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Original poster

The mumsnet Ukulele quiche.

137 replies

VivaLeBeaver · 09/04/2013 18:21

Started a new thread as the other one is going to get lost in chat.

Place to share tips, songs, websites, compare prongs, etc.

OP posts:
Original poster
VivaLeBeaver · 09/04/2013 18:23

This website has some good free songbooks with some easyish looking songs.

www.tusc.co.uk/?page_id=12

OP posts:
Original poster
VivaLeBeaver · 09/04/2013 18:25

Active ukulele forum with a dedicated beginners board.

www.ukuleleunderground.com/forum/forum.php

OP posts:
NorksAreMessy · 09/04/2013 18:25

Signing in on behalf of DS, who is happy to guide and offer advice to 'a bunch of mother's mad Internet friends'
I think that sort of describes the situ!

perplexedpirate · 09/04/2013 18:27

That's so nice of him

NorksAreMessy · 09/04/2013 18:51

gather round viva's ukequiche

DS has passed on these nuggets from the lofty heights of his sixteen years

  1. practice loads to build up muscle memory and a callous on your fingers
  2. Find a tune you love, find the chords on chordify and learn the chords for your song, rather than learning chords and hoping they go with a song you like
  3. If you can find some friends to Uke-along with you it is more fun.

I must say three ukulele-ing six foot tall teenagers in my kitchen makes me stupidly happy...and stops them eating their way through my kitchen like locusts :)

SingingSands · 09/04/2013 19:00

Hello, joining you from the other thread.

I've ordered my uke! Under the guise of getting one for DD for her birthday and so her choice is a light blue Mahalo, which is what she learns on at school. I'm excited! Grin

DoingItForMyself · 09/04/2013 19:10

Aw that sounds lovely Norks Smile I've commandeered DS1's uke as he (for some bizarre reason) thinks that his guitar is cooler! WIll be watching with interest...

Original poster
VivaLeBeaver · 09/04/2013 19:34

Compare prongs?

Compare progress even. Grin

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Original poster
VivaLeBeaver · 09/04/2013 19:45

Chordify looks really useful.

Norks DS, what would you say is a fairly easy song to try first?

The ones I like, Lumineers, Misty Miller, Laura Marling that I've tried on chordify all look like they have lots of chords so I think they might be too difficult to try. Or should I just go for it?

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CamperWidow · 09/04/2013 19:45

I have this but in red.

Norks, it was fab! We had two practice sessions and then had a stint on the Village Stage. The lady next to me had bought hers that morning at the Festival and loved it!! Can't wait for this year as they are doing a beginers and an advance workshop!! Grin

perplexedpirate · 09/04/2013 20:10

So, firstly DH waylays me on the stairs: 'ooh, you got one! Let me see...this is what I did when I was learning guitar...' Plinky plonk plonk.
Erm, hands off the uke, boy! He also interrupted me to take a pointless phone call while I was playing. We'll be having words.
I watched some YouTube videos with Jeff Burton, whom I like, but my ukulele was way out of tune. I found a tuning video and played C F and A(?) I think, chords.

This all leads me to three conclusions:

  1. this is harder than it looks and is going to KILL my fingertips.
  2. I am not happy about anyone else touching my ukulele.
  3. I love it! Grin
Original poster
VivaLeBeaver · 09/04/2013 21:06

I'm worried about fingertips, have vague memories of giving up on the guitar as a teen after a week of sore fingers.

I've ordered a tuner thingy off amazon.

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NorksAreMessy · 09/04/2013 21:11

Fingertips will get sore and then hard. Surgical spirit helps, apparently.
There is Uke tuning app for the iPhone. I only have three apps, and that is one of them :)
DS's newest, Christmas Uke has a tuning button on the side...posh!

JakeBullet · 09/04/2013 21:13

Ooh, would love to learn the Ukulele...

Love the Ukulele Orchestra of GB too Grin

NorksAreMessy · 09/04/2013 21:15

DS plays everything nowadays...including a Spanish guitar type version of the Pokemon theme tune that you would swear was something properly classical.

I am afraid all the things he started off playing are either rude or Internet-young people stuff ('Charlie is so cool like' is the Only one I can remember) BUT 'Mr Sandman' is my most frequent request.

He is working on The Elements Somg at the moment. chords very easy, but the words are a nightmare :)

JamEyelid · 09/04/2013 21:28

Marking place in preparation for it's arrival tomorrow!

perplexedpirate · 09/04/2013 21:39

Oh Norks, that is my new ultimate goal! The Elements Song would be the coolest of the cool!
I remember sore guitar fingers from my teens too, must get past that.
Just downloaded the tuning app.
Smile

NorksAreMessy · 09/04/2013 21:43

I genuinely think that this is the most useful I have ever been on MN...and all I am doing is passing on DS's wisdom :)

Original poster
VivaLeBeaver · 09/04/2013 22:08

I've found this which has chord diagrams and practice sheets

files.meetup.com/2287271/ukulele%20boot%20camp%20rev%5B2%5D.pdf

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perplexedpirate · 09/04/2013 23:05

Slightly off subject, but going back to what you were saying about the lady asking you about rabbits viva: there was a time when I couldn't stand next to a make up counter without someone asking me about concealer, or whether a certain shade of lipstick suited them.
This was back in the day, when I used to wear more make up than a drag queen with a skin condition.
When an actual employee told me to tidy up the eyeshadows I thought it might be time to tone it down...

HellonHeels · 09/04/2013 23:23

I've been looking at this fab shop

Am now on their mailing list to join their next term of lessons!

blackcurrants · 10/04/2013 02:24

Yay! There's a Uke meetup in my town/area, it's pretty dead but you have inspired me to prod the board and see if anyone local is up for a jam session. And that, in turn, will remind me to get the bloody thing off the shelf and practice what I know.

Most of what we learned were nursery rhymes. DS (nearly 3) totally unimpressed, kept wanting to thrash away on 'mummy's geetar!' - so now I'm going to learn stuff I like!

(p.s. never been in MN quiche before. secretly v. excited)

Original poster
VivaLeBeaver · 10/04/2013 06:33

I think my uke might turn up today. I'm tracking it on FedEx and its only 30 miles away.

How do I tune it when it comes as my tuner isn't here yet?

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HellonHeels · 10/04/2013 10:15

Did someone upthread or on the other thread mention a uke-tuner app? I had a look last night and there's a free one for android.

HellonHeels · 10/04/2013 10:16

Viva are you normally up and posting at 6.30am or did the excitement of uke delivery get you out of bed?