13down
Well-known member
An early uke tip that I forgot & then remembered-"play where the neck meets the body"
The first time I asked someone else for advice on playing the uke, and the first time I went to a lesson, I was given the advice to put my non-fretting hand (damn i can't remember the more simple term for what you call that hand, the right hand if you're right-handed, so i'm just going to call it the non-fretting hand for now) at the point where the neck meets the body when I play.
I started doing that but then returned to my old tendency of playing it closer to the soundhole.
But recently, almost by accident, I started playing near the neck again. And it was good! It not only ended up sounding better, it also felt to me like I had more control over the uke. I think I'd even go as far as to say that the sound that I associate with "good uke playing" involves 1) an all solid hardwood uke and 2) playing it where the neck meets the body. I think that for years I liked that particular sound without realizing that those factors (on top of being generally good at playing, of course) were a major part of it.
Anyway, that is my advice for anyone stumbling on to it... that that old piece of basic uke advice, which is easily discarded, is actually good.
Curious to hear other UUers thoughts!
The first time I asked someone else for advice on playing the uke, and the first time I went to a lesson, I was given the advice to put my non-fretting hand (damn i can't remember the more simple term for what you call that hand, the right hand if you're right-handed, so i'm just going to call it the non-fretting hand for now) at the point where the neck meets the body when I play.
I started doing that but then returned to my old tendency of playing it closer to the soundhole.
But recently, almost by accident, I started playing near the neck again. And it was good! It not only ended up sounding better, it also felt to me like I had more control over the uke. I think I'd even go as far as to say that the sound that I associate with "good uke playing" involves 1) an all solid hardwood uke and 2) playing it where the neck meets the body. I think that for years I liked that particular sound without realizing that those factors (on top of being generally good at playing, of course) were a major part of it.
Anyway, that is my advice for anyone stumbling on to it... that that old piece of basic uke advice, which is easily discarded, is actually good.
Curious to hear other UUers thoughts!