Hurt Feelings....

Igraine

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Does anyone else get confronted by a lot of negativity and derision for playing the ukulele?

Generally, people are supportive..... my family is very enthusiastic. I've even bought a uke for my mom and brother, and my sister bought her own. It's just that the people that don't get it.....don't get it.

I know it's not that big a deal. Just seems when I tell people that I play the ukulele it's gets tiring to hear them say "like Tiny Tim?" Anyone have fun, creative comebacks?
 
Just laugh.


Then say, "I'm not laughing because I think you're funny. I'm laughing because I know you'll be dead someday"


Probably best not to use that on family though.
 
You could always say...."If I had made the money Tiny Tim made strummin' and hummin' I would be happy."
 
Direct them to a video of Jake on YouTube. That should shut them up.
 
"I play the Ukulele because it helps drown out the voices in my head, the ones that...wait...one second, they're talking to me again...do what ? with a knife ? OK..now, what were you saying ?"
 
Direct them to a video of Jake on YouTube. That should shut them up.

Also direct them to a video of the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain to show people playing in black tie in a large auditorium, and to Eugene Ukulele's videos to show a variety of playing styles. Tell them how much it costs to attend a Jake concert.

Tell them you have the joy of music, the challenge of learning and accomplishment, and a whole bunch of friends and supporters on UU. What do they have?
 
I understand where you are coming from. I get tired of having people kind of snicker when I say I play ukulele. It also annoys me when people say it must be easy because it only has four strings. I always reply "Yeah four strings, just like a violin". That backs them off......

One good thing though. I work at a university, and the young people there have no negative associations with the ukulele. When they see me playing they come up and tell me how cool the uke is and that either they themselves play, or have friends who play!
 
I wouldn't let it bother you, Igraine.

Years ago when Cal Ripken was chasing Lou Gherig's iron man streak, he gave an interview to Sports Illustrated and was asked about how important his kids were in his life. He said this. "Kids are the secret of life. People that don't have them don't know the secret." The same could be said for the ukulele.

BTW. You live in a beautiful place. I have climbed all of them multiple times.
 
"I play the Ukulele because it helps drown out the voices in my head, the ones that...wait...one second, they're talking to me again...do what ? with a knife ? OK..now, what were you saying ?"

Perfect!

Seriously though I've never had the "tiny Tim" thing from anybody except really good friends who know the uke ain't like that. I do get an occasional condescending smile from other "musicians" - usually guitarists who have never heard me or anyone else play uke. I remember last year I spent a week with a friend in MO on my way back from UWC. I sat in with the praise band at his church on my mango tenor with the MiSi and a small amp. I was taking a lot of good natured ribbing from the band at first - after church the pastor / worship leader asked if I could hang around a few weeks 'cause it was nice to have some top end. They had no keyboard - just two acoustic guitars, an electric guitar, bass, and drums.

Basically, though, the bottom line is I just never feel I have to prove myself to anybody. If they don't like my playing the uke they don't have to listen - and they're the ones missing out!

John
 
People ask me if I can play tip-toe through the tulips when they see me with one. I tell them no and play something else that I like. They usually end up suprised at how good it sounds (even with my limited and poor playing ability... I've found if you can do something better than someone else even if you aren't that good they will still be amazed because they know they can't do it as well!). I've found that a lot of it isn't negativity either but genuine lack of understanding what the instrument is about. For most people the only reference they have to the ukulele is Tiny Tim so they go with what they know. When you break out some David Bowie, or Ramones, or whatever people tend to change their mind. A Sgt. in my department is thinking about trying one out himself and for his kids after I let him play mine for a few min. He has really fat fingers and he was struggling on the soprano a bit, maybe a tenor for him?
 
I am under forty so I just give them a blank look and go "Tiny who?"
 
Does anyone else get confronted by a lot of negativity and derision for playing the ukulele?

Generally, people are supportive..... my family is very enthusiastic. I've even bought a uke for my mom and brother, and my sister bought her own. It's just that the people that don't get it.....don't get it.

I know it's not that big a deal. Just seems when I tell people that I play the ukulele it's gets tiring to hear them say "like Tiny Tim?" Anyone have fun, creative comebacks?

OK - I'm new to all this - but I have to tell you - I get a lot of "that's cool". Now, I'm pretty sure I introduce the topic in a very self-deprecating way. Also, I have been blown away with the number of people who say - You mean like Jake-Whats-His-Name who plays Bohemian Rhapsody? To which I say, "Yes - Just Like That with my two weeks of practice under my belt."
 
It all depends on the age group...I know that UU hates it but if you are talking with the younger crowd, Jason Mraz, Train, work really well. If you can sing, I think Sublime, Santeria sounds really good even though the chunking, offbeat strumming is not easiest. Seeso has a great cover and Aldrine & Victor Kim sing it together as well.

You gotta know the person and play what they like to hear. However, the most important thing is play for YOURSELF FIRST.
 
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People give me crap all the time when I pull out my uke. The smaller the uke, the more crap I get for it. I don't care though. I just tell them that I left my guitar out in the rain and it shrunk. I also get the "that's not a real instrument" comment, but when I play a song on it, or even show them how to strum a couple chords to a song they may know, they change their tune (no pun intended). I get a lot of crap for playing the banjo too, but once I start playing "Ballad of Jedd Clampett," the cool factor shows up.

Dan
 
I have had much the opposite experience. People think the uke is cool-- and yes, people like Jake, Jason Mraz, and Ingrid Michaelson (even Zooey Deschanel) get mentioned. And as a 40-something, I'm well out of the demographic for most of those performers. I mean, Tiny Tim is at the very edge of my consciousness, and I ain't young.

I attend an acoustic jam group where almost everybody else plays guitar. When I showed up with my uke, they were thrilled. Everybody wants to give it a try, and it cuts through a room of guitars really well.

Like dhoenisch above, I play banjo--it seems that all the nastiest jokes in the world are reserved for the banjo. By comparison, the popularity of the uke is a breath of fresh air.
 
Being in the UK, I am more likely to get comparisons with George Formby than Tiny Tim. Sometimes from people who ought to know better and don't realise just what a good musician he was because of the nature of his material.

I also get the "I see you left your guitar out in the rain" type jokes, but they tend more to be good natured banter. I use my uke to accompany my singing regularly in local folk clubs and mostly get a positive reaction. For some people it makes a change from the ubiquitous guitar.

After playing "Whiskey in the Jar" on one occasion (to an enthusiastic reception - it's great for joining in the chorus), someone commented "It looks like you've found your instrument, Geoff!" I took that as a compliment, though it was not quite true as I was originally, and still am, a wind player. You can't accompany yourself on wind instruments, though; unfortunately.
 
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