All these years, I've been such a music addict but yet I can only claim fame to hot cross buns on the recorder and a very simple piano song as far as musical instrument talent.
Well, not anymore! I've probably mentioned it but Dustin got me a ukulele for my birthday last year and thanks to ultimateguitar.com (yep they have tons of uke tunes!) I have a bundle of songs in my repertoire now. I keep being a bit shy to post any videos of me playing though.
The great thing is it fits my hands perfectly (which was what kept me from learning guitar - my fingers just couldn't reach and I guess I didn't have the resolve to force them to!) and it works really well for lots of punk rock tunes. So, I don't have to learn new songs really, I just have to learn them on the uke. It's really handy to play things where I know the rhythms and words, it definitely makes it easier. I need lots of work on my strumming patterns as I seem to keep it at a simple down/up down/up. Ah well though, I'm not planning to join a ukestra so I can get away with it.
Well, not anymore! I've probably mentioned it but Dustin got me a ukulele for my birthday last year and thanks to ultimateguitar.com (yep they have tons of uke tunes!) I have a bundle of songs in my repertoire now. I keep being a bit shy to post any videos of me playing though.
The great thing is it fits my hands perfectly (which was what kept me from learning guitar - my fingers just couldn't reach and I guess I didn't have the resolve to force them to!) and it works really well for lots of punk rock tunes. So, I don't have to learn new songs really, I just have to learn them on the uke. It's really handy to play things where I know the rhythms and words, it definitely makes it easier. I need lots of work on my strumming patterns as I seem to keep it at a simple down/up down/up. Ah well though, I'm not planning to join a ukestra so I can get away with it.
Back in February/March I took a 6 week class as I figured it would be good to have expert advice before I developed too many bad habits. It was cool because there were maybe 10-12 of us in the class so you'd get a neat sound with all the ukes. (How many times can I say uke?) But, most of the songs were songs I didn't know very well and although some were very easy, it's just so much more fun when it's familiar. It's funny how the folk songs and such vary country to country, region to region - I kept being the odd one out who didn't know the songs! Though, most people probably had at least 15 years on me (some would have had 40) so it might not be a region thing as much as era thing. In any case, of course when we went round to say how long we'd be playing I said I'd be doing lots online and the teacher asked what and I said punk rock - that got a few funny looks!
Of course, fitting it into my life regularly is becoming a bit more challenging with so many interests but it's cool that I can always pick it up and have a strum when I feel like it.
Any requests?
Wonderful my request is any song you feel proud performing. I have a box of sheet music with words if you are Interested?
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Mom
that's awesome, Katherine! I'd love to hear a sample of what uke can do ;-)
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