Standard of Ukulele

does it depress anyone that to be a ukulele prodigy all u have to do is sing hey soul sister after having lessons for four years....or how everyone thinks that little kid who "plays" i'm yours is great. In general when people say that they can "play" and then they strum some bogus jason maraz simplified chords...then u say it sound more like this...and u play it the normal way...nothing special...and people say u r really good. It just makes me a little sad that everyone has such low expectations of ukuleles.

I'm just the opposite. I enjoy watching and listening to anyone who has the guts to perform in front of an audience. I'd rather hear the worst live performance on the planet, than the best DJ in the Universe. No seamless loops. No CD's/MP3's. Just a warm body putting their heart and soul on stage for the masses. Ric

It make me happy that just about everyone that picks up the ukulele can be taught three chords within minutes and play just about any rock-n-roll song ever written with just a little practice. It's awesome I can teach a four year old to play you are my sunshine. It also make me happy to watch an older Hawaiian sing a song and play it on the ukulele that he learned from his grandmother many years ago. And it make me feel so special to be able to watch Aldrine kick ass on stage shredding an original he wrote.

This instrument is for everyone, that's the beauty of it. The expectations of others is only limited by what you can show them. Teach those with low expectations those three simple chords and watch them smile..... Then show them an Aldrine vid.

It makes me VERY happy to watch and listen to Sally and the Barefoot Wahines play and sing anything! Da kine, brah! Ric

Nope. Does'nt depress me at all.

Honestly, what you see as "low standards" on the ukulele is what makes the instrument so beautiful. The reason the uke is so special is because of the simplicity. Guitarists and certainly other instrumentalists can go on and on about skill but at the end of the day it's not about skill, but about enjoying music. The uke is so beautiful because it can make a man who has never thought of playing music in his life a musician.

If you want proof look at Jake, one of the all time greats. He surely has virtuoso-notch skills but he constantly preaches about the uke's simplicity.

I'm just happy that the ukulele still seems to bring smiles to so many faces! It's not a pretentious instrument - it can be for anybody.

I think you are missing the point.. of the beauty and simplicity of the instrument..that makes it fun and enjoyable...ukers are not snobs...we enjoy all ukers...
When you start judging people, you have lost that aloha that this instrument emanates... sorry you feel that way....

And I still have never heard "hey soul sister", to the best of my knowledge.

But I've been playing "Save Me San Francisco" on the uke, so when I hear someone talk about "That Train song with Ukulele", that's what I think of.

Not a prodigy, have 0 years of lessons, just lovin' the instrument.

-Kurt

It all depends on what your goals and expectations are
as has been said already! I was a guitarist in a former life
and simply lost interest in it after 48 years,following an
illness.Then I bought a cheap Mahalo Ukulele on a whim
and 'learned' to play it.That is,I mastered the majority of
the commonly used chords.
I play for my own amusement,and if anyone else likes what
I do,thats great.If they don't,I don't care! I get my fun and
enjoyment out of what I do,as do millions of others.
And I too,would rather hear a REAL person playing a uke to
whatever standard they can,than any ammount of canned
so called 'music'! Get out there and strum,and above all else
ENJOY!!!!

Two young boys (I would guess ages of 6 or 7) sitting on the floor at Atlanta airport taking turns between strumming and picking the simplest of tunes! Greatest “concert” I’ve ever attended! That’s what it is all about!

Yes the ukulele is simple and people have low expectations of the ukulele, however, the instrument cares for pros and beginers. I cant think of any other instrument that does that so well. It doesnt matter is its your first musical experience or if your Jake Shimabukuro the ukulele has something for everyone. So either use your ability to shatter those low expectations or just simply play because you find the instrunent fun.

The Ukulele is about having fun playing music. Have fun,Play music.


This is my new ukulele HERO!!!!

yome1995 said:

...all u have to do is sing hey soul sister after having lessons for four years....

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Well, if "u" had lessons for four years, I'm impressed. I would suspect the vast majority of fellow players here learn on their own, or came to the ukulele from another instrument - probably guitar and self-taught. After four years of lessons, I would expect "u" have at least a modicum of skill.

I don't consider anyone a "prodigy" simply because he or she plays a song well - perhaps "u" do (or should that be "du"? "u du"? "oo doo"? voodoo? who do?). To me, that's merely showing skill and talent, and I can laud their efforts without the hyperbole. Prodigy suggests something extraordinary or exceptional and is usually applied to young people, like the child Mozart. Strumming a pop song seldom highlights a prodigy, unless it is some three- or four-year-old child.

yome1995 said:

...people say u r really good...

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Anyone who doesn't play an instrument is usually impressed by those who can. Are "u" able to judge the skill level of a shakuhachi player? A cumbus player? A guqin player? Would "u" be able to judge adequately their skill level? Why do "u" expect non-ukulele players to judge yours (or is that "urs"?) ?

What expectations do "u" have of koto playing and players? Or kalimba players? None, I suspect. Why do "u" think others have expectations of the ukulele and its players? Can "u" listen and appreciate them when they are played, enjoy the efforts of the musicians, like the song? Those are not expectations. Expectations come from preconceived standards of performance and previous experience in listening to it being played. I have expectations when I hear someone play Bach on the piano, because I have listened to Glenn Gould and others perform Bach on piano for many, many years. I have some expectations for the shakuhachi because I attempted to learn it and spent many hours listening to others play it. I have few expectations for the oud, and none at all for the umuduri. All I can do is listen.

