Jumped the shark, not exactly but....

webby

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First of all, before you all start heading for the reply button in an air clawing rage, I think the Ukulele is a great little instrument, is heaps of fun to play, great way to introduce kids to music, an I am glad picked one up and took it a bit seriously there for a while.

But.... I am a guitar player, I have spent 38 of my 44 years on this planet learning to be a good guitarist, it's my main instrument, even though I can play a few other instruments semi well (sax, piano, percussion etc..), the guitar has always and will always be my instrument of choice and my greatest musical love.

So where does the Ukulele fit in to this picture, I'm speaking purely from a personal point of view but the uke is nothing more really than a cool extra thing to be able to play a few tunes on, it's fun, it's got its place in a band (a limited place but on the occasional song it really works well).

As for mastering it, I don't really want to, I just wanted to be able to play one reasonable confidently, Ukes had always baffled me, Firstly for decades one very rarely came across one, and when you did it was either an unstrung antique wreck in some pawn shop or a 15,000 dollar piece of 1920's art that someone had dragged along to the antiques roadshow or a 20 dollar bright pink toy that was unplayable.

So when a friend of mine started raving about ukes a year ago, I barely lifted an eyebrow for the first couple of weeks, then he kept on raving about them, he got himself a few and started playing them on skype at me, and eventually drove 200 miles to place one in my hands and say "have that for a while, its the only way you will understand".

Well, I got hooked, as soon as I worked out that all my guitar chords worked out and pretty much you could just ignore the high G at first then I really got into it. I went searching on the web and found this community and of course all the standard youtube acts that are the top of the tree, jake and iz and such like.

So now, after 6 months of practice, and my wallet a few hundred dollars lighter after buying a few different cheapies, an eleuke, a nice concert for the wife and a bunch of dolphins for kids and teaching, where am I left as musician ?

Where is my uke playing going ?

well its jumped the shark with me I'm afraid, I played my guitar again this week after abandoning it pretty much totally for ages, and I really see and feel the difference as a player in the level of satisfaction each instrument gives me, the uke makes me happy and up, in a real fun mood, but nailing a piece like drifting on the guitar with no mistakes is 100 times more exhilarating and satisfying musically than anything I've done on the uke.

So the uke will always get thrown in with all the other gear whenever I go to play, just because Its kinda cool to be able to pull it out at the appropriate moment and bang out a good swing tune or a uke classic or two, but if I want to play the Beatles, I'll fingerpick it on six strings thanks, and If I want to accompany a vocalist or sit in as a part of the jazz rhythm section or skank along with reggae, I'll take the guitar thanks.

It's been great learning the basics on the uke, but I don't wanna waste/spend any more time dicking around with what is never in reality going to be more than a novelty thing for me, its like having a tambourine or maracas in the kit bag.

So for that reason, i don't want to spend any more money on them, I have a perfectly good uke that I spent 300 bucks on, and even that is a bit over the top, a dolphin would have done, wish i'd bought one of them first actually.

Like I'm not going to go out and buy a 1000 dollar tambourine, any more than I'm going to buy a 1000 dollar uke, its total overkill imo unless you ARE up to Jakes standard or aspire to be.

So thanks everyone for all the info and help and support I have gotten in this group over the last few months as I was learning, and I will be continuing to push for every school kid under 10 to have access to a uke, but as for me personally, I'm a guitar player again, sorry guys.

best regards to all

webby
 
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Do what you wanna do im not gonna lecture you on what you should or should not play. I will say its the other way round for me not that the guitar is a novelty just that i find the uke more satisfying to learn. I respect your opinion and i know that seeing the uke as the best instrument is not for all but for me and many others it is.
 
Fair enough webby. It's just as important to know what you like and why you like it as it is to know what you don't like.

As a guitarist myself I am convinced that if you had developed a passion for the ukulele, it would have overtaken you and you would be more aware of it's complexities and potential.

I played a bang around uke here and there for nearly 3 years before the penny dropped and I really was hooked and determined to achieve a heightened skill level in my playing. Through that time the guitar was still my main instrument.

Two more years on I rarely touch my guitar. I feel the uke is as adaptable as a guitar and is a wonderful instrument that allows for seamless genre hopping. I have not yet found a style of music the uke can't play. I also feel it is a more sympathetic to the voice than a guitar is.

All that said, you've given it a go and found through experience what many 'snobbish' 6 stringers dismiss in ignorance. Hope you'll still be spending a little bit of time with us here mate.

Hey, we are all music lovers first, uke lovers second. Thanks for your honesty and for the start of what I know will be a great thread. Cheers and blessings bro.
 
whatever makes you happy, man! You're a guitar player who can also play the uke--that is nothing to be ashamed of.
 
As a guitarist who picked up the uke this spring myself, I see where you're coming from, but I've had a different experience. I settled into this routine where I play them pretty much equally..... a big happy stringed instrument family. I've been doing some basic recording lately, and I've started using guitar & uke together..... my wife plays guitar and we play together all the time, with me on uke, mostly. I don't see any reason not to play both - week to week, one or the other gets more attention, but I play enough that there's plenty of love to go around.... in fact, I've even picked up my bass lately and started playing it more. More cowbell!

