friends said similar thing, but I know I sucked. We need to get videos to see how we really were, haha.
 
This is one advantage ukulele has over guitar--when you bring it to a party, you can be sort of casual about it, because of its size. It's like, "here's the beer and chips, and oh I just sort of grabbed this on the way out, you never know..."

With a guitar, its arrival is obvious and premeditated. Busting out the guitar at a party can look show-offy, but no so with the uke!
VERY true. I hardly ever took my guitar. I even only broke out the uke when one of my friends who knows that I take it everywhere demanded that I grab it. But if you ever get past that step of trying not to look like a show off, then it can get really fun.
 
Us Hawaiians are known to occasionally have a 'ukulele handy at parties. ;)
I grew up with my Dad strumming his Kamaka pineapple at our Friday night pau hana parties, great memories.
 
I was always the odd man out with my friends. Everyone I knew played guitar when I was growing-up. Busting out a guitar wasn't an event, or even flashy, it was just always there, like furniture. Everyone would pass the thing around, as I just handed it to the next person.

Ukulele is my first stringed instrument, and weather permitting, I always bring it with me when I visit my old crew. Only busted it out a couple times (when it felt right), but it's there and I'm finally part of the music. I don't solo, just play along.

I was a little intimidated at first because these guys have 20 plus years on me of practice, but heck, they're my friends. Who else is a nubbie going to torture.
 
VERY true. I hardly ever took my guitar. I even only broke out the uke when one of my friends who knows that I take it everywhere demanded that I grab it. But if you ever get past that step of trying not to look like a show off, then it can get really fun.

Right, I always have trouble with that... it's definitely best when folks ask to hear you play; then you don't have the "captive audience" aspect going! One time at a party the host had a 3/4 size classical guitar sitting neglected in the corner--one of those "oh I never did have the patience to learn" stories--and once I had a few beers in me, of course I had to pick it up and start strumming (I love classical guitars!) Well it didn't take long for some weisenheimer to say, "Okay, we get it, you can play!"

Didn't make me stop though...
 
I was always the odd man out with my friends. Everyone I knew played guitar when I was growing-up. Busting out a guitar wasn't an event, or even flashy, it was just always there, like furniture. Everyone would pass the thing around, as I just handed it to the next person.

Ukulele is my first stringed instrument, and weather permitting, I always bring it with me when I visit my old crew. Only busted it out a couple times (when it felt right), but it's there and I'm finally part of the music. I don't solo, just play along.

I was a little intimidated at first because these guys have 20 plus years on me of practice, but heck, they're my friends. Who else is a nubbie going to torture.

That's awesome man...feels good to join in the fun, yeah?

I bought a tambourine, just to hand to my "non-musical" friends when I felt like strumming, so they can play along. I love tambo cause you can just set it on your lap and tap it, sounds pretty cool. Anyways, most folks don't go for it....they just tap it a few times and then say, "ahh, I can't play!" And I'm like, "You just WERE!"

Ah well!
 
Ha! This immediately reminded me of one of my favorite comedians, Mike Birbiglia!

I would love to play and sing at different places, but I'm always torn! I've been to numerous parties where the "guitar guy" makes things awkward or turns it into an unwanted concert. But, I also don't want people to have to ask me to play for them.

Plus, I gotta start MEMORIZING songs! I don't want to lug my huge binder around everywhere I go :biglaugh:
 
Ha! This immediately reminded me of one of my favorite comedians, Mike Birbiglia!

I would love to play and sing at different places, but I'm always torn! I've been to numerous parties where the "guitar guy" makes things awkward or turns it into an unwanted concert. But, I also don't want people to have to ask me to play for them.

Plus, I gotta start MEMORIZING songs! I don't want to lug my huge binder around everywhere I go :biglaugh:

Exactly! "Don't be THAT guy!" :)

I guess it just depends on the vibe of the party. If people express some interest, or seem otherwise open to it, it can be great...but you probably shouldn't bust it out just because you can.

But like I said upthread...Guitar Guy at Party may have ruined guitar, but the uke remains immune, with its merry voice and miniature allure...
 
I do all the time...its kind of an after bar tradition....i almost always buy one in my car when i'm going someplace... but i'm careful to not force the uke on people, we all know those annoying guitar people....
 
I only like bringing out the uke at smaller get togethers, in part because its small, and also because its generally my friends who don't feel like I'm playing to try to impress them or garner undue attention. I also mostly just play light "dinner music" type instrumentals in the background for the most part, occasionally interjecting a sung song when there's a lull in the conversation.
 
Gotta add some sublime!! Sublime Kills at parties... Good ones on uke:

Badfish (a must!! just A, Bm, G, A)

bonus points with everyone if you can pull off the solo on acoustic uke heres what I play (on my low G)

Code:
            ^
A|-----------------------------------------------4------------
E|7h9-7h9-9-7------5-7-5p4-------------5-----------5----------
C|--------------4h6-------6p4---------4--6-4---------6-4------
G|---------------------------4-4h6-4h6-------6-4--------4-2-4-2
 
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Gotta add some sublime!! Sublime Kills at parties... Good ones on uke:

Badfish (a must!! just A, Bm, G, A)

bonus points with everyone if you can pull off the solo on acoustic uke heres what I play (on my low G)

Code:
            ^
A|-----------------------------------------------4-----------
E|7h9-7h9-9-7------5-7-5p4-------------5-----------5---------
C|--------------4h6-------6p4---------4--6-4---------6-4-----
G|---------------------------4-4h6-4h6-------6-4--------2-4-2
Good suggestion. I played Wrong Way last night and they were definitely singing along, loudly and drunkly. Haha.
 
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