Retirement gives an opportunity to accomplish things that were impossible during hectic working days. Playing a musical instrument would be one accomplishment that might be worth working toward. I have had many pianos in my lifetime and played drums long ago, but no longer play. I wanted to have something to do while camping in my RV besides just camping.
The problem with music and RVs can be storage. There are several small instruments that are easy to store. At first, I tried taking online lessons on the harmonica. Got to lesson 3 and found that I could not bend a note. That, and the fact that I just did not have the lung capacity for this instrument, led to my decision to try something else.
I decided that a Ukulele would be fun to play and small enough to store in the motorhome. Purchased a pretty blue Soprano Ukulele and a beginner's book and am now on my way to learning.
The first week was rough on my tender fingertips. I could not practice for long periods of time due to the pain, so learning was slow and I was about to give up. I couldn't seem to learn and remember the chords. Making and remembering how to make a simple F chord was impossible.
I let my fingertips heal a bit and stayed off the instrument for a week. Then tried again to learn the basic cords. This time was a little easier. I learned the basics and followed along with several Youtube videos which were a great help. Found some sheet music I liked and started to play some easy songs.
Now into my third week I'm remembering chords and learning how to strum. The F chord is still hard for me to make as I have short fingers but I am on to harder chords now and learning them at a faster pace. I can play Three Little Birds, Tennessee Waltz, This Land Is Your Land, Dixie, and What A Day For A Daydream. I'm still having pain in my fingertips and can't play for long periods of time. Hoping that eventually will go away.
I'm looking forward to taking the Ukulele on my next camping trip in the RV.
