PoiDog
Well-known member
As my sig now shows, I am down to one uke. Let me tell you why.
One of the things I like best about the 'ukulele is how it makes me feel. It's just such a joyous instrument. Maybe it's the size, maybe it's the sound, or maybe it's the fact that you have to smile when you say the name, but it really is something that seems as if it was created to be shared.
So, I was over at my cousin's place yesterday for a BBQ, and, thanks to a recent post in the marketplace (by paulbsa looking to sell his Luna Tattoo), I brought Laka (my Luna) with me for grins and giggles. After all, it's my beater uke, so I wasn't worried about minor accidents. Anyway, as I was playing a few songs (or, at least playing them as well as I could), my 12 year old goddaughter grew more and more interested, until she asked if she could try it. I handed Laka over to her and before I knew what was happening, I was giving some basic lessons to her, her younger brother, and the other kids who were there.
It was loads of fun being able to teach them even the simplest things, like how to properly hold the 'ukulele, the names of the parts, how to do a couple of simple strums, how to make the basic chords (C, D, A, F, G), and even how to correctly pronounce 'ukulele. It was great watching how excited they were with every small success, and after about an hour or so they were on their way to strumming out simple melodies and trying to play easy songs. It was a hoot to hear a chorus of kids jamming on the uke trying to belt out three-chord songs like "You Shook Me All Night Long" and "I'm a Believer"
When the BBQ was done and it was time to go I packed Laka back into her gigbag, then pulled aside my god-daughter and handed it to her. At first she didn't understand what I was doing, so I told her that I was giving Laka to her. She stood there for a second, then broke into a huge smile, did a slight squeal, and ran off shouting, "Guess what! I got an 'ukulele!" Evidently, at some point during the afternoon, when she was concentrating over how to switch from G to F and back, I knew that Laka had become hers.
So this makes the second 'ukulele I've passed on to a kid. The first was in spring when I gave my nephew that no-name soprano I inherited from my dad (by the way, he loves it and has been playing it every day). And as a result I've come to realize that I really only need one 'ukulele, because I can only play one at a time. Not only that, but I'm beginning to think I now have the opposite of UAS. I've got UDS: 'Ukulele Distribution Syndrome. In fact the only reason I now want to get a new 'ukulele is because I think my current 'ukulele would be perfect for another nephew, and I really want to give it to him for christmas. Sure, I could just buy him one, but there is something special about passing on an 'ukulele that's been played and appreciated. It just feels more "aloha" that way.
One of the things I like best about the 'ukulele is how it makes me feel. It's just such a joyous instrument. Maybe it's the size, maybe it's the sound, or maybe it's the fact that you have to smile when you say the name, but it really is something that seems as if it was created to be shared.
So, I was over at my cousin's place yesterday for a BBQ, and, thanks to a recent post in the marketplace (by paulbsa looking to sell his Luna Tattoo), I brought Laka (my Luna) with me for grins and giggles. After all, it's my beater uke, so I wasn't worried about minor accidents. Anyway, as I was playing a few songs (or, at least playing them as well as I could), my 12 year old goddaughter grew more and more interested, until she asked if she could try it. I handed Laka over to her and before I knew what was happening, I was giving some basic lessons to her, her younger brother, and the other kids who were there.
It was loads of fun being able to teach them even the simplest things, like how to properly hold the 'ukulele, the names of the parts, how to do a couple of simple strums, how to make the basic chords (C, D, A, F, G), and even how to correctly pronounce 'ukulele. It was great watching how excited they were with every small success, and after about an hour or so they were on their way to strumming out simple melodies and trying to play easy songs. It was a hoot to hear a chorus of kids jamming on the uke trying to belt out three-chord songs like "You Shook Me All Night Long" and "I'm a Believer"
When the BBQ was done and it was time to go I packed Laka back into her gigbag, then pulled aside my god-daughter and handed it to her. At first she didn't understand what I was doing, so I told her that I was giving Laka to her. She stood there for a second, then broke into a huge smile, did a slight squeal, and ran off shouting, "Guess what! I got an 'ukulele!" Evidently, at some point during the afternoon, when she was concentrating over how to switch from G to F and back, I knew that Laka had become hers.
So this makes the second 'ukulele I've passed on to a kid. The first was in spring when I gave my nephew that no-name soprano I inherited from my dad (by the way, he loves it and has been playing it every day). And as a result I've come to realize that I really only need one 'ukulele, because I can only play one at a time. Not only that, but I'm beginning to think I now have the opposite of UAS. I've got UDS: 'Ukulele Distribution Syndrome. In fact the only reason I now want to get a new 'ukulele is because I think my current 'ukulele would be perfect for another nephew, and I really want to give it to him for christmas. Sure, I could just buy him one, but there is something special about passing on an 'ukulele that's been played and appreciated. It just feels more "aloha" that way.
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