Forgotten how to play songs !

[snakehips]

Hi there !

Do you ever get days where you completely forget how you used to play a song ?

I haven't played my ukuleles much in ages - partly because I had opened up my Beltona 5-string Tenor reso uke as there was a rattle, and I had decided to put new strings on it while putting back together. Actually, I remember now - I had tried a set of steel strings on the uke, as I wanted to see what it sounded like - and see if it had better sustain with a slide than the nylon strings (which it did).

I kind of put the new set on, decided I didn't like the set/brand I tried (a bit thin sounding & not very loud) - and for some reason, the intonation was now WAY off. Had I damaged the uke with the higher tension metal strings ???

Anyway, that seemed to put me off playing my reso uke for a while. Also, I seem to prefer my Concert 5-string uke (non-reso, but still Beltona - a wooden top & fibreglass back&sides).

So, last night, I finally decided to restring the Tenor reso uke & see if I figure out why the intonation was way off.
Couldn't see anything wrong structurally. I think I sussed why the intonation was well off !
The Beltona uke's saddle is not dead centre across the biscuit - and I had obviously put the biscuit & cone back in the uke the wrong way round !!!!
With everything the right way round, the uke has good intonation again. Doh !!!

Anyway, after LOTS of string stretching, I wanted to try the song (I made up) shown in the video below (on my concert uk), but with my newly sorted reso uke.

Nope, I can't for the life of me work out what the hell I'm playing !!!

I have the uke tuned like a regular concert uke - gCEA, but with a separate 5th string tuned an octave lower than the re-entrant G 4th string.
Basically a string from a Low-G tuning set.

If you think of it like a guitar, capo'd up to the 5th fret, it's the equivalent of Dropped D tuning - so I'm supposed to be using regular D-shaped chords plus some hammer-ons & pull offs.
Damned if I can remember how to play it !!!



Does anyone else have tunes they used to be able to play, but now can't remember how ???

[archtopeddy]

Haha. Most definitely! I can't even remember the names of some of 'em let alone how to play 'em! 

[Michael Messer]

There are only a certain amount of songs / arrangements that we can hold in our heads. Over my lifetime of playing music I have learned hundreds, maybe thousands, and while I can recall a sketch of most of them, it takes time and practice to get them back.

A few years ago I went on an obsessive Kokomo Arnold quest to learn and understand his playing style, which I achieved. However, seven or eight years on and with many other songs going through my system, I would need a few months to get back to where I was with Kokomo's repertoire. Also, I don't have the time because I am more interested in creating my own music.

The study of the masters has to be done, but it really should only be a learning and study tool to take us to our own music.

Shine On
Michael