Seasonistas general thread: yakking, joshing, news and pictures

[GinnyT11]

This is a timeless thread for any sort of back and forth that doesn't fit into that gargantuan anticipation-of-the-next-Season thread.

Non Seasonistas are welcome here and may comment as desired. Seasonistas have a connection with each other because they post vids in the Seasons challenges and get to know one another through comments, but anyone's invited to join in.
Maybe a Seasons lurker chatting here will be encouraged to enter a Season. That would be great news.

Pull up a chair...what kind of uke do you have?

 

[Debby]

This is a timeless thread for any sort of back and forth that doesn't fit into that gargantuan anticipation-of-the-next-Season thread.

Non Seasonistas are welcome here and may comment as desired. Seasonistas have a connection with each other because they post vids in the Seasons challenges and get to know one another through comments, but anyone's invited to join in.
Maybe a Seasons lurker chatting here will be encouraged to enter a Season. That would be great news.

Pull up a chair...what kind of uke do you have?

Yakity yak!

 

[GinnyT11]

That's not yakking, that's joshing!

 

[CeeJay]

Yakity yak!

Don't Talk Back......(In a bass rumble)

 

[Debby]

Someone ask for me?
View attachment 84689

...and I think we now have a friendly nickname for you now!

 

[Debby]

Don't Talk Back......(In a bass rumble)

I can soooo see you doing this song with your one man band!

 

[Demimondaine]

I own a pair of Lanikai ukuleles: a mahogany soprano and a koa (?) concert. I've been playing the soprano a bit more lately, both because it's a new acquisition and because I'm learning some harder chords (the B family and the E chord). Working with a smaller ukulele has helped me to get better at the hard chords. Oh, and both ukuleles have names: the soprano is Winifred and the concert is Brindle.

 

[Debby]

I own a pair of Lanikai ukuleles: a mahogany soprano and a koa (?) concert. I've been playing the soprano a bit more lately, both because it's a new acquisition and because I'm learning some harder chords (the B family and the E chord). Working with a smaller ukulele has helped me to get better at the hard chords. Oh, and both ukuleles have names: the soprano is Winifred and the concert is Brindle.

I have a Mainland Concert Mahogany. It doesn't really have a name but I refer to it as my hog. I also have a pink Makala Shark. My daughter has a tie dye Makala Ukadelic and my husband has a vintage soprano National Triolian resonator.

 

[GinnyT11]

A frustration I have is that I can't memorize uke music. I need song sheets to play for anything. I keep batches of them on music stands both upstairs and downstairs, so I can sit and start playing at any time. I add new ones whenever I find a song I want to learn to play.

This limitation keeps me from taking a uke somewhere for jamming or sitting at a park or passing time in a hotel room. I'm tied to those song sheets. How can I be a more casual player?

 

[Debby]

A frustration I have is that I can't memorize uke music. I need song sheets to play for anything. I keep batches of them on music stands both upstairs and downstairs, so I can sit and start playing at any time. I add new ones whenever I find a song I want to learn to play.

This limitation keeps me from taking a uke somewhere for jamming or sitting at a park or passing time in a hotel room. I'm tied to those song sheets. How can I be a more casual player?

Do you print out or write out your song sheets? I write mine all out and it helps with memorization. I don't memorize things as fast as I use to, but writing it out is the key for me.

 

[greenie44]

maybe start with a one chord song.... "lime in the coconut" by jimmy buffett....lyrics on the internet and repetitive for easy learning.....one chord for the entire song - c7 ...... perhaps this will give you the confidence you need to go after the songs you like that have more chords.....a google of 2 or 3 chord uke songs will give you tons of other memorization ideas, also.....i apologize if you've already thought of and tried this - just trying to help...

Oh, TD - you break my heart. Coconut is originally by Harry Nilsson. But my fellow Seasonista Alan and I did a version a while back. One chord, but you can jam around with that.

And Ginny - is it the words, the chords, or the combination that is giving you a problem? If it's words, just play, then play and hum, then play and the chorus, etc. I still find that there are songs which I can internalize easily with both, some with just music, and others not really at all.

 

[GinnyT11]

Rick, I LOVE that Lime in the Coconut!
It's the combination that gives me trouble. Oh, and I think I sound much better than I do when singing.

