What's the most fun YOU'VE had with a Ukulele?

bobinde

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The most fun I've had with a Uke was playing for my stepdaughter's wedding last September on one of the beaches at Ko Olina on Oahu. My guitar and Uke were the music for the event.

The ceremony was duly witnessed by a pair of Hawaiian Monk Seals.

bobinde
 
Playing in slums and villages in and around Kampala, Uganda. The Ugandans had never seen a ukulele before.
 
Playing alongside my son, while he plays guitar and sings. We haven't always been in sync over the years (he's in college now). I'll always be glad the uke helped me find another way to bond with and grow closer to him.
 
Playing uke on the lanai in Kona with ten of my outrigger paddling pals who all also happen to play the ukulele.
 
This past October I ran for Mayor of my hometown. I gave concerts at the Seniors Homes and held a couple of coffee concerts at a local bistro. It was my first foray into politics and my first time playing and singing in public. I'd play a couple of songs , then answer audience questions about my platform until someone would say play another song.

Talk about putting yourself out there ! All in all it was extremely exhilarating.
 
Playing with my 6 grandkids, we all have different color Dolphins!
 
This past October I ran for Mayor of my hometown. I gave concerts at the Seniors Homes and held a couple of coffee concerts at a local bistro. It was my first foray into politics and my first time playing and singing in public. I'd play a couple of songs , then answer audience questions about my platform until someone would say play another song.

Talk about putting yourself out there ! All in all it was extremely exhilarating.
Well, did you win the election? Inquiring minds want to know!

This is going to sound tame in comparison to some here, but I'd say the most fun I've had with a uke is going to local meetups and actually getting to play with other ukers.

Years ago I was part of a Christmas caroling group that played nursing homes. We'd sing in the rec room and then the rest would go down the halls to sing for those who couldn't make it. I'd stay behind and play classical guitar. I'd love to do something like this again with ukers. It was a very rewarding experience with the most appreciative audience you could ever ask for. :)
 
Well, did you win the election? Inquiring minds want to know!

This is going to sound tame in comparison to some here, but I'd say the most fun I've had with a uke is going to local meetups and actually getting to play with other ukers.

Years ago I was part of a Christmas caroling group that played nursing homes. We'd sing in the rec room and then the rest would go down the halls to sing for those who couldn't make it. I'd stay behind and play classical guitar. I'd love to do something like this again with ukers. It was a very rewarding experience with the most appreciative audience you could ever ask for. :)

Oh , I should have said I guess. Yes it was a convincing win. Previous voter turnouts were as low as 24% , we increased voter turnout to 49% and I received 67% of the vote against two incumbant councillors. Largely I suspect to a very active public engagement campaign which I have continued post election. The ukulele was a great help as music is certainly a great way to engage folks.

I am a confident individual but will admit I was plenty nervous for my first gig, I have only played the Ukulele for 3 years and never sang publicly. A seniors home is a great place to start as they are certainly starved for entertainment, they peppered me with some tough questions as well.

After 6 months into it, I can honestly say that it feels like I am in the right place at the right time. It's a contentment that I have never before experienced.
 
Oh , I should have said I guess. Yes it was a convincing win. Previous voter turnouts were as low as 24% , we increased voter turnout to 49% and I received 67% of the vote against two incumbant councillors. Largely I suspect to a very active public engagement campaign which I have continued post election. The ukulele was a great help as music is certainly a great way to engage folks.

I am a confident individual but will admit I was plenty nervous for my first gig, I have only played the Ukulele for 3 years and never sang publicly. A seniors home is a great place to start as they are certainly starved for entertainment, they peppered me with some tough questions as well.

After 6 months into it, I can honestly say that it feels like I am in the right place at the right time. It's a contentment that I have never before experienced.
Well, congratulations, Mr. Mayor! :)

When you said "I'd play a couple of songs , then answer audience questions about my platform until someone would say play another song." I thought maybe that meant they preferred your playing to hearing about your politics, but you won anyway. :p

Or maybe they just remembered you as that fun and likeabe guy because of the uke. :D

Yes, music can be very engaging. That's what I'd like to do with ukes at old folks homes. Not just "perform a set", but engage them with dialog and encourage them to participate and sing along.
 
