The first light bulb came on

I would like to share my struggle with the ukulele.
I started trying to play the uke because I want to retire in Hawaii and I thought it might be helpful in making new friends and helping this haole fit in so I searched the Internet and bought the coolest uke I could find the koaloha sceptre then I made my own uke from a Briggs and Stratton blower housing then a cigar box uke and a really ugly unplayable uke made from 3 coconuts then I made plinking noises and tryed to learn some chords and I made up my own little tune that I have been strumming for months because I wasn't able to pick up anything else then I joined a meetup group and I have gone through two guitar teachers that tryed to convert their teachings but it didn't feel right to me then off the south Florida uke fest where I took a beginners class with a Hawaiian guy named Keoni I bought DVDs books a music stand listened to uke got mail but it was all to fast for my turtle brain. (sorry this is so long) anyways everyday I would sit here plinking away and trying different things then I found this little site the has play alongs geared for elementry school children http://www.titirangi.school.nz/Ukulele_Group_176.aspx well after a little bit I was able to keep up with the songs. And I can't tell you how great it was to be making some music. I know I was just strumming chords but it was a big moment for me. Maybe this link will be helpful to Simone else too.
I fully understand that I am not musicly gifted but it was/is killing me to hear people say stuff like " hey My mom just bought me this uke for my birthday yesterday so I made this quicky video of the flight of the bumble bee I hope you like it" anyways I just wanted the people that are struggling to learn to know that you are not alone . Keep trying new things and stick with it.

Thank you for this, it's a nice little resource and I shall enjoy using it myself I'm so glad you and the uke finally clicked!

Lol I was just kidding about the flight of the bumble bee but you get the idea
has anyone ever done that song on a uke?
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just got back from a web search
here it is this just makes me want to scream http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBkrHgNY0fY&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Yeah! Im glad it clicked, now I bet it gets a bit brighter everyday
Steve

Congratulations Keef! It's great that after your "frustrated" thread, you've found something that clicked for you!

Hey, that's great! Congrats.

Grats on 'clicking' well with your beloved uke

Awsome!
I knew it would "click" for you if you stuck with it.

Lexxy said:

Grats on 'clicking' well with your beloved uke

Click to expand...

my beloved ukulele is in a box in a truck somewhere between Florida and California and from there it's going to Oahu for som special art work then it comming back in one piece I hope but the tracking info hasn't updated in a long time but I expect it to after this holiday Scan History:
9/1/2010 10:46:00 AM IN TRANSIT TO VERNON, CA US
9/1/2010 10:45:00 AM DEPARTURE SCAN JACKSONVILLE, FL US
9/1/2010 6:21:00 AM LOCATION SCAN JACKSONVILLE, FL US
9/1/2010 6:21:00 AM UNLOAD SCAN JACKSONVILLE, FL US
9/1/2010 3:11:00 AM ARRIVAL SCAN JACKSONVILLE, FL US
8/31/2010 10:24:00 PM DEPARTURE SCAN STUART, FL US
8/31/2010 7:57:00 PM ORIGIN SCAN STUART, FL US
8/31/2010 6:07:00 PM PICKUP SCAN STUART, FL US
8/31/2010 6:23:00 PM BILLING INFORMATION RECEIVED US

Look for Ukulele Mike on youtube.com too. He's a great resource.

AWESOME!!! (I hate those same kids w/their bumblebees!)

My daughter is still teaching me what she knows & I found a similar play along site that helped me get past the mental block(head) that was holding me back. It IS fun to actually get a recognizable "tune" out of these 4 strings!

I have the little brother to your Sceptre - a KoAloha soprano - I feel like I might begin to do it a bit of justice in another year or so!

Keep stumming those strings!

It's the little steps that will get you to the top.

You have a Koaloha Sceptre? Dude! Great 'uke, but don't run in the house with it. You could put your eye out!

(yeah, I'm envious)

jeff

Ingrate : that is a very funny post
Halloween is comming up I hope that a witch with bad eyes doesn't try and fly it around

Aloha Keef,
I'm glad everything is working out for you, sometimes you gotta start with the basic foundation
and not jump too far ahead....How important to learn rhythm and timing....Have fun!! MM Stan...

Am really pleased for you Keef, I remember reading your frustrated thread a couple of weeks back. It's so difficult to pick up a musical instrument for the first time ever, like you I have only been playing the Uke for a couple of months but I had the benefit of previous guitar experience ( albeit very bad and a total stummer ) but my wife who has never played a musical instrument in her life cant get her head round playing the Uke at all. I am genuinely pleased for you, well done for working through the frustration. TBH the sense of achievement is enhanced when you have had to work for something you enjoy. I look forward to seeing your first youtube video. I took the plunge this week and uploaded to youtube. I am going to use the space to monitor the improvement as I go along, so that when I hit that rough patch I can look back and say " hey I am better than I was a month ago, it will come ".

I'm glad you've had that epiphany. I know you were frustrated big-time! I had that "wall-hitting" thing a few months after I started... come to think of it, I still hit it every month or so, but I love the darned little things anyway!

Getting the needed equipment to make a video and learning how to do it is a completely different mountain to climb . I would like to do a video where I am lime a one man band making all the sounds but I don't even know what search word to use to start learning about multi track recordings. I'm just happy my cat has stopped hiding in the cabinets when I play

for multi track recordings a good starter is a free programme called " Audacity " its a nifty little piece of software that is very user friendly and does the job. It only does sound but you can mix that up in any movie editing software. There are a few freebie movie software titles out there too.
There are other studio programmes out there which do a great deal more but can cost a great deal more too. Mixcraft is the recording studion my son uses and I have to say it's excellent I think that one is about $70 though so a bit different to audacity. I look forward to hearing or seeing your first recording.

Keef said:

Lol I was just kidding about the flight of the bumble bee but you get the idea
has anyone ever done that song on a uke?
---------------------
just got back from a web search
here it is this just makes me want to scream http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBkrHgNY0fY&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Click to expand...

I have it and used to practice it religiously. It's a GREAT exercise for fingerpicking and learning how to fly around the fretboard.

Sukie I am just in awe that Anyone could do that once I get more comfortable with chords picking will be a thick wall to break through but now that I think abought it struming paterns would seem like the next logical step it shoud take me about a year to be as good as the Japanese uke boy singing I'm yours http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErMWX--UJZ4&feature=youtube_gdata_player