Let's hear from some guitarists

I know there are a lot of fine guitar players in UU land. I'm curious what it was that introduced other guitar players to the ukulele. I've played guitar for about 35 years and for most of that time, I had a perfectly functional uke hanging around the house, but I didn't get hooked until about five years ago. Maybe it took that long for me to get the image of Tiny Tim out of my mind! Actually, I found that the uke filled a big niche in my musical life and there are lots of great songs that work much better (for me) on the uke. What about you?

Yeah, Brother! I too started out on the guitar - I wanted to get my daughters into playing an instrument, and somebody suggested the ukulele - easy to learn, right size for small hands, etc. Well, four ukes later and I am starting to think the guitar is too big~!

Some songs still need that low end, I wonder if any guitarists play a 6-string ukulele - I saw Aldrine just got one - how 'bout dat?!! (I still haven't experimented much with slack key tuning, though I really love and admire those guys)

Great idea for a thread!!

I had inherited a Spanish guitar, but couldn't play the chords; too weak, too confused. So, I bought a new baritone uke to learn the treble part of the chords, as I always planned to play the bass figures on the bottom strings. It worked really well; I developed a ragtime style, plucking the alternating bass with my thumb and picking the melody and harmony patterns with my fingers. The uke was sold eventually so that I could buy a Martin 00-17 - a 1947 model. I also sold off a Martin Tenor and a Vega Tenor Banjo to make up enough cash to buy the guitar.

Of the instruments I sold, I only really missed the uke. About 1o years later, 1991, I bought a 1960s Martin type O, the best instrument I have including the 00-17. It felt very good to have both and still does.

I started with guitar too. My family and I have have vacationed to Hawaii alot and it holds a large place in our hearts...I figured a uke isn't that different from a guitar so I went and bought one one day. I must confess the guitar still dominates the uke in my heart, but I still love the uke.

Interesting question. I stopped in my favorite local guitar shop and they had added a line of ukuleles. I messed around with one for a while and got hooked, but did not buy for about 3 months. In addition to guitar I play mandolin, Irish bouzouki, and fretless bass. The ukulele was something different and fun. Also easy to carry around.

Played guitar (poorly) for years. Been playing bass in a band for about three. Picked up the uke a few months ago and I don't think I've touched any of my guitars since.

John

I've been playing guitar over 30 years now. For me, it was a mix of a couple of trips to Hawaii along with a local community Sunday morning radio station show called "Kani Ka Pila"http://www.kvmr.org/personalities/m_keene.html that planted the uke seed. I learned a lot from the show about uke players past and present, gained an appreciation. Plus, an association grew between ukes and relaxation! I still love my guitars, but the uke is my go-to chillin' out instrument.

Guilty as charged. I have played guitar for over 40 years. Along the way I also played bass, banjo, mandolin, trumpet, trombone, French Horn...well you get the picture. Somewhere back in the 60's I did have a cheap soprano uke but it didn't stay in tune. It made a nice, compact instrument to take to camp. Back then there may have been 3 or 4 makers of the little uke. I had never heard that there were concert, tenor and baritone sizes. Anyone who played one had a cheap soprano. Back in January 2010 (last year) I had a stroke and was bed ridden for a few months. I went online a lot with nothing else to do and found an article about the uke making a comeback. I also found that everybody and their mother were making ukes...and they were more than $10....and were considered by some a REAL instrument! I couldn't wait to get out of bed and walk so I could go and buy one. My recovery was swift due to UAS. By April I was ready to venture out with a cane and laid down over $400 for a Kala electric tenor arch top, case, stand and extra strings. A week later I bought a Kala pineapple soprano (just to say I had one). I now own 4 tenors and the one soprano. I have not stopped playing or teaching the guitar but I love to put it down and pick up my ukes. My Youtube channel now has uke videos on it too. It has not even been a year since I got the uke fever. Now looking to jam with other like-minded individuals!

Been playing guitar for 30 years. Been playing uke (poorly) off and on for the last 10 years. It all started with a trip to Maui...

