I'm going to give up guitar and just concentrate playing ukulele...

japzylog

japzylog

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I think I don't want to play guitar anymore because I'm finding ukulele is better for me. I have been playing guitar for how many years now and not getting any better, although I can play some hard songs (if I read their tabs or chords). I'm not good in figuring what notes to use when it come in guitar especially when finding notes on the E and A strings (bass strings). I just started playing ukulele more than a week now but I figured how to play almost the complete part of Fallin' Slowly from the movie Once and Time After Time (lets say 80% of it). But in guitar, no way could do that! I got a feeling inside me that maybe ukulele is the right instrument for me :)

Anybody has the same situation as mine?
 
Yeah japzylog, I have the same feeling. I have played piano for over 60 years (quite well) and guitar for about 12 ( so so) but I also find that my mind wraps around the 4 string uke much better also. I think it is somewhat attributable to 4 over 6 strings to navigate, simpler chord patterns, little wider string frets, and just easier physically to handle, pick up and a go to instrument than my guitar and piano. (Very difficult to carry my piano to my front porch to play). So yes dude, go with what feels good to you and you really enjoy. I find it hard to leave my tenor alone. I enjoy it immensely. Happy strumming and picking! Lozark
 
lozarkman said:
Yeah japzylog, I have the same feeling. I have played piano for over 60 years (quite well) and guitar for about 12 ( so so) but I also find that my mind wraps around the 4 string uke much better also. I think it is somewhat attributable to 4 over 6 strings to navigate, simpler chord patterns, little wider string frets, and just easier physically to handle, pick up and a go to instrument than my guitar and piano. (Very difficult to carry my piano to my front porch to play). So yes dude, go with what feels good to you and you really enjoy. I find it hard to leave my tenor alone. I enjoy it immensely. Happy strumming and picking! Lozark
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My wife is even jealous on my tenor now! LOL:rotfl:
 
I can understand if you want uke to be your main instrument, but I wouldn't give up the guitar forever.. if you don't use it you lose it! LOL but seriously, I would practice guitar every now and then so you don't forget what you already know..
 
ashleychantel said:
I can understand if you want uke to be your main instrument, but I wouldn't give up the guitar forever.. if you don't use it you lose it! LOL but seriously, I would practice guitar every now and then so you don't forget what you already know..
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I'm just a frustrated guitar player... :wallbash:
 
I was actually toying with the idea of getting a small guitar (like a baby taylor) to play around with. I had a guitar a long time ago but never really played it. Been playin uke for more then 2 year now, and thought guitar might be fun to play around with.
 
I still crank my guitar out, but I figure I need to keep them around in case I ever do start another band. That, and sometimes you just need a guitar. I love playing Staind covers, and some of them just don't sound right on a uke.
 
japzylog said:
I'm just a frustrated guitar player... :wallbash:
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haha I can totally understand that. sometimes is seems like I just hit a wall and don't progress for a while but thanks to youtube that hasn't happened for a while. they have a lot of good tutorials for everything you can think of
 
personally, i've never played guitar. so, i can't say i know what i'm missing. however, i've never had a desire to learn guitar. all my friends play guitar and i felt it was too cliche. plus, too many strings for my brain (but then again my bassoon has 12 or 13 thumb keys lol). maybe one day i'll try learning the guitar. i'm sure if you've learned it, might as well keep it up at least a little for good measure. you never know when you'll need to play it.
 
I played guitar for a long time now, but not well. My fingers are short and stubby. I was pretty decent with classical stuff as long as it did not require a long finger spread. But the Uke seems to "make more sense" to me. And it is portable. And makes people smile!!! I would still pick up your guitar every now and then, but do what makes you happy and feel successful in music. Like you, guitar made me have the bang head agaist wall feeling!
 
Played guitar for most of my life and grateful that I did and frankly without a snese of frustration. The fact that I play ukulele pretty much exclusively now...yeah I stated my manifesto but no need to declare your allegiance or publically renounce the guitar(though if you want, why not?) The point is: do what makes you happy and where you can express yourself and have fun. And I say this to you (and to myself) without any disrespect: nobody else really cares...whether you play guitar or ukulele. Walk that one around. When you can get beyond the "insulting" reality of that, you'll feel truly free...

But just in case this approach doesn't work for you, feel free to borrow this phrase: "Another jerk with a Strat." The ukulele will probably never be as popular, but at least you'll have a lot of time to get some mileage out of it...
 
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I tell you... I feel the same way.
I've been taking lessons on and off for 25 years, both serious ones and friends going "Here's how you...".
I've ALWAYS been frustrated with the guitar.

