Ukuleles
Bill Robertson, who made an amazing documentary in 2003 called Rock That Uke, says the uke’s mystique comes from its size and shape, in addition to its sound. Bill Robertson says the physical act of holding the ukulele is where some of its charm comes from.
He states, “it’s about the size of a human infant.” “And when you hold it to play, you hold it up close and you’re cradling it to your heart … to be corny about it.”, he says. “It is this small thing that you’re protecting, and also giving you a sense of protective purpose in the world.
“But above all, there’s that singular sound.”, he continues. “Sweet, innocent, ridiculously happy.” Performing artist Taylor Mac, who performed at Dallas’ Undermain Theatre, is not a man who one would picture playing an instrument like the ukulele. He says, “We’re reminded of a time when we were so young that nothing is our fault,” “And that makes us happy.”
The four strings have a high end, and no low end, as noticed by my main ukulele philosophizer, Bill Robertson. “All that really means … that’s the ‘plink’ quality,” said Robertson. “You’re strumming it, all the strings are in the upper range, and it doesn’t have that bass sort of support that a guitar has, that robust sound. Just the high sound, which gives it a very childlike quality that conveys a certain innocence.”
The ukulele is portable, easily accessed and cheap- all reasons of the allure of this unique instrument. The average soprano ukulele for starters is around $30 or $40. Although some can range in the thousands of dollars, these ukuleles are made of fancy wood and unique inlays that add more value to the instrument.
Ukulele players will tell you that learning how to play is very simple. Levine, a member of the Dallas Ukulele Headquarters says, “I can teach anyone to play the ukulele in about 15 minutes.” “We do about a 15-minute session at the beginning of each class.”
It is a combination of these factors, that give the ukulele a different character than we see in other instruments, according to Mac.
“The benevolence of the ukulele is somewhat responsible,” he tells us. “It is quite common, for any individual to grab a uke, and in as little as one hour, have learned three chords and be able to play a song. This allows people to see this as a doable task, which makes it a fun endeavor.
For more information on Paper Lunch Bags and Japanese Bathtub, visit our site
Leave a Reply