The Very Beginning?

fatfingers75

fatfingers75

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what inspired you to play the uke over other instruments? what age?
 
Alan (UKISOCIETY on YouTube and these forums) inspired me to pick up the uke just a few months ago (I was, and still am, 18). He told me who to buy from, I bought Tomo, and the rest is history. One day, I hope to have a duet with him on YouTube.
 
I play a bunch of other instruments, but I have been playing the ukulele since the 1960s. I think I enjoy the uke most, but, my friends and family enjoy my guitar-playing more...

My wife has really fallen in love with the ukulele, though, and she is starting to take interest in playing one. My son and his wife are also getting interested in playing.
 
I was inspired at the age of 13 or 14, I believe. I started seeing lots of people with ukulele's and it got me interested. My friend introduced me to Aldrine's Super Mario Medley when it was somewhat new and I just loved it. I started learning from my friends' ukulele and they taught me and stuff and eventually I got myself one.
 
I'm a parrothead and I saw this kick-ass Hawaiian kid, (Jake) play uke with Jimmy's band. So at 46 I went to a beginners uke class to check it out, left the class, bought a uke and never looked back.
 
Umm Julia Nunes. I love youtube and I was looking through covers and saw her. I have been playing guitar for 2 years so I thought the uke would be pretty easy to learn.Oh and I'm 15!
 
I got into the uke when trying to cover "You and I" by Ingrid Michaelson on guitar. Halfway through trying to learn it, I realized it was the ukulele that made the song sound so special. That sparked my initial interest. From there I began searching through youtube for covers and came across Julia Nunes [surprise, huh?], and I knew I NEEDED a ukulele.
So after about a couple months of anticipation I found my beautiful new ukulele under the Christmas tree :]
My parents wrapped it in a Guitar Hero III box, I thought it was pretty witty.
 
The thing that inspired me to play the ukulele over the other instruments is that it is easy to learn, portable, people are inspired by the instrument. I am 33 years and I am so glad that I picked up the ukulele....
 
Not ashamed to admit.. Julia Nunes was the person who got me in to them. Already a bassist and guitarist, I saw her Bushman entry last year. From there I spent a few months flirting with the idea.. continuing to watch Seeso, Aldrine, and Jason Arimoto. The on a whim with a few extra bucks I bought a Uke from guitar center. 3 or 4 months later... and now it's threatening guitar and bass's status as my most played instrument.
 
I've played the guitar for 10 years +. Saw the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain a few months back and was bitten by the Uke bug. Only regret is not having started on the Uke years ago.
 
I started green about 5+ years ago at the age of 37.A friend who had also never learned a string instrument before,talked me into it when he started.To this day,I feel like I owe him for convincing me to learn uke.
 
I was 8 years old I think when I saw the "Roy Sakuma's ukulele studio" sign, and I begged and begged to take lessons.(which were 15 dollars a week, 60 dollars a month). After two years going to lessons once a week, I stopped, and I stumbled upon this website :D
 
When I was 11 or 12, I found my grandfather's old baritone uke (an Aria spruce-top) in the attic and banged around on it with my guitar chords for years. Never took it all that seriously, though, and focused on guitar.
A few years later, I was vacationing on Kaua'i with some friends, and regretted not bringing a guitar. Walked into Bounty Music hoping to find a cheap travel guitar, and walked out with a Kamaka soprano and no more spending money for the rest of the trip. It was worth it. :D
 
after i saw aldrine play legend of zelda on the uke i bought a baritone uke from mgm, at that time i was still learning guitar but felt that i needed to focus on guitar more so i sold the uke that was feb. Then on november my uke urge came back so here i am again back in this site.
 
I saw lots of amazing ukuleles on Holiday in Hawaii, I bought a Lanikai and learned from there. I lost interest until I found this site. It was a combination of one of Davoomac's videos, Jake Shimabukuro and the UU that got me started again. Cheers guys you do a great job.
 
I've played guitar for 18 years. A while back, I started doing a lot of camping with a friend of mine, Tsani on UU, who played ukulele. It seemed easier to take a uke camping than a guitar, so I thought I'd give it a try. I was stationed in Hawaii from 1988 ~ 1992 at Hickam AFB, (lived in Pearl City) so I picked up the Hawaiian music bug when I lived there. Over the years I had stopped listening to Hawaiian music until I started uke'n. Now, (almost 2 years later) it is about all I listen to. I must say that I've had more enjoyment playing the uke these past couple years than I ever did playing the guitar, and UU is a big reason for that. Ya'll keep me practicing, working on videos, figuring out tabs and what not. A big mahalo to all of you for giving me an excuse to do something I love.:)
 
i got inspiration from guting when i saw him on youtube playing the is this love-waiting in vain front shot
 
Last winter I came across Seeso's original songs and really liked them. After browsing through more uke originals and covers (definintely including While My Guitar Gently Weeps) I began to debate purchasing a lanikai soprano since its only $50 and had decent reviews. Then one night I came across Iz's Over the Rainbow, realized it was a ukulele (I loved that song for a few months), and immediately purchased the uke. One of the best decisions I've ever made!:love:
 
two wordz: Bruddah Iz.


well him and the movie shallow hal lol.
 
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