I’ve started playing the ukulele. Why you ask? Well a few reasons.
- I’ve always wanted to play a guitar and as I never got around to that and as a ukulele has 4 strings as opposed to 6 I thought it would be a lot easier to learn.
- The two friends I sing with got one each and I didn’t want to feel left out so I went and bought one too.
- It’s supposed to be easier to learn – oops I already said that but I ran out of reasons for buying it.
I only got it about four weeks ago and I got a learn how to play uke book (us ukulele players don’t call them ukulele’s, we call ’em ukes) and it didn’t take me long to realise that it was written for playing in a different key as it’s an old book and just about everything you can get off the internet is done in GCEA notes. I haven’t really looked at the book more than once or twice so that was a waste of money.
The internet being the wonderful resource that it is has provided me with everything I’ve needed since then. I’ve got my chord chart and a few easy three-four chord songs that I’m playing now. Well trying to play.
One of my friends came around last night with her uke and we played three songs, ‘These Boots are Made for Walkin’, ‘Ring of Fire’, ‘Walkin’ After Midnight’ and a bit of ‘Afternoon Delight’.
We treated my sister to an impromptu show when she dropped in to pick up her dog which she was very polite about as we were a bit drunk by this time, sang way too loud. We also played and sang the song ‘These Boots are Made for Walkin’ quite a bit slower than it’s meant to be sung so we could get our fingers around the tricky chord in this song.
Despite this I am amazed at how quickly we’ve come along. I used to read music and used to play the recorder, the fife and the flute but have forgotten how to play these instruments and forgotten how to read music. But I have no problem with a uke chord chart. I haven’t moved to picking out notes yet, that’s a whole different kettle of fish I guess.
Only two weeks ago I’d try and play a song and nothing really clicked but during the last week things have started to fall into place and I’m getting more confident and can hear when I haven’t made the correct chord change or if I’ve timed it incorrectly. I have the uke sitting in the lounge and when television is boring me I’ll quite often get the uke out and have a strum and singalong by myself. It’s good fun.
Good for you Jen. I’ve always wanted to play the guitar. I even got one as a present for Xmas one year; but I was young and had other things I wanted to do, so I lost interest and never pursued it. Now, I’m sorry that I didn’t.