Played guitar for forty eight years before spotting a
cheap Mahalo Ukulele in a local music shop window.
I had had a major illness,and just could not be bothererd
to pick up my guitars.But the ukulele changed that! I
now have several,in soprano and tenor size and play at
least one of them daily! Have not really touched a guitar
since,and gave most of mine away to friends.

In the early 1960s I had a soprano uke. It was a Harmony. In the late 1960s, I added a baritone (Harmony again), solid mahogany uke. I also started playing guitar. I have played both guitar and uke for over 40 years. I play a bunch of other instruments, too, but, the harmonica is the only other instrument I have played as long as the uke and guitar.

Although I have owned a classical guitar since the late 1960's, I would never call myself a guitarist. I just never really got into it enough to learn to play it more than strumming 4 or 5 chords. At various times during the 60s I also dabbled in electric guitar "bands", but still never really learned to play it much. I traded the electric for a 22 rifle, put the classical in its case (where it staid for 30+ years) then gave it to my son. He returned it pretty much unplayed a few years ago.

In December of 2009 I saw some videos of SweetAfton23, DevilishlyPure, and several others. I thought, "Wow that looks like fun to play." I was in a music store with my son buying something for his guitar, and saw how cheap ukuleles were. I figured I would try it and took home a cheap Kala laminate tenor. Unlike the guitar, I have played it almost everyday since, and am loving it.

Last year I was craving some more bass in my music, so I bought a steel string folk guitar. I played it for a few weeks, but it now sits in its case next to the old classical guitar. Its just more fun (for me) to play as the ukulele. I love to hear other people play guitar, however.

I played slack key guitar for years. That led to the banjo. That led to the mandolin. That led to the fiddle. That led to the stand up bass. That led to the ukulele that attracted my attention at a local music store. So, you see the guitar is just a gateway drug to harder drugs that go by the street name "ukulele". I have a monkey on my back............but it's a fun monkey.

I used to play electric guitars and dreadnought sized acoustic guitars. Then I switched exclusively to acoustic guitars. Then I discovered that while I loved the sound of the dreadnoughts, I LOVED the comfort of the smaller bodied guitars and fell in love with the Grand Concert/OM/OOO sized guitars. Then I was watching Disney's "The Princess and the Frog" and I thought, "Man, that Ukulele sure looks comfy, look at him just walkin' around slangin' that thang. I bet you could take that anywhere. Heck, I bet I could sit right at my computer with it and not worry about bangin' it on my desk like I do with my guitars." And there it was, the start of the Uke obsession.

This has been talked about several times since I been on UU. But, to share again my connection. I started out playing Bass when I was 14 years old. I primarily played bass, but also played guitar as a secondary player. I have always loved the Ukulele, even back in the day I wouldn't have admitted it. It was always one of those things I liked at a distance. I LOATHED the Tiny Tim thing. Altho I do know he was in reality a musical genius of sorts, I think really ruined any chance of a Uke back then becoming anything "cool".

But, fast forward to years later. I was turned onto the Uke as a viable instrument by Iz. I listened to him allot, but still hadn't gotten a Uke. By this time, I was towards the end of my guitar playing due to being plaqued with artritis. My fingers just couldn't form the chords, or have the speed and agility they need to play like I once did. I have always been a perfectionist, and if I couldn't play or do something at the level I once did, I just didn't do it. Not a good trait in me, and something I fight within my self all the time. I still played the bass a little bit up until about 10 years ago, because it wasn't so challenging to my hands and fingers, but even that got tough and painful to do, so I just sold my Rickenbacker, and it was my last connection to the guitar. It was not long after that my daughter started showing interests in the guitar, and several times would growl at me when she saw video of me and my Rickenbacker, knowing it was gone now. She watched an old 8mm film of me playing when I was a teenager, and it made me feel good when she turned and said "Dad.. you were good.. You rocked.." But then made me feel sad when at the end of that film turned and said, "Dad, you should never have stopped playing. You messed up..." It hurt, but she was right. I let my stupid stuborness win just because I couldn't play like I used to, so I just stopped it all. By this time, I was old enough not to care if the Uke was cool or not. I bought one, and started playing. Found it was small enough that my fingers could actually do as they should (for the most part). It sparked the love of playing back in me. I had an instrument now, that I can still play even with my limitations. I still wish I could play better, because some chords and fingering can still be challenging, and I can't play a whole song without it rearing it's ugly head. But, I can play it without too much discomfort, and I just don't care that I mess up, I'm not giving it up again. Besides that, it is something my daughter and I enjoy together, and it doesn't matter how it sounds, with the sound of laughter of my daughter as we goof around in little jam sessions over rule any mistake I make. I live my passion through her allot now, because she is an awesome guitarist. Not perfect, but better than any 13 year old I have heard so far. When she gains more and more experience, that kid is gonna be unstoppable, and I am content with my passion moving forward in her. It's all good..

