Spiritual Practice, Meditation and the Ukulele

[Nickie]

"



Any activity -- no matter how mundane -- can be a meditation if approached in the right manner and with the right mindset. Sitting,walking, washing the dishes, sweeping the floor -- all have the potential for being a meditation. Playing a musical instrument can certainly be a form of meditation, but it's important to be clear about your objectives and purpose before you begin your practice. Musical meditation is about being fully present with your instrument, you're environment, yourself, and the sounds you and your instrument are producing. "

Well said....
I'm a happily professed atheist and existensionalist. I can't even spell it and I don't care! I believe that everything in the manifest world has "life" or life-force, if you will. It all vibrates, each with a special rhythm, according to its purpose and meaning to us. Tai Chi is the best form of meditation for me. I agree that the flute is the easiest instrument with which to meditate, and the didgeridoo is a close 2nd. The ukulele is a very happy instrument, and if happiness is your passion, that's your meditation, too.
I've put lots of hospice patients into a dream state with the uke. So I know firsthand that the uke can be a meditational thing!

 

[k0k0peli]

How the Hell in a fried Hades Comet of molten self loathing can a Ukulele be a meditative and calming piece of wood when after the umpteenth time of successfully managing to fail to nail the piece of music that you are currently trying to get the notes of in something of a semblance of the right order to resemble the tune that you are trying to play with eyes bugging bloodpressure soaring you grip the damn thing by the neck and it becomes what it was originally .... a wooden club with which to bludgeon the next poor unsuspecting buffoon to walk into your practice area and just say the wrong thing

That's 'hot' meditation as opposed to the 'cool' meditation espoused in this thread. Take three Thorazines and call me next week.

 

[Nickie]

Ceejay, you have such a way with words.....so laid back....


JK!

 

[Purdy Bear]

The idea of a meditation is that you don't necessarily have to play a known piece, you just let your fingers go where they want to. You don't even have to make a tune at all.

Here's a piece by Medwyn Goodall, one of my favourite composers for meditation music:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntStkbAL1ik

 

[The Big Kahuna]

 

[Purdy Bear]

Go facepalm all the stress, strain, high blood pressure and illeness that goes with not relaxing properly


I did a meditation to the Ukulele today. It wasn't intentional. I had the metronome on the slowest setting, then closed my eyes to do my basic chords I learnt. Then a few minutes later I was in the 'state'. I've meditated for years, but never while playing an instrument. It was really nice, so I will definitely be doing that again.

 

[Olarte]

You really should try a Native American flute (NAF) or any other instrument where you can't play any "wrong" notes Percussion instruments and the NAF flutes which are in a minor pentatonic scale are excellent for just playing and letting the music flow.

On a different kind of "mindfulness" I built these two NAF flutes this week. Mind you I can't cut a straight line. But being an avid NAF player I took my time and was able to make a Bo/walking staff flute in F#m and a smaller one in Fm. I also came up with a way to play the small flute in a vertical or horizontal position by changing the plug I came up with from a plastic pen.

They are both made out of pvc and cost less than $15 to make. They sound great, are in tune and I spent about 8 hours from start to finish over the last 3 days. I've sort of been in a meditative state of sorts as the flutes came took shape right down to the finished product and taking these photos as well as playing them.

I wi be posting some Uke and NAF videos soon.











By the way if you decide to try out NAF flutes check out high spirits flutes they are awesome and reasonably priced.

Go facepalm all the stress, strain, high blood pressure and illeness that goes with not relaxing properly


I did a meditation to the Ukulele today. It wasn't intentional. I had the metronome on the slowest setting, then closed my eyes to do my basic chords I learnt. Then a few minutes later I was in the 'state'. I've meditated for years, but never while playing an instrument. It was really nice, so I will definitely be doing that again.

 

[The Big Kahuna]

If a stringed instrument could somehow absorb whatever nonsensical woo you think floats around the builder, do production line factory instruments suffer from multiple personality disorder? If I go into a store and try out a uke while I'm in a bad mood (perhaps after reading this thread), do I impart my "negative energy" on the instrument? If not, how exactly is it decided from whom this spirit bollocks enters a lump of dead or dying organic matter?

Good god man, you're from England, not fecking California! Talk sense and pull your socks up!

