Is the Ukulele Underappreciated

[EDW]

From what I have seen, I agree about his playing. As an instrumentalist, it is pretty basic. At the same time, his knowledge of the songs and culture is pretty amazing. It is fascinating to see those more serious interviews with him. I wish this side of him was more widely known

Re: Tiny Tim

I liked Tiny Tim's whole schtick and I found him entertaining. I would have loved to sit with him and learn a bunch of the obscure and old music for which he had an encyclopedic knowledge. (I lived less than a half hour from where he was living in his last years.) I don't see him as a negative thing and wouldn't intentionally disparage him but to call him a "great" ukulele player as mentioned in earlier posts is a bit of a stretch. (At least from what I've seen and heard.)

 

[mikelz777]

From what I have seen, I agree about his playing. As an instrumentalist, it is pretty basic. At the same time, his knowledge of the songs and culture is pretty amazing. It is fascinating to see those more serious interviews with him. I wish this side of him was more widely known

Interesting interview. Was that host wearing a home-made wig?

 

[Tomthebaptist]

I don’t give a hoot what other people think I love my ukulele. It’s relaxing and fun to play. It is easy to make friends with. Great for entertaining my Grandkids. In fact, each received a bright yellow, Waterman glow-in-the dark ukulele for their birthday. No, they are not twins, both born one mont apart. Ellie, is the elder, and JoJo is the youngest. They love their ukuleles.

The greatest joy that I have is to sing and strum the ukulele for them.

Tom

 

[acmespaceship]

Millennials and GenZ are totally familiar with ukuleles as serious (but fun) instruments. I have never known someone in that age cohort to dismiss a uke as a toy. They say "oh you play uke! that's really cool!" and I often hear "I play uke, too!"

The only attitude I get is from boomers. When a fellow boomer feeds me some wisecrack about Tiny Tim, I gleefully point out that nobody under retirement age has ever mentioned that name to me, so you must be old. Then I play a Jason Mraz song.

GenXers don't say anything, perhaps they are afraid to be mistaken for boomers. :rotfl:

 

[Bill Sheehan]

Idk why everybody gets so down on Tiny Tim. He has several great albums.

You have a good point there, Don. His lower-register voice (when he used it) was actually quite impressive. I would submit that if you played a recording of one of those lower-register songs (audio only) for a friend, they would think it was pretty cool, and they would have no idea that it was Tim, until you told them.

 

[Bill Sheehan]

I didn't mean to denigrate Tiny Tim. I realize he was a great player. By doing the falsetto on Tiptoe and being on Laugh In or was it the Smothers Bros, he was obviously ridiculed by the teens and 20s listeners. Unfortunately many still relate to that.

No denigration taken, Deadpool, all is cool!

 

[Bill Sheehan]

Is it under appreciated? Maybe, but...]

I'll second that, Blank! As a guitar player (for over 50 years) whose introduction to the workings of stringed instruments was through the uke, I think the guitar, wonderful as it is, has been a little over-exposed. I like to say that it's a real challenge to make a tune sound good with nothing but that little uke and those four strings. I think that makes my guitar-playing friends feel a little guilty for having a fifth string and a sixth string! Really, though, I love both instruments, but it's the uke I pick up most of the time nowadays!

 

[kissing]

My whole musicianship revolves around playing real and fun music on instruments that are often not taken seriously.... ukuleles, ocarinas, cajon, melodicas, etc.

Any instrument is as "serious" as the player. With the amount of exposure talented people get with the internet nowadays, I think anyone who hasn't been living under a rock know that the ukulele could be played very seriously.

 

[VegasGeorge]

To discount the Ukulele because of Tiny Tim's garish and unsophisticated presentation is like discounting the violin because of Jack Benny's scratchy playing. Tiny Tim was essentially a clown, and Benny a comedian. They used their instruments in their acts to support their stage personas. Both of them could, and did, play the instruments reasonably well. But neither ever hesitated to make fun at their instrument's expense. The violin, of course, weathered the beating its reputation took in Benny's hands because of it's long and noble service in orchestras all around the world. The Ukulele in Tiny's hands was not so fortunate. Tiny's popularity came at a time when interest in the Ukulele had waned, and young people were discovering the guitar as a popular instrument. The tiny Ukulele seemed irrelevant. But those who are knowledgeable of the subject realize that the Ukulele had enjoyed quite a bit of respectable popularity in previous decades. We are fortunate that the Hawaiian tradition kept the Ukulele alive and well until its resurgence in popular culture. There were also a few individuals, such as Arthur Godfrey, who lovingly played and supported the instrument through that rough period. So, I think it's just ignorance and inexperience that leads people to associate the Ukulele with the frivolity and weirdness of Tiny Tim. And, as a performer, he was always relatively insignificant. Young people today don't know who Jack Benny was. So how long could it be until no one has even heard of Tiny Tim? But, the mighty little Ukulele will continue on. I see it having a brilliant and respectable future.

