NUD & "Guitar is just a 6-stringed uke" rant

kissing

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I've been a devout 4-string player for a while now. Never really liked guitar. I have baritone, tenor, concert and soprano ukes. I've had 4-string steel stringed ukes.. and I even have two steel stringed tenor guitars tuned like a bari uke (one electric, one acoustic). I also play 4-stringed bass guitar. 6-strings just has been something I've avoided so far. I am too used to the ease and freedom of 4-strings.

However, I've come to that state in my life where I need to occupy myself with something that requires focus. Y'know, when doing nothing makes you feel like dying a painful death. For example, when a relationship isn't progressing as well as you would hope, and you're just confused and hurt (despite an awesomely amazing start, which just makes it worse) :confused: :(

There are always guitars lying around at home since dad plays it.
I looked up some guitar chords and started practising. I was quite surprised at how easy it was to learn (although the energy coming from my pangs of frustration may have something to do with it). I've been at it for just two nights now and I can play most chorded songs. I've become a "guitarist" overnight.

Then it struck me.. to me, the guitar is just a big ukulele with a few more strings!

I also got myself a Yamaha Guitalele from the local music store today (impulse retail therapy)! It plays beautifully! Like the lovechild between uke and guitar.





Don't get me wrong, this does NOT mean I like guitar more than ukulele. I "practice" guitar.. and then "play" my uke for enjoyment. I realise the differences between the two instruments. So far, guitar is just a good rhythm instrument worth knowing, since they're everywhere like McDonald's. The two bass strings do add more fullness to the chords.

However, the ukulele will always be a far more fluid, free and enjoyable instrument that I can play at a higher potential. I've come to appreciate the ease at which I can zip around with bar chords and instrumental solo's, without "extra baggage" getting in the way (just like how my failing relationship involves "extra baggage").

Anyway, that's my rant. Discuss your thoughts on how you view guitars.


I think it's a useful endeavour as a ukulele player to also "know" how to play guitar. As someone who does church music, guitars are simply "everywhere", and being able to play on them freely comes as a huge advantage.
 

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Congrats on the new guitalele. I started on guitar, and then quit, and then started, and then quit, and then really quit. Then found ukulele. I instantly had a bond that never formed with guitar. I might enjoy a guitalele more than a guitar, due to the size being more manageable. How does the new Yamaha play?
 
The Guitalele is really good for its price. It is a laminate instrument, but one of the better sounding ones as far as laminates go. Very clean, well made, good setup straight from the factory.

I do find it more easy to just grab and play due to being uke size. maybe if a local store has it in your area, give it ago. Its tons of fun
 
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I've been a devout 4-string player for a while now. Never really liked guitar. I have baritone, tenor, concert and soprano ukes. I've had 4-string steel stringed ukes.. and I even have two steel stringed tenor guitars tuned like a bari uke (one electric, one acoustic). I also play 4-stringed bass guitar. 6-strings just has been something I've avoided so far. I am too used to the ease and freedom of 4-strings.

However, I've come to that state in my life where I need to occupy myself with something that requires focus. Y'know, when doing nothing makes you feel like dying a painful death. For example, when a relationship isn't progressing as well as you would hope, and you're just confused and hurt (despite an awesomely amazing start, which just makes it worse) :confused: :(

There are always guitars lying around at home since dad plays it.
I looked up some guitar chords and started practising. I was quite surprised at how easy it was to learn (although the energy coming from my pangs of frustration may have something to do with it). I've been at it for just two nights now and I can play most chorded songs. I've become a "guitarist" overnight.

Then it struck me.. to me, the guitar is just a big ukulele with a few more strings!

I also got myself a Yamaha Guitalele from the local music store today (impulse retail therapy)! It plays beautifully! Like the lovechild between uke and guitar.





Don't get me wrong, this does NOT mean I like guitar more than ukulele. I "practice" guitar.. and then "play" my uke for enjoyment. I realise the differences between the two instruments. So far, guitar is just a good rhythm instrument worth knowing, since they're everywhere like McDonald's. The two bass strings do add more fullness to the chords.

However, the ukulele will always be a far more fluid, free and enjoyable instrument that I can play at a higher potential. I've come to appreciate the ease at which I can zip around with bar chords and instrumental solo's, without "extra baggage" getting in the way (just like how my failing relationship involves "extra baggage").

Anyway, that's my rant. Discuss your thoughts on how you view guitars.


I think it's a useful endeavour as a ukulele player to also "know" how to play guitar. As someone who does church music, guitars are simply "everywhere", and being able to play on them freely comes as a huge advantage.


I started out on guitar when i was 14 years old, than bass the next year im 32 now.
I picked up ukulele about 10 years ago, and shortly after mandolin. I gotta say for me
anything with strings on it comes very easy to me to pick up and learn. I've been making
ambient music which is guitar based (an electric baritone guitar) for years now EX my project : i AM esper
I decided recently i was bored with guitar, and missed the ukulele. (I had a wonderful martin soprano i sold
a few years back for rent money sadly) and i got a cheapo uke, just to kind of get used to playing again
and than shortly after i got a lanikai and than the epiphone les paul uke. Now My problem is i realized im
a zillion times bettter on the ukulele than guitar, and that i enjoy the sound and playing them so much more
than guitar. The issue I have is.....i can't afford the instruments I want.

I sold my schecter baritone guitar to get the les paul uke and to pay some bills....
I have my eye set on this bluestar konablaster electric baritone uke (which if i had it
would be my main instrument) the best of both worlds between electric guitar and ukulele.
I'm very jealous of those people who have eleukes and risas (to me their both expensive)
im dirt poor :(
 
Capo at the 5th and your golden! Lol, I play a lot of my uke songs on guitar like this. I tried a guitarlele at guitar center and didnt think too much of it, i think the smallest 6 string I could play would be a 3/4 size guitar or parlor guitar. I need as much spacing as possible for my chunky fingertips!
 
things must be really bad for you to start playing guitar. i mean really really bad. is that yamaha all nylon strings?
 
things must be really bad for you to start playing guitar. i mean really really bad. is that yamaha all nylon strings?

Yup.. that indeed is what is happening here....
So today at church gathering, I played guitar as accompaniment for the first time (I usually play 4-strings). People were quite bemused.. "why did you suddenly decide to take up guitar?". Some people were proud, "I see you are finally playing guitar" *cringe*.

But it keeps my mind off things :)
Like at work today, I've been craving to play the guitar all day.. couldn't even make it home, had to stop at the music store near work and stayed there for over an hour playing guitar and ukes.

The Yamaha Guitalele is nylon strings.



I wanna save up for a really good guitar.. still deciding whether to go steel strings or nylon..
 
I really don't see this as a bad thing, I see instruments as paintbrushes and paints, you will eventually get bored if you only have one paintbrush and one color, widening your pallet is what I'm all about. I think you will eventually end up having a classical and a steel string guitar since both can produce very different sounds, I love my current steel string guitars, so I'm waiting for a good deal on a classical guitar at the moment.
 
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