Have fun playing guitar.....
 
First off, I am envious of people who have long fingers. I don't. And guitar eluded me.

In searching for a chord progression instrument, I found the uke to be portable (to carry around anywhere) and playable (fat finger redemption).

I may try (and I already bought one) a 6 stringer because I have too many guitar books I've used to transpose into uke tabs.

Its kinda funny that you take a jab at those purchasing higher priced ukes and you state a dolphin is enough. I think that is funny and shows that you didn't delve deep enough into the ukulele haze which, for me, has turned into a sweet little passion try different designs and woods of the uke. I think the uke is much more aesthetic than a guitar.

Have fun whatever you do. You are lucky you've had music in your life for so long.
 
From a purely technical standpoint, the ukulele is a more limited instrument. Far fewer notes. Most ukuleles have quite a smaller dynamic range, due to body size and number of strings.

Those are the things I love. You've got to create a world in this little space.

But I think it's totally understandable to not prefer that. And your OP sounds like an apology, which is totally unnecessary.

Incidentally, I once saw a Brazilian percussionist do a solo concert where, for about 10 minutes, he was playing a snare drum with a very leafy, 5 foot-long eucalyptus branch. Mesmerising. Don't give up on the tambourine so easily. ;)
 
After trying unsuccessfully to learn the guitar a few times due to my short fingers, I was lucky to find that I could teach myself to play the uke, and with lots of practice, play pretty well, although it's only been a little more than a year. To get great and get the full potential of a ukulele takes years, just like any real instrument. I love my ukes, and that I can finally play an instument, not merely sing along to other people playing. But deep down I wish I could play the guitar,and I haven't given up the idea that one day I will, now that my short fingers have gotten used to forming chords. But, ultimately, whatever the instrument, for those of us who love and live for music, the idea is just to play, and play some more, no matter what the instrument is.
 
No sense in doing something you don't enjoy. The most important thing is that you tried something new and made an informed decision as to whether it was a fit for you or not. My life is littered with instruments that just weren't a good fit-- there's a lap steel guitar sitting in my music room right now gathering dust because I just didn't connect with it. But trying new instruments has brought me so much joy over the years,and exposed me to so much new music (I can't believe I didn't know who George Formby was until this year!), that I'll never stop experimenting, and I hope you won't, either.
 
"But.... I am a guitar player..."

I think that sums it up, no?

For me, the novelty of it is the appeal.
As a frontman, the hardest part of the job is getting the audience's attention. Having a ukulele - the relative uniqueness of it, playing a rocking song on it that doesn't sound like tiptoe, showing that, while funny, it doesn't have to be a joke - that catches their attention.

But different strokes, y'know? If it's not for you, then so be it.
 
Hey Webby, I just want to add here that I can appreciate what you have said. For me, I am a banjo player who happens to play the guitar, mandolin and ukulele. I've had a ukulele for about two or three years, and for that time, it remained a novelty instrument that I picked up from time to time. Heck, it even still had the stock strings on it (until recently) all that time because I guess I just never thought of it as a real instrument. Well, after purchasing 9 ukes that needed help, I found this board and became instantly hooked. I have to say, like you, I am sort of abandoning all the other instruments, including my beloved banjo, but since I do gig with at least the banjo and guitar and play at church, they do get played (I am just learning the mandolin), just not as often as they used to. However, I do play the uke all the time now. Not a day goes by that I don't pick it up. Anyhow, I do consider myself a banjo player who also plays the uke, guitar and mandolin. Hopefully yo will always have a little room for the uke though.

Dan
 
I guess webby's story is a good example of the definition of "personal preference", eh?

Just as I seriously doubt anyone will want to string him up for no longer being infatuated with the 'ukulele, I don't think anyone else ought to go preaching to people who like the uke about how its time has passed (not that webby was doing this at all). I've actually met some people who are of the mind that the 'ukulele is a fad or a toy or a gimmick instrument, and have gone out of their way to try and convince me that my interest is not genuine. Seems odd to me for anyone to do that, or for anyone to play something that doesn't interest them. I don't play the guitar because it doesn't feel right to me. I play the 'ukulele because when I was living in Honolulu I became infatuated with it when my wife's family would bring it out to play while having a few pau hana beers and talking story. The 'ukulele fits my personality and attitude better than the guitar. Or the trumpet, or the piano, or the accordion. But that's just me.

And lastly, regardless of whether webby is going back to focus on the guitar, something tells me that he'll keep at least one around, and at some point in the future he may pick it up to rediscover the unique and endearing qualities of it. Just as a guitar is not a uke, an 'ukulele is not a guitar, and one should never be used to replace the other.
 
