While I haven’t written a lot about my ukulele playing since the holidays, other than a nod to World Ukulele Day, it’s been busy in the music room. A lot of practicing, occasional swearing and some big smiles! Turns out a string instrument is a little more difficult to play than the piano. Trevor, my teacher, points out this is because it’s not just about playing the correct notes. It’s about getting the tension right on the fretboard while playing those notes. Learning is a process, and while I still tend to play the instrument more than play the music, there has been a great deal of improvement after first picking up the ukulele last spring.

Since Christmas I’ve been working on new material for my repertoire. During the holiday season I bought sheet music for the Jimmy Webb song that Glen Campbell made a hit, Wichita Lineman. It has come along nicely and is almost ready for a YouTube performance.

I also received a Hawaiian songs ukulele book for Christmas and jumped into learning one of my favorite hapa haole songs, Hanalei Moon. This has been a bit difficult with a combination of strumming and finger picking. I’m getting close, but the tune still needs polishing.

Besides learning songs and doing scales, I’ve also begun finger independence exercises with my fretting hand. It’s not particularly enjoyable, but over a long period of time it should help my ring finger and little finger operate alone without taking other fingers with them. (Seriously, see how difficult it is to move these two fingers independently on your own hand!)

Back to the music room for more practice. I hope to have Wichita Lineman posted later this month.