In learning ukulele,especially when either learning a new technique or when learning it as a 2nd instrument,(especially if you play say,guitar or other stringed instrument) it's absolutely necessary to approach the uke on an inner level from a total beginner's mind.
what do I mean by this? There's an ancient tale about a very wise sage who has a visitor who was a very learned individual in a different school of wisdom. He wanted to learn from this master,so he visited him at his house.
Well,once our visitor got comfortable,and the sage started sharing what he knew,our friend started interjecting his opinions,thoughts,etc. So the sage decided to serve tea. He poured tea into the guest's cup,and when it reached the brim,he kept pouring the tea so that it overflowed the cup,poured onto the table,and onto the floor. The visitor said "Stop! What are you doing???" "Your mind is like this cup.....you arrived with it already full of your own ideas. How can I fill your cup when you arrived with it already being filled?"
From youth,we're taught to outwardly show how smart we are,usually by relating what we're learning to what we already know. This,unfortunately,is the "ego mind" at work. And what usually happens when we do this is we get so busy showing how qualified or insightful we are to someone that we totally miss out on learning from them.
So- go into your ukulele zen with no preconceived notions,and be totally open to whatever it is you're learning.
what do I mean by this? There's an ancient tale about a very wise sage who has a visitor who was a very learned individual in a different school of wisdom. He wanted to learn from this master,so he visited him at his house.
Well,once our visitor got comfortable,and the sage started sharing what he knew,our friend started interjecting his opinions,thoughts,etc. So the sage decided to serve tea. He poured tea into the guest's cup,and when it reached the brim,he kept pouring the tea so that it overflowed the cup,poured onto the table,and onto the floor. The visitor said "Stop! What are you doing???" "Your mind is like this cup.....you arrived with it already full of your own ideas. How can I fill your cup when you arrived with it already being filled?"
From youth,we're taught to outwardly show how smart we are,usually by relating what we're learning to what we already know. This,unfortunately,is the "ego mind" at work. And what usually happens when we do this is we get so busy showing how qualified or insightful we are to someone that we totally miss out on learning from them.
So- go into your ukulele zen with no preconceived notions,and be totally open to whatever it is you're learning.