who is our Uke players please

Woohoo! Well done, @Blossom1961 Good on you for giving it a go! Whilst it is one of the 'easiest instruments' to learn (4 strings, 4 fingers!) as you progress to the harder chords, it CAN be a bit challenging - just go slowly at the start and concentrate on the pressure on the strings, so that each note sounds 'crisp'! If they sound like a 'thud' or 'dull' - you may need to use a tad more pressure.Initially, just Play the 'C' chord whenever you see it on the song sheet. You can 'tap the uke' whilst waiting for the next 'C' chord to appear ......then as you are more comfy, add the other chords as you learn them. See if there is a beginners group you can start off with initially (within the group) - but then again, if you love one particular song - just give it a go!! I pretty well started off with Iz's Somewhere/Wonderful World!! (A tricky one!) It forced me to learn the more difficult chords tho! ;) Start off with C, Am, F & G7 ..... check out my Beginners Tips below - on the last 2-3 pages, I describe 'how to' change from one chord to the other in the most efficient & easy way!! Page 4, 4th one down is the C, Am, F & G7 sequence ..... all the 'Doo Wop' songs & a heap of rock & roll songs use this set of chords. Keep your left hand fingernails SHORT and it makes forming the chords much easier. Don't worry too much about the strumming - just doing 'down stroke' in time with the music is good enough. Fancier strumming comes with practise & confidence. You are reading, singing, strumming & listening all at the same time & it can be tricky initially!DON'T GIVE UP!! How long have you got the uke for?Let me know if you want a particular song - I have thousands saved to my computer! I'll find an easy one for you! :) Have FUN!!

@arpie - It's become the first (and only at this stage) song that I have committed to memory and that makes me feel so good!

Try Youtube as well @Blossom1961. But honestly, it's just practice that makes you better (although I'm still pretty rubbish). As you get more confident with the easy chords, you can add songs with different chords, although there's some that I think I'm never likely to be able to do with the stiffness in my hands. The strumming patterns will come later as you develop. Try Vance Joy's Riptide (easy to find on the net) - it's simple and written for uke.

PS @arpie is our uke player extraordinaire/virtuoso

uke players | BCNA Online Network

Blossom1961
Member
6 years ago
@arpie It is your fault I have sore fingers. 🤪 I got a brochure from the local community centre saying “come and play ukes for fun. No experience needed.” So stupid me rocks up with a borrowed uke and they expect me to know all the chords. It took them over an hour to understand that I REALLY had NO experience. However, I tell myself, arpie says it is fun. Arpie says it is enjoyable. Arpie says to give it a go. 😘 So here I am at home with google and a chord book sitting side by side while I try to stop the thing sliding away while getting my fingers twisted into knots. At least I can do the timing thing. And if I sing really loud no one knows it takes me two attempts to get my fingers on to the next chord. 🎤 By the end of the year I might have the four major chords worked out. 🥂
arpie
Member
6 years ago
There are so many ukes out there @kmakm - those look like they have really been 'tarted' up that would have added to their cost!! They are gorgeous!

None of mine look that swish!!
kmakm
Member
7 years ago
This one's for you @arpie. Saw them in a shop yesterday. They were $220 each. K xox
arpie
Member
7 years ago
Absolutely, any song can be tweaked, @Romla. We’ve done that to a number of songs already, either making them into a ‘uke’ song (we did that to Delilah to remove the domestic violence content) and turned others into Forster songs (This Land is Your Land now has heaps of local content in it now...)

@SoldierCrab ... that is drop dead GORGEOUS! I was hoping to see the uke player doing a duet with him! What a fantastic idea ..... get anyone with any instruments jamming in the beach! I LOVE IT!!
SoldierCrab
Member
7 years ago
Arpie my friend posted on facebook this morning..... https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10217117764362697&id=1426804155 these few video photos wondering if you can see it....
Romla
Member
7 years ago
@ arpie could the lyrics be tweaked a little to be about both genders ? I am human ??? Eg It’s a great anthem for anybody struggling in life even though it’s origin lies in the women’s movement.
arpie
Member
7 years ago
Hi @SoldierCrab

yep, guilty as charged! LOL. I lead my local uke group and tomorrow will give 10 of our friends their first ever uke session ..... easy songs with either 1 or 2 chords!!

Have you got a song for me? (I will be doing I am Woman with our group some time soon! ;)

How can I help?
Pink
Member
7 years ago
Thank you
Romla
Member
7 years ago
PS @arpie is our uke player extraordinaire/virtuoso
Romla
Member
7 years ago
@Pink think your response maybe stronger if your response is rebadged Hormone Therapy and will ask moderators to help do this . @Giovanna_BCNA @Marianne_BCNA can you help locate this under a new heading eg Hormone Therapy so that members are more likely to see it ?