Aloha from Orange County, CA ☀️

roastbeast

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Location
Orange County, CA, USA
Hello everybody. Longtime lurker finally signing up ��. Very impressed with the knowledge and talent of this community.

I've been a uke player for 12ish years off and on. Usually off for periods of time during relationships. Recently out of a 7 year LTR and have been reconnecting with music to cope with the break-up and COVID isolation. This also includes a recent retail therapy splurge to build my collection. I've been bargain hunting and trading, my uke collection has gone from 3 to 8 since the break up ��

I was always been a strummer and picker, but finally made the mental connection to sing and play very recently - def got me hooked! Will never be pro status but I look forward to serenading my future wife and kids ��*��*��*��

My current uke collection:

Kala KA-TE mahogany laminate tenor with preamp (my first)
Pre 2010 Pono MHT-E solid mahogany tenor with pickup
Kala KA-ZCT-S ziricote laminate soprano
Vintage circa 1920s Slingerland "Monarch" brand soprano banjolele
2013 Moku MC-SZ Custom Series solid sitka spruce top, ziricote back/sides tenor
2016 Ohana CK-35 solid mahogany concert
2008 Lanikai LS-1S solid koa soprano
Luna Dolphin trans blue maple laminate concert with preamp

If all goes well I'll be adding to my collection later today!

Excuse the verbose intro. Look forward to interacting with everybody!
 
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Welcome! I'm from OC also. Nice collection you have going. Coming back to playing and collecting ukuleles have definitely been therapeutic for me as well. Best of luck with the purchase today!
 
Welcome to the group! I grew up in OC.

Music is great therapy, especially during times of significant personal change, and especially during a global pandemic where we are sheltering in place. I have been playing much more since the pandemic, also since I have a young baby. She seems to enjoy my mediocre playing and not so hot singing. eh, its something that we do together.

Enjoy the group and your ukes:)
 
Welcome! I'm from OC also. Nice collection you have going. Coming back to playing and collecting ukuleles have definitely been therapeutic for me as well. Best of luck with the purchase today!

Nice! I’m by Angel Stadium. You? Purchase went well.
 
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Welcome to the group! I grew up in OC.

Music is great therapy, especially during times of significant personal change, and especially during a global pandemic where we are sheltering in place. I have been playing much more since the pandemic, also since I have a young baby. She seems to enjoy my mediocre playing and not so hot singing. eh, its something that we do together.

Enjoy the group and your ukes:)

Thanks! I look forward to singing for my fam one day too. And hey, you will only get better with more playing :)
 
Wow that sounds like a great buy, congratulations! How did you meet the guy, if you don't mind me asking? Im from San Clemente, currently in the IE.
 
Welcome to UU, Roastbeast!
Music nourishes the soul and is a balm for all sore things, hearts and egos included.
 
Welcome Roastbeast,

Playing can raise the spirit and sooth the aching heart. I wish I'd played back when I got divorced. It can also have a meditative aspect where you can lose yourself in the sound and playing. (Highly recommend "Arpeggio Meditations for Ukulele" by Daniel Ward.)

Ukulele is also a lot of fun. Enjoy it however you will.
 
Welcome Roastbeast,

Playing can raise the spirit and sooth the aching heart. I wish I'd played back when I got divorced. It can also have a meditative aspect where you can lose yourself in the sound and playing. (Highly recommend "Arpeggio Meditations for Ukulele" by Daniel Ward.)

Ukulele is also a lot of fun. Enjoy it however you will.
Thank you Kenn, I will check out your rec.
 
Welcome! I'm also from OC. I'm in Huntington Beach. I also have been playing for about 12 years. small world. I hit the dreaded learning curve wall and lived there for like 8 years! That and the remodel did not help too much. I buy a few here and there, but I've definitely slowed down in terms of ukulele buying. - and just when there are so many great models and types to choose from.

Still, I got like 10 or so instruments and it's hard to play them all. What kind of music are you working on?
 
