Ukulele Time

Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2.8, 1/30 sec, ISO6400
“Ukulele Detail” Cedar Park, 2020

I’ve been playing my ukulele every couple of days now, which I think is a nice “pace” for me. I don’t like to play every single day for very long because my left wrist still hurts a bit, and also I’ve read that longer gaps between session while learning a skill helps with the long-term memory. So, I won’t practice a song that I am learning every day, but maybe every three or four days. Once I have the song memorized, I might play it once or twice every day to work on parts that need clean up (there are A LOT of those parts).

I’ve recently memorized Al Woods’ arrangement of La Vie en Rose. I really enjoy playing that song, which reminds me of one of my favorite movies, Wall•E, and it’s fun to note my progress in playing it more cleanly, and also find better fingering combinations that make it easier.

On the new song front, I am starting on Ukulenny’s arrangement of I Will by The Beatles which is another of my favorites. The very last chord uses the 14th fret, which a soprano ukulele doesn’t have, so maybe this is a good excuse to pull the trigger on that concert ukulele that’s been sitting in my wishlist? 😋

I love playing the ukulele. I may not be very good, but it’s fun, relaxing, and keeps my 52-year-old brain active.

Ukulele Time

Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 19mm, f/4, 1/10 sec, ISO3200
“Ukuleles” Cedar Park, 2020

Besides working, I’m spending my day following the news, finding causes to donate to, and educating myself. It’s honestly tiring to keep up and task-switch. But I do have my ukuleles to help with my own well-being. Currently learning “Rainbow Connection”. I think it’s an amazingly beautiful song.

Wrist Brace for Better Ukulele Playing

Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/4, 1/45 sec, ISO6400
“Learning a New Song” Cedar Park, 2019

Spent much of the day practicing a new song. I’m trying to not bite off more than I can chew, and only spend a few minutes at a time learning new parts, then taking a long break before resuming again. I think my brain remembers a lot better that way. It’s also good to relax the muscles a bit since my wrist still isn’t 100%. Actually, I don’t think it will ever be 100% again, but the pain is definitely manageable and more of an annoyance than a hindrance.

I do take care to always wear a wrist brace which helps to keep my wrist in the correct angle to lessen the pain. But I’ve also found value in the wrist brace for better ukulele playing. The brace keeps my wrist straight which forces my fingers to curl more, which in turn causes my fingers to press the strings more precisely. The result is that the notes sound cleaner when I play. Win-win!

I hope you had a nice day! ☺️

またね~

☺️

Goodies from Japan and Ghibli Songbook for Ukulele

Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/4, 1/125 sec, ISO1250
“Goodies from Japan” Cedar Park, 2019

こんばんは。How’s it going?

Today’s photos is of the omiyage that Mariko brought for me from her visit to her hometown of Osaka. It’s a bit of a mix this time, with a wash-cloth that I’ve been mentioning for a few months now, the big bottle of shochu that we’ll enjoy together, and the unexpected darumas (very cool style!).

But the pièce de résistance has to be the ukulele songbook of Ghibli tunes. It’s awesome! The first part of the book is finger-style solos, and the second part is chords and lyrics. I can’t sing, so you might think the second part is not useful, but to the contrary, having the chords right there will be great for referencing when I practice the finger-style versions. And speaking of the finger-style versions, they are the right level for me. The arrangement is not too simple and not too complex. However, I think there will be room to embellish a bit which is why the chords in the second half of the book will be useful. The songbook also includes a CD for reference. I’ve already started on ひこうき雲which is the heart-breaking (lyrics) 1973 song from Arai Yumi and used as the ending song in The Wind Rises. It’s kind of perfect for the movie. 😭

またね~

New Strings for the Pineapple Ukulele

Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/4, 1/40 sec, ISO6400
“New Strings” Cedar Park, 2019

Tonight I replaced the strings that came with my Kala Pineapple Ukulele with some Aquila New Nylgut strings. The original strings were supposedly the “Super Nylgut”, but who knows? So I decided to go ahead and try the other strings. They sound great, but I honestly don’t know if they make that much of a difference. They do seem a little firmer, louder, but squeaky. I think the squeak will go away after they pick up some oils from my fingers, but I do like the overall sound. And knowing that they are, in fact, Aquila strings make me feel good too.

I hope you had a good day!

またね~