 

[k0k0peli]

If a stringed instrument could somehow absorb whatever nonsensical woo you think floats around the builder, do production line factory instruments suffer from multiple personality disorder? If I go into a store and try out a uke while I'm in a bad mood (perhaps after reading this thread), do I impart my "negative energy" on the instrument? If not, how exactly is it decided from whom this spirit bollocks enters a lump of dead or dying organic matter?

I approached this up-thread, asking if an excellent luthier was a miserable abusive wretch in their personal life, would we really want to handle their demon-haunted output? Do we notice the vibes emanating from products of neo-nazis or slaves or snake-worshipers?

Good god man, you're from England, not fecking California! Talk sense and pull your socks up!

Watch what yuh say 'bout California, pardner. Most of the wacko belief systems started elsewhere and when they got run out of town some came here and were tolerated if not accepted because we have more important matters to worry about. NewAge (rhymes with sewage) started in the UK as I recall. That memory-water and Mayan-end-of-the-world stuff came from France. Flying saucer cults are from elsewhere, too. And 'ukulele worship disn't start here. Try again.

 

[Purdy Bear]

Olarte - I play the orchestral flute, but had to put it aside due to Asthma. I did find it was harder to get into the meditative zone because of the breath control needed for higher notes etc. It's not an easy instrument to play.

If a stringed instrument could somehow absorb whatever nonsensical woo you think floats around the builder, do production line factory instruments suffer from multiple personality disorder? If I go into a store and try out a uke while I'm in a bad mood (perhaps after reading this thread), do I impart my "negative energy" on the instrument? If not, how exactly is it decided from whom this spirit bollocks enters a lump of dead or dying organic matter?

Good god man, you're from England, not fecking California! Talk sense and pull your socks up!

I'm a lady and yes I'm from England. The practice of both meditation and feeling the energy of the instrument comes out of the orient and is many centuries old, it is NOT a 1960s hippy thing. I do believe the later is Shinto, but I may well be wrong. Meditation is a Martial Arts based practice connected to building self and spacial awareness, as well as an ancient spiritual practice. One section of knowledge predates the Egyptian Pharoahs. Another thing for the energy of an item is just basic physics really, because everything is made up of atoms etc.

 

[Olarte]

The NAF is very very light on the breath. Noir is not at all like a regar flute. It requires very little air or breath contr and you can't play a wrong note since it's a pentatonic scale. Just saying...

 

[pbagley]

Two thoughts :

First, I believe that instruments are capable of holding energy; perhaps not at the spiritual level, but energy none the less. Have you ever picked up an instrument you do not own, perhaps in a shop or lent you by someone, and you played something entirely new to you? I mean some musical phrase or even chord progression that you have never played before. I think that the energy was in the instrument, and you were there to release it, and you likely put some of your own energy back into the instrument as well. This may only be that each instrument produces a different set of overtones and harmonics with each note played, and your brain reacts to the complexity of of the tone in differing ways. Some instruments are dead to me and I cannot wait to put them down. Others sing and encourage me to play more and different things. Expense and place of origin may matter some, but I think skill of the maker, quality of the component parts, and even previous experience play a greater role. Sometimes even a new instrument will draw music from my very marginal and limited talent. This is why you will often find the more player wear an instrument wears the better it sounds. This will make sense to some. Of course it may all be in our heads.

And second - I'll second what Olarte said about High Spirits native American Flutes. We visited the Grand Canyon in 2002 or there abouts, and we left the park via the east entrance ending up at the trading post in Cameron. There I looked at the Native American Flutes and one of the sales people recommended the High Spirits. $100 seemed like a lot at the time. Our sales guy Tony said that anything less expensive would be a waste of my money and a future disappointment, and that there were more expensive flutes on display that were not as good. Tony turned out to be a guitarist in a cover band, I was a bassist in a cover band. I bought the High Spirits and have never regretted the decision. Some day I hope to run into Tony again and thank him.

 

[AndrewKuker]

Tools are part of the artistic process and we appreciate them for it. Our main distinction from animals is our creative ability to make and use tools for survival and enjoyment.

You most likely have a connection with, and even have love for an inanimate object that you use. It can inspire you, or give you joy. You don’t even have to be open minded or remotely spiritual to acknowledge this. In fact, it’s most likely why you are even here reading this.

 

[johnson430]

Do any of you have a spiritual connection to your Ukulele?

Yes. I have a mango tenor and anyone who knows Buddhism will understand the importance of the mango tree and spirituality.