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Finding the right instrument is a wonderful thing. I happily played classical guitar when I was a high school/ college student. Later, I took up the banjo, which was fun, and got a few lessons, and played with friends. But, the work rat race took over, and I got too tired and busy to play. So, a long lapse happened, and I was awoken by the ukulele. It was just what I needed to get back into music again. I had tried taking some keyboard classes, and I was getting better, but not really connecting with it like the stringed instruments. I started playing guitar again, but it is so big in cumbersome to take out and play (small, cramped apartment), that it becomes too much of a chore for casual playing. The uke is the perfect size, and I can take it anywhere easily. The guitar and banjo are a pain to tote around, and so I never did it. But ukes are great travelers. The smaller size is much more comfortable for me to play, and I can play classical and melodic songs with the same satisfaction as my guitar. I am going to keep my guitar and banjo, because I still want to play them occasionally and like the deep bass notes, but the uke has taken over my day-to-day music focus. I just wish I had discovered it earlier!

Webby, so glad you found your instrument. Want to play a duet?
–Lori
 
First of all, before you all start heading for the reply button in an air clawing rage, I think the Ukulele is a great little instrument, is heaps of fun to play, great way to introduce kids to music, an I am glad picked one up and took it a bit seriously there for a while.

But.... I am a guitar player, I have spent 38 of my 44 years on this planet learning to be a good guitarist, it's my main instrument, even though I can play a few other instruments semi well (sax, piano, percussion etc..), the guitar has always and will always be my instrument of choice and my greatest musical love.

So where does the Ukulele fit in to this picture, I'm speaking purely from a personal point of view but the uke is nothing more really than a cool extra thing to be able to play a few tunes on, it's fun, it's got its place in a band (a limited place but on the occasional song it really works well).

As for mastering it, I don't really want to, I just wanted to be able to play one reasonable confidently, Ukes had always baffled me, Firstly for decades one very rarely came across one, and when you did it was either an unstrung antique wreck in some pawn shop or a 15,000 dollar piece of 1920's art that someone had dragged along to the antiques roadshow or a 20 dollar bright pink toy that was unplayable.

So when a friend of mine started raving about ukes a year ago, I barely lifted an eyebrow for the first couple of weeks, then he kept on raving about them, he got himself a few and started playing them on skype at me, and eventually drove 200 miles to place one in my hands and say "have that for a while, its the only way you will understand".

Well, I got hooked, as soon as I worked out that all my guitar chords worked out and pretty much you could just ignore the high G at first then I really got into it. I went searching on the web and found this community and of course all the standard youtube acts that are the top of the tree, jake and iz and such like.

So now, after 6 months of practice, and my wallet a few hundred dollars lighter after buying a few different cheapies, an eleuke, a nice concert for the wife and a bunch of dolphins for kids and teaching, where am I left as musician ?

Where is my uke playing going ?

well its jumped the shark with me I'm afraid, I played my guitar again this week after abandoning it pretty much totally for ages, and I really see and feel the difference as a player in the level of satisfaction each instrument gives me, the uke makes me happy and up, in a real fun mood, but nailing a piece like drifting on the guitar with no mistakes is 100 times more exhilarating and satisfying musically than anything I've done on the uke.

So the uke will always get thrown in with all the other gear whenever I go to play, just because Its kinda cool to be able to pull it out at the appropriate moment and bang out a good swing tune or a uke classic or two, but if I want to play the Beatles, I'll fingerpick it on six strings thanks, and If I want to accompany a vocalist or sit in as a part of the jazz rhythm section or skank along with reggae, I'll take the guitar thanks.

It's been great learning the basics on the uke, but I don't wanna waste/spend any more time dicking around with what is never in reality going to be more than a novelty thing for me, its like having a tambourine or maracas in the kit bag.

So for that reason, i don't want to spend any more money on them, I have a perfectly good uke that I spent 300 bucks on, and even that is a bit over the top, a dolphin would have done, wish i'd bought one of them first actually.

Like I'm not going to go out and buy a 1000 dollar tambourine, any more than I'm going to buy a 1000 dollar uke, its total overkill imo unless you ARE up to Jakes standard or aspire to be.

So thanks everyone for all the info and help and support I have gotten in this group over the last few months as I was learning, and I will be continuing to push for every school kid under 10 to have access to a uke, but as for me personally, I'm a guitar player again, sorry guys.

best regards to all

webby

....okay....
 
Totally understand you however I jumped the shark with the guitar. However, I realize I like ukes that sound more like a guitar ie tenor ukes or looking for a Compass Rose. Different strokes for different folks.
 
Cool beans and lots of 'em.
 
Not sure that I understand why you posted. Your diatribe essentially reduces the ukulele to an insignificant "fun" and "cool" little instrument incapable of reproducing serious music except for banging out a tune now and then. And this is after it's been casually thrown into a gear bag for just such an occasion. Your comments lack a certain sensitivity.
 
Not sure that I understand why you posted. Your diatribe essentially reduces the ukulele to an insignificant "fun" and "cool" little instrument incapable of reproducing serious music except for banging out a tune now and then. And this is after it's been casually thrown into a gear bag for just such an occasion. Your comments lack a certain sensitivity.

Oh, I could find a dozen things worse than that in there. But I've found that when people are saying goodbye, the easiest thing to do is smile and wave.

:)
 
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