I can not believe how loud and beautiful Bertha (Ukulele)is now singing to me. I've had her for over a month now and when first researching about ukuleles, the one common piece of information wast to re-string it with anything other than the one it came with. But, I wanted to play Bertha for myself, learn how she moves just as she was when Sparkling Eyes got her for me. She has been doing fine, or so I thought. However, I'd got this set of strings even before I was given Bertha and had them ready. Now I've changed the old ones and put the new ones in. They are Aquila and are made with a synthetic gut called Nygut. It's supposed to be as close you can get to proper gut strings, which I'm not sure whether they are used nowadays or not. To help me with the stringing I watched a few youtube vids and then had a go. Unlike the vids which indicate it should take no more than an half an hour at most, I took an hour and a half. But it was fiddly and I'm not used to pulling strings, although I'm sure some people would say I can do this and pull legs as well. Now as I strum Bertha she holds her sound like an Alpine mountain returning an echo, it is a beautiful vibration. I love the sound. I wouldn't say I love Bertha, I like her a lot, because love should only be for people and mine is for Sparkling (don't reach for the puke bag). Bertha has now found extra voice, it is like she has grown the vocal chords of Hercules all in a small black soprano. I almost swoon when she sings. It's lovely.
So in homage to the new strings I have been trying to sing along with Bertha. If someone were to walk into my room and see me they would think "crazy man" and probably be true. As I don't know the words I've written them down and the song doesn't seem so long so the agony of hearing an out of tune voice with an in tune Ukulele is shall I say, unique. I strum the strings, (in calypso beat) start the count which is 4/4 and jump in with song. It is hilarious, it is so funny I keep stopping and laughing at myself. I can not believe the racket I am making as against all those wonderful vocalists who play along with their ukulele's and do manage to sing "you are my sunshine." The words of which I am realising are completely different to what I thought they were, except for the chorus.
The other night dear, as I lay sleeping
I dreamed I held you in my arms
But when I awoke, dear, I was mistaken
So I hung my head and I cried.
[Chorus]
You are my sunshine, my only sunshine
You make me happy when skies are grey
You'll never know dear, how much I love you
Please don't take my sunshine away
I'll always love you and make you happy,
If you will only say the same.
But if you leave me and love another,
You'll regret it all some day:
[Chorus]
You told me once, dear, you really loved me
And no one else could come between.
But now you've left me and love another;
You have shattered all of my dreams:
[Chorus]
In all my dreams, dear, you seem to leave me
When I awake my poor heart pains.
So when you come back and make me happy
I'll forgive you dear, I'll take all the blame.
You are my sunshine, my only sunshine
You make me happy when skies are grey
You'll never know dear, how much I love you
Please don't take my sunshine away.
It is strange how the time I spend with Bertha seems to fly by. I concentrate on the chords, I concentrate on the strumming pattern, examine with seriousness why a string doesn't quite sound the way it does when plucked. Adjust technique, try again, a little better, check the tunning, twiddle a nob, strum again, then try to put a pattern of chords together in what should be the music to a song and occasionally even sing. It is at this point after a dozen or so words I burst out into laughter at the result and am having the the greatest time ever, all on my own with Bertha. Sparkling has said to me on many occasions, it is the little things which matter. This is so very true. Little Bertha has a great voice a big heart and she makes me see the world in a whole different light. When I die I hope to go laughing, even if the skies are grey, sunshine is always behind a cloud.
No comments:
Post a Comment