What do you observe others doing "wrong" the most?

arpie said:

...... I fear what others think and pretty much just play alone........ Don't be afraid to join a uke group - you will be amazed at how quickly you will become a better player & make a whole bunch of new buddies at the same time!

Definitely, as Stan says - find a group that has at least a 'starter' level & a more advanced level. You will know when you are ready to move up!

In my beginners group, as people feel confident enough to join the 'slightly better' group - they do & usually really have a good time - as it pushes themselves a little more.

I try not to be too pedantic about timing & strum patterns too much - tho work harder at it if we are performing somewhere.

What I said above was really just personal observations that I have made in the last 12 months since getting back into uke playing and in my role as helping newbies to get into playing confidently.

.... I don't want our mob thinking they HAVE to go home & PRACTISE HARD ....... but I hope they do!.... he, he - I am one of the ones that doesn't practise too much!

cheers

Roberta

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THanks Roberta for your feedback. I am so sensitive and get frustrated so easily. THe members of my group are long experienced musicians many professionals and teach music. They want to play and not teach at uke night...I hope to meet some new people at the uke fest we are having next weekend.. I need a teacher too but haven't foud one locally...

This is how I did it when I took up mandolin and was drafted into a mando orchestra when I didn't even know how to play.

Play the first chord or note in a measure, look ahead and find the first chord/note in the next measure. Don't worry about picking or strumming patterns. As long as you can hit the first chord/note in a measure correctly, you are golden. You don't have to play all the notes, just try not to play any wrong ones.

Eventually, you'll be able to pick up the pace to every other chord, etc.

arpie said:

Metronome ..... I tried using this with the group early on - but we found it to be TOO precise! We tend to speed up a little & the metronome was getting 'played over'!! Quite funny, really!

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We tried that too, with similar results. We've now found a bass player, which seems to work a little bit better. The tendency to speed up is still there, but hopefully when we speed up we will at least be doing so together!

It's hard sometimes to get a good balance between "having fun" and "getting it right." Sometimes you just have to let it be what it is!

webby said:

Amen to that, take some lessons and practice heaps before trying to "jam" with anyone.
People who can play half decently don't really enjoy what should be essentially a music making experience actually being a free beginners lesson.

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I disagree.

I get the impression from UU that most community uke clubs are just like the one I attend, a mix of beginners and better players. Our flyers specifically invite people who are beginners in fact... it's how we grow our ukulele community.

While folks shouldn't come expecting everyone else to spend their evening giving you a free lesson, there's no reason to hide at home either. A good attitude and a willingness to go with the flow and take instruction are all that should be necessary for everyone to have a good time.

We have some weeks where we have a group of more experienced players and some weeks where we have a bunch of new people. Our club leader has binders of all our music so everyone can follow along. The more experienced players we have, the more difficult the song selection that is.

Ultimately, the #1 goal is still for everyone to have fun.

Attending uke club, and then later an invite-only jam with lots of guitar players, I can tell you that the best thing that helped me progress quickly from beginner to competent player is playing WITH others and in particular, others who are much more talented than I.

Sporin said:

I disagree.

I get the impression from UU that most community uke clubs are just like the one I attend, a mix of beginners and better players. Our flyers specifically invite people who are beginners in fact... it's how we grow our ukulele community.

While folks shouldn't come expecting everyone else to spend their evening giving you a free lesson, there's no reason to hide at home either. A good attitude and a willingness to go with the flow and take instruction are all that should be necessary for everyone to have a good time.

We have some weeks where we have a group of more experienced players and some weeks where we have a bunch of new people. Our club leader has binders of all our music so everyone can follow along. The more experienced players we have, the more difficult the song selection that is.

Ultimately, the #1 goal is still for everyone to have fun.

Attending uke club, and then later an invite-only jam with lots of guitar players, I can tell you that the best thing that helped me progress quickly from beginner to competent player is playing WITH others and in particular, others who are much more talented than I.

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How far is Windsor from Albany? Sound like a club worth attending...

Great thread. Some of the stuff identified I am finding myself doing. If the song is out of my vocal range I tend to lose tempo. I find quietly humming to myself helps a lot.

fitncrafty said:

How far is Windsor from Albany? Sound like a club worth attending...

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Thanks the Club meets in Hanover, NH which is a good 3 hours from you, a long way for sure.

fitncrafty said:

THanks Roberta for your feedback. I am so sensitive and get frustrated so easily. THe members of my group are long experienced musicians many professionals and teach music. They want to play and not teach at uke night...I hope to meet some new people at the uke fest we are having next weekend.. I need a teacher too but haven't foud one locally...

