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Kahalenahele
Lokahi
USA
102 Posts |
 Posted - 02/19/2003 : 10:11:38 PM
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I'm a fairly new ukulele player. I've got a bunch of collections of music - primarily the Jumpin' Jim books. Lots of standards from the American popular music realm.
I'm wondering what the traditional role of the ukulele is or was? Primarily a rhythm instrument accompanying vocals? A lead instrument? Solo? In a group?
I'm pondering getting a collection of old ukulele methods (from 1914 onward) that I thought might give me a better idea of where the uke fit in traditionally. I realize, of course, a uke can do anything the player wants it to do, but I wanted some historical perspective.
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marzullo
`Olu`olu
USA
923 Posts |
Posted - 02/20/2003 : 2:17:55 PM
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aloha e john, that's a good question. i would guess that it's like the guitar - an instrument that was used to accompany singing. but, virtuoso ukulele players were certainly around by the early part of the 20th century. the instrument it is derived from (with some dispute) is used to accompany singing.
good luck, and enjoy them ukes,
keith
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Keith |
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oaklandslacker
Aloha
China
47 Posts |
Posted - 02/21/2003 : 01:00:49 AM
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I think Keith is right on - I'm hardly a musical historian, but I find it interesting, and I used to work for an old-time music store. Modern sheet music will generally have the vocal melody, both hands of the piano, and then charts on how to strum the open guitar chords, but older (much older) sheet music will replace the guitar chords with ukulele chords.
I get the impression that jamming together and just playing instruments was a much more common social thing to do back in the past. For a ways, ukes were the main instrument to do it on - Martin sold far more ukes than guitars before the war. There were also weird variants, like banjo-ukes were pretty popular.
The other random thing I think is interesting: with the first trip to the North Pole, one of the explorers brought an uke with him. He hoped to introduce the instrument to eskimos, but I guess his trip didn't take him past any. |
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benjammin
Aloha
USA
5 Posts |
Posted - 02/21/2003 : 01:21:47 AM
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| to play to the beautiful ladies! |
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Pops
Lokahi
USA
387 Posts |
Posted - 02/21/2003 : 9:55:15 PM
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Aloha, John,
There are a variety of traditions, including strumming chords to fancy finger picking. The bottom line with both traditions is to make beautiful music. |
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cpatch
Ahonui
USA
2187 Posts |
Posted - 02/22/2003 : 12:11:55 AM
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The traditional role of my ukulele is to make my parlor guitar feel less inferior as it sits next to my dreadnaught. Some day I plan on learning how to play it, at which point its role may change.
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Craig
My goal is to be able to play as well as people think I can. |
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ukejackson
Akahai
USA
93 Posts |
Posted - 03/12/2003 : 2:04:26 PM
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| the ukulele was traditionally built for use as an aid to intimate serenade, the up close and personal serenade. in other words, it was made to be played to get laid. |
Uke Jackson, from farmers markets to festival mainstages, from crossroads cafes to cosmopolitan cabarets |
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Mainkaukau
Lokahi
USA
245 Posts |
Posted - 03/13/2003 : 6:52:55 PM
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| all of the above... |
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