# The bad bad bad ukelele. Yes I have musical aspirations **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 20, 2021, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bad-bad-bad-ukelele-yes-i-have-musical-aspirations/940342 "2021-04-20T01:17:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2021, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bad-bad-bad-ukelele-yes-i-have-musical-aspirations/940342/1 "2021-04-20T01:17:07Z")
I want to play uke. First things first. My whole family is musical. Singing, instruments. Piano, guitars and horns. The lil’wrekker has musical talent. My sibs actually get paid for their talents. Me? Nope. Can’t tote a tune in a bucket. Sad. I had piano lessons. I can read music. I was in the choir but told to just to move my lips. I sing like a banshee while driving. But it’s bad bad bad. Believe me. I want to play ukelele. I think I can. I’ll get good. Go on a talent show. Paul Mccartney will notice me. I’ll hit the big time!! Next… Yeah, I’ll cash in. I’ll be in the south of France fending off cutie pies and sunning myself, on the beach. Yep. Life is good. Wish you were here! ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2021, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bad-bad-bad-ukelele-yes-i-have-musical-aspirations/940342/2 "2021-04-20T01:19:36Z")
You can do this! ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2021, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bad-bad-bad-ukelele-yes-i-have-musical-aspirations/940342/3 "2021-04-20T12:10:38Z")
Learn three chords. Strum. Boom, you’re golden. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2021, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bad-bad-bad-ukelele-yes-i-have-musical-aspirations/940342/4 "2021-04-20T12:39:34Z")
The standard tuning of a uke is a major chord on the lower 3 strings, and a minor chord on the upper 3 strings. So it should be fairly easy to learn chords on it. I’d go for it, then get some uke chord charts and strum along with songs you know. My issue is that I’d rather learn guitar, but I’ve never put in the effort to do the chord shapes quickly enough. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2021, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bad-bad-bad-ukelele-yes-i-have-musical-aspirations/940342/5 "2021-04-20T12:42:15Z")
Have fun with it, hon. It’s not like people are paying you to do it, so don’t worry about how adept you are. Just enjoy! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2021, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bad-bad-bad-ukelele-yes-i-have-musical-aspirations/940342/6 "2021-04-20T12:45:11Z")
I found [Doctor Uke’s](https://www.doctoruke.com/beginners.html) website to be extremely helpful since he records all of the songs and you can listen to the way he strums. It’s very easy to learn enough of the basics to strum the chords to popular music. You’ll be bansheeing along with your uke in no time flat! ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.winston_oboogie/32/2945_2.png) [@Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Winston_OBoogie)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2021, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bad-bad-bad-ukelele-yes-i-have-musical-aspirations/940342/7 "2021-04-20T12:53:48Z")
Good luck. And remember - enjoy doing it. I think a lot of the anxiety around making music comes from making mistakes. People get so worked up about making mistakes that they don’t enjoy it. If all you’re doing is playing for yourself / family, then enjoy it. Hopefully, you’ll get good enough you can accompany some of the family vocalists; there’s something about making music _together_ that makes it just that little bit more wonderful. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2021, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bad-bad-bad-ukelele-yes-i-have-musical-aspirations/940342/8 "2021-04-20T13:30:32Z")
If that doesn’t work out, there’s always the pennywhistle. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2021, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bad-bad-bad-ukelele-yes-i-have-musical-aspirations/940342/9 "2021-04-20T13:37:37Z")
I own a ukulele. I also own a harmonica. The uke is mostly for decoration. It’s a beautiful instrument. I cannot play a note. The harmonica was a gift from a friend who plays in a number of bands. He gave it to me 20 years ago, telling me to put it on my dashboard and I’d be playing like a pro in no time. I cannot play a note and it’s still on my dashboard. @Beckdawrek : used ukuleles are out there, you can get a good deal. Tuning apps are readily available, so even if you cannot play, at least you can keep it in tune. ---
**Author:** ![eschrodinger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschrodinger/32/122_2.png) [@eschrodinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschrodinger)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2021, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bad-bad-bad-ukelele-yes-i-have-musical-aspirations/940342/10 "2021-04-20T17:17:58Z")
I have a [Kmise concert sized ukulele](https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B071G11RWZ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glt_i_8YK78ZCSP93WC33S8FR9?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1), and I can play, haltingly, a couple of songs on it using the island strum pattern. I got a lot from YouTube videos by Cynthia Lin. I made great progress when I played for about ten minutes a day. I made a ton of progress when I was trying to learn a song for a group class I’d signed up for, pre-Covid. It’s fun and works a part of my brain that is different from my job, so it’s a stress reliever. Good luck! ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2021, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bad-bad-bad-ukelele-yes-i-have-musical-aspirations/940342/11 "2021-04-21T16:15:34Z")