 

[Graham Greenbag]

What do you think in general? Do non-uke players think of the uke as a toy? I guess my observations start with Tiny Tim and tip toe through the tulips. That has certainly not engendered our instrument in a lot of baby boomers minds-that's for sure.

I started on the ukulele about 10 years ago as a diversion from the guitar and mandolin only to move on about a year later. Took it up again about 18 months ago and have a new respect for the instrument and am considering making it my go to.

So, I'm interested in other thoughts about where it sits "status wise" with other stringed instruments-not that it really matters though......

Pretty much all instruments are under appreciated by the general public and it

 

[Graham Greenbag]

What do you think in general? Do non-uke players think of the uke as a toy? I guess my observations start with Tiny Tim and tip toe through the tulips. That has certainly not engendered our instrument in a lot of baby boomers minds-that's for sure.

I started on the ukulele about 10 years ago as a diversion from the guitar and mandolin only to move on about a year later. Took it up again about 18 months ago and have a new respect for the instrument and am considering making it my go to.

So, I'm interested in other thoughts about where it sits "status wise" with other stringed instruments-not that it really matters though......

Pretty much all instruments are under appreciated by the general public and it’s easier to mock, laugh or degrade someone who plays than it is to come clean and admit that you can’t do anything yourself. There is a general perception that unless you play perfectly then you loose face by playing at all. To be honest my comment to such folk is ‘you do better then’ and basically they can’t.

Having said that there are some poor players out there who’s efforts aren’t necessarily that musical as to be entertaining - I might be one - so pick your audience with care. There are also toys out there that look like Ukes (Uke shaped objects) and a (Soprano) Uke is toy sized and (often) toy priced for a small child. The cheap painted Ukes are often sold as toys, for child use, but with some care many of them can be transformed into instruments that play in tune and sound passable. Sponge Bob Uke https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=SGGz14ohX9Y

I’d say that to the non music making public the Uke sits towards the bottom of the respect pile, and that such people also don’t see a Uke they see a miniature Guitar and miniatures are toys. Theirs is just a general social mindset and we’re fools to take too much notice of it. Such people don’t know a Soprano from a Tenor and to them a Baritone is obviously just another size of Guitar. Why waste our thoughts on the ignorant?

To add to the question I’d ask how much do Uke players appreciate the Uke and how well do they know its capabilities and limitations? Many of the players that I know just sing and strum happily on their Uke and are oblivious of fingerpicking and other ways (styles of play) in which a Uke can be used to make music. I’ve been playing for over five years and have barely scratched the surface of what is possible yet I play and practice nearly every day. How easy is the Uke to play? Ukes are actually very hard to play well and not a toy at all; listen to John King play and then ask anyone to match it, virtually nobody will get even near to his skill. So quietly speak out for the Uke and demonstrate to friends and to fellow players what a broad range of things the Uke can be used for and what happiness it can bring.

 

[rafter]

Millennials and GenZ are totally familiar with ukuleles as serious (but fun) instruments. I have never known someone in that age cohort to dismiss a uke as a toy. They say "oh you play uke! that's really cool!" and I often hear "I play uke, too!"

The only attitude I get is from boomers. When a fellow boomer feeds me some wisecrack about Tiny Tim, I gleefully point out that nobody under retirement age has ever mentioned that name to me, so you must be old. Then I play a Jason Mraz song.

GenXers don't say anything, perhaps they are afraid to be mistaken for boomers. :rotfl:

This sounds right about the younger generation, although I still see the occasional eye roll for ukes since there are always people, regardless of age, who think it's cool to look down on trends such as the popularity of the ukulele in recent decades.

And I guess it's also accurate for boomers? Although most the boomers I know are pretty accepting of the ukulele. And if it's not a majority, the contingent of ukulele players who are retirees seems quite sizable.

Speaking as a Gen Xer, I'd never even heard of Tiny Tim until recently here on UU. He definitely wasn't on my radar. I can't speak for everyone from my generation, but many of my peers are either products of 80s pop, or 90s grunge, neither of which had much ukulele presence.



