Can You Teach An Old Dog New Tricks?

A little while ago I decided that I wanted to learn to play a musical instrument at some point in my life, and this summer I finally chose the instrument. I had originally thought it would be nice to learn to play a fiddle–I could then be the popular person whenever family and friends gathered; I would tune my fiddle and rosin up my bow and deliver foot-stomping, hand-clapping renditions of some well-known fiddle tunes while my family and friends oohed and aah-ed at my ability to make the fiddle sing. (For some people who also love music, taking music classes from online universities is an option.)

Then this summer my dear sister-in-law decided to learn to play the fiddle and I had the opportunity to watch and listen to her practice while I was visiting her in Alberta earlier this month. After hearing her for the first time I realized that I would NEVER attempt such a feat as that; if I had to practice with that screeching, howling banshee-noise in my ears every day for an hour or more I would end up throwing the fiddle, the bow, the rosin, the sheet music and the fiddle case into the nearest trash bin! I simply do not have the patience or discipline required to learn such a temperamental musical instrument.

Now what? Well, I could try to learn guitar; a lot of people I know play guitar, so how difficult can it be? Only six strings to master and surely I could manage a few chords on it. But a guitar is big, and the case to carry it around in is even bigger…did I want to have to lug that around from house to car to cottage to car to house?

My sister-in-law suggested a ukulele. Hmm, I like that idea; a ukulele is small and only has four strings. She had bought a tenor ukulele this summer and plays it in a small band that she and my brother belong to. They call themselves the “Silver Birch Minstrels” and play every few weeks at a local senior’s lodge in Alberta. They have four band members and between them they sing, play guitars, ukulele, banjo and bodhran (an Irish frame drum). They play a variety of tunes from traditional to gospel and provide sheet-music to the residents so that they can sing along with the band if they so chose. I think it’s a great thing they are doing, giving back to the community by spending their time and energy entertaining seniors, but I don’t think that’s something I’d ever be able to do.

While I have no false expectations about ever joining a band, learning to play a ukulele does appeal to me, so my sister-in-law and I went shopping before I left Edmonton for my return trip home. We did our online research and found a great music store that had a variety of instruments to try out–who knew there were so many options when it came to buying a ukulele? There are soprano ukes, concert ukes, tenor ukes and baritone ukes, all containing the same number of strings but varying in size from the smallest soprano to the largest baritone.

I decided on a concert-sized ukulele, and we soon narrowed my choices down to two. The one I decided to buy was the more expensive of the two, but I loved the sound it made, it came with its own case, it was thinner than the other one, and is very light and easy to transport. Its top is solid spruce and its back is mahogany; it is a handsome ukulele for sure.

Now I have to learn to play it. I downloaded ukulele songs for my iPad2 and my sister-in-law gave me copies of songs she has for The Silver Birch Minstrels, plus I have a chord chart and my son lent me a tuner, so I have no excuse not to learn to play at least a few chords. I’ve been practicing every day since I came home from Alberta and can now actually make a few recognizable sounds come out of this little beast, so it’s a start, I guess. The fingertips on my left hand are numb, as if they are filled with pins and needles, but I’m told that this is a good thing–it apparently means I am developing calluses on them and they eventually won’t hurt as much when I press down on the frets. I hope that happens soon, as the strings now leave deep welts cut into my fingertips after just a few minutes of practice.

I’m sure I will need luck as I try to master a musical instrument at this stage in my life. I’ve heard that it’s never too late to teach an old dog new tricks, and I’m counting on that to be true, but if this doesn’t work out for me, if I find that after several weeks or months people still can’t recognize anything I’m playing on the ukulele, I have a back-up plan.

When I was at the music store buying my ukulele, I noticed they also had ‘wazoos’, and bought one for my son. I didn’t even realize there was such a thing as a wazoo–thought it was only a word made up to use in the expression, “Blow it out your big wazoo”, but I was wrong. It is a real instrument–a kazoo with a horn attached to it, so it ends up being a VERY LOUD kazoo! Love it! And I’m sure with enough practice I could learn to hum into it and make some kind of sound come out.

Maybe I’ll end up becoming multi-talented and will learn to play both the ukulele and the wazoo–just imagine how popular I’ll be at family gatherings then! I could even perform at weddings or anniversary parties. Or maybe not. Even if I just learn to play the ukulele enough to amuse myself, this old dog will be happy.

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