You just can't buy your way into being a good player

I bought a great uke joined a local group worked with 3 teachers bought some more ukes made a uke went to a uke fest joined ukulele underground bought another uke got an autograph from a great player on my best uke bought uke apps on my iPhone bought a microcube and a pickup and I'm planning on seeing Jake when he comes to town I watch uke videos like crazy. And I still can't play very well maybe I should just practice more

Guess I can cancel that order for the Pineapple Sunday & stick to the same thing?! Aw, Keef, I was hoping that your method would work ... I'm almost through the "12 step program" for UAS & still not as good as I want to be.

I saw guting say this once "how can u expect to a good player wen u can't even make the cheap uke sound good"

Keef said:

maybe I should just practice more

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Great words of wisdom. plus it doesn't cost anything.

Keef,

I bet that you are better than you think.

ok, you are not perfect; but think what you will be posting next year.

Aloha Keef,
Man you've got some serious drive to be successful uke player already....if not already..
Happy Strummings Buddy!!!Have fun and enjoy the journey!!! MM Stan..

I think most of us aren't going to be all that good within the hierarchy of ukulele players. I know I certainly am not. I think as long as you enjoy playing the ukulele and the ukulele makes you happy, who cares how good you are? I mean, I should probably only own some Mahalos if I could only buy ukes that suits my playing ability. But what fun would that be?

I had a music teacher (high school band) who pointed out, that there is a great amount of benefit in learning to play an instrument of lower quality. You havta work extra hard to get the tones to pop out right, and in term of uke, action not set perfectly, can give you a softer touch and a better ability to control you hands. I've heard folks who just start playing uke or any other instrument for that matter, get caught up in cataloge sydrome, thinking that a 500+ dollar uke will make them magically play better. The best way to learn is to overcome any shortcomings of an instrument, Then, when you feel ready to cut an album, buy that kamaka, so the uke can show off your talent, rather than you showing of a uke. So i completely agree with what you said....

that being said i own 13 ukes, and certainly don't turn heads with my skill level.... haha

my lanikai sounds better in my hands than the kpk...
guting is right

DRAT!!!......But I'm afraid that fact won't have any effect on my UAS!

GX9901 said:

I think most of us aren't going to be all that good within the hierarchy of ukulele players. I know I certainly am not. I think as long as you enjoy playing the ukulele and the ukulele makes you happy, who cares how good you are? I mean, I should probably only own some Mahalos if I could only buy ukes that suits my playing ability. But what fun would that be?

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You are discrediting yourself. You are very good player that I have learned loads from by watching your videos.

That King and Glyph certainly suit your playing ability.

kenikas said:

DRAT!!!......But I'm afraid that fact won't have any effect on my UAS!

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Yes, maybe we all have stunning UAS. Superhero UAS. Can somebody make me a pair of tights with a UAS insignia and a mask to hide my identity?

thejumpingflea said:

You are discrediting yourself. You are very good player that I have learned loads from by watching your videos.

That King and Glyph certainly suit your playing ability.

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I totally agree with this. Not only your playing but your reviews, etc make your Ukulele Ghetto a go-to site for learning, inspiration and pleasure. Thanks.

We should start a new group on UU "Great Ukes, Talent Not So Much". Seriously, I have had so many setbacks in the form of unexpected hard ass moves to a high rent district because of job location and roommates from hell, physical chronic pain, work that leaves my fingers too sore to touch a string sometimes, on and off, but I will still play my ukes and I am BETTER THAN WHEN I STARTED!

I can pick better, know more chords, changes are smooth maybe 3-4 times in a row, I'm reading and playing tabs, I love the snot out of my ukes and I am not on anyone's timetable but my own. I'm getting to where I can piece some things together, connect more dots, hear other music better i.e. pick out some of the technique and recognize progressions. It's a ton of stuff to learn, it's easy if you just want to learn a few chords and strums and that is fun, but to go deeper takes effort and that means regular practice. I have not had that, I have gone months in between times of semi-regular practice.

Everyone chill, appreciate that you have the opportunity to make progress and know you are going to both plateau for awhile and even backslide, but then things move forward again and sometimes in great leaps!

I am coming up on two years, I have a few awesome ukes, they make me grin, even the little orange burst Makala Dolphin bridge I just got, I'm tickled silly with it, it was an early anniversary gift and it has crap strings but I can feel and hear the potential. I am going to try Fremont Blacklines because I like the black strings, and it will be very nice. It went on a trip and it was good for me to have it to chill out with for a bit.

Don't anyone here judge yourself by other's ability. Do what you can do right now, keep doing it, utilize all the great resources available here to get new teaching and keep plugging, but above all just remember to enjoy what you CAN do. It is not a race. Sometimes things need to marinate awhile. And nothing is wrong with having a nice uke. If it pleases your ears that itself is the reward, and it will tempt you to practice more often.

Banish all critical inner voices (which usually come from perfectionistic or just plain rotten parents etc.. That voice is NOT "you"!). YOU are a perfect child of God. Everyone is, we just forget or are led to believe otherwise.

Thanks Teek, that is a great synopsis.... (somebody make this a sticky)

Cheers, Tony

I'm not worried about it being a race. I know it takes time. But I get frustrated by the plateau aspect....

I am the King of the Plateau! Hear me play the same few things, over and over again! I have accomplished *this* much, and I will stay this way for the foreseeable future! I am making minimal progress, but would like to move on....to the next plateau, perhaps....

I think what you CAN do is buy your way out of certain obstacles: bad intonation which makes you think your work high on the fretboard is wrong; too high action, which makes you think that it is purely your own lack of agility which is keeping you from those quickfire passages; bad tuners, which make you think that there is something in your fingers which angers the note gods, bad or one-sided tone which makes you overly favour picking or strumming.

A good ukulele should be an instrument for most, if not all, seasons. It should stay out of your way when you're trying to do things which are hard. Cheap instruments tend to get in the way. I find that with almost any instrument, a nice one makes 1 note, played by itself, sound like music. A cheap one goes PLINK. Which has its place, but... Good instruments also make you want to practice.

I'm rambling. You get the point.