Why Don't People Take the Ukulele Seriously?

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nkorb21

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Many people think of a ukulele as more of a toy or a small guitar, rather than its own instrument. I recently received a comment on Youtube: "...dude u are like 110 times better,why don't u play a regular guitar instead of that small" I think it is kind of ridiculous that people believe that playing on a ukulele or "small guitar" means you are not a serious musician. What does everyone else think about this? Thanks! :D
 
Peopl are ignorant.

Besides, if you play it in Japan or Hawaii, no one will think twice.
It depends on how Ukulele culture is where people are. Some places its less or none just cos it hasnt caught on.

If you take it seriously, others will!
 
Given all the rubbish that stupid people say on Youtube, I'd just ignore it. It's an easy place to share your ignorance and narrow-mindedness with the world, and sadly, too many people use it to that end on a regular basis. If you keep up the good work, like-minded people will find you.
 
I've played guitar for over 8 years and I just started playing the uke about a year ago. When I tell my friends or family that I have started to play ukulele I definitely get some weird looks and laughs, but after they see me play it they realize it's a real instrument and they really like it. I have a couple of friends that I play guitar with that laughed when I showed them my first uke but now they are both shopping for one! people in Texas just aren't used to seeing them around so they're automatically judging by the size that it's a toy. (everything's bigger in Texas is true in some people's minds!)
 
I've played guitar for over 8 years and I just started playing the uke about a year ago. When I tell my friends or family that I have started to play ukulele I definitely get some weird looks and laughs, but after they see me play it they realize it's a real instrument and they really like it. I have a couple of friends that I play guitar with that laughed when I showed them my first uke but now they are both shopping for one! people in Texas just aren't used to seeing them around so they're automatically judging by the size that it's a toy. (everything's bigger in Texas is true in some people's minds!)

I definitely get similar reactions from people when I show them my ukes or tell them I play uke! haha
 
Why is it important that other people take the ukulele seriously?

Anyway, if you really want to get made fun of, trying being an accordion player. ;-)

JJ
 
I've played guitar for over 8 years and I just started playing the uke about a year ago. When I tell my friends or family that I have started to play ukulele I definitely get some weird looks and laughs...
You think you had strange looks? I played guitar 45+ years before I took up the uke. I jammed with a lot of people locally over the years; mostly electric rock, blues, folk - it's hard to explain, even to the people I played with, why the uke works for me. I'm working on trying to get some other musicians interested themselves. It's a meme, and once they get infected they help spread it.
 
I've played guitar for over 8 years and I just started playing the uke about a year ago. When I tell my friends or family that I have started to play ukulele I definitely get some weird looks and laughs, but after they see me play it they realize it's a real instrument and they really like it. I have a couple of friends that I play guitar with that laughed when I showed them my first uke but now they are both shopping for one! people in Texas just aren't used to seeing them around so they're automatically judging by the size that it's a toy. (everything's bigger in Texas is true in some people's minds!)

You should hear Miss Jess... She is a performer from Texas that is now hanging on the East Coast, but her brother is Jimmy Dreams (plays with Neville Brothers and a lot of big names). Jess plays and sings country and jazzy-blues tunes and more.
 
i think that because utah has such a high concentration of polynesians, it's not as weird here. you do still get some looks, tho.

i just realized that for as many polynesians as we have here, we have no good ukulele stores. but every music store carries at least some kind of uke.

as for youtube trolls, i just tend to ignore them. i just got a comment today from some hat in cyprus on a video i did of my exhaust system on my isuzu car before i put a turbo on it. he said, "your such an idiot mate , sort yourself out ............". that will just be deleted. i've fought with these idiots before and it's not worth it. now, if he'd made some kind of valid point and/or explained his opinion, i might have left it up.
 
You think you had strange looks? I played guitar 45+ years before I took up the uke. I jammed with a lot of people locally over the years; mostly electric rock, blues, folk - it's hard to explain, even to the people I played with, why the uke works for me. I'm working on trying to get some other musicians interested themselves. It's a meme, and once they get infected they help spread it.

Ian... I haven't seen you on the forum for a long time. Hope all is well with you and yours.
 
Don't know about the rest of the world but in Hawaii we take Ukulele's seriously. In our public schools music programs and Hawaiiana programs ukulele's are introudced to kids from 1st grade all the way up to highschool.
 
Why does it matter whether or not other people take the Ukulele seriously? Why do you care - how does it affect you? They have a right to feel any way they want about the Ukulele. Maybe you don't take synchronized swimming very seriously. Surely what really matters is how you feel about your instrument. If your primary reason for taking up a musical instrument was to make friends and influence people, maybe you should reconsider your choice.

Personally, I don't take my Uke seriously. I already have enough things in my life which have to be taken seriously, and most of them I don't associate with having fun. The Ukulele IS a toy guitar (it's as good a description as any other) and what's wrong with that? I have fond memories of playing with toys - Like most men, I still enjoy playing with toys and I enjoy playing my toy guitar whenever I can. As for what others think..............I really don't give a flying @£$*!!! because I play for me.
 
as for youtube trolls, i just tend to ignore them. i just got a comment today from some hat in cyprus on a video i did of my exhaust system on my isuzu car before i put a turbo on it. he said, "your such an idiot mate , sort yourself out ............". that will just be deleted. i've fought with these idiots before and it's not worth it. now, if he'd made some kind of valid point and/or explained his opinion, i might have left it up.

The guy wans't trolling me. haha :) His comment was actually a compliment. I was just using that as an example. I'm not angry or upset. I just think it's interesting that other people don't really know that much about the awesomeness that is the Ukulele! :)
 
I remember someone onces posted on a thread like this that most classical musicians say that a guitar is not a "real instrument" because of the limited range. I'm so glad that I don't have to have a full blown pipe organ to have fun playing.
 
That is why the world needs us, Ukulele Underground folks, to spread the aloha spirit.
I also just recently started to play ukulele and fall in love it ukes. I started two months ago, and I have got two of my friends started playing.

One day...the ukes shall rule....LOL...

(just joking..)
 
Don't know about the rest of the world but in Hawaii we take Ukulele's seriously. In our public schools music programs and Hawaiiana programs ukulele's are introudced to kids from 1st grade all the way up to highschool.

That is so frikin' cool.
Cheers,
Skottoman
 
That is why the world needs us, Ukulele Underground folks, to spread the aloha spirit.
I also just recently started to play ukulele and fall in love it ukes. I started two months ago, and I have got two of my friends started playing.

One day...the ukes shall rule....LOL...

(just joking..)

"One uke to rule them all... One uke to bind them..." Oh wait... we would never be able to settle on just ONE uke.
 
They are uninformed, just like I was. As I mentioned in another thread, in some ways the uke is actually a more complex instrument. The strum patterns for uke far out weigh that of Guitar... and God help me I'd much rather hit an Emaj on a Guitar than Uke lol.
 
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