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I'm still hoping to make that festival. We'll see what the better half says....

Sporin said:

I disagree.

I get the impression from UU that most community uke clubs are just like the one I attend, a mix of beginners and better players. Our flyers specifically invite people who are beginners in fact... it's how we grow our ukulele community.

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The club I attend is structured like that. We have a mix from fairly experienced players to absolute beginners. It's not just a social club-- our meetings last around 3 hours, and except for a break in the middle for snacks and drinks, we're playing the whole time. In the ~4 months I've been attending, I've seen some of the beginners really find their feet, and some of the advanced beginners become really good players.

We play relatively simple songs (although not beginner songs), and we play them slower than I would like sometimes. Sometimes we'll play them 2 or 3 times, until we feel like everyone's got it.

I'm a more experienced player than many in the group, some of whom have no musical background at all. On the other hand, a few members are proficient musicians, with skills that would put me to shame. That's the beauty of a community; everyone brings something to the table.

I've played separately with folks from the jams I attend, where we can get more "serious" and focus on really making the tunes tight. To me, a group jam is about having fun and being part of a community; it's easy enough to find the musicians you resonate with and have a more focused jam later on.

Playing music with other people is one of life's great joys. One of the reasons I like this thread is that it's all about how we can all have a good time playing together.

mailman said:

I'm still hoping to make that festival. We'll see what the better half says....

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Nice..sure hope to see you there. Would be fun to meet other uu members in person. It will be small but fun...

mm stan said:

Group sessions could be good and bad for the new uker as they maybe sensitive to critique in front of everyone..depends on group, circumstances and the individual
Yes a newcomer may be embarassed or overwhelmed by the more experienced and established players and the groups current pace....it is hard for the newbies to
catch up while the old times don't want to get stuck in the old beginners stuff.....maybe a soulation is to have sub groups within the group for both for respect...

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This thread seems to have wandered a little.
When advanced players go to a "mixed group" I believe they need to fit in, relax, have fun and be encouraging to beginners.
I belong to several groups where beginners are encouraged to join. Some of the advanced players meet at other times and jam/play.
I often throw a party and invite beginners so we can work on a few songs at a learning pace so when we are in the "group" they feel more comfortable.

One wrong thing (IMHO) some better players do is to try and entertain at a group gathering.
There are enough open mic settings where you can strut your stuff.

Ten pages of comments have given me insight into the social aspects of group play, thanks everybody.

My biggest frustration is "dumbing down" both material and performance in the name of beginner friendliness.
I'm not talking about singing a little off key, or flubbing the odd chord.

Children raggedly singing juvenile songs get a pass because they're cute.
Adults doing the same tunes sloppily hold little interest for me just because ukes are involved.

I hope folks don't think I'm rude for rallying the group to find the first singing note, set a tempo and stick to it, etc.

When a toddler is learning to talk, we encourage him by jabbering back in "baby talk." But parents who don't encourage progression and set an example deliver a child to kindergarten with the verbal skills of a 3-year-old.

Hi Dave. There is the rub with groups. Balancing social with learning is one thing. Another is if lesser skilled hamper your learning or if better players intimidate and frustrate you. Your expectations will never be the same as anyone in the group.

Personally, I have just decided to make it a social event, have fun even if we go to the very basics, I will still learn something.

Entertaining thread.

So, if I were to join a group, I should be able to play at least as well as they can and have their play list well practiced and memorized before I get there. Those requirements would seem to work for the only uke club, that I know of, in my area.

Going by their ad, though, they do promise to give newbies lessons if the newbie is willing to commit to joining their band.

Many tunes lend themselves to a "layered" approach. The beginners can play a simplified foundation, and the more advanced members add more complex rhythm and/or harmony on top. It takes a bit of forethought, and someone needs to provide enough discipline to keep people going too far off the rails, but you end up with a more satisfying result.

I think what would rub me the wrong way would be, as has been talked about already, people not trying and not giving a damn how they sound. It doesn't matter how awesome you are, or you think you are, or if you think you're the worst player. It's not really about skill level for me. It's .... do you even care? Are you even trying? I don't really have time to play with people who don't give a damn... just because it happens to be uke.

I want to state again this isn't about skill level. You can mess up all you need to mess up. It's more about the attitude. I want to have a good time, have a laugh, but I also want to play with people who are trying to make music. We may not succeed in the making music, but not even trying is such a waste IMO.