PoiDog
Well-known member
I always wonder what it was that first spurred people on to pick up an instrument and want to learn to play it. Guitars are pretty easy - the allure of being (or pretending to be) a Rock Star! But other instruments seem a bit less obvious.
So I figured I'd ask: What got you interested in the 'ukulele?
For me the answer is probably needlessly complicated. Back in the mid-90's I was living on Oahu when my wife got a gig with the English Lit dept at UH. We stayed with some of her extended family, and one of her Jichans had a home-built 'ukulele he'd play when we'd get together for some pau hanas and to talk story. He taught me a few simple chords on the thing, and I kind of fiddled around for a while, getting comfortable with it and learning some strums, but that was about it.
After a few years, we had to move back to LA, and I decided I'd get an 'ukulele for my dad, thinking he'd enjoy it as he had just retired. It was a really low-end model, but since I wasn't sure if he'd like it, I figured better to spend less than more.
Turns out he didn't like it, and just tossed the uke into a closet.
Fast-forward to mid-April of this year, when my dad is cleaning out his junk, spots the uke, and asks if I know of anyone who would want it. Seeing it reminded me of da kine afternoons, so I took it. It was too small and really cheap, but I mucked with it for long enough to decide to buy something a bit better and to get serious. Haven't looked back (so far), and have been kicking myself for the last two months about why I didn't keep playing all them years back when I had a genuine teacher willing to give me lessons and pointers during balmy Honolulu afternoons, with a lot of beer, spam musubi, and other ono grinds.
Anyway, I plan on handing off my little starter uke to my 7-year old nephew with offers of helping him get some basics, to try and pass it on. Hopefully his story will start, "One day my uncle gave me this 'ukulele and taught me a few chords ..."
So, anyone else? How, why, and when did you decide to start?
So I figured I'd ask: What got you interested in the 'ukulele?
For me the answer is probably needlessly complicated. Back in the mid-90's I was living on Oahu when my wife got a gig with the English Lit dept at UH. We stayed with some of her extended family, and one of her Jichans had a home-built 'ukulele he'd play when we'd get together for some pau hanas and to talk story. He taught me a few simple chords on the thing, and I kind of fiddled around for a while, getting comfortable with it and learning some strums, but that was about it.
After a few years, we had to move back to LA, and I decided I'd get an 'ukulele for my dad, thinking he'd enjoy it as he had just retired. It was a really low-end model, but since I wasn't sure if he'd like it, I figured better to spend less than more.
Turns out he didn't like it, and just tossed the uke into a closet.
Fast-forward to mid-April of this year, when my dad is cleaning out his junk, spots the uke, and asks if I know of anyone who would want it. Seeing it reminded me of da kine afternoons, so I took it. It was too small and really cheap, but I mucked with it for long enough to decide to buy something a bit better and to get serious. Haven't looked back (so far), and have been kicking myself for the last two months about why I didn't keep playing all them years back when I had a genuine teacher willing to give me lessons and pointers during balmy Honolulu afternoons, with a lot of beer, spam musubi, and other ono grinds.
Anyway, I plan on handing off my little starter uke to my 7-year old nephew with offers of helping him get some basics, to try and pass it on. Hopefully his story will start, "One day my uncle gave me this 'ukulele and taught me a few chords ..."
So, anyone else? How, why, and when did you decide to start?