learn to play the ukulele

Since I’m done with my comprehensive exams and the end of the semester grading rush, I can return to the ukulele. I’ll have to start over again, I think, because I didn’t get far enough before having to take a break, but I also have developed some specific goals.

One of the things I’m going to plan on doing is working up to learning and playing a specific song. I have a list of possibilities. I just have to choose one and go for it.

Once I’m comfortable enough with the instrument to play a song or two, I’ll consider this goal basically accomplished (though obviously I’ll still want to keep improving).

I was making good progress, but I had to put the ukulele on hold to study for my comprehensive exams. Ph.D. before fun instruments, I suppose.

But after I pass my comps, I’ll go back to practicing and learning.

My ukulele arrived yesterday. I’ve been practicing between things that I absolutely have to do. I am really enjoying it. I think I need to get some better strings for now and if I keep playing I will eventually want to buy a much better instrument, but I am pleased with the beginning stage and how it’s going.

Signs I’m making progress:
1. My fingers hurt.
2. I have at least two chords that I can strum and switch between without a complete stop. Very easy chords, but still.
3. The logic of the strings is starting to make sense to me. As a singer and pianist, I’m used to a different musical logic, but I think I’ll get used to this quickly enough.

I bought a ukulele and I’m waiting for it to arrive so I can start learning. I know I already had “learn to play the guitar” AND “learn to play the autoharp” on my list but this one seemed like a more reasonable (?) place to start for me. I still want to learn to play those instruments. I’ll get to them later.