barefootgypsy
Well-known member
Yes, you've got it here!
"Big picture" Ukulele learning method?
- Thread starter Alligator
- Start date
luluwrites
Well-known member
Thank you everyone for the suggestions! You've given me quite a bit to think about and quite a few leads to follow up on.
You've also prompted some new thoughts to float up in my mind. If you'd like to hear a newbie try to sort things out, read on
I agree completely with the practice/muscle memory/10,000 hour approach. 10,000 hours with the ukulele sounds wonderful, which is why I think I'm in the right place.
Music theory is a "big picture" that I'm learning, but not the "big picture" I had in mind. I can whistle without music theory and if I could play the ukulele as well as I can whistle, well that'd be awesome!
What I have in mind probably sounds much stupider. If I was a child with no knowledge of music theory, how would I interact with the ukulele? I'd probably strum it or try to imitate someone. If I'm lucky, I'd stumble upon some way of hitting the strings that sounds nice. And I would repeat that ALOT. Eventually I might notice that if I change it *this* way my noise sounds happier. If I change it *that* way the noise sounds sadder. One far off day, I might completely master making the sounds I imagine in my head on the ukulele. But it would all make sense relative to that basic strum I became comfortable with. That strum is the big picture I'm thinking of. It makes me wonder how self taught musicians learned. I've heard stories of blues men who started by playing the diddley bow as a kid (one board, one string, two nails). Maybe there's something there worth trying.
I probably need to work on my right hand. I can make notes happen with my left hand, but they don't really run together. I haven't come across much advice about the right hand, but I haven't really looked for it either.
Perhaps just one song, a simple song really well learned could be the big picture I'm looking for.
Anyhow, thank you again for the advice. This was a much bigger (and more helpful) response than I hoped for!
Have you played around here? I think learning a song with just a little guidance and a lot of trial and error may be the exact right thing for you. I have been studying a few things in a more sequential manner, but ultimately it is the hands-on, jump in, then figure out what the components are that I want to improve approach that seems to be working best for me right now.
Cooper Black
Well-known member
- Joined
- Apr 29, 2012
- Messages
- 86
- Reaction score
- 0
If you were a child you would most likely be surrounded by others who play music. Your scenario of finding a uke and learning it's secrets in isolation doesn't really happen. The older blues players would have attempted to mimic music sounds played by others, not just blindly pluck until something sounds good.
It is very interesting to me that you have said nothing to us about the styles of music you enjoy, and that you hope to play. That listening interest is so important. You need to want to immerse yourself in this music, and then you can feel your place within it (the groove some call it), and you can play along.
It is very interesting to me that you have said nothing to us about the styles of music you enjoy, and that you hope to play. That listening interest is so important. You need to want to immerse yourself in this music, and then you can feel your place within it (the groove some call it), and you can play along.
Uncle Rod Higuchi
Well-known member
another shameless plug for Uncle Rod's Boot Camp (see link in signature below) 
If you think of the uke as a tool for making music, then comparing it with something like a table saw, for example,
one would first learn how it works before endeavoring to make anything. Then, having learned how it works, one
might try simple cuts and projects and as skill progresses, go on to more intricate cuts.
In the same way, the Boot Camp encourages learning how to make musical sounds with the ukulele before trying
to play a complete song since learning to play a song (with chords, lyrics, chord changes, rhythm, melody, etc.)
might be too much to deal with when everything is still unfamiliar.
Playing the ukulele is about forming chords and making chord changes in time with the rhythm of the melody,
smoothly without interruptions. This means chords must be known and chord changes must be practiced until
they can be made smoothly without interrupting the rhythm. Once you are familiar with enough chords and
can change from one chord to another smoothly at an uninterrupted and reasonable beat, I believe you will
have prepared yourself to learn the songs you want to play.
Hope this is helpful
keep uke'in',
If you think of the uke as a tool for making music, then comparing it with something like a table saw, for example,
one would first learn how it works before endeavoring to make anything. Then, having learned how it works, one
might try simple cuts and projects and as skill progresses, go on to more intricate cuts.
In the same way, the Boot Camp encourages learning how to make musical sounds with the ukulele before trying
to play a complete song since learning to play a song (with chords, lyrics, chord changes, rhythm, melody, etc.)
might be too much to deal with when everything is still unfamiliar.
Playing the ukulele is about forming chords and making chord changes in time with the rhythm of the melody,
smoothly without interruptions. This means chords must be known and chord changes must be practiced until
they can be made smoothly without interrupting the rhythm. Once you are familiar with enough chords and
can change from one chord to another smoothly at an uninterrupted and reasonable beat, I believe you will
have prepared yourself to learn the songs you want to play.
Hope this is helpful
keep uke'in',
Similar threads