Welcome! I'm also from OC. I'm in Huntington Beach. I also have been playing for about 12 years. small world. I hit the dreaded learning curve wall and lived there for like 8 years! That and the remodel did not help too much. I buy a few here and there, but I've definitely slowed down in terms of ukulele buying. - and just when there are so many great models and types to choose from.

Still, I got like 10 or so instruments and it's hard to play them all. What kind of music are you working on?
Hello Ghost, thanks for the welcome. I hit that wall but since refocusing my efforts during COVID and getting back in touch with a buddy to jam with I'm breaking through.

I hear you on the instrument collecting... definitely going through some UAS and have been having an enjoyable time bargain hunting / trading. I'm finalizing my collection on 3 of each size with traditional tuning, with at least 1 all solid and 1 laminate for each size. I have been very fortunate to find some great deals / come ups.

Right now I'm working on brushing up on uke music theory - scales and learning songs - currently Hey There Delilah, White Sandy Beach, and Santeria.

What's your collection and what are you working on?
 
Hello Ghost, thanks for the welcome. I hit that wall but since refocusing my efforts during COVID and getting back in touch with a buddy to jam with I'm breaking through.

I hear you on the instrument collecting... definitely going through some UAS and have been having an enjoyable time bargain hunting / trading. I'm finalizing my collection on 3 of each size with traditional tuning, with at least 1 all solid and 1 laminate for each size. I have been very fortunate to find some great deals / come ups.

Right now I'm working on brushing up on uke music theory - scales and learning songs - currently Hey There Delilah, White Sandy Beach, and Santeria.

What's your collection and what are you working on?

I just listened to the very useful Youtube live thing that Craig Chee and Sarah Maisel did on intro to music theory. It was interesting to hear about the fretboard and movable chord shapes. I knew some things, but you always pick up more. They covered some theory about scales, first, fourth, fifth, chords, etc.; and movable shapes. You may want to contact Craig/Sarah and send them $5. I'm sure they would be happy to send you the link and the worksheets.

In no particular order, I have a few Kamakas, a KoAloha, some Blackbirds and a few others including a Sumi Custom and Concert Flea. Sometimes when the song is too hard or requires too great a stretch, it's nice to go from a Tenor to a Concert to be able to reach. In addition, sometimes, it's nice to go from a Tenor to a concert or soprano because the string tension is less and easier to play. Most of my ukes are in cases, but I leave the blackbirds out because they are humidity proof so they probably get picked up the most. I leave the flea at work, so that gets played a lot too. There's something to be said about having an instrument you don't have to baby too much.

I am working on memorizing songs that I enjoy playing. The two songs that I was super inspired to learn when I first started was Iz's Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World; and Jake's While My Guitar Gently Weeps. Finger picking While My Guitar Gently Weeps took forever to learn! I have *ahem* passable versions of those that I can play, so I'm learning new songs but trying to memorize them. I think I've got Brittni's version of Safe and Sound and can strum the chords to Aldrine's version of James Taylor's Fire and Rain and sing along. My problem is once I can sort of play a song, my ADD kicks in and I learn other songs before I memorize the song or really add a lot of dynamics to it. Case in point, I can play Here comes the sun with music but haven't invested the time to memorize it, though I probably should. I've probably got a ton of music to go through because while my UAS may have tapered off a bit, my sheet music/tab acquisition syndrome went into overdrive.

It's nice to connect with someone nearby, even if it is only in this forum. These are weird times... There are some awesome instruments right now. Kanile'a are turning out some real stunners, and KoAloha is making some really nice looking and sounding instruments. I'm super impressed by all the small manufacturer/custom builders too, such as Ono, Hive, Oulcraft, Anuenue, LFDM just to name a few. Even the entry level brands have amazing ukes. It blows my mind to see what Ohana is doing, and I know Kala has like a gazillion offerings. Flight looks interesting too. Other than Covid, these are some amazing times for the ukulele. If I only had unlimited funds.