I do think most people who didn't grow up with Youtube tend to think of the ukulele mostly in terms of traditional Hawaiian music or Tin Pan Alley stuff. Since I was a fan of neither, I didn't discover the ukulele until later. Outside of that, ukuleles are mostly seen as toys (as many have mentioned), or perhaps that quirky gimmick sparingly used by off-beat and unconventional musicians.

 

[TopDog]

If you are a guitarist here in the UK, you may get the occasional 'hey,Clapton' or 'Look its Hendrix' but not very often. If on the other hand you are a ukulele player, you will invariably get asked to play 'George Formby' songs. He was a huge star in his day over here, and made quite a few films. But it seems the Formby remarks, far outweigh any 'Hendrix' comments. I suppose its just that people here know of Formby and he is the only player that they can bring to mind, who plays a uke!

 

[plunker]

I have gotten the tiny Tim remark. one time when visiting our friend in very rural Florida he brought his guitar and he asked me to play, got a few chuckles and some Tiny Tim remarks from some of the good ol boys. The played Cant Help Falling in Love With You. The guy with the guitar was self taught and really quite good, but couldn't jump in because I would a chord and he didn't know it. When going to see my mother in law with my great nephew who was living with us, he refused to help carry the uke because he felt it emasculated him...Told him Duane Johnson played the uke but it didn't help. Got to the plan carried it on, fight attendant thought it was a violin, kiddingly told her it was a Stradivarius, that went over her head as the "violin" went overhead. I think IZ and the UOGB have done a lot to change public perception. Even though i think IZ used it as a away to bring attention to the deterioration of tradition Hawaiian culture and even independence, the elevation of the uke was definitely a out growth of his goal.

 

[emba]

Millennials and GenZ are totally familiar with ukuleles as serious (but fun) instruments. I have never known someone in that age cohort to dismiss a uke as a toy. They say "oh you play uke! that's really cool!" and I often hear "I play uke, too!"

The only attitude I get is from boomers. When a fellow boomer feeds me some wisecrack about Tiny Tim, I gleefully point out that nobody under retirement age has ever mentioned that name to me, so you must be old. Then I play a Jason Mraz song.

GenXers don't say anything, perhaps they are afraid to be mistaken for boomers. :rotfl:

I am closest to Gen X. Tiny Tim was before my time, and you’re right, it’s usually people my parents’ age and older who bring up Tiny Tim. People my age are accepting enough if not enthusiastic. The one person who was like “You play the ukulele? Cool!” was Gen Z.

So in my experience your breakdown of generational attitudes is spot on.

 

[Blank Williams]

As a millennial, Tiny Tim was way before my time. But I will say I kinda like him, he was doing something different when the likes of the Beatles and the Doors were dominating. That said, my mom remembers him and she just thought he was bizarre, so I can see both opinions on him.

 

[clear]

I've never heard of Tiny Tim until I joined this forum.
I've yet to listen to his music, but that interview (posted in this thread) was strange.

As they say, "there is no such thing as bad publicity." In this case, I think, no matter what his music sound like or his acts, the uke benefited.

Anyway, I should add some support to my original post. I think the uke is not treated as a toy these days simply because there are so many uke classes in offered in the private sector. I don't think too many parents are going to pay for years of lessons to teach their kids the uke if they regard it purely as a toy.

 

[ksiegel]

Re: Tiny Tim singing Falsetto and being weird...

But Frankie Valle didn't, and wasn't?

Yeah. Right.

 

[ripock]

I actually think the ukulele is underappreciated by those who play the ukulele. Yes, the ukulele doesn't have 88 keys like a piano or 6 strings like a guitar, but it still can do a lot more than most people ever ask it to do.

 

[RafterGirl]

I guess I'm in the minority. I've never had a Tiny Tim comment, and only a couple "play something Hawaiian," requests. The folks who comment on my ukulele playing have been both curious and positive. A few years ago, I got really brave and asked the leaders of my church worship band about joining them with my uke. I'll admit, I wasn't sure what to expect, but they welcomed me with open arms. I've been a member for 3 years now. In addition to playing & singing in the band, I've played instrumental solos many times at church and gotten rave reviews. "I never knew a ukulele could sound like that," is the comment I get the most. I'm also a music volunteer at my local children's hospital. I play instrumental pieces (no singing due to Covid) once a week in the hospital lobby. People seem to enjoy it, and they always stop to ask questions about my uke. For me, it's about the joy my ukulele brings to me, and how I can share that with others.