Can I mention two? First was with my strummers senior group, we did a performance at an assisted living center for challenged people. There were about 12 of us playing and singing for 45 minutes, and about 30 in the audience. You could tell they were thoroughly enjoying it, big smiles, keeping the beat. Then our leader called up two of them to participate, giving them ukes and showing them how to strum. It was heartwarming to see them readily participate instead of shrinking away as you might expect.

The second was last New Year's Eve at the annual party I've attended for years. The host asked me to bring my ukulele. Playing for the previous six months with two groups gave me the confidence to stand up in front of my friends and perform. I got them to sing along and it was a great time.
 
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Definitely the first time I jammed with a large group of people (almost all skilled musicians) around a campfire. Previously my involvement in such things had been restricted to the egg shaker. I remember the first time I was able to pay along with a group on my ukulele, it made me happy for days... something magical happened. I knew at that moment I was in love with the ukulele.
 
The most fun I have with my ukulele is whenever we all get together for dinner at my parent's house, in between dinner and coffee/dessert I always sit in the living room and play. My niece (she's 13) brings one too and we teach each other whatever we are working on.

It's kind of an unfair question really...every time I play I have the most fun. I simply can not be unhappy when I have a ukulele in my hands. :)
 
The most fun i had with a ukulele is when my pals on UU helped me date an attractive older Martin; she had a tight waist, a thin neck, and sported a low G-string. She was quite a bit older than me and, as such, was a tad dry--she had a thin body but a rather large crack (I, honestly, wouldn't say she had much nitrocellulose, though)--so I oiled her a bit and she started to open up. At first, she truly avoided any attempts by me for a pickup; that's how the Martins can be, quite sharp, quite unlike the Gibsons, who actually welcome a loud pickup. But the Martin played fast once I held her for a while, strapless, and then I discovered that the old gal had played around quite a bit in the past: she showed me a tramp stamp in her sound hole that had her name and "Nazareth, Pennsylvania". But by then it was too late, she had me pegged. She'd fan me, and all I could do was brace myself when she turned just so, revealing her ivoroid curves. I wasn't even waverly in my adoration for her. I was headstock over heels for her!

One night while she was strumming my faceplate, I reached underneath her low-tension catgut, and felt something as hard as ebony. I was shocked to find that she actually possessed a genuine bone nut! It created quite a buzz between us. She started to make me fret: I'm just not geared for this much friction, I told her. This new discovery would be tough to bridge. If I wanted a large nut, I'd get a baritone!

She stuck to me like animal glue, and she made a convincing case that we should stay saddled to one another. By then, I felt picked over, to be honest, and we were now just out of tune. The whole relationship just felt flat. I made a pitch that we should neck one last time, and she said she was sorry for being a complete 'hog, an unsightly ding. I asked her to tone it down, let's not sustain this tenor. After some purfling back and forth, we both knew what had to be done. Finally, we ended our bout. She put on a new nylon G-string, and by then even she felt it was over, so she went back to Nazareth, probably to some tortoise named Grover who didn't mind binding with her despite her having 0 style.

Although I tried to tune her out, she will always resonate deeply within me.
 
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This is what happens when people are up past 4 a.m.
 
Playing around kids and sharing it with them, letting them try it.
 
Clothes on or Clothes off ?

..Just checking the parameters.
 
Ah , a diplomatic reply ....mmmmm...probably yesterday then....first public performance with a uke group ....standing up in public for the very first time you kind of feel half dressed....if not half arsed !! Great fun hour though....well for us ...the audience maybe not so...but it was outside , so they had the chance to escape ....:rolleyes:
 
After reading some of the replies, I had to chuckle. I remember at my stepdaughter's wedding, I thought, "What the **** do these locals think about this crazy Haole playing a uke at a wedding? He's got a lot of nerve!" After the shindig, though, one couple wanted to know if I could play for their wedding . . . Wish I could have stayed another two months for that.

bobinde
 
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