Do you think your Ukes have a spirit, or energy of their own?

Energy, yes. Each pluck of the string is energy given forth into the universe.
Spirit, not so much. (Although the tree that my uke was made from had a spirit, of course)

Is there anyone who uses their Ukulele practice/music as a meditation?

Yes, Music is very therapeutic for me and I believe it can also be used in meditation and as a way to connect to others.

Anyone who studies world religions understands the importance of music, or more importantly, vibrations.
Think of the mantra, Gregorian chanting, the song of the shaman in ayahuasca and mushroom ceremonies.
Sound is vibration, vibration is all around us.

The nay-sayers in this post are merely ignorant of that important realization.
Although being ignorant of that fact doesn't mean that the vibrations do not have a direct influence on these people, they are just unaware of it.
Why else would they play the uke if they didn't enjoy the vibrations?

Johnson

 

[k0k0peli]

Flutes etc: I have and play recorders, tinwhistles, flageolets, ocarinas, etc. My rich sister-in-law (she used to run a major financial firm) gave me a very expensive superbly-crafted NAF... that I don't play. Wrong size. (My hands prefer soprano to alto.) I'd earlier bought a simple turned-wood pentatonic flute for US$25 or so that is one of my constant travel companions. IMHO the provenance and materials of a NAF / pentatonic flute are less significant than whether it fits your hands, face, and posture. Yes, a finely-crafted flute feels nice. But does it sing for you? You might have to kiss many frogs before finding your prince(ss).

Spirit etc: The human brain is very good at pattern recognition. We see patterns whether they exist or not, like faces floating in clouds or burnt into toast. Perceived patterns connect us to the world. Yes, we certainly may feel spiritual linkage to objects, and ideas, and people, and whatever we closely associate with or that triggers our pattern-recognition engine. Do such connections have anything to do with external reality? ¿Quien sabe? Evidence there seems slim. But there was a slogan during my wasted youth: IF IT FEELS GOOD, DO IT. That's why I play music. It feels good. I do it. No hu-hu.

 

[Rllink]

Well, we have arrived at the place where most of these threads go, everyone has their own definition of spirituality. I answered early on in a way that reflects my own use of the word, which is synonymous with worship. So from that definition, which to me is pretty narrow, I do not worship my ukulele. But if spiritual in the broad sense includes, relaxing, enjoying, inspired by, comforted in, therapeutic, and on and on, then yes, I will join those who find similar emotions through their uke. Because I do feel all those things. But I will deviate a bit, and say that it isn't just the ukulele that is doing it for me. I do not find peace, comfort, and joy in the presence of my ukulele alone. In fact, if it weren't for the songs that I sing along with my ukulele, I think that my ukulele experience would become little more than an idle occupation for my mind. So when we talk of spirituality in the broad sense, in that sense that all good emotions and accomplishments come from some sort of spirituality, I find them coming from my ukulele when I play it, not hidden within my ukulele alone.

 

[Captain America]

Some of these things described as "spirituality" really come across more as "sensitivity" or even "let's pretend." I think it tells volumes about contemporary life that simple things, like uke playing, are felt so important---it means, to me, that we're mostly rushing about and chasing about all the time, with little peace in our lives. It's fun to pretend my uke was built for a higher meaning by its uke maker. I don't believe in pantheistic spirits here and there. God exists, for us and with us. Music can be an emotional thing in a number of ways, particularly when we value the music and are pleased we can participate in its creation as musicmakers.

 

[plunk]

What a great thread! Reading it put me in a nice, calm state of mind.

 

[Kenn2018]

Interesting thread from 2015.
My ukuleles are not imbued with any spiritual energies. The meditative aspects come from what I do with the instrument to create a calm introspective state of mind. I find that practicing scales or progressions can induce this. Or just playing entrancing (not apologizing for the word play) notes and chords.

You may want to look at these excellent two books by Daniel Ward:
Arpeggio Meditations for Ukulele
Melodic Meditations for Ukulele
You can find them at: www.danielward.net
Free video Tutorials for the books are also available at the website.

 

[BBegall]

I play one of Daniel Ward's meditations first thing every morning when I pick up a ukulele. Played multiple times over, I think of it as a sort of walking meditation. Also a good warm up and can be used with various picking patterns so your picking gets better. Ward had a book of meditations that I'd like to buy but never seems available.