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Live Stream: Tuesday, February 13th at 3:00pm ET (check your local time zone)
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Hi guys! We are back with Live Lesson EP063! This month’s topic is: Why I Play Ukulele.
In this session, Matt shares the story of how he started playing the ukulele and why he never stopped. Feel free to share your own story in the comment box below.
This month’s topic should stir up some great questions! So please post all you have below and I hope you join us for the live stream. 🙂
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For details on how to join the live stream and chat live, please refer to the FAQs HERE.
Such a fun topic! Looking forward to hearing some uke “origin stories”! 😊
For me, I started playing uke because I had to sell my childhood piano because it was broken. I saw someone playing a uke in a YouTube video, so I thought I’d finally buy one to fill the void left from losing my piano. Then I fell in love with playing uke and I continue to play because it brings me so much joy in my life and also helps with my anxiety.
Matt, I wonder if you’ll share the part of your origin story when you traveled interdimensionally to an island filled with capuchin monkeys, but, in that alternate universe, you not only teach them ukulele, but also become a sort of “Santa-Claus-esque” figure to them–because sometimes you seem like you could be a young Santa Claus. 😅😂😅
Thanks for sharing your story Matt. I had been a guitar player for many many years (mostly classical and classical style influenced). I bought a ukulele because I was about to take a songwriting class and I wanted something different that wouldn’t be affected by the classical pieces I play. The songwriting teacher was also a very creative ukulele player for her compositions. I went into a store that had lots of ukuleles and ended up walking out with their best one as it was near my birthday. That is still my favorite of the ukuleles I have purchased. Anyway, I had no idea of how much I would enjoy the instrument and it kinda took over. I played everyday and with all the resources, especially rock classes 101, I have become a fairly accomplished player. The guitar doesn’t unfortunately get played so much but it’s ok, the ukulele is amazing.
I have a theory as to why a player either plays low or high G. I think it might be who was the first player that blew them away. For me I was amazed by James and Jake, then I saw Taimane who really won me over. So needless to say I am pretty much only Low G.Hi Matt. Just found your site today while looking for a tutorial for the song from The Last of Us, which I love. Really enjoyed both your rendition of the song, and hearing your journey with uke. My journey with the ukulele started with one of our grown sons, when he came to visit and brought a uke with him. He said I could go ahead and give it a try and I fell in love with the instrument. Bought my own, gave one to our musical daughter, and started studying James Hill’s curriculum, which is great. Took a break to try and make more progress with my guitar study, and found I missed playing my uke. Honestly, it’s my favorite of the two instruments. Learning fingerstyle now with James’ books and, also, Daniel Ward’s, and my only regret now is that there are just not enough hours in a day to find to play this wonderful instrument. You’ve got an awesome site here, and your love for the uke is contagious.
Great topic. Piano was always my first interest but playing an instrument was too foreign of an idea to contemplate. The first time I started (not counting the triangle or recorder at school) was with a borrowed keyboard from a few years back using video song tutorials (so not knowing the most basic things like notes of the keys didn’t matter). A guitar was my first purchase after that – I like that deep sound. A ukulele quickly followed. The former two have pretty much sat idle while this 4 string pocket rocket took over. I like that its compact, take anywhere, and the simplicity. Its great fun plus relaxing of course, and has been satisfying and exciting to learn new things on. Never imagined I’d be diving into learning/playing the ukulele. Not least of all, it’s invaluable in keeping my brain active! Music is great for that.
I am a reformed guitar player. I started out playing hard rock, played in a punk band then stopped. I picked it up again years later and dedicated myself to the ragtime stylings of the Reverend Gary Davis, but developed nerve issues and it becain painful reaching over the bout of my jumbo acoustic.
I found a used Favilla soprano in an antique shop, took it to a uke maker, Ukemaker Mike, who had a uke group meet in his shop once a week. Ukemaker Mike is Michael Dasilva, a world class maker. I did not no this at the time. I ended up stopping and not playing anything for a while. But then… I Started playing the uke again, but after a while, realized that strumming is for accompaniment, I’m no singer.
Looking on the inter webs I stumbled upon classical music played on a uke. Then I found Rockclass 101, and I am happier than I have ever been playing an instrument. I’m split between high and low G, but 1.5 inch nut is important to me. I love finger picking, do not care for “chunking” and can’t wait to see what’s coming down the line. Bach n roll!
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