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Retro
Ahonui
USA
2368 Posts |
 Posted - 09/10/2007 : 2:52:22 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by hapakid
I'm saying that when a Hawaiian says something here, listen and evaluate it in the context of what we already know, rather than dismiss them as a sourpuss...Just realize that there are other issues, cultural differences and concerns, at play and don't take it personally.
Certainly a valid point, Jesse. But when someone, completely within the spirit of this particular forum, asks simple guidance in the selection of an instrument (as many posters have done), and gets responses of ---
quote:
Originally posted by hikabe
If you take up the uke, I will never visit the taropatch again.
quote:
Originally posted by hikabe
If you take up the uke and post about it in your usual style, I will leave the lohi. I don't like sifting thru the ramblings of non musicians on a music website.
--- it ain't about "cultural differences," nor is there any way to take it BUT "personally."
This wasn't originally about Hiram or Wanda, in my eyes - it was about inconsiderate responses from one poster to another's genuine request. The Hawaiian-ness of any party does not enter into that sort of behavior. It was, plain and simple, rude - and cannot be waved off by a simple argument of ancestry.
Was Hiram's response to Wanda "the Hawaiian way?" If not, then his being Hawaiian is not a factor in the discussion. If so - well, I guess I have a lot more to learn about those ways than I realized, or than my present experiences and observations have taught me. |
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Absolute
Lokahi
275 Posts |
Posted - 09/10/2007 : 3:34:19 PM
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| So we reaffirm our personal commitments to being considerate, and avoid "beating each other over the head with our ukuleles". (I'll have to try to remember not to post when I'm cranky, or responding reflexively to something I may have misunderstood.) |
Thank you. |
Edited by - Absolute on 09/10/2007 3:35:10 PM |
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Mark
Ha`aha`a
USA
1628 Posts |
Posted - 09/10/2007 : 6:14:44 PM
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Getting back to the `ukulele (and now for something completely different...)
Wanda, you are correct in your trepidation about buying an instrument you have not played. There is a magic that happens when you get your hands on the "right" instrument -- believe me, I know. I have found quite a few over the years that, objectively, would not have cut it. Maybe they were made by people with bad reps, maybe they were made from funky wood, but when I played them, they spoke to my heart. Here's a wish that you will have that experience. Get out there and grab some ukes.
2) Your price range of $200 - $250 is reasonable, but it takes more work. See the paragraph above. (I could put in a plug for Dennis Lake's building class at AMC.... but would that be appropriate?)
3) RE: hand and tendon injuries: Even a tenor should be well within your limits. Yeah, I do some obscene stretches -- but that's cuz I'm nuts. The chords are all EZ, and you won't need to work as hard as for the guitar or piano. Or notichord, or whatever the heck you said.
4) Banjo Uke with steel strings????? What the hey??? Seriously, banjo ukes should have the same strings as any other ukes (various reasons.) I love my banjo uke -- but not for Hawaiian music. (I mostly play old time fiddle back up, or the songs of Blind Blake Alphonso Higgs cuz he played tenor banjo...)
Look for a concert--- solid wood if you can afford it.
5) I respectfully disagree with Mike (or whoever, sorry-- this topic got too long to quote) that it doesn't matter if you get a crummy instrument when you are learning. Actually, a decent instrument will help you learn. Crummy instruments hold back progress-- like, if you can't hold down a note cuz the action sucks, you'll develop bad technique.
6) (or is this 7?) I disagree with Hiram, too. Cuz, Wanda, I think you will ask tons (and tons and tons and tons) of questions as you learn the uke-- all of which will be an intro for others who are learning. They might see that they are not alone and that it's OK to ask questions. If you don't know the answer, the only way to find it is to ask. I would suggest keeping to the topic at hand, though. Unlike just about everybody in the last few days. 
I happen to think that the more people play music, the better the chance for peace and understanding in this world. And yeah, learning to play well is hard work. learning to play badly is also hard work -- only most people who play badly don't reaize how much time they spent learning to play that way... wotta waste, eh?
