The Ukulele

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moggymoz

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Joined
19 Nov 2009
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Now I know I'm gonna get the piss taken out of me ('Leaning on a Lamp Post' 'When I'm Cleaning Windows' 'With My Little Ukulele in My Hand') and of course the greatest Ukulele song ever written 'Somewhere Over The Rainbow' by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole.
I was just wondering are there any others like myself that play it?
 
moggymoz said:
Now I know I'm gonna get the piss taken out of me ('Leaning on a Lamp Post' 'When I'm Cleaning Windows' 'With My Little Ukulele in My Hand') and of course the greatest Ukulele song ever written 'Somewhere Over The Rainbow' by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole.
I was just wondering are there any others like myself that play it?
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Yep. Got a ukelele, a banjo, a mandolin and far too many guitars to mention :)
 
moggymoz said:
Now I know I'm gonna get the piss taken out of me ('Leaning on a Lamp Post' 'When I'm Cleaning Windows' 'With My Little Ukulele in My Hand') and of course the greatest Ukulele song ever written 'Somewhere Over The Rainbow' by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole.
I was just wondering are there any others like myself that play it?
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I've got a decent one and can bang out a few chords. I'm much more of a guitar player though.
 
Controversial perhaps but I don’t see the appeal of ukeleles. Banjos sound great but I rarely want to hear a uke, especially if it’s one of those amateur ensembles where everyone is just strumming the same note. If someone plays it like a guitar and can play fast and well it’s bearable but still just plink plink plink. It’s rare for me to be like that with any instrument, I even enjoy bagpipes, but this one can stay in the music cupboard with the glockenspiel and maracas.
 
Citizen of Legoland said:
Controversial perhaps but I don’t see the appeal of ukeleles. Banjos sound great but I rarely want to hear a uke, especially if it’s one of those amateur ensembles where everyone is just strumming the same note. If someone plays it like a guitar and can play fast and well it’s bearable but still just plink plink plink. It’s rare for me to be like that with any instrument, I even enjoy bagpipes, but this one can stay in the music cupboard with the glockenspiel and maracas.
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I think it was historically designed simply to accompany singing, it's designed to compliment rather than overpower the human voice and obviously it's portable. Looking to do more with it is a relatively recent thing I think.

They're easy and fun to get the basics on to accompany yourself and for the amateur ensembles I think it's mostly the social side like many hobbies.
 
idahoblues said:
There are a few who know their way round a skin flute
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threespires said:
I think it was historically designed simply to accompany singing, it's designed to compliment rather than overpower the human voice and obviously it's portable. Looking to do more with it is a relatively recent thing I think.

They're easy and fun to get the basics on to accompany yourself and for the amateur ensembles I think it's mostly the social side like many hobbies.
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Cheap version of a lute or theorbo.

Easier to carry than a theorbo though!
 
I bought my son a kids cheapo uke when he was 2 ready for when he was 4, but ended up teaching myself "ram on" by Paul McCartney in 2020 with it. My son despite being 8 is not interested in playing no matter how much I try....(he has no attention span to try more than a minute) And it's become the family joke when I do the first 'plink plink strum strum' they shout "oh no not ram on"
And I smile.... But I'm quite hurt tbh.

I always wanted to play guitar as a kid, but my fingers curl weird on my left hand so reaching chords was hard so I never got far and gave up. A uke with its smaller neck seemed ideal. After managing ram on in 2020 (which I did as a distraction while nursing my dying cat day after day who lay on the bed next to me while I tried. She was always there for me) I also know a dodgy version of "something" and a knock off version of " dance tonight" despite the original being on mandolin. I'm happy with that.

But everyone still groans. And yes it's a bad kids uke (2 actually, a £16 smyths toys, and a £30 Beatles yellow sub one, both bought for him when he was tiny - cos when it's your first (only) baby you think they'll obviously want to learn instruments,not realising that they might not cos they're not you), and I'm not the best, but I'm quite proud of the fact useless me with the dodgy hand (and numbing fingers nowadays from spinal issues) can do it a bit.
But yeah, it's ended up where I have a quick go when no one is in.

Says something about my life doesn't it.. In fact I ventured into off topic tonight looking for the thread about being fed up, cos my fella is a shit and my 8 year old who I love more than the world won't go to bed anymore, he's become a midnight man, so God help us when we go back to school. I just want to run away. But here I am admitting I play a kids ukelele. I did think about buying a proper one a couple of years agi, but I knew I'd get slagged off for spending money in something people laugh at me for, so gave up that idea. we have no money anyeay, trying finishinh sorting out mums old house to move into but only i do the work (i finished plastering last week and fitted the kitchen lino..with my numb hands and spinal stenosis, only to come home to my fella shouting and ranting, what's the point...), and we got a school fine for the first time ever so had to find £160 from nowhere this month, happy 6 week holidays.p

I should take up the violin with the self pity whining I'm doing here! Sorry. Night.
 
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dickie davies said:
I went to see the Ukulele orchestra of Great Britain a couple of years ago and they were excellent
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Saw them a few years back, think the line up has changed over the years but still good fun I believe. They did a mass participation thing at the Albert Hall a few years back.

Po faced supermegaukulele players take the piss out of this humble instrument but it's fun and accessible so what's not to like.
 
threespires said:
Saw them a few years back, think the line up has changed over the years but still good fun I believe. They did a mass participation thing at the Albert Hall a few years back.

Po faced supermegaukulele players take the piss out of this humble instrument but it's fun and accessible so what's not to like.
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But can you hit a cows' backside with it?
;- )
 
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