THE DARK SIDE: Does preferring Guitalele mean I'm no longer a Ukulele player?

I like the Shroedinger's Ukulele Player theory best. I feel that a guitar player is still a ukulele player though, if he knows how to play ukulele. Are you using uke chords and adding the bass where needed or wanted? Or guitar chords?

I am a complete illiterate hack, so when I got into exploring guitars again, I used uke chords and the top four strings, and tried adding bass strings in here and there. I finally put the ukes away for awhile (since they are all stuck in a small closet that is blocked by multiple huge heavy guitar cases in a very small house), and concentrated on learning guitar chords and scales. Now I play stuff from uke books on the top four strings, and also use guitar chords and scales.

I think the question as posted is unclear. A guitarlele is not a ukulele. It's a small guitar marketed specifically to ukulele players. You play all three instruments and more, so you are a MUSICIAN. You also were a super contributor to UU back when you were more into your ukes. Why would you be unwelcome, you are just focused somewhere else at the current time. You are a valued UU Alumni in my book!

I have two guitarleles, and love the snot out of them! I also love my 8 pound 1935 National Duolian. I don't want to give up playing uke, but it's not at the forefront now. I hope that when I have time to get back to them, I will be a better player.

I only stop by once or twice a month to see what's doing in the uke world, but I would love to have the time to get back into UUU again.

I wonder how many people that feel strongly that a guitalele is not a uke... have played one.

spookelele said:

I wonder how many people that feel strongly that a guitalele is not a uke... have played one.

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It really really really feels like an Ukulele! I feel that many think I've gone mad in saying this!

As I started with ukuleles and eventually learned guitar - anything I know how to play on guitar is an extension of my ukulele playing.
When I play a guitar, or guitalele, I am of the mindset that I'm just playing a special ukulele with 2 more strings.

And a Guitalele of all things handles, sustains, sounds and feels like an ukulele!

uke1950 said:

A guitarlele is just a ukulele sized guitar, so if you're playing one, you're a guitar player.

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What he said.

kissing said:

It really really really feels like an Ukulele! I feel that many think I've gone mad in saying this!

As I started with ukuleles and eventually learned guitar - anything I know how to play on guitar is an extension of my ukulele playing.
When I play a guitar, or guitalele, I am of the mindset that I'm just playing a special ukulele with 2 more strings.

And a Guitalele of all things handles, sustains, sounds and feels like an ukulele!

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+1

I totally agree. I play my mini like a uke with 2 extra strings. The shapes, the patterns, etc. Some of it is extended into the 2 extra bass, but in my head, it's still uke shapes and sounds.

spookelele said:

I wonder how many people that feel strongly that a guitalele is not a uke... have played one.

Click to expand...

I had a Kanile'a GL6 that I sold after a few months. It didn't feel like a ukulele to me (I have some of those, too), but like a miniature classical guitar. I was surprised at just how much it didn't feel like a uke, actually, as I bought it with the expectation that it would feel like a tenor/baritone with two extra bass strings, but it didn't.

I have a Mele all koa guitalele and a Cordoba Mini R. They feel like little guitars to me because of the wide fret boards, especially the Mini R, but I haven't picked up a uke in a long time, and that's just me. I can remember when a bari uke felt to me like a guitar short two strings!

Call it whatever makes you happy and don't let anyone harsh your mellow.