What is that??!!!

freedive135

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So... while while the other half and her mom were shopping, I went cuz I needed a new Hawaiin shirt for class.
I went out to the SUV, popped the back and was sitting there strummin and pickin my soprano, smiling as the people walked by.
(I had enough of "what do you think of this?")

This lady walks up to me "That toy is so cute, what is that, a kids guitar?"
I smiled and told her no it's a ukulele. "A what?, well what ever it is it sounds nice." then walked away.
 
So... while while the other half and her mom were shopping, I went cuz I needed a new Hawaiin shirt for class.
I went out to the SUV, popped the back and was sitting there strummin and pickin my soprano, smiling as the people walked by.
(I had enough of "what do you think of this?")

This lady walks up to me "That toy is so cute, what is that, a kids guitar?"
I smiled and told her no it's a ukulele. "A what?, well what ever it is it sounds nice." then walked away.

it's interesting when people aren't aware of what the ukulele is. i work in a juvenile hall and have told a few of the kids who are interested in music that i play the ukulele. 95% of the time, they have no idea what one is. wish i could bring it in so they could hear it.

its silly, though. despite the fact that the ukulele is not as common as other instruments.. i still figured many would know about it's existance. it is still a pretty universal instrument, though not commonly played.

i understand when people see a dulcimer or something of the sort and dont know what it is (i love explaining the history of that one)..... but the ukulele?
come on now.

then again, it's always nice to introduce people to it.
i have gotten a few people to pick it up, simply by playing for them and teaching them a song or two.

:D
 
As long as I don't get "the smile," I'm golden. I lost my uke for a few hours at a theater rehearsal while someone decided he needed him some of that. Awesome stuff.

I also had an older couple walk past me ten times while I sitting outside, working on Hotel California, at our villa at this little archipelago resort. Of course they were too shy to ask.

But I would never ever insult anyone by asking of their instrument is a toy. It's rude, and people don't seem to realize how rude it is. It's just asking for the musician's ego to rear it's ugly head.
 
But I would never ever insult anyone by asking of their instrument is a toy. It's rude, and people don't seem to realize how rude it is. It's just asking for the musician's ego to rear it's ugly head.

I agree, but a lot of people (especially people who are new to playing music, or who don't play music themselves) are ignorant when it comes to the subject. But even with that being said, I think all comments in similarity to the "toy comment" should be taken with a grain of salt. Because you were right. A lot of people don't understand how rude the comment can be to some. However, I have never found myself offended or uptight when the comment has been made to me. Instead, pass the history and the beauty of the uke forward.

Lets create a unity with these people, not struggle to create more issues. Getting angry and annoyed solves nothing.
 
Yeah, I agree. It's one thing when someone who doesn't do music says that. It's completely harmless and anyone would be touchy to get all huffy about that.

What is far far far worse is when a fellow musician doesn't really consider you as such, and gives you "the smile."

That's because they know they're dissing you, and they're just allowed to do it because hey, it's just a toy. It gets me when it's intentional.

But of course, you can't show it. That wouldn't be Aloha of you. Instead, we want to welcome them in with a little bit of Stairway. ;)

Now the exception to that are my parents. Now mom and dad don't want to know about any other instrument than clarinet, so that's where they come from. FFS I didn't even major in it! I did voice instead, but that's like it didn't happen. It's not because they're trying to be rude, it's because, well they see me and see the little 5th grader with her first clarinet discovering her love of music.

Mom lived in Hawaii, and remembers the uke in a camp way. She's heard me play and thinks it's great, but sometimes she does fall into that kind of teasing. She really tries not to, but I know that to her, I will be the 5th grader with the clarinet.

Now dad is another animal. He sees me the way she does, but he likes to tease me, and he likes to push, and push, and push, until I bite back. He's backed off as of late, deciding instead to call me his "little liberal" - but if he doesn't get a rise out of me there, he'll go back to uke.

So yeah, he pisses me off because I know he's trying to piss me off. But then again, music just isn't as important to them.
 
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there will always be people in your life who will be like that; family, friends, even strangers. and i know how hard it is at times, but again. just attempt to only take things as a grain of salt.
 
Last night I was strolling down the street with uke in hand as the sun set. Smell of fresh BBQ in the air... little kids riding their trikes around, waving sparklers, wearing glittery red white and blue headbands... couples getting cozy on their lawns while they waited for the evening sky to erupt into color and sound. Perfect for playing a little uke and eliciting smiles for which these things are famous.

I'd come up with a few simple arrangements of some American classics to set the mood. Man, I love this instrument...

Anyway, I come across a trio of drunk dudes who were working their way through a bottle of Cuervo and one of them stops chatting and stares at me. I stare back. "Hey, what's that toy you got there?"

I told him it was an ookoolaylay.

"A what?"

An ookoolaylay.

"What the hell's an ookeelah... whatever. Looks like a youkalaylee to me."

Yeah, yeah. Same thing.

Then the super plastered guy next to him's like, "What's a ukulele? Can I eat it... or drink it maybe?"

His fellows laughed. "You don't know what a ukulele is?"

After the guy shrugged and took another swig, his friend explained my instrument thus: "It's a baby guitar for people who can't play real guitar."

At this point I just decided to press on, but was stopped by the leader who stood up and extended his arms. "Gimme that ukulele there, I bet I can play it."

