Finally I Understand the Ukelele
About six months ago my wife decided that she wanted to learn the ukulele. Don’t ask me why because I do not ask questions like that any more. At the time she also decided that this was going to be an enforced healthy family activity so I would resume playing the guitar… like it or not. I am a smart man, I decided to like it.
Our son was given the choice of playing the guitar or the ukulele. To my horror he decided he wanted to play the ukulele.
In the process of deciding what instrument he would play I of course had visions of him leaping about the place with his guitar like a miniature rock god. All my dreams of being a guitar hero like Clapton, Hendrix and a host of others could now finally be realized vicariously through my son… brilliant!
Then came the crushing decision that he would like to learn the ukulele.
“Why?” I asked trying very hard not to sound at all disapproving or disdainful.
“Because it is cute!” He replied.
I was crushed.
We live in Taiwan and it is very close to Japan. Through this connection and under their own steam as well there is a disturbing tendency towards all things cute. If you need any understanding of this then search for and try to comprehend all that is, Hello Kitty. I think you should get the point pretty quickly.
Anyway the decision on the ukulele got me pretty worried that the Taiwanese cute virus had attached itself to my son and was beginning to take it’s toll.
The ukelele lessons have been going for about six months now and it turns out my son is rather good at it. But to be honest I still didn’t really “get” the concept of playing what seemed to me to be a “toy guitar.”
His teacher has a small band that plays around Taipei and on occasion they get my son to go along and play with them.
Last week they were scheduled to play for a local dance group and as it was an afternoon gig my son was invited along. My wife and I were asked to go and watch as well so we thought why not and went along for the show.
You know you learn something new everyday and that day was no exception. I learned two things.
1. I did not know that hula dancing was so popular in Taiwan.
2. I did not realize just how smart my son is.
Now I TOTALLY understand the ukulele.
[...] Finally I understand the Ukulele [...]
Ah hah ! ! ! I see…….. how CUTE !
[...] Why the ukulele is the smart boy’s choice. [...]
What do Hendrix, Clapton, Lennon, George Harrison and Dick Dale all have in common? They all started with a ukulele. Give your son time, he may grow into your big boy guitar, but if he doesn’t, well Jake Shimabukuro has pretty big chops, too.
Yeah, I have to agree with you there tuscadero.
That picture is definitely worth a thousand words! I think if all aspiring teenage boy musicians saw that we’d soon have armies of ukulele wielding rockers from coast to coast!
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That picture is definitely worth a thousand words! I think if all aspiring teenage boy musicians saw that we’d soon have armies of ukulele wielding rockers from coast to coast!