Your uke playing face

Which is your uke playing face?

  • Expressionless face with dead eyes

    Votes: 5 19.2%

  • Contented looking & smiling

    Votes: 8 30.8%

  • Crazy loony eyes & a big infectious smile

    Votes: 3 11.5%

  • Unhappy sad face & looking miserable

    Votes: 3 11.5%

  • Knitted brows on a serious & angry face

    Votes: 9 34.6%
  • Total voters
    26
A

AustinHing

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So.. I have been told I have a frowning face whenever I played. My fingers simply stop playing whenever I tried to force a smile. How do the pros do this, a big smile while running through a maze of crazy fretting.

So how about you guys?
 
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I really need to know a song very well to be able to smile and look up while playing it.

Making videos for the Seasons of the Ukulele challenges in this forum I find that I often have a blank expression with dead eyes. Where to look? Either straight at the audience or looking down works the best.
 
Much depends upon the music and the audience. A grin would not be appropriate while singing "Long Black Veil." But it is very correct whilst performing "Let's Talk Dirty in Hawaiian."
 
I voted "Expressionless face with dead eyes".

I don't care about my own facial expression when playing.

At least half the time my eyes are closed once I know the song well. Also, since I play for myself and to make myself happy, I do not have to impress anyone anyway. I simply do not give any energy to worrying what other people think about me. I could give less than 2 F's about it.

I focus on the music itself and playing well, and whatever my face does is natural. Yes, I have made videos of myself, and I know what I look like, but these are private and not for syndication.
 
Interesting, this! I have a tendency to smile whatever I'm playing ... which must be strangely inappropriate at times! (Perhaps it's from the sheer joy of making music ... or, to be more accurate, attempting to make music!) I have voted for "contented looking and smiling". I would have gone for "big infectious smile", but I have no idea whether or not my eyes look "crazy loony!" (And, Mikkel (Uking Viking), I always think you look very pleasant when you're playing.)
 
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Funny you should mention that. When we used to play in person, I got a kick out of watching the other people making faces as they played. Everyone has their own style and expressions. Even watching people on YouTube you can see the same type of thing.

I look perfectly normal when I play - as opposed to when I'm not playing. :p
 
I’ve seen video of myself singing and strumming and I usually have a happy or song appropriate face. But recently, I recorded a little “Happy Birthday” song to send to a loved one and I surprised myself when I looked at it before sending it out. I had the most inappropriate deadpan face while concentrating on some fancy finger picking. By my expression, you’d think I was performing brain surgery. Had to relax and redo the video. Actually, I have found that when I’m most relaxed, my playing is more fluid and musical.
 
bunnyf said:
I’ve seen video of myself singing and strumming and I usually have a happy or song appropriate face. But recently, I recorded a little “Happy Birthday” song to send to a loved one and I surprised myself when I looked at it before sending it out. I had the most inappropriate deadpan face while concentrating on some fancy finger picking. By my expression, you’d think I was performing brain surgery. Had to relax and redo the video. Actually, I have found that when I’m most relaxed, my playing is more fluid and musical.
Click to expand...

I have seen some shockingly deadpan faces on our Zoom jams.
 
AustinHing said:
So.. I have been told I have a frowning face whenever I played. My fingers simply stop playing whenever I tried to force a smile. How do the pros do this, a big smile while running through a maze of crazy fretting?
Click to expand...

You think playing and smiling is tough? Try singing and smiling.
 
I voted Knitted brows on a serious & angry face but I really have to make a conscious effort to keep my face relaxed - especially when working on something challenging - or I lapse in to serious bruxism (teeth grinding) as diagnosed by my dentist!
 
So glad I’m not alone with uke playing facial disorder. Lol. Uke playing is serious business.
 
AustinHing said:
So.. I have been told I have a frowning face whenever I played. My fingers simply stop playing whenever I tried to force a smile. How do the pros do this, a big smile while running through a maze of crazy fretting.

So how about you guys?
Click to expand...

I was told that when you smile while speaking, singing, or generally doing stuff, that smile will shine thru.
So depending on the story or song, I'd try to put myself into the same mood.
 
clear said:
I was told that when you smile while speaking, singing, or generally doing stuff, that smile will shine thru.
So depending on the story or song, I'd try to put myself into the same mood.
Click to expand...

Singing teachers and choir directors keep telling us to smile when singing. It raises the top of the mouth and creates a better shape that improves the tone and makes it easy to hit and hold notes.

.
 
Does anyone else stick their tongue out of the side of their mouth when playing? When I'm really concentrating hard, I have that bad habit! :p
 
I don't think any of the options apply to me. If I'm playing, I'm singing so I'd say that my facial expression and eyes are neutral. I'm not an overly expressive or reactive person in daily life so it make sense.

The question reminds me of the Seinfeld episode where Elaine asks Jerry to go and see Mel Torme sing at a charity event. He said that he couldn't watch a man sing. "They get all emotional, they sway...... it's embarrassing."
 
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