The ukulele, though?

LOVE it.

Even though I still suck at it, there's no "I want to throw this thing through the window" frustration.

Just "GAH! Why won't my fingers hold these bloody strings down right?" frustration.
 
and guitar is probably #1 out there for carpal tunnel syndrome. It can be very useful and I'm not quitting altogether but it's ukes more and more.

Portability, sweeter sound, easier on the wrist, gotta love the ukulele.
 
20 years of guitar playing. Less than 1 on the ukulele. My Martin D-18 comes out for the occasional guitar lesson. That's it. I brought my Les Paul to work (I'm a music teacher) to improve storage at home. I've played it at school once. My Kala Acacia Concert is out all the time, home and at school.

Part of me thinks it's a bit tragic. Financially. In terms of enjoying the craftsmanship of my instruments. But the ukulele feels much more like home. And I'm pretty good at guitar. I wondered for about 4 months if it was a phase, as my phases tend to last about 3 months. This is no phase.

Just a shame I can't afford a KoAloha longneck soprano. With a pickup. That's my current dream. No UAS. Just one good, professional ukulele.
 
pulelehua said:
20 years of guitar playing. Less than 1 on the ukulele. My Martin D-18 comes out for the occasional guitar lesson. That's it. I brought my Les Paul to work (I'm a music teacher) to improve storage at home. I've played it at school once. My Kala Acacia Concert is out all the time, home and at school.

Part of me thinks it's a bit tragic. Financially. In terms of enjoying the craftsmanship of my instruments. But the ukulele feels much more like home. And I'm pretty good at guitar. I wondered for about 4 months if it was a phase, as my phases tend to last about 3 months. This is no phase.

Just a shame I can't afford a KoAloha longneck soprano. With a pickup. That's my current dream. No UAS. Just one good, professional ukulele.
Click to expand...

Yes, mate...this is no phase for myself and for not a few of us here...

If you really want to test yourself, though I believe you like sopranos and concerts (I'm big on sopranos myself but that's not my point) pick up a baritone (just bought a Makala baritone and slapped on some D'Addario baritones with wound D and G). Even on this the most "guitarish" of ukuleles the ukulele soul shines through (at least for me). It's a subtle experience going back and forth between identities like something out of Proust...it will be the soul of ukulele playing that flickers in and out...beyond simply the tonal...
 
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Pippin said:
A lot of people find that playing ukulele improves their guitar playing, too.
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I can see why. Too few guitarists really have a connection with rhythm. They think they do...
 
I play more uke than guitar lately. And by "lately" I mean the last 3 yrs or so. I don't ever want to give up playing guitar by any means, though. Like if I suddenly discovered I like sushi, I wouldn't give up fish and chips. There's so much you can do on a uke that just can't be done on guitar and vice versa. It's an apples / oranges thing. They really are two different beasts. Don't give up one for the other, rather allow one to inform the other, like Pippin intimated. I don't think guitarists are by nature "less rhythmic" than ukers. I understand the sarcasm, but tell that to the Al DiMeolas of the world. Trust me - the world is chock full of people who suck on every imaginable instrument, and the world is rife with those who inspire and excel at every instrument.
 
ukecantdothat said:
I play more uke than guitar lately. And by "lately" I mean the last 3 yrs or so. I don't ever want to give up playing guitar by any means, though. Like if I suddenly discovered I like sushi, I wouldn't give up fish and chips. There's so much you can do on a uke that just can't be done on guitar and vice versa. It's an apples / oranges thing. They really are two different beasts. Don't give up one for the other, rather allow one to inform the other, like Pippin intimated. I don't think guitarists are by nature "less rhythmic" than ukers. I understand the sarcasm, but tell that to the Al DiMeolas of the world. Trust me - the world is chock full of people who suck on every imaginable instrument, and the world is rife with those who inspire and excel at every instrument.
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I should have distinguished between "guitarists" and "guitar players." BTW, I think the greatest challenge for both is rhythm, tempo, phrasing...

There is only one Al DiMeola. The rest are imitators and wannabes. The most distinguishing aspect of either guitar or uke playing is one's sense of rhythm and timing (not the socalled less distinguishing, less meaningful "lead" aspect.) This is true for Hendrix anyone, Django Reinhardt...

I think in fairness to the OP my own aside simply related to Pippin's comment that for some that uke might improve their guitar. My own perspective simply that the uke might afford certain individuals a chance to work on rhythm better esp with right hand...

Apologies to the OP and anyone else for making this less fun...
 
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