I bought a ukulele yesterday. My wife has begun calling me Ukulele Bob. Hmmmm. Is that a new blog-title I see in the offing? Well, I can't very well take the name if I don't learn how to play it. But give me time. Just give me time.I got the notion to buy it last week, when I went to the local music store with Laurie to get a capo for her guitar. That's where I started toying with the ukes. And thinking, "Maybe this is for me...."
You have to understand, I'm one of those people that never played anything, ever. Although I love music (who doesn't?), I just never felt it was something I could do. But last year I taught myself to whistle. I guess that must seem rather silly, but I could never whistle, and as a kid I really tried. Over the years many people carefully told me how to whistle ("It's easy! You just put you tongue like this . . . and blow!"), but I could never make it happen.
Anyway, last year, at the age of 49, I decided it was time to right this ancient wrong. It took me a while, months, but I persisted. And now I'm whistling merry tunes most every day.
Another thing . . . Laurie and I have been singing together lately. And it's lots of fun. If you don't sing together as a family, I highly recommend it. Wish I'd figured this out years ago! Anyway, we're singing, and we even picked out a name for ourselves (you know, as if we were a band or something): B & L Railraod (Bob & Laurie). We're rockin', let me tell you. We spent an evening downloading lyrics and chords from the Internet. Everything from old Vaudeville tunes to 60s oldies. Laurie knows how to read music and explains to me all about, ummm, singing the right notes and all. Heh!
So I'm defintely exploring new realms here. I'm making my mind and my hands do things they're not used to. And something tells me that's a good thing. Right now, I'm learning to move my fingers quickly from the C-chord to the G7 (heh, listen to me, sounding like I know what I'm talking about!), so that I can play This Land is Your Land.
Ukulele Bob. That's me.
2 comments:
Great to hear it, UB! I envy your singing with your wife, but there's still hope, it seems, for the Stanleys. If you could teach yourself to whistle at 49, maybe Carolyn can teach herself to whistle at 44. Keep on whistling, singing, and, um, uking!
Milton
Welcome to the ukulele world! Beware of U.A.S.*, it strikes without warning.
Feel free to visit my site for a bunch of good uke stuff including free downloadable chord exercises, a cheater music theory document, recordings, Bi-Weekly Uke Tips and other fun stuff.
You're going to love the little fella!
Howlin' Hobbit
Got Uke?
www.howlinhobbit.com
*Ukulele Acquisition Syndrome
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