Sad, Melancholy, Gloomy Ukulele Playing?

[VegasGeorge]

A member recently said that he found it just about impossible to play gloomy music on the Ukulele because it such a "happy sounding" instrument. That got me to thinking. He's got a point there. I play music of a lot of different styles, genres, periods, etc. But there are very few sad songs in my repertoire. I play in minor keys all the time, but even they have an upbeat quality to them. Greensleeves, Scarborough Fair, Love is Blue, etc. The Ukulele just isn't a great tear jerker of an instrument. Or, am I missing something here? Do y'all feel that you can convey darker, sadder emotions through your Ukulele playing? I'd love to know!

 

[robinboyd]

 

[robinboyd]

.... and since you mentioned Greensleeves

 

[ripock]

Of course you can. It has been a frustration of mine with the ukulele community that it pigeon-holes itself into island-strumming everything into musak with a reggae beat. The ukulele is an instrument and it can play anything you want just like other instruments

 

[ukudancer]

It's not the gloomiest song, but it's definitely a sad song.

 

[ukudancer]

These are just two songs I've done in a recent SOTU seasons thread. You can absolutely convey emotion with the uke.

 

[BradDonaldson]

Works just fine with Sporting Life Blues.

 

[richntacoma]

Sparklehorse might be on the darkest bands (singer) of all time. It sounds amazing on uke.

 

[ukudancer]

Lots of sad Blues and jazz tunes can be played on the uke as well.

 

[Luke Plays Uke]

I have yet to meet a real instrument that can’t get sorrowful or gloomy. That’s all note/chord/key choice.

But is that what got people in the door and their own ukulele? More than likely not. ;-)

Personally, I don’t mind that everyone considers it a happy instrument because it usually means they’re getting nothing but happiness from it and, by extension, they’re happier because of it. At this point, any happiness for anyone is good and I’m not going to rock their boat.

 

[Voran]

A member recently said that he found it just about impossible to play gloomy music on the Ukulele because it such a "happy sounding" instrument. That got me to thinking. He's got a point there. I play music of a lot of different styles, genres, periods, etc. But there are very few sad songs in my repertoire. I play in minor keys all the time, but even they have an upbeat quality to them. Greensleeves, Scarborough Fair, Love is Blue, etc. The Ukulele just isn't a great tear jerker of an instrument. Or, am I missing something here? Do y'all feel that you can convey darker, sadder emotions through your Ukulele playing? I'd love to know!

Hehehe. Watch me. Give me just 5 minutes to have some hot chocolate and I will play the darkest uke songs on the planet.

Do you want to hear 'Loss', 'Rage', 'Adrenalectomy' or all 3?

 

[Down Up Dick]

I dunno about ”Sad, Melancholy, Gloomy” music, but I love to listen to and play in minor keys. I suppose they are sad sounding but never gloomy. They just have lots of emotion. Much of Klezmer music is wild and happy, and most of it is in minor keys.

Maybe this thread is just about slow pieces, but I like them too. My ol’ fingers don’t fly around the strings much any more.

 

[Voran]

Dark uke song coming up...



We once walked through a dark forest of evergreens
We once stood and listened to blue Sialia’s poetry

And now all is no more
Oh Father Hades, my bleached bones are all yours

The cold winds will carry this away
The autumn rain will wash this away

He put his tongue to a place where engine feeds on gasoline
He said, oh, I like this point where treble runs to bass with time

And now all is no more
Oh Father Hades, my bleached bones are all yours

The cold winds will carry this away
The autumn rain will wash this away

I asked him in heady whirls of exaltation: penetrate me
He replied, oh my darling, I am red wine, consume me

Oh foolish ones, go to the pine forests no more
You are too weak to handle the green moss, the wet clay, the iron ore

The cold winds will carry this away
The autumn rain will wash this away

 

[Voran]

Darkest one I have. Not even remotely a Hawaiian chillout aesthetic haha.



Lyrics:

He rails against the gods like King Rene
They´ve taken his child to a place of illusions and lies

Iolanta languishes behind white walls
Oh, they cut out her eyes and they call it light

You can´t say no
You´ll rend this gossamer skin
Words are knives

You can´t say no
You´ll unleash napalm and sin
Words end lives

They strap him down beneath white tiles and fluoro lights
They´ve taken his teeth but he still has his rage

They tell her she´s not a woman, she once touched a hunting knife
And you have blood on your hands if you tell her otherwise

They carve her back with a red false eagle
They open her and they render her docile

You can´t say no
You´ll rend this gossamer skin
Words are knives

You can´t say no
You´ll unleash napalm and sin
Words end lives

They strap him down beneath white tiles and fluoro lights
They´ve taken his teeth but he still has his rage

You can´t say no
You´ll rend this gossamer skin
Words are knives

You can´t say no
You´ll unleash napalm and sin
Words end lives

They strap him down beneath white tiles and fluoro lights
They´ve taken his teeth but he still has his rage

Say no!

 

[actadh]

Most of the songs I play are slower introspective ones.

 

[UkingViking]

According to public opinion, it is always sad when a grownup plays an ukulele...

On a more serious note (pun intended), it is of course possible to play somber music on the ukulele. But there are limitations - some sad atmospheres are associated with deeper tones not possible om ukulele. But there are plenty on other ways to achieve melancholic feelings in music, so it is not a blockade from doing it.

 

[Voran]

Another fairly dark one



Lyrics:

Seams
Cordite scent dreams
Bullets kiss viscera and bone
My foolish heart did this

Hurt
Ionized bursts
Nuclear shadows bear witness
My reckless hands did this

I can´t say no
I can´t say no
I can´t say no to the burst where sodium metal meets water
I can´t say no
I can´t say no
I can´t say no to the fire when acid and diesel birth napalm

Night
Fractured red sky
Bombardier dropping her missiles
My selfish heart did this

Death
Above my head
Raven with black wings stretched, hungering
My cruel war crimes did this

I can´t say no
I can´t say no
I can´t say no to the burst where sodium metal meets water
I can´t say no
I can´t say no
I can´t say no to the fire when acid and diesel birth napalm

 

[VegasGeorge]

OK, I'll admit it, I posted this in tongue in cheek sort of way. I just wanted to poke the hornets nest, so to speak. And boy, did the hornets swarm out, or what? And Voran, I knew I should have exempted you! Well, I can't waste any more time on this, I have to get back to practicing Camille Saint-Saëns "Danse Macabre" on my Vita Uke.

 

[EDW]

I am sure we can all learn some Tom Waits tunes! Plenty of his have some darker elements

 

[Voran]

OK, I'll admit it, I posted this in tongue in cheek sort of way. I just wanted to poke the hornets nest, so to speak. And boy, did the hornets swarm out, or what? And Voran, I knew I should have exempted you! Well, I can't waste any more time on this, I have to get back to practicing Camille Saint-Saëns "Danse Macabre" on my Vita Uke.

LOLOLOL! See I had no idea a uke was supposed to be a happy instrument. I just bought one because I liked the timbre.