Saturday, June 04, 2011

Have Ukuleles Become Too Popular?

Across the Pond, Steven Sproat sez p'rhaps. Link

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

"In a way it's become too popular."
Well, in what way exactly, Steven?
Are there too many of us playing to suit you? Which of us would you have stop?

And the notion that the ukulele is "everywhere" is just bunk. This idea is prevalent inside the bubble which surrounds us ukulele geeks. We hear a uke in a TV commercial and suddenly the instrument is "everywhere."

Step outside of the bubble (I know it's difficult) and see things as non-ukers see them and the uke is hardly anywhere, much less everywhere.

Most non-bubble dwellers wouldn't recognize the ukulele by sight or sound even if Jake and James were jamming five feet away from them.
They hear it in a TV commercial and it completely flies past them unnoticed.

Do we try to compensate for playing a silly, little instrument by imagining that we really play the Mighty Uke?

Unknown said...

I don't think that ukes can ever become too popular. If you want to play an exclusive instrument, invent one yourself. I beleive in the good old saying; "the more the merrier". BBC Proms 2009 anyone? :)

Elijah Wilbury said...

He's an idiot. If you play ukulele because its "a novelty" or some kind of exclusive club where only those of us "cool" kids play it, then you play it for the wrong reason. If you play it because you love it, love playing it and love the way it sounds, then who cares how many others are doing the same thing?

 
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