Now don't read anything political into this, but whenever the national news starts, I leave the room and find and play my ukulele. It really keeps me from getting depressed about the current news. I start picking and strumming and the troubles of the world go away. But that's just me. Stay safe, and keep strumming.
Where my ukulele time has increased is in consuming much of the online lessons and sessions that have proliferated. For example, this Saturday I will likely participate much of the day in the Chee/Maisel Hawai'i Showcase Live. Ukulenny has three sessions per week and I will do one or two of them. Jim D'Ville has a daily Pop Up Uke for an hour... etc...
Yes, as does my bass ukes/mini bass guitars. I play bass with my group on Zoom twice a week, and before the pandemic, I kept my hand in the uke playing with a group of acoustic players in a park for 2 hours on Sundays, but I now attend three or four Zoom uke play-alongs a week. I like it. I don't watch the news so that I'm not depressed all day.
This is Michael Kohan in Los Angeles, Beverly Grove near the Beverly Center
9 tenor cutaway ukes, 4 acoustic bass ukes, 12 solid body bass ukes, 14 mini electric bass guitars (Total: 39)
One of the reasons that I got my first uke, needed a hobby during the pandemic! I had been wanting one, but this served as a good prompt. I was told the uke sales are way up across the globe during "stay at home" - I wonder if that means a bunch of ukulele players will be unleashed in the world or you'll able to pick them up at garage sales in a year or two
I was told the uke sales are way up across the globe during "stay at home" - I wonder if that means a bunch of ukulele players will be unleashed in the world or you'll able to pick them up at garage sales in a year or two
I SEE that ukes are selling like hotcakes, and wondered exactly the same thing. It's kind of cool that 'uke literacy' is increasing. Something that only makes the world a better place.
I also picked up Uke during the pandemic and am thoroughly hooked, and had so many hours of practice being stuck inside all day I've progressed quite a lot. Don't plan on putting it down again any time soon. Never thought I was one for playing a musical instrument but it seems the Uke is what I was waiting for all this time.
The Pandemic certainly got me back into ukes. I stopped playing about 7 years ago and sold off all my ukes other than a Timms soprano. But I suddenly had all this time on my hands and started window shopping for a new uke. I went for a tenor this time and am really enjoying it. Have basically had to re-learn it but its's been fun. Oh and booze of course lol
I am playing a lot of guitar and ukulele. As others have said the pandemic has increased the number of new players, which is great. A friends sister, whom I know, called me last night about buying her first ukulele. I ended up pointing her to an Enya EUC-25D BU, it is a concert size solid mahogany top laminate back and sides stained a cool blue color. Comes with all the accessories, strap, picks, extra strings, capo, gig bag. They are a well built instrument that will make her happy for many years to come. That is what the ukulele is all about isn’t it
Way to go Dave. We can still be ukulele ambassadors! I'm playing less, because we have no gigs. But I'm still finding new techniques to try, a new practice regimen in the making, and loaned my daughter one of my ukes. I gave her a lesson on facetime last night, and she promises to practice a little each day.
It does help me stay sane, because I don't do alcohol (it causes migraines) and I don't smoke pot anymore. I do meditate, and that also is very helpful.
Way to go Dave. We can still be ukulele ambassadors! I'm playing less, because we have no gigs. But I'm still finding new techniques to try, a new practice regimen in the making, and loaned my daughter one of my ukes. I gave her a lesson on facetime last night, and she promises to practice a little each day.
It does help me stay sane, because I don't do alcohol (it causes migraines) and I don't smoke pot anymore. I do meditate, and that also is very helpful.
Way to go to you too Nickie. I can only imagine how rewarding it must feel to get your daughter started on ukulele. Your performance group might expand from three to four players. Yes I have watched your videos and like you I really miss playing with others
To be honest I find that working from home means I'm doing 12 hour days so I have even less time to play. I can pick one up for 5 minutes before the phone rings or an email arrives I can't ignore but that is not the same as playing. I think I'll get more ukulele time when the office is open again. Strange but true.
(edit, and I've bought two and sold three since I've been working from home )
I've been wanting to learn to play the guitar for a while. But I didn't want to abandon the ukulele. I seem to have time for both now and that is going well
Our ukulele group has been doing zoom get togethers and because of the lag we've taken to muting everyone except the person leading the song. And then everyone just plays along, which is great fun. People request before hand songs that they want to lead and everyone who wants to gets their chance. Because I have always liked to sing in front of and for other people, and because I'm always trying to get people to sing along with me, it is ready made for me. It has really helped me to keep the enthusiasm level high with the ukulele while I'm learning the quitar. It also makes for something positive in my life right now.
I think that if it hadn't all gone this way I might have slacked on the ukulele this summer and not felt like driving that hour there and hour back for the group get togethers while trying to get in regular guitar practice as well. But the way it is right now it couldn't be better. Things just fall together if you let it, even in the worst of times. I do miss the busking and the festival gigs. I really like to get out and about to play and that is not going to happen for a while.
