Ukelele 🌺 🎶

Awkwardly strumming along

For several years I have wanted to try to play the ukulele, so when the hotel I was staying at in Hawaii for a work conference offered free lessons, I was very excited. I joined about ten other hotel guests in the lobby, where we were all given a ukulele to use for the next hour. The first thing I learned was that ukulele is not pronounced how I’ve been saying it. (It’s not you-ka-lale-lee but should be ook-ah-lay-lay).

Next, we learned how to hold the ukulele and then three different chords. We practiced these for a bit before trying out first song.

As you can see, my fingers are not used to this! (Maybe I pressed the strings too hard?)

The song we were given to learn was called “Someone to Lava” which uses only the three chords we learned (C, G7, and F). This is from a Disney movie I had never heard of called Lava. You can see Disney’s lyric video here and hear what the song is supposed to sound like.

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After an hour, I could manage this song and the three chords when playing at a very slow pace. I did have a lot of trouble with one chord in particular (G7), and I think that’s because of issues I have with my left hand after an accident nine years ago, but I am guessing I can probably find a workaround. I do have a ukelele to practice with that my son has had in a corner collecting dust for a few years. I downloaded a ukelele app on my phone, so I can try to tune his, plus get further instructions. Once I can play a full song at normal speed, I’ll include a link in a future newsletter. I expect this to take awhile :)

Do you play the ukelele? If not, have you tried? Any advice for a newbie?

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Borrow a ukulele if you don’t have one, and try an introductory lesson available on YouTube.

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Punjabi Dance

Opera and Ballet

Lei Making

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Southwest Airline Ukulele Lessons

Somewhere Over the Rainbow for Ukulele

Check out this inexpensive ukelele on Amazon

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