Oh well. It's just for me in any event. Thanks for listening to me share my passion a bit... Maybe we can meet up once this pandemic settles down a bit.
 
I just listened to the very useful Youtube live thing that Craig Chee and Sarah Maisel did on intro to music theory. It was interesting to hear about the fretboard and movable chord shapes. I knew some things, but you always pick up more. They covered some theory about scales, first, fourth, fifth, chords, etc.; and movable shapes. You may want to contact Craig/Sarah and send them $5. I'm sure they would be happy to send you the link and the worksheets.

In no particular order, I have a few Kamakas, a KoAloha, some Blackbirds and a few others including a Sumi Custom and Concert Flea. Sometimes when the song is too hard or requires too great a stretch, it's nice to go from a Tenor to a Concert to be able to reach. In addition, sometimes, it's nice to go from a Tenor to a concert or soprano because the string tension is less and easier to play. Most of my ukes are in cases, but I leave the blackbirds out because they are humidity proof so they probably get picked up the most. I leave the flea at work, so that gets played a lot too. There's something to be said about having an instrument you don't have to baby too much.

I am working on memorizing songs that I enjoy playing. The two songs that I was super inspired to learn when I first started was Iz's Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World; and Jake's While My Guitar Gently Weeps. Finger picking While My Guitar Gently Weeps took forever to learn! I have *ahem* passable versions of those that I can play, so I'm learning new songs but trying to memorize them. I think I've got Brittni's version of Safe and Sound and can strum the chords to Aldrine's version of James Taylor's Fire and Rain and sing along. My problem is once I can sort of play a song, my ADD kicks in and I learn other songs before I memorize the song or really add a lot of dynamics to it. Case in point, I can play Here comes the sun with music but haven't invested the time to memorize it, though I probably should. I've probably got a ton of music to go through because while my UAS may have tapered off a bit, my sheet music/tab acquisition syndrome went into overdrive.

It's nice to connect with someone nearby, even if it is only in this forum. These are weird times... There are some awesome instruments right now. Kanile'a are turning out some real stunners, and KoAloha is making some really nice looking and sounding instruments. I'm super impressed by all the small manufacturer/custom builders too, such as Ono, Hive, Oulcraft, Anuenue, LFDM just to name a few. Even the entry level brands have amazing ukes. It blows my mind to see what Ohana is doing, and I know Kala has like a gazillion offerings. Flight looks interesting too. Other than Covid, these are some amazing times for the ukulele. If I only had unlimited funds.

Oh well. It's just for me in any event. Thanks for listening to me share my passion a bit... Maybe we can meet up once this pandemic settles down a bit.

Hey ghost! Sorry for the lag on reply, been working 7 days a week. Totally be down to meet up and jam after my schedule dies down. I got lucky yesterday because I was given a day off the morning of... first day in weeks and it worked out cause that was the day I was expecting my Kanile'a in the mail! I have a buddy who is an accomplished guitar/bass player, even toured with bands in Europe, that I jam with. We should have a sesh together one day.

Sounds like you are more advanced than me if you are getting deep into music theory, I've only done the C, D and E scales and I just started getting into circle of 5ths. I'm nowhere near the fingerpicking level for Uke Gently Weeps. Respect on getting that badass song down!

Your collection sounds pretty killer. I'm almost "done" working on mine, haha...just a couple more and I'll be done for a bit. Been trying to keep it varied but functional? Close to having an all solid koa of each size, my "living room" set that doesn't need to be humidified is good to go, one more uke to go on having solid wood tenors of each popular tone wood...after I hit these goals I can finally focus on playing instead of browsing for ukes, lol. And yeah, I hear ya on unlimited funds. I swear I'll stop after these next two... =P

Are you classically trained? I taught myself mostly with some pointers here and there from my guitar friend. My "sheet music / tab acquisition" is creating playlists of songs I want to learn and corresponding ukulele covers/tutorials on Youtube. Just got down Close to You by the Carpenters.

Have you tried virtual jamming by any chance?
 
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