I told him I couldn't let him have it because I'd taken the Ukulelists' Oath, which prohibits the handling of the instrument by any persons other than the owner. Plus I was afraid his drunk ass would break it.

"So go to Toys R Us and buy yourself a new one then! I bet my Affinity Squier costs more than that thing!"

I informed him my vintage Black Beauty LP Custom cost a lot more than his Squier. He was outraged and started venting inebriated nonsense, at which point I left him screaming there on the curb demanding I let him play with my toy.

Moral of the story... expect to be laughed at regularly so long as you're holding a uke.

Those laughs aren't always derisive, either. Sometimes people laugh for sheer joy, because that's the kind of magic the ukulele weaves. Sometimes it's a laugh of surprise and wonder, and you get asked questions. And sometimes they're jeering laughs... my own colleagues reacted this way initially, but they changed their minds pretty quick when they saw my passion for the instrument.

I'm already used to it, and I've been playing for only a month. I expect it and sort of live for it... I know I can convert just about anyone. The instrument's utterly charming.

The freshness of the sound, the delicate high-pitched timbre, the diminutive shape... in a culture where music in all its forms is continually becoming bigger, louder, and more abrasive, I think defying those expectations with its antithesis... a simple, quiet, low-impact instrument like the uke... well, some people are just gonna rail against it.

So your mission is to smile and either walk away or, if you just gotta do SOMETHING to shut them up, know at least one stellar arrangement you can play with ease. I only have a few right now, but they do the trick nicely!

-Tom
 
Those laughs aren't always derisive, either. Sometimes people laugh for sheer joy, because that's the kind of magic the ukulele weaves. Sometimes it's a laugh of surprise and wonder, and you get asked questions.

Yeah, baby! That's what I'm talking about!

I often get comments like, "I didn't know you could get that much music out of those things."

I rarely get the snarky stuff.

Not that I'm some sort of ukulele ace, but if you just treat it like the instrument it is, and don't worry about those poor souls who have to dis something in order to make themselves feel better, you'll have a lot more fun.

There's another thread like this on the board. Someone mentioned a Hawaiian term... I think it was something like minoakea. They were right. Minoakea what dos people tink. I like playing my ukulele and, so far, lots of nice folk like to hear it.

It don't get much better than that.
 
I wonder if it wouldnt be good to have several arrangements that you can draw upon based on the type of person you encounter....Like in this instance after a few verses of "Sweet Home Alabama" they may very well have had their arms around you forcing you to share the Cuervo and demanding that you play "Freebird" next. Or maybe "Smells Like Teen Spirit" was the tune needed. Or maybe "(insert really-cool-hip-hop-tune-here)", or maybe "God Bless the U.S.A.", or the "Indigo Girls", or.....
 
The toy comment doesn't bother me 'cuz I've always felt all instruments are toys.......we "PLAY" them don't we? And the shear fun of making music and getting people to sing together is SO MUCH FUN!!!! Even a non musical person can join in, hand them a shaker or a maraca and play a song everyone knows the words to, and you can bring strangers together.

If you can walk, you can dance, if you can talk, you can sing!
 
Last night I was strolling down the street with uke in hand as the sun set. .... He was outraged and started venting inebriated nonsense, at which point I left him screaming there on the curb demanding I let him play with my toy.

Moral of the story... expect to be laughed at regularly so long as you're holding a uke....-Tom


You were wise to walk away. Another good lesson from this story is: "Drunk people are stupid. Avoid then at all cost."

As for me in that situation, I wouldn't go out in the street with my top quality ukes. I save those for small gatherings with friends. It's good to have an Ohana or whatever cheaper uke on hand to play in front of strangers.
 
...
Then the super plastered guy next to him's like, "What's a ukulele? Can I eat it... ...

I would have said yes and rammed the ukulele down his pie hole....but that's just me.
 
I get this alot. I work in a fire department, and when I first started taking my ukulele up to practice, alot of the guys decided to let the criticisms out. One even bought his guitar up, and tried to show me how a real instrument sounded. He tried to play a little Sweet Home Alabama. They all shut up when I pulled out the tabs, and played a bit of it with him. Now my ambulance partner always asks to borrow it, and plays with it all the time. I trust him, and all he does is practice different slides. Either way, it's a great instrument to play, with a group of folks. I think I'm going to learn a good "powersong" to play while on the trucks. Anyone got tabs for "Eye of the tiger"? :p
 
I get this alot. I work in a fire department, and when I first started taking my ukulele up to practice, alot of the guys decided to let the criticisms out. One even bought his guitar up, and tried to show me how a real instrument sounded. He tried to play a little Sweet Home Alabama. They all shut up when I pulled out the tabs, and played a bit of it with him. Now my ambulance partner always asks to borrow it, and plays with it all the time. I trust him, and all he does is practice different slides. Either way, it's a great instrument to play, with a group of folks. I think I'm going to learn a good "powersong" to play while on the trucks. Anyone got tabs for "Eye of the tiger"? :p

http://ukulelehunt.com/2008/05/11/survivor-eye-of-the-tiger/
 
Originally Posted by KyleYankan
I get this alot. I work in a fire department, and when I first started taking my ukulele up to practice, alot of the guys decided to let the criticisms out.

Me too.
I work in a Kayak Shop with 5 other people and when I first said I was learnin everyone laughed.
Now everyone has tried to to play it (mostly like it is a guitar).
One of them is going to get a cheepy and learn now too.
 
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