Deek said:

I know there are a lot of fine guitar players in UU land. I'm curious what it was that introduced other guitar players to the ukulele.

Click to expand...

Although I started playing guitar in the mid 1960s, I've always been interested in trying other instruments. In the very early part of 2008, I was in Mexico where I ran across some buskers playing South American instruments. I was intrigued by the charango and had a chance to play around with one while I was there.

When I came home, I ordered one from Boliviamall on eBay. Since the delivery time was 6-8 weeks, I used the interval to do some research into how to play and tune one. I read a comment that said a charango was similar to a ukulele with an extra course, so I decided to get a cheap uke in the meantime and practice on it. I started out looking for a $50 uke, and ended up with a $250 one from MGM on eBay.

It arrived weeks before the charango and I was so taken by it, that I played it every waking moment I could. By the time the charango arrived, I wasn't interested in it, so I sold it to buy more ukes. I've been hooked ever since.

Not long afterwards, I sold my guitars to buy ukes. I've never looked back.

I played guitar for a few years. While I was never very good, I really enjoyed it. Unfortunately, in a training accident, I badly broke my pinky finger on my left hand. As a result I lost a lot of dexterity and flexibility in it. This made it even more difficult, if not impossible for me to play guitar at all. The Uke, with nylon strings, and a thinner fretboard, make this problem go away. I am thrilled to have found it.

Gee, is there a "Guitar to Uke" Group in UU? Would probably be a good one for guitarists transitioning to uke.

I played guitar for over 20 years. I always wanted to try the uke, but never got around to buying one. My wife bought me a KALA uke this year for my birthday and I love it. I enjoy how portable the uke is. I can take it everywhere without having it take up much space.

I've played guitar for 21 years. Last year, a boy at school came in and asked if we could start a ukulele club. "Sure!" I enthused, having no idea what I was getting into. Bought 2 Brunswick sopranos and 1 Brunswick baritone for the school (that's what they had in our budget in the supply catalogue). They arrived with Aquilas. A handful of boys bought Lazys at a local shop, which was too bad, as I didn't know enough in those early days to recommend, well... almost anything is better than a Lazy. So, our first meeting, I brought in "You Belong to Me" from the Jerk (arranged by Lyle Ritz). That was all I had. I didn't know George Formby. Didn't know any of the 20s stuff. I had seen a ukulele once basically. In the hands of Steve Martin, on a beach, with Bernadette Peters. It was cool, but still pretty kitschy.

At that first meeting, a boy asked if we were going to play that song by "Israel Whatshisname". "Israel who?" I asked. We found the funeral video of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" on YouTube, and that was it. I was awed. It wasn't technically profound, but it had that kind of soul that authentic music has. This was the ukulele without baggage, without silliness. Just a man and a song. And it was beautiful AND cool at the same time, which is a tricky thing to sell to cynical English teenage boys. But we all just sat around the room on the desks, strumming away. We played that one song, over and over.

The school ukulele club is much better than we used to be, but I don't think I'll ever recreate the vibe in that room on that day.