What are your thoughts on the ukelele?

I have book called From Lute to Uke, early music arranged for the uke. I love it. Also I have a book of Baroque music arranged for uke and it's great too. Not sure if I could sell my guitars and go full time, but I think it's a great, expressive and versatile instrument.

 

The uke was very popular in the 20's, riding the surge of Polynesian interest. Where else do you get the cartoon image of the college man in the raccoon coat with a uke?

I think you might want to study a bit of history.

 

I try not to think about them.

 

I have a small collection of ukes. Kala soprano, concert, tenor, and baritone, and a Gold Tone Banjo-ukulele. I have donated ukes to the deserving and needy, and gifted ukes to others.

The ukulele is a fun and inspiring instrument suitable for all music, it's easy to carry and pack, simpler to play at a basic level than some other stringed instruments but just as challenging at a higher level.

 

Ukulele really helps me focus on writing/singing. On guitar, I'm tempted to just arrange things endlessly, but the limitations of the uke make me focus on being a singer first.

 

I have an electric Les Paul from Epiphone.
It's fun to play.....
DuFf

 

I saw a band called the Corner Laughers a few years ago: girl singer, electric ukulele, and Telecaster. WOW. I didn't have much use for the uke before that, but that show really opened my eyes.

 

I bought one of those for a friend as a get well present. They are fun


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I've never really seen the appeal to be honest. When it comes to other string instruments to play, the lap steel is my favourite by far. The uke seems a bit limited by comparison.

The longest time I've spent with one was at a uke club where I upset everybody. I turned up without an instrument, borrowed a uke from a guy who had thoughtfully brought two of them along, and within five minutes I could play it better than anyone in the room. They tolerated me with remarkable restraint.

 

A lot of the younger players are getting into them locally -- college kids, street punks, "hipsters" (I realy love the word 'hipsters'). They are cheap, small, tough and don't need electricity. Same goes for the ukes (Muwahahaha)

More power to 'em. I don't care if they play samplers and trash cans. Create!!!

 

That I can't argue with.

 

It can rawk, too...



See the Les Paul Ukelele? topic in this forum for three pages of discussion.

 

Dude, I love ukes! My sister has a really nice one that I used to play around with all the time. She's at college now, so I'll have to pick up my own soon. Over the weekend I was playing around with it in her dorm room (I'm 20) with the door open and girls looked in as they walked by. Some asked me what floor in the dorm I live on. I had to break it to them that I was just there to drop off my sister. Makes me wish I went to a university, girls are so easy to get when you're halfway decent at any stringed music instrument....

The instrument is really easy when you realize that the strings are just the EBGD strings of a guitar, tuned a 5th higher. Except that weird one that's an octave above that.... Still no clue why it's tuned like that.

 

Strong work......very cool.
Is that standard Uke tuning?

 

I see I again made the mistake I made when I originally linked to this clip: I failed to point out that it's not my work. My apologies to bigfrankiej3211, who's a lot younger and a much better player than I.

Such tunings are actually pretty common. In addition to those listed on the Wikipedia Reentrant tuning page, the Nashville high string guitar tuning is reentrant, and many West African guitarists use a fourth string an octave higher than standard. Also, the E9 tuning used on pedal steel guitars has two strings out of sequence.

In all cases, the reentrant string or strings enable execution of rapid harp-like melodies with ringing, overlapping notes, by alternating thumb and one or more fingers between reentrant and sequential strings. The late John King was very good at this, as exemplified by this clip I posted earlier in the thread, repeated here for convenience.

 

Hey Eric,

This woman does some great blues on uke. Please give a listen...hope you like.

 

My son just got a cheap Denver uke for (early) Christmas, and I've been messing around with it. It's actually more flexible than you might think: that high C over the G can get some fun sounds going.

It's a pretty cool instrument as long as you're not playing "Tip-Toe Thru the Tulips" on it.

 

^jimd pretty much read my mind on this one.

They're trendy now, but perhaps they're causing some people to pick up an instrument and learn something about playing music, and that's really cool. It's not the instrument for everyone, but I certainly wouldn't mock anyone for playing one any more than I'd give someone trouble for playing a banjo. (I can't, my wife plays one...) Or bagpipes...