7) (???) Ummmm, strings is strings. If the sales droid at the music store doesn't know a dulcimer from a swinette, just tell him the guages. Most dulcimers are .012 .012 .14. .026 (that's for mixolydian type tunings in D) (For the rest of you, ignore the foregoing.)
8 or 9 or whatever) Uncle Ab -- It's "Haole," not "Howli." Though I do feel like howling sometimes.
We now return to your regular programming...
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Absolute
Lokahi
275 Posts |
Posted - 09/10/2007 : 7:30:27 PM
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| "Uncle?" I knew committing C, Am, and C7 to memory would raise my status here! (Mostly I just pretend I'm in a jug band and blow across the sound hole.) |
Thank you. |
Edited by - Absolute on 09/10/2007 7:31:27 PM |
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noeau
Ha`aha`a
USA
1105 Posts |
Posted - 09/10/2007 : 8:40:41 PM
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I just thought an autoharp might be good. You can see Ledward play one on youtube.. Don't need to spread the fingers on an autoharp. And you can get a slack key scale going and make 'em sound Hawaiian li'dat. I'm having one custom made from walnut with a pick up. I wish these things would not have to take so long. I once waited two years for a guitar. In fact Wanda you saw it and asked about it.
I also agree with Mark though get a good whatever instrument you choose. I find when I play a good instrument I want to play and play and play. I just tried out a special edition Crosby,Stills and Nash Martin guitar that i couldn't put down. Real fat bass and clean trebles. I have too many guitars right now and i don't need another. I also played an R Taylor that was one of the most beautiful sounding guitars I've found in a store in a long time. I looked at Dobros and compared four of them from 800.00 dollars to 2000.00 . Guess which one I would have bought if i really wanted to get a Dobro?
It is all relative. Good instruments encourage good playing, the guy at the store, Gary of Dusty Strings said he wouldn't mind if I came in every day and played any guitar in the store . I took that as a complement. Oh yeah, I know I'm rambling but I bought a tuner made by Korg the model was the AW-1 Micro Tuner. I mention this because there was a thread about tuners recently. I know I'll have no problem with this tuner. Cost? 76.00. Again I'm not bragging but you always always get what you pay for. I once mentioned that you can buy 5 100.00 ukes or you can get one 500.00 one.
Aloha for now . |
No'eau, eia au he mea pa'ani wale nō. |
Edited by - noeau on 09/10/2007 8:59:13 PM |
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808bk
Akahai
82 Posts |
Posted - 09/10/2007 : 11:06:13 PM
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Wanda, I think you will ask tons (and tons and tons and tons) of questions as you learn the uke-- all of which will be an intro for others who are learning.
Mark is right. If you think Aunty Wanda post plenty now, wait till she start playing. She going have choke more questions and posts. And when she does, we'll be here to help her out. Why? Because no matter who or what we are, or where we are from, we're all here because we share a common "culture". THE LOVE OF MUSIC.
Aloha all |
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Retro
Ahonui
USA
2368 Posts |
Posted - 09/11/2007 : 07:01:27 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by Mark
Wanda, you are correct in your trepidation about buying an instrument you have not played. There is a magic that happens when you get your hands on the "right" instrument
I cannot agree more heartily with this. It echoes what I have mentioned in e-mails with Wanda - you gotta touch 'em and see what they say to you.
quote:
Originally posted by noeau
I just thought an autoharp might be good.
Ah, but such a nuisance to keep in tune, no? |
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noeau
Ha`aha`a
USA
1105 Posts |
Posted - 09/11/2007 : 10:11:41 AM
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| Nah! jus pres. |
No'eau, eia au he mea pa'ani wale nō. |
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Absolute
Lokahi
275 Posts |
Posted - 09/11/2007 : 12:25:38 PM
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| Looking forward to ALL her ukulele posts. (I'll undoubtedly be one to learn from them.) |
Thank you. |
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thumbstruck
Ahonui
USA
2168 Posts |
Posted - 09/12/2007 : 11:50:35 AM
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| Sometimes folks can get hypersensitive because of stress they are under from job change, health, hangnails on pick fingers (so the fingerpicks hurt), weather, ad infinitum et nauseum. Slack will be cut those cutting slack. |
Edited by - thumbstruck on 09/12/2007 11:51:22 AM |
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wcerto
Ahonui
USA
5052 Posts |
Posted - 09/12/2007 : 12:26:31 PM
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I was looking at Flukes and Fleas. Here is what they have to say about prestretching strings. Any comments regarding this?