"Everyone" does not have a low expectation of the ukulele. I don't, for one. That means it's everyone minus one, so it's not everyone. Add a few thousand people here on this forum, and your generalization proves false. Perhaps you mean everyone "u" know, or everyone "u" have played for, or "everyone in "ur" family. Even so, I suspect there would be those among that group who have no expectations of the ukulele.

"U" should try to play in front of a more learned crowd - say guitarists or other musicians. They would, at least, have a better technical appreciation of what "u" are playing and how difficult or accomplished it is. They may not be so polite when "u" are finished.

The people "u" describe may also simply be being polite: a civil social attitude of encouragement, rather than attempting to be critical and discouraging. "U" should respect their support, rather than show disdain for it. "U" should be polite in return and thank them for their praise, albeit with enough humility to show "u" recognize your own limitations.

Me, I never play "hey soul sister" or even Hey Soul Sister because I've never heard of it. I don't know "jason maraz" although I have heard musician Jason Mraz play a song of that name, but frankly his song doesn't move me to want to learn it. Perhaps if I was 40 years younger it might.

I think theres a range of types of players just like in recorded music. I don't think most folks like Johnny Cash for example are exactly shredders. I think Johnny Cash was mostly a singer and just used the guitar for accompaniment and only knew a few chords really. Other folks don't sing and play classical like idk those spanish masters... theres a wide range of what a person can do on guitar or ukulele.

I find ukulele way more approachable.

When I was a kid, I wanted to play Banjo and we rented this Vega Tenor banjo I think. The action sucked so bad I couldn't even fret the darn thing as it made my fingers hurt so bad.

Later I got a Harmony Guitar and learned a few chords on it. It was a little better.

I had guitars lying around for years including electrics and the effort it took to actually strap the thing on etc... was too much for me so I never put in the work. Plus they were too darn big and the strings are so close together etc....

I was happy to find the ukulele was something I could play in my LazyBoy. It just feels more better to me ya know?

Theres a wide range of talent and you don't need to spend 600 bucks on a Kamaka necessarily as a fifty dollar uke don't sound so bad really... nevertheless I keep buying more ukes.

I need to spend more on getting the feel of the music ! as I think that is where its at perhaps with a three chord tune.

Different strokes for different folks but I don't seem to need to learn the strokes as much as get the feel of the music and then it just comes out... nevertheless I work on those triplets and want to learn to fingerpick something other than my nose.

cb56 said:

The Ukulele is about having fun playing music. Have fun,Play music.


This is my new ukulele HERO!!!!

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me too! that was precious! love the uke it is an instrument of the people. It sprang from aloha and the kanikapila. from the fiestas of the portugese cowboys to the paniolo and families of old Hawaii lets keep it that way, with that spirit.

I am into 'fancy' playing too, its fun , and all for stretching the musical boundries with the instrument.
But the last thing I want to see is the ukulele turned into another instrument of egos, attitudes and cut throut competitiveness like I've witnessed (and loathed) in the guitar playing community for years and years.
thats one of the things I love the most about the instrument - it is the antithesis of that.

Ukulele is an inheritantly fun and cute instrument. There is nothign better than a uke making someone feel good because they can strum a simple song on it. the gift of music is a beautiful thing. I'd hate to see that lost in some sort of pompus battle for virtuocity. And turning into something that makes people feel bad because they don't 'messure up'.

salukulady said:

It make me happy that just about everyone that picks up the ukulele can be taught three chords within minutes and play just about any rock-n-roll song ever written with just a little practice. It's awesome I can teach a four year old to play you are my sunshine. It also make me happy to watch an older Hawaiian sing a song and play it on the ukulele that he learned from his grandmother many years ago. And it make me feel so special to be able to watch Aldrine kick ass on stage shredding an original he wrote.

This instrument is for everyone, that's the beauty of it. The expectations of others is only limited by what you can show them. Teach those with low expectations those three simple chords and watch them smile..... Then show them an Aldrine vid.

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AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA.....freakin......MEN!

Ditto ditto ditto. Thank you all for your responses. I picked up the uke 11 months ago, my first stringed instrument ever and I have loved that I can play it and teach myself with the aid of books and the Internet and that first post just kind of made my heart drop.
It would be interesting to know the back story that initiated the post... We all may understand what you are trying to say better because I suspect we may have missed your point. Or not, and in that case I hope we gave you another way to think about the ukulele and the aloha spirit.

well it is kinda true what he said. Like I went into this guitar store having had a week of this new thirty dollar lanikai and I was looking at a Kala at the store and the guy was helping me and let me play this Kala Concert and I was playing like those two finger chords in Crazy G, like three chords and I also was playing the one finger chords of the C Scale in Friend of the devil on that Kala in the store and I was like... "I'm new" and that I had only been playing for a couple weeks and he was like, "You sound pretty good!".

So yeah, I mean people can hear you play three chords and think you are a virtuouso! Made me feel good too!

I'm trying to take the Uke attitude back into my drumming. I have put together a simple suitcase drum kit, so i can accompany my oldest two boys on Uke and bass, when we want a drum sound. (otherwise, I play uke too!) i was rusty, didn't think it went too well, when I tried it out last night with them. I was disappointed in my playing. I want to just enjoy drumming too. The high expectation thing is hard to shake, but the Uke is helping.

Playing Ukulele has really helped me enjoy music more, and appreciate that i don't have to be "perfect" or "the best" to mmake and enjoy my own music.