Is your singing voice worse than Tiny Tim’s? That’s hard for me to believe. You should be golden. We can say we knew you before you were famous. ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2021, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bad-bad-bad-ukelele-yes-i-have-musical-aspirations/940342/12 "2021-04-21T18:36:52Z")
[Ukulele Anthem!](https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=ukulele+anthem&view=detail&mid=4F42F7FA5B19F34EA90F4F42F7FA5B19F34EA90F&FORM=VIRE0&ru=%2fsearch%3fpc%3dCOSP%26ptag%3dD050520-N9997A915F698E57%26form%3dCONBDF%26conlogo%3dCT3335818%26q%3dukulele%2520anthem) ---
**Author:** ![LH75](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lh75/32/4438_2.png) [@LH75](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LH75)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2021, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bad-bad-bad-ukelele-yes-i-have-musical-aspirations/940342/13 "2021-04-21T20:20:46Z")
@Beckdawrek This is my favorite Uke video. I am sure you can do this: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/yABMZEJezj0/maxresdefault.jpg "la vie en rose - edith piaf (cover)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yABMZEJezj0) ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.winston_oboogie/32/2945_2.png) [@Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Winston_OBoogie)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2021, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bad-bad-bad-ukelele-yes-i-have-musical-aspirations/940342/14 "2021-04-21T20:25:05Z")
Yeah, but can she be a cute as the girl in the video? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2021, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bad-bad-bad-ukelele-yes-i-have-musical-aspirations/940342/15 "2021-04-21T20:29:06Z")
I considered getting a ukelele. My wife would probably murder me. (Well, at least she’d roll her eyes.) Actually, I just wish I could find someone to help me with harmonica. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2021, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bad-bad-bad-ukelele-yes-i-have-musical-aspirations/940342/16 "2021-04-21T20:38:07Z")
Oh, I bet I can. I cannot do the braces. But for a old sick Granny Hawkins I do pretty good. (Oh, crap who am I foolin’. I’m a hot mess) (I like 21 Pilots cover of “Fools rush in”) ---
**Author:** ![nelliebly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nelliebly/32/5422_2.png) [@nelliebly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nelliebly)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2021, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bad-bad-bad-ukelele-yes-i-have-musical-aspirations/940342/17 "2021-04-21T20:44:03Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > I’ll get good. Go on a talent show. Paul Mccartney will notice me. I’ll hit the big time!! Or we could put on our own talent show down at the big barn! You could play the ukelele while Johnny LA and Big T perform interpretive dance to the lyrics. OK, you can’t sing, Beck, but you can Shatner it up and just say them…with…weight…and…importance. It’ll be a smash! Paul McCartney will BEG for tickets! Spielberg will snap up the movie rights! We’ll have to get a padded folding chair for Her Majesty! You owe it to your country…to Arkansas…to, uh, Bigfoot. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2021, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bad-bad-bad-ukelele-yes-i-have-musical-aspirations/940342/18 "2021-04-21T20:51:07Z")
Will you be my agent @nelliebly ? ---
**Author:** ![nelliebly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nelliebly/32/5422_2.png) [@nelliebly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nelliebly)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2021, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bad-bad-bad-ukelele-yes-i-have-musical-aspirations/940342/19 "2021-04-21T21:23:50Z")
Sure, but you’d have to get the others to sign me up, too. I mean, I don’t work for peanuts, doll, not if you want to make the big time. Now where did I put those big, stinky cigars? ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2021, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bad-bad-bad-ukelele-yes-i-have-musical-aspirations/940342/20 "2021-04-22T20:53:45Z")
We only found out because we just helped them move house, but it turns out that Trep jr is teaching himself ukelele. So he’s in good company. As we’re providing inspirational uke videos for you (it seems), here’s the England cricket captain (no, really): [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/39N6K8rG5eg/maxresdefault.jpg "England cricketer Joe Root plays Arctic Monkeys on the ukulele") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39N6K8rG5eg) j [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bad-bad-bad-ukelele-yes-i-have-musical-aspirations/940342.md?page=2)