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ezFolk Forums > Ukulele > Beginner Questions - Ukulele > How do you hold the uke if you've got something in the way? |
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| How do you hold the uke if you've got something in the way? - Beginner Questions - Ukulele - Ukulele - ezFolk Forums | |||||||||||||||
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amysinger Approved
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How's that for a first post? Hi, all. I'm a total noob, and having a blast on my Mahalo. I find that I usually put the uke on my lap and pull it against my body with my right arm. This is because I'm a girl and not small on top. According to at least one website, I should be pressing it tightly against my chest, but, um, OW. Plus it's not a flat surface, so it's not very practical. It just won't stay still up there. Also, what angle am I aiming for? Should I be looking down at the top edge of the uke, or should I be able to see a little of the front/strings/bridge? I ask now because a billion years ago, I learned how to play the flute holding my right thumb in the wrong place and was NEVER able to correct it once I started taking lessons. So I'd rather get as much right from the start as I can. Thanks for your help! Amy
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Da Boy Approved
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Hi Amy, My name is Ben, I like long walks on the beach and... Just Kidding  Really, find what is comfortable for you, i hold the instrument different on different songs... close to my body on easier songs... but if i have to move up and down the neck alot (e7 to D/A and back and forth and such) I kind sit it up on my leg so i can finger more effectively and see the frets a little better.
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HowlinHobbit Approved 
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The only problem with only learning to play it on your lap is that you'll always have to be sitting to play it. I sit most of the time when I play but I also hold it against my chest whether I'm sitting or standing. There are lots of gals (of varied "blessings") holding their ukes against their chest. If it's an "ow!" you might just be pressing with your forearm a bit too hard? Last edited on Mon Aug 4th, 2008 02:56 am by HowlinHobbit ____________________ Howlin' Hobbit Got Uke? MySpace ezFolk UkeLand |
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rskelley Approved
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You might find a strap is a good choice for you. Mandolin sized straps are a good size for a uke. I use one all the time when standing.
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amysinger Approved
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Thanks, all (guys? :-)! I can't see myself playing while standing -- this is more about hanging around and playing than performing. I'm also finding that I'm going to have to keep adjusting the angle of the uke in order to make some chords and *not* aggravate my RSI-prone wrists. So I guess I'll never be by the book, which is fine with me, as long as it all sounds about right. I will remember the strap thing, should I ever be forced at gunpoint to play while standing, though. Thanks, everyone! A Last edited on Mon Aug 4th, 2008 06:07 pm by amysinger |
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rskelley Approved
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You might find a strap good all the time. Get a very wide andlong shoelace from WalMart or other store (or a good sized cord)and test it out. Take one end and tape it to the heel of the uke body and loop the other end through the head, adjust the length and see if you like it. No cost test.
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Tonya Approved 
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If you want to try something other than a strap, slide the instrument down a bit, Amy, and "tuck" it a bit up and under (not a whole lot of tucking or you'll dampen the sound quite a bit). If that's still not practical for your own style, I've had women who hold the ukulele more in an upright position with the neck at about a one-o'clock to two-o'clock position and the lower bout brought more to the center of their body. Yes, your fingering is a bit different to execute in this manner, but it works. I think, perhaps, you might be trying to hold the ukulele too "high" for you. Ralph Shaw holds his ukulele quite high across his body and, while it works for him, it wouldn't work for many women. Note that I'm not advocating a dropped ukulele, held low and across the waist as per a guitar rocker, but just a bit of adjustment should make it work more easily for you. Keep in mind, too, that much of the "clutch" of holding an ukulele is best done with the pressure applied by the inner arm, just below the elbow. Pressing inward with that inner arm can hold most ukuleles (Flea, Fluke and Applause style notwithstanding) in place pretty well. The pressure from that inner arm naturally causes the instrument to push "out" from your body and, the corollary is that your left (fretting) hand, then is the part pulling the instrument back "in" toward you. This gives you not only a bit more secure of a hold but also allows the left hand to use that pressure to make better sounding chords since it's using the physics of the "pull" back to apply pressure without requiring so much of a death grip. Feel free to e-mail me offline for, perhaps, a better description.
____________________ http://ukuleletonya.com |
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Da Boy Approved
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HowlinHobbit wrote: The only problem with only learning to play it on your lap is that you'll always have to be sitting to play it. I've been trying that the last few days and i like it (holding it to my chest)... It will require a little dicipline, but in the long run i think it will make fingering on the fret board more consistent. to always have it in that fixed position.
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ezmember Approved
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A feminine perspective here. Unfortunately my problem holding the uke is different from yours But maybe the solution I found may help. The way I hold my uke has evolved over some time as I found holding it in various positions awkward. It's indeed a little difficult to hold onto, more so standing up without a strap of course. One problem I had was that my right arm needed to be bare and just a little humid to stick to the uke to keep it from slipping. That wasn't always possible, so I had to figure out something else. I'm finding the uke easier to hold onto if the tuners are pointed more toward the sky than straight out to the side, and another benefit of that position is that the chords are easier to form without cramping my hand. So, with the uke in a slightly more up and down position, it sits more securely in the crook of my right elbow, and my left hand is more comfortable forming the chords. As for this position helping you, the fretboard part (and even the upper bout) could sort of land more in the middle of your chest instead of the whole uke jutting way out in front. Does this make any sense at all?
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| ezFolk Forums > Ukulele > Beginner Questions - Ukulele > How do you hold the uke if you've got something in the way? | |
