The uke is inferior!!

philpot

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I am involved in a heated discussion (read: intense escalating argument) with a friend of mine about the ukulele. He posted a status on facebook along the lines of, why is the uke so popular? its an annoying limited instrument. My response of course was, LOL! limited. you wish. Then promptly posted links to several Jake Shimabukuro songs. He then proceeds to rant about how it has less frets and strings then a guitar, less frets then a bass and less neck then a cello/violin. I answer with the fact that my '79 Ovation Custom Balladeer acoustic has 20 frets, while some tenors have 20+. he ignored that, and continued to harp on limited range, and how it can only convey one emotion(meaning happy Hawaiian pop emotion). I kindly directed him to Weeps and several other of Jakes songs, and told him in no uncertain terms if he can watch those and still say it can only convey one emotion, he is clearly insane. He watched Bohemian Rhapsody and a couple others and once again stated that, yes the ukulele can only covey one emotion because there were no songs that are "dark and foreboding." I asked him of the original was dark and foreboding, to which he responded that the vocals were somewhat pained. I, once again, LOL'd. I informed him of the fact that an instrumental, on any instrument, is going to reflect THE MELODY. not the singing style. Then he said something about how it sounded like 90s game boy music.
Can someone provide me with something that will get the self absorbed guitar player to realize that just because the instrument is small does not make it inferior?
 
The problem is, some people are more obsessed with talking about the ukulele than actually playing it - a bit like the Ferrari owners club.
 
The problem is, some people are more obsessed with talking about the ukulele than actually playing it - a bit like the Ferrari owners club.

not sure how to take that... was it directed at me? Because I do quite a bit more playing then talking ;) 3-4 hours a day usually...
 
Show him some gritty blues uke like Bob Brozman and Manitoba Hal. Or how it fits in a great ensemble like Larry And His Flask.
 
Can someone provide me with something that will get the self absorbed guitar player to realize that just because the instrument is small does not make it inferior?

I cannot assist.:biglaugh:
 
I once knew a guy at my University who told a music education student that the student's piano should be tuned to his guitar...lolz all around.

Also, by his logic, an archlute is better than both the uke and the guitar because it has more frets and strings.

Finally, if he's so butthurt by the ukulele's tone, then he should pick up the wahtar (a portmanteau of the guitar and lots of sobbing)

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He doesn't sound like the brightest candle. Like those horse people who say you have to have a quarter horse for reining, or an Arabian for endurance, or who believe in swirls and markings meaning anything about what a horse can do.

I mean he can't even count frets. What's the point?
 
If Jake, James Hill, and John King can't convince him otherwise, he's probably a lost cause. At this point it would be way more fun to troll him. :B
 
The problem with arguing with a fool is that sometimes bystanders can't tell the difference... LOL Don't remember who said that but I love it.

Seriously, though, what's the point of arguing with this clown? Why does it matter to you what he thinks about the uke? What impact should this person's approval or disapproval of an instrument you like have on you? If it has any, then you really need to work on your self-esteem or whatever other issues drive you to crave someone else's approval so badly that you have to change their opinion about the instrument.

Just sayin... LOL

John
 
The problem with arguing with a fool is that sometimes bystanders can't tell the difference... LOL Don't remember who said that but I love it.

Seriously, though, what's the point of arguing with this clown? Why does it matter to you what he thinks about the uke? What impact should this person's approval or disapproval of an instrument you like have on you? If it has any, then you really need to work on your self-esteem or whatever other issues drive you to crave someone else's approval so badly that you have to change their opinion about the instrument.

Just sayin... LOL

John

Good question. Its not that I crave his approval so much as it angers me slightly when the uke is held as inferior. I pointed this out a few times in my discussion with him, I cant change his opinion, nor can I argue with it. De gustibus non est disputandum (in matters of taste, there is no dispute.) but when he holds to his declaration that the uke is inferior, that is not an opinion, it is a statement of fact and can be challenged. And when he still holds to it after what I showed him, it makes me wonder about his sanity xD
 
And when he still holds to it after what I showed him, it makes me wonder about his sanity xD

Heh, heh. I wonder about the sanity of people around me all the time but unless the relationship is such that my well being depends on their being sane I just don't try to fix them. LOL

(Oh, and I'm sure plenty of those same people worry about my sanity...)

John
 
I frankly don't care what other people/musicians think of the ukulele. There is only one person that I have to justify it to and that is myself. I love it.
 
He doesn't sound like the brightest candle. Like those horse people who say you have to have a quarter horse for reining, or an Arabian for endurance, or who believe in swirls and markings meaning anything about what a horse can do.

One white foot, buy him. Two white feet, try him. Three white feet, look well about him. Four white feet, go without him. :D Although I firmly believe in the crazy white eye.
 
There's also myths about swirls in the coat and what they mean for how stubborn or smart a horse is. I'm even open about the "crazy eyes" because some horses have that, and it doesn't mean anything. One of those "smartest ponies I ever met" types converted me there.

And Patches would hang out with uke players over "tune the piano to match the guitar" players any day. :D

Maybe the "friend" should be told something along the lines that real musicians are too busy creating music to give a crap about who plays what instrument, and which one is "best."
 
Ignore him and keep on playing brother. You have more friends.
 
We have a convert!! I had him listen to a couple Beirut songs and James Hill's Billie Jean and he likes it now ;) hes decided he just hates pop artists who ruin it. After he watched Billie Jean, hes like "Its like... Hendrix on uke..." I was like, "Oh... speaking of..."

 
The problem with arguing with a fool is that sometimes bystanders can't tell the difference... LOL Don't remember who said that but I love it.

Seriously, though, what's the point of arguing with this clown? Why does it matter to you what he thinks about the uke? What impact should this person's approval or disapproval of an instrument you like have on you? If it has any, then you really need to work on your self-esteem or whatever other issues drive you to crave someone else's approval so badly that you have to change their opinion about the instrument.

Just sayin... LOL

John

Yeah! What John said. Why are you concerned with continuing the argument? So the uke is comparatively limited in some ways. Particularly if you tune it reentrant, the range is not great. And, truth be told, a dirge played on the ukulele would probably not be very convincing. But what does that matter? A lot of beautiful music can be played on a ukulele. If you like the sound of the ukulele, and you like to play it, are you going to stop playing it because it has limitations?

It's an inane argument, really. Most other instruments are limited when compared to a piano. And, there are instruments that are more limited than the ukulele - penny whistle, harmonica. By your adversary's/friend's logic, everyone should play a piano. Oh, but the piano isn't portable. Forgot that part.

What's most frustrating about the argument is that it is kind of soulless. There are many of us who are passionate about the instrument. It brings us great joy. We don't suffer from a sense of limitation. Get off it. Let him think what he wants; go play your ukulele, be happy!
 
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