is it still a ukulele or a guitar with 4 strings ?

[doctor dick]

I\'m a member of the secret actiongruppe EARS FOR UKES :oops:  :oops:  :oops:  :oops:  :oops:  :oops:  :oops:

[Kugel]

¿Hola, cuál es el Ukulele aTaliban?

¿Una pupila o un terrorista?

Suerte para arriba

Bola del saludo

[MellonCollie]

Hmm... it\'s an interesting question.

I think my own personal attitude towards ukuleles is more or less liberal with a slight hint of totemism in it. Of all my instruments, and also of the four (well, currently actually six) ukuleles I own, each one has a very distinct sould or character, and I don\'t really feel able to connect certain attributes to the level of uke-ishness of a ukulele. None of them looks or feels like a guitar for me, even though one is Telecaster-shaped.
They\'re like family, and though (in this slightly odd, hypothetic family) all family members might look and sound different, the aunt might have a face like a bat, her brother is totally hairy and the youngest niece laughs like a horse, they\'re not neccessarily different species.

The reason why I think I prefer considering myself a uke player despite the fact that I currently play the guitar or the banjo way more often, is that for me the ukulele is defined not just by a set of constructional attributes but also by a general attitude towards the instrument, the world, oneself, and playing music.

This may be a bit exaggerated, but just to show my point: I wouldn\'t ask if something is still a ukulele - as long if I liked it, I would just go and make it a ukulele. (I mean through definition, not through reconstruction ) If guitar players call the uke a tiny guitar with only four strings, why not call the guitar a big uke with six strings. It\'s all a matter of perspective.



I just realize, that in this (post-midnight sentimentally enthusiastic) definition, \'ukulele\' seems to be more or less the synonyme for \'awesome\'.




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(Let me add to this that of course I understand and I value a certain wish for tradition, which I guess you, doctor dick, meant in the first place. Technically, I guess the distinction between one instrument and the other is often blurry, especially in cases of rather close relation like this one. Just wanted to try shed a different light on the question through a different, non-technical approach... :mrgreen: )

[doctor dick]

Thank you very much for your reactions !

I think it\'s a very interesting discussion.