Back to that familiar place

I fall under the sad and lonely position many solo musicians encounter; we have no one to play with.

Insert sad face.

The biggest problem you have when there's no one to play with, is you, or at least I, tend to just play the same things over and over and over again. Though it really fine tunes what I can play, it doesn't challenge me to learn the way playing with others does.

I've mentioned this before, but the best option for folks who don't have anyone to play with is to find tutorials and suggestions and so on online. And that's the part where I'm back to that familiar place; I don't have the accountability or energy to think of what to play next.

I'm always looking for song suggestions, but I tend to do much better when other people suggest songs I should learn how to play. Maybe I never will, but there's a certain accountability that way.

Long story short, does anyone have any song suggestions, or songs you want to learn? Let's learn together!

Cheers.

Daily ukulele

Greetings to the ukulele players of the world. I recently came across this deal: The Daily Ukulele - 365 Songs for Better Living- Ukulele Songbook is on sale for about $25 on Amazon right now (normally $35).

I've heard that this book is fantastic because it can be used as a textbook for an ukulele class. You can get together with a group, and do a new song every time you meet. Even if you met every day and learned one song, you wouldn't have to repeat anything for an entire year. That's pretty rockin' bad.

So anyways, I was curious to know if anyone out there has used this book, and whether it was worth it. I'm going to dig into my piggy bank to acquire it, and then try and set up a ukulele class.

Does that sound crazy? Probably. I'm aware of how crazy that sounds.

Anyone ever done anything like this? I'd love to know what tips and tricks are out there to set this kind of thing up.

Ukulele Tutorial - "Wagon Wheel" by Old Crow Medicine Show

Here is a quick tutorial of "Wagon Wheel " by Old Crow Medicine Show. A great song for beginners, and a fantastic song for an acoustic instrument. And though it isn't the world we live in, I always like to encourage folks to support your artists and buy their music. Okay that's all.

If you want to play consistently with the song, you'll need a capo on the second fret. However, I don't think it's that necessary.

Should you prefer to sing in a different key, you can use the progression C, G, A minor, F

Lyrics/Chords

G                        D
Headed down south to the land of the pines
        Em                   C
And I'm thumbin' my way into North Caroline
G
Starin' up the road
            D         C
And pray to God I see headlights

  G                         D
I made it down the coast in seventeen hours
Em                      C
Pickin' me a bouquet of dogwood flowers
          G
And I'm a hopin' for Raleigh
      D             C
I can see my baby tonight

   G                   D
So rock me mama like a wagon wheel
Em              C
Rock me mama anyway you feel
G   D     C
Hey, mama rock me
G                     D
Rock me mama like the wind and the rain
Em                  C
Rock me mama like a south-bound train
G   D     C
Hey, mama rock me

G, D, Em, C
G, D, C

G                     D
Runnin' from the cold up in New England
      Em                         C
I was born to be a fiddler in an old-time stringband
   G
My baby plays the guitar
D              C
I pick a banjo now

        G                            D
Oh, the North country winters keep a gettin' me now
        Em                       C
Lost my money playin' poker so I had to up and leave
      G
But I ain't a turnin' back
   D                    C
To livin' that old life no more

   G                   D
So rock me mama like a wagon wheel
Em              C
Rock me mama anyway you feel
G   D     C
Hey, mama rock me
G                     D
Rock me mama like the wind and the rain
Em                  C
Rock me mama like a south-bound train
G   D     C
Hey, mama rock me

G, D, Em, C
G, D, C   2x

G                    D
Walkin' to the south out of Roanoke
           Em
I caught a trucker out of Philly
      C
Had a nice long toke
    G                           D
But he's a headed west from the Cumberland Gap
   C
To Johnson City, Tennessee

      G                   D
And I gotta get a move on fit for the sun
          Em
I hear my baby callin' my name
      C
And I know that she's the only one
    G
And if I die in Raleigh
   D                C
At least I will die free


   G                   D
So rock me mama like a wagon wheel
Em              C
Rock me mama anyway you feel
G   D     C
Hey, mama rock me
G                     D
Rock me mama like the wind and the rain
Em                  C
Rock me mama like a south-bound train
G   D     C           G
Hey, mama rock me

New year reso-uke-tions

I can't help the corny title. I'm a corny kind of guy. Speaking of, with the start of a new year, it is hard to not get caught up in reflecting on the past year, as well as think about things we want to accomplish in the coming one. Especially considering the apocalypse came and went without too much of an actual apocalypse, I'd say there's no better time to hone in on the things that will make us happy, inside and out.

Of course I'm leading up to playing the ukulele. If you want to take your aggression out on an instrument, maybe drums or a trombone will get you there. But if you want to find inner piece, and elevate your surroundings to the oasis in your mind, pick up a ukulele.

But what then? We all only know what we only know, so how do we break through the plateau we constantly find ourselves on when we are trying to learn something new. I for one feel like I can always improve, but I don't. I sit at the same playing level for a really long time, and then I get together with someone, learn something new, and my skill level jumps all of a sudden. So how do we propagate those jumps in skill level? I mean honestly, my inner circle of friends like music, but we rarely play music together. I don't go out and play for people, or attend meet-ups, or take any sort of action to socialize and improve my musical skills.

The answer is simple: get off your lazy duff and do those things listed. Meet people. Reach out to your surrounding community. Look online for ukulele jam sessions, open mic nights, etc. This will give you a flavor of other people's skill levels, it will help enhance your social skills, and push your own limits.

Meanwhile, when you're at home and wondering how to improve, search for lessons and tutorials online,  get a book (I personally like Ukulele For Dummies even though it makes me feel silly walking around with it, it's actually really helpful), listen to new music, and make sure you take time to practice playing the thing. I like to comment that the ukulele is highly portable, and therefore you don't have a good excuse not to carry it around everywhere you go.

These are my own personal thoughts, but I like to think that if I think this way, maybe there are folks out there in a similar train of thought. Happy new year to all! I hope to see you out strumming.

Chord Learnin'

It is important at some point that we learn all the major chords, whether you are planning on using them or not. Spoiler alert, you will use all of them all the time. Get over it.

Tutorial number 1: learn D and E. the funny thing is, these chords are identical, just on a different fret. Cool.

Tutorial number 2: Learn A and B. Guess what, these chords are also identical, only less obvious for the casual observer.

So what else truly needs to be said after such great knowledge has been dropped? Nothing. Watch these videos, practice, and remember me when you sign your record deal.