Latest impulse purchase

[Kersus]

Similar to a bass guitar then?

No. However I have a Bass Ukulele which is just a nice portable Bass.

Uke's have 4 strings but they aren't in a descending order like a guitar or bass.

[Oedipussy Rex]

Uke's have 4 strings but they aren't in a descending order like a guitar or bass.

Typically. A non-re-entrant, Low G tuning is not uncommon. Usually for aesthetic reasons.

I recently (HA! Everything uke-centric is recent for me) read that ukuleles used to be tuned a tone higher (1920s-30s), which makes for easier E chords, but was shifted to the current tuning to simplify the more common C chord.

[Oedipussy Rex]

Been ignoring E. Screw that guy. Doing some work on Em, trying to switch between chords. Em, C, Em, C, Em, Whatever Bb is with the open A-string (4320), Em, That Bb thing again, Em, G, mangled fingers, Em, G, etc.

And what is it with that fret notation? So the strings are number 1, 2, 3, 4 from the bottom up, I assume because that's the order that your fret hand encounters the strings, but for fret notation they reverse the order? In what sane world does that make any kind of sense?

Anyway, that Em became more bearable after finding a descending C-string progression that also helps with developing pivot fingers: Em, Gaug, G, and whatever 0132 is. It's that descending pattern you hear in "Michelle." I try playing down, then back up again, which doesn't sound nearly as good. Or good at all, really.

Found it. B7.

[rredmond]

My 13yo just started noodling around with one of the ukes my wife's uncle gave us. She's enjoying it, though it's making her middle finger all "pins and needles" - cause she's getting a wee callous.

[Oedipussy Rex]

"Noodling." That's the polite term for what I'm doing. But I'm enjoying it, too, regardless the comments I make.

[Oedipussy Rex]

I owe E major an apology. Go to hell, C sharp minor!

So I've been messing around with this one: https://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/tab/joh...rds-156779
It's for guitar, but they'll also show uke chords, if you ask nicely by clicking on "ukulele". Sometimes they get submissions specifically for ukulele. But Starting Over, a beautiful song, and god-awful for a beginner as transcribed, but if you shift it two tones (click that little '-1' in the bar at the bottom 4 times) you get something workable, even if it still has 1st fret barre chords. That A, Aaug, F#m, A7 that has you constantly pivoting your wrist to reverse your fingers becomes F, Faug, Dm, F7, which minimizes that. Yeah, there are a few barre chords, still, but it eliminates the C#m and E.

[Kersus]

I'm working on "She Drives Me Crazy" which is just D G Bm A but I think I need to change the key for my voice.

I've been warming up with Suicide is Painless. Dm G7 C Am, Dm G C Am A

The song that got me to finally deal with the switches to Em was Sound of Silence and then the Serenity Theme Song was simple after working on Silence for like a year. Need a Capo for Serenity.

A song I got into but am not even close to mastering is Painted On My Heart. It's a little beyond me at the moment. Bm A G#m G F# B.... It also throws Em and E in there periodically. Quick changes.

Be aware that a lot of those chord sites have one "off" chord for copyright. A chord that's just wrong in the mix. If you play with the song in the background, you can sometimes pick it out.

My dad just asked me to get my mom a Ukulele for her for Valentines Day. She was trying to get back into Steel Guitar but finds it too big (was my sister's acoustic that we modified to Hawaiin/Steel and no, my sister doesn't play). I suspect she just found it harder than she suspected with all the arthritis and no feeling in one hand. I was considering a Mandolin might be easier for her. Which would mean I'd have to learn mandolin to teach her.

[rredmond]

My eldest is now taking a guitar class in college
But the 13yo is still noodling. Share a recording of the Serenity theme sound please! It is my current ring tone, so much fun!

[Oedipussy Rex]

I suspect she just found it harder than she suspected with all the arthritis and no feeling in one hand. I was considering a Mandolin might be easier for her.

Careful. As we know, a mandoline can mess you up. With your mother's numbness, she may pull back a stump and not realize it.

[Kersus]

My eldest is now taking a guitar class in college
But the 13yo is still noodling. Share a recording of the Serenity theme sound please! It is my current ring tone, so much fun!

I'll see what I can do. I struggle to sing along with Em. I'm a little better if not self deprecating in "The Hero of Canton."