I've been learning the ukulele five weeks now and I still can't really work out where my left thumb is meant to go. Flat against the back? Or is it just the tip that's meant to hold up the neck?
Despite some fairly fundamental flaws in technique, I've worked out that the way the uke sounds and acts is often due to pressure. Remarkably quite similar to people in general.
If I apply the right amount of pressure in the right places on my Makala's fretboard, I can produce a great sounding chord.
If your finger slips and you put pressure on the wrong string, things don't sound as good. Too much pressure on the strum and you might not even hear the chord you're trying to play.
The ukulele doesn't speak, so it's important to be aware and listening for the slight changes in how it sounds and acts to understand whether the pressure is affecting it negatively.
As the world churns around us, the consequences of COVID19 will become far more apparent. The terrible effects on people's lives and health are already clear and we're only just beginning to see what the effects on people's livelihoods might be. We don't even know what effect social distancing will have on the mental health of those around us.
What's certain though is that a lot of people will be feeling pressure in ways they've never experienced before. For some the effects of this pressure might be positive but for others there may well be negative effects on their mental, financial or physical health. What makes things harder is that not everyone is used to communicating how they're going, or even asking for help.
Just like your uke, maybe listen out for the subtle changes in your family and friends. Rallying around each other as a community might be the best way for us all to tackle the uncertain times and unknown pressures ahead.
Gosh hope that metaphor wasn't too round about.
Take care out there aye.
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