I was gifted a ukulele

My birthday is tomorrow. I’ll be 25. What better way to start the next quarter centry than with a ukulele?

This is the first instrument I’ve owned. I don’t know how to read music. I’m fairly sure I’m tone deaf (or just that unskilled). I’m incredibly out of practice at creating anything. But I’m still adament to learn this cute little gal. She doesn’t have a name yet, but it’ll come to me.

I was inspired to learn uke by the group of creatives that back AFP (Amanda F@$%ing Palmer). Amanda, known to most by her time in the band the Dresden Dolls, has more recently become ukulele icon to some. She made an album of Radiohead covers on ukulele, that I personally find pretty awesome. She also wrote the song, Ukulele Anthem, that I find even more awesome.

The group of creatives that back AFP on Patreon (a site to support artists per thing they make), as I mentioned before, have been super great to keep up with. I think I’m a little more in love, inspired by and in awe of the loving and artistic group that I found on the internet (I know, hard to believe positive words could be said about an internet community!) than I am by AFP herself – which is saying a lot. I’ve already gotten great advice on learning uke and music in general.

Along with the instrument, I was also gifted, by my most awesome boyfriend, an instructional book to learning uke and a book of 21 songs to learn to get started.

Things I’ve learned so far
I only received this gift yesterday. So far I have learned:

• Names of the parts: Head, tuning pegs, neck, nut, fretboard, frets, sound hold, bridge, body
• How to hold said ukulele: Neck in left hand, thumb on back of neck. Right forearm over body. Right fingers strum where fretboard meets body.
• How the strings and fingers are numbered: pointer 1, pinky 4. The rest in fill in the blanks.
• Names of strings: GCEA top to bottom
• How to finger strum: thumb down, pointer finger up
• Types of ukulele: I have a soprano. 21 inches long.

Wish me luck on doing the things!