Good idea about hand-writing out a song sheet, Debby. I'll try it. And thanks, turtle drum. I appreciate your suggestion. I can play songs with several fairly complex chords, like Ab, but if I lift my eyes from the sheet, I'll lose my place and misfret within three beats.
I think it's because my brain is so blinkin' linear that music is something I work at, rather than something organic in me.

 

[Debby]

I think it's because my brain is so blinkin' linear that music is something I work at, rather than some organic in me.

Well, your hard work has paid off! Your music is beautiful!

 

[CeeJay]

Rick, I LOVE that Lime in the Coconut!
It's the combination that gives me trouble. Oh, and I think I sound much better than I do when singing.

Good idea about hand-writing out a song sheet, Debby. I'll try it. And thanks, turtle drum. I appreciate your suggestion. I can play songs with several fairly complex chords, like Ab, but if I lift my eyes from the sheet, I'll lose my place and misfret within three beats.
I think it's because my brain is so blinkin' linear that music is something I work at, rather than something organic in me.

Try turning the sheet over so that you can't see it and then try to get as far as you can (even with fluffs) ,just
keep going. and then look at the sheet ,see where if any mistakes where. Do it again. Rinse , and repeat.

I find that even when I know a song if I have the words in front of me I will start using the song sheet .

It is like a life vest ....you need to get rid gradually. So doing this at home should gradually ween you away from the sheets hopefully.

If playing out in a play around or jam take a pad and pencil and ask what the chord progression is just jot down the chords and then watch someone for the changes. This is not the same as having a chord sheet becasue you don't have the lyrics ,concentrate on getting the chords and the tune.

That helps , it's bad enough listening to a song and trying to play in to it if you don't know the key or the chords.
If you at least know what the chords are then you can go to them as you see the change.

Final suggestion , going to a playaround /jam ? If you want to do this and are still reliant on Music sheets then take a folder of your music and photocopies to hand out (and maybe get back if you're lucky ). no harm,no foul, not everybody can pick up and play along to every song.

So you can still get out there and jam and try and kick the sheet habit as well....

Hope that's of some use.

 

[GinnyT11]

I do have a folder of solid faves that challenge me that I take when traveling with a suitcase.
I appreciate all your thoughts on this.

I am glad that we can play for the Seasons with a songsheet next to the camera.

 

[Debby]

I do have a folder of solid faves that challenge me that I take when traveling with a suitcase.
I appreciate all your thoughts on this.

I am glad that we can play for the Seasons with a songsheet next to the camera.

I wouldn't be able to participate if we couldn't use a song sheet! I sure can't learn a song and have it memorized within a week. There are weeks I do a song I have memorized, but once the camera is on I forget it. Lol

 

[Tootler]

I keep songs that I'm learning on my music stand and I will play them through at least once a day. When I think I'm getting the song into my head, I turn my back to the music stand and try it without looking at the words. If I forget a line, I'll take a quick look then turn round again. I keep repeating this until I can sing the song through with confidence without looking at the words. At that stage, I'm ready to sing it out. I don't generally sing a song out until I have learnt it and can sing without words in front of me.

Learning a new Song well enough to sing out generally takes quite a long time, often a few months.

I rarely record a song without words in front of me even if I know the song and regularly sing it out. Pressing record has a negative effect on my memory.

 

[GinnyT11]

I rarely record a song without words in front of me even if I know the song and regularly sing it out. Pressing record has a negative effect on my memory.

Ha ha, Geoff! Pressing "record" has a negative effect on my memory too, AND on my finger dexterity!
Thank goodness that we can still put less-than-great vids out there and get some encouragement form Seasonistas to keep working.

 

[CeeJay]

Ha ha, Geoff! Pressing "record" has a negative effect on my memory too, AND on my finger dexterity!
Thank goodness that we can still put less-than-great vids out there and get some encouragement form Seasonistas to keep working.

The "Red Light" or "Observed " effect ....it is wierd......it might even be weird ....or at this time of year ...Wyrd....lol.

 

[GinnyT11]

The "observed" effect. That's why we're such wonderful singers in the shower!
I should start practicing uke in there too.