r ransom

I head into town this week, so I'll ask the librarian.

My learning style is different. But it works for me.

I need to over analyze and imagine before I start.  To learn enough of the theory to learn the "correct" way (or a few versions of that).  I have to feel that this is worth investing my most valuable resource - my time.

It takes alot of thinking to get past this stage, but without it,  it's doomed to fail.

Then pick one "correct way" and work through it for about a month to learn muscle memory.

Evaluate and adjust.  Start on a three prong attack:
1. Right way
2. Theory obsess in downtime
3. Experiment with wrong ways

Eventually, I find a path somewhere between the three that gets me the skill i want.

...

To help with the thinking stage

I got a wooden spatula and tried some of the (neck hand?) Finger pressing strings.  It's probably going be a limit of 20 min sessions for the first weeks as my hands don't have the right muscles. Yet.

Now I'm observing my life and looking at the spaces i can make time for practice.  I've never found the time to do whatever, but I can usually make time if I can pair it with existing habits.

I suspect it's too loud for insomnia time when others are sleeping. That's dedicated to learning painting anyway.  Afternoon coffee is looking promising.  That would be 4 to 5 days a week. My brain is active then, but body tired and not up to physical activity.  I'll keep looking to see if there is an everyday time as skipping days in the early stages goes poorly for me.

Something to think about, especially at the start.  The ability to SHOW you read and followed directions is more important than the task itself.

The wording of the bb is carefully chosen.  At the top of the skip forums, there are some links that explain better the goals and restrictions and why sometimes it doesn't seem like we gave a direct answer, when actually we did.  

If memory serves the wording goes something like: Plastic, etc, cannot be in the bb submission.

If you are in the situation, the smell of a person can usually tell you when they aren't getting enough protine.   There are a lot of health issues that can be detected by smell, but apparently, most people I know cannot or do not smell them.  I don't know if I'm unlucky this way.

For example, rotten orange smell is usually related to blood sugar.  Cheap restaurant fettuccine is often a sign of infection.  Lack of protine manifests as ammonia smell.

Urine can usually indicate dietary deficiency.  Lack of protein, if memory serves, is brown (not dark yellow) as it's the waste from our body absorbing itself.

M Ljin wrote:

r ransom wrote:How likely is this style of playing for a beginner?

This book ..., the music of the Renaissance guitar is here reborn on modern fretted instruments.

It sounds perfect, but is it possible?

When I started learning guitar, it was mostly one-note melodies at the same time as learning chords. Later on I used an old book which taught lots of English country dances, renaissance music, etc. I think it is very possible.

This gives me heart

Douglas Alpenstock wrote:Vancouver Public Library lends musical instruments, including ukeleles.

That is wonderful!

Mine doesn't have that yet, but I'll put a request in when I pick up my books.

Judson Carroll wrote:Don't forget used instruments - check pawn shops, thrift stores, charity shops and online.

Very good idea.  Used ukulele (concert size and bigger) start at $300 locally.  Almost double for person to person sales.  I don't know why they are so expencive.

But I'm keeping an eye out.  Thrifting season starts about easter here.

So, tentative budget looks like this:

Remembering that I'm still not convinced that this is a path for me.

and in Canadian dollars which seem to be taking one heck of a dive in the last few days.  Rounded up to accommodate some tax and stuff.

$55 starter, all wood, concert (23in) size ukulele.
$30 for Renaissance book which I am still uncertain will match my instrument.
$5 for clip on tuner

$13 for extra "hi G" set of Aquila strings.  (Optional).

I can use the library to get me through the basics.  But I can't rely on it to teach the styke I want to learn.

I don't have a phone so the clip on tuner is a must.

The reviews on the ukuleles I'm considering all suggest quickly upgrading the strings.  As this makes a big difference to an affordable instrument.   So maybe that's not optional?

Anything missing?


I can swing this budget without hardship, but it does mean reducing other areas.  But I don't know enough about the topic to know if it's worth it.  When I lay it out like this, it seems an extravagant expense for something I'm likely going to give up on in a week.

I wish I knew more about the book as that seems to be my major sticking point.

I have a private forum set up on permies for art and sharing art.  Ai bots can't see it so cannot scrape it.

Partly so I didn't flood the homesteading forum with my art obsession and partly to help fund my supplies. And partly so google wouldn't see.  It's a one time fee for entry.

https://permies.com/t/226512f6/chicken-fan-club

There are a couple of other private forums on permies that google and scrapers cannot see.  We could start a thread there.

PIE membership costs a few dollars a month and the money goes towards helping pay the server bills (which are huge as this is an independently owned site).

The daily-ish forum is also hidden but free for everyone signed up for the daily-ish email.  

Both those sometimes get early acceas to permaculture content and other goodies.

John Suavecito wrote:There seem to be a lot of them on Amazon for $99-$199.
John S
PDX OR

My budget is $50 Canadian dollars.

I should be able to save that much by my birthday.

The bigger ones look lovely. listening on youtube, the bigger ones would be more my sound.

However, there seems to be a massive price jump once we go over 23in (concert).  If I'm going to save up enough to get started before the end of the year, I think the 23 in will be my only choice (the 21in one looks too small for my fat fingers and sounds more Hawaiian and less medieval)