Article: Ukulele a must have in this recession

UKISOCIETY · Dec 2, 2009

From "The Urbanite Magazine" in an article titled No Returns:

But allow us one toy this holiday season.

mad

The plucky, four-stringed ukulele has become an unlikely feel-good purchase in these hard times. Billionaire Warren Buffett extols the “miracles of the ukulele” and can be seen playing the electric uke on YouTube (he taught Bill Gates how to play). Ukulele sales are up across the country. They are cheap (you can buy one for around $30) and relatively easy to master. Even in the hands of amateurs, the ukulele insists on producing a happy sound.

I like the last sentence. Hate the first.

dnewton2 · Dec 2, 2009

"...relatively easy to master."

I must be doing something wrong.

Good find Uki.

ainokeato · Dec 2, 2009

"Relatively easy to master"

Wow... Really? Well that makes me feel like a downright idiot spending almost a month trying to get a single chord down (Bb) I have to meet these pick up and play masters maybe they could teach me their secret that I have yet to learn in my whole year worth of experience LOL.

Sambient · Dec 2, 2009

Actually, it makes me feel kinda common.
My ukuleles make me feel special. Don't take that away from me smarmy article authors. Do not cheapen my new love.

Doctroid · Dec 2, 2009

dnewton2 said:
"...relatively easy to master."

I must be doing something wrong.

Emphasis on "relatively". Certainly in my experience easier than guitar. Also easier to carry around. And store. I got my wife's guitar out the other day and discovered (1) yes, I can play chords on it, if I ignore the two low strings and (2) yow, that thing's big. And heavy.

I would've used something like "learn" instead of "master" in that sentence though. "Learn" means you can play some chords, "master" means you can get a bazillion YouTube views of your rendition of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps".

freedive135 · Dec 2, 2009

The Ukulele is easy to master..... IF..... you want to be like most of the rock stars out there... and only learn 3 chords!!!!

Shoot you can "Master" 2 Bob Marley songs knowing less than 3 chords...
Get Up, Stand Up - Cm
Exodus - the dreaded Am7

molokinirum · Dec 2, 2009

freedive135 said:
The Ukulele is easy to master..... IF..... you want to be like most of the rock stars out there... and only learn 3 chords!!!!

Right on Freedive :agree: I too must be doing something wrong!

MisoHappy · Dec 2, 2009

sigh.

One more comment on "relatively easy to master"

You haven't seen anything yet if you think it's easy, buddy

I also very much haate that first senttence, btw.

ukeyermind · Dec 2, 2009

Does anyone else find a certain natural tension between wanting the uke to be taken seriously and wanting the uke to stay underground?

Did I stumble upon the uke because I'm super hip, or did I stumble upon the uke because it's just growing so much in popularity and EVERYONE is discovering it?

Where's the bubble and when is it going to burst? See y'all on the other side.

RevWill · Dec 2, 2009

I'm with you Alan.

I have been wondering what is going to happen with the uke. I mean, the uke has been "the next big thing" for a few years now but hasn't really broken through. At the same time I'm noticing more uke music showing up on TV commercials and in popular music.

Having come to the uke from the world of guitar, I wouldn't say that it is easier to master either. I'm used to having bass strings for extended voicings that just aren't possible on the uke. Its limited tonal range provides for very different musical challenges than guitar.

But dangit, it does sound happy doesn't it? And it sure makes me happy when I play it.

whetu · Dec 3, 2009

RevWill said:
Its limited tonal range provides for very different musical challenges than guitar.

But dangit, it does sound happy doesn't it? And it sure makes me happy when I play it.

Two very good reasons to love the uke, both were certainly motivators for me

CountryMouse · Dec 3, 2009

ukeyermind said:
Does anyone else find a certain natural tension between wanting the uke to be taken seriously and wanting the uke to stay underground?

Did I stumble upon the uke because I'm super hip, or did I stumble upon the uke because it's just growing so much in popularity and EVERYONE is discovering it?

Where's the bubble and when is it going to burst? See y'all on the other side.

This happens when you are/become a fan of an obscure but wonderful musician! Do you want her to become famous or stay relatively unknown and more "yours"? (speaking about Happy Rhodes vs. say, Jewel)

Anyway, it was sorta the third road for me, getting into ukes: I wanted to try it because it looked easier than guitar (which I never intended to try--too hard for me!) and it's SMALL and lightweight.

And I thought (erroneously) that because it had nylon strings (instead of a guitar's metal strings), it wouldn't hurt my fingers much (HAHAHAHA!!). Well, after a couple or three weeks of pain and numbness, that did become true.

But for my part, I hope the whole world discovers/rediscovers the joys of the ukulele! Let happiness abound!

CountryMouse

itsme · Dec 3, 2009

The article didn't mention a phenomenon known as "nesting", where a lot more people are spending a lot more time at home as opposed to dining out, going to movies, etc. in order to save money.

Hey, my husband likes to play paintball. It costs him ~$25 in paint every time he plays and another $10 in beer. He doesn't play as much as he used to because his buddies (married with kids) can't afford it these days.

Learning to play an instrument can provide many hours of joy and happy nesting. After an initial outlay, your maintenance is maybe the cost of a set of strings every few months and some extra ink/paper to print out all the tabs you want to learn.

I know the author didn't mean it about ukes, but the last line in the article struck me as relevant.

“The sixth stage is joy, “ Blinkoff says. “You have to be open to experiencing joy and understand it takes work and time—and faith, as well."

Article: Ukulele a must have in this recession

UKISOCIETY

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