String Replacement – Replace strings with those specific to your model ukulele. Small gauge strings must be double knotted or figure 8 knotted to prevent slipping through the bridge. Twice through the hole and two or more turns around the tuner will suffice to keep the string from slipping. Pre-stretching or tuning to higher than the recommended pitches is not recommended. Wound metal strings are not recommended for use with molded fingerboards.
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Me ke aloha
Malama pono,
Wanda |
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noeau
Ha`aha`a
USA
1105 Posts |
Posted - 09/12/2007 : 1:04:24 PM
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| I just put aquila strings on a fluke. Tuned to pitch wait for it to go flat tune again. Did it for 3 cycles and said to heck with it. I gently stretched and tuned until they stopped going flat. This has worked for me any number of times on all my instruments. I did this since I first got foiled trying to play my classical guitar on a gig at Andrew's Amphitheater. With the biggest crowd for me ever. I so really wanted to play that guitar but it was so far out of tune the whole set would have been spent tuning. I had changed the strings five days earlier and did not manually stretch them out. I just retuned them for about six or seven times over the few days before the gig. They still went flat. So now I stretch em out and it works and does not hurt the instrument. |
No'eau, eia au he mea pa'ani wale nō. |
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Mika ele
Ha`aha`a
USA
1493 Posts |
Posted - 09/12/2007 : 1:49:05 PM
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Wanda,
Flukes and Fleas are very durable and the sound is good (for a plastic back). You can take them to the beach and not worry (I know, no salt water beaches near you). They are easy to play and the intonation all the way up the neck is good. They will never sound the same as a solid mango wood or koa wood or mahogany ukulele . . . so sound expectation management is in order here. In the words of one QA inspector, "what did you expect?".
There is a difference between proper string replacement technique, which includes pulling on the string to make sure it doesn't slip (knot too small or not enough winds to prevent slip), and over tightening the string (on the ukulele by tuning several notes above the desired tuning). If you over tighten all of the strings atfer you replace them (prestretching the strings), you can put excessive tension on the bridge/saddle, nut, tuning pegs, and neck. I don't know of too many ukulele luthiers that put a metal "truss rod" inside the neck to control neck bend, so you could damage the ukulele if you tried hard. Wound metal strings would be at higher tension than nylon strings and cause the same problem.
The Flukes/Fleas come with acceptable strings. After a while you may want to try others to fit your personal preference and style. I like the colored ones from east LA that Mark uses!!!!! |
E nana, e ho'olohe. E pa'a ka waha, e hana ka lima. |
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808bk
Akahai
82 Posts |
Posted - 09/12/2007 : 1:58:31 PM
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I don't like wound strings so I use Worths. I found that Worths are more "slippery" than other strings so I usually give it an extra wrap at the bridge (tie type bridge) or they tend to slip out when you bring the strings up to tension.
I'm impatient so I also manually stretch my strings. I do this by pressing the string against fretboard with one hand and gently pulling the string away from the uke with the other, retune, repeat. This helps to get the uke to stay in tune a lot faster and I haven't damaged the instrument doing it. |
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wcerto
Ahonui
USA
5052 Posts |
Posted - 09/12/2007 : 2:37:07 PM
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Wow. I don't even know nuttin'. When I heard you guys talk about pre-streching the strings, I thought it was like what I have to do with panty hose....stretch them by hand. Paul has nylon strings on the banjo-uke and he tuned it, so I am going to try it tonight. Someone give me a couple or three easy chords to play. Paul was playing Hi`ilawe on it and he doesn't even know how to play `ukulele, but at least I could tell what mele it was. I guess easy for you musically inclined guys to pick up another instrument and not be afraid of it.
Thanks you guys for being patient with me and for helpiing me. |
Me ke aloha
Malama pono,
Wanda |
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