Explaining people why uke is nice

[puntoperso]

Hi everyone!

I’d like to have some suggestions about a classic problem: people telling me that uke is a silly instrument and not a real one. Well, I like silly, and I like light (physically and emotionally), so I guess one of the main reasons I chose the uke is because it is, in some way, less serious than other instruments. But I think that, if well played, it can produce great music, and it’s not to be considered less than other instruments. Of course, it’s different from a guitar, you can’t expect to do the same things, but it has a dignity and a purpose. Unfortunately, there aren’t many famous songs born for the uke, and you mainly find lots of wonderful covers that many people don’t like just because they ‘lerned’ to appreciate the original song and they can’t bring themselves to prefer a different version.

So, what do I reply next time someone says that “everything done with a uke becomes stupid”? Some suggestions about songs they should listen to understand the instrument? I already know Amanda Palmer and Eddie Vedder albums, but they didn’t do the trick 🙁

Thank you everyone!

Sara

[fistulle]

Hi puntoperso,

i only see one option : don’t bother to answer and seek/move to more interesting people. Period.

It’s like saying “Everything painted with water colors is stupid because there is oil painting”. It’s the one who says that that is stupid 🙂

happy strummming

ps : the older you get, the less you care about what other people think about something you do 🙂

[techdojo]

Personally I’d point them to Jake or Taimane’s TED talk videos or James Hill’s cover of Billy Jean on YouTube where he plays the percussion, melody and rhythm all at the same time on a single uke.

[imgoingtouke]

I usually say that the uke can be played at a very high level, but it’s more fun to get into because a beginner can make massive progress on simple songs very quickly. By the time you get to the more complex stuff, you’re addicted.

[Author]

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