My way to luthiery actually began at 80's when I build my first crappy electric guitar. Or something like that, becouse it wasn't anything what I could call guitar now. It was almost unplayable shitty somethinglikeguitar, but it was enought then. It gave me electric shocks and sound was terrible and fuzzy, but then it was ok and I played 3-chords rock or punk or something in my parents garage with my friends and it was fun. I probably break that "guitar" or burn it or something years and years ago. There is no pics from these days and that is good.
I have always liked music, musical instruments and playing. I have never learned to play any instrument very well, but it is pretty easy to me learn basics of any instrument. I have studied piano and some music theory (it was bad mistake to quit that) when i was kid, and I think it has helped me to understand other instruments. During my life I have collect or bought or got or found instruments to my home, and now I have several guitars, bass, doublebass, piano, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, tuba, balalaika, banjo, more than 10 ukuleles, percussions, flutes and exotic instruments from my trips. And counting, and maybe too fast.
About 15 years ago I saw funny little guitar ar local music shop. I knew it was ukulele, but didn't know how to tune or play it. So bought it, becouse I wanted to know. I start to play it and it was fun. At first it was pretty easy to learn basics, but later I realised, that I can be very challenging instrument too. At 2016 I was at workshop by wonderful Derick Sebastian, and after workshop I went to club where he performed. I met there nice lady Outi Koivuniemi, who told me that she teach ukulele players and she had dreamed about biggest ukulele band in Finland. That sounds so crazy that I said I am in immediatly. After that rest is history. In 3 years we, Tampereen Ukuleleorkesteri (Ukulele Orchestra of Tampere) had about 40 players, had over 100 gigs in Finland and abroad, we are training once in a week and it is so fun. And we are biggest ukeorchestra in Finland. I have got many new friends, met interesting people and see world top players, play with them and sometimes take some beers too. I play also in other band called Huojuva Komppi, and there is no other ukeplayers than me, thanks god. I also enjoy playing in jam sessions with other players too.
I am curious and analytic person if I want to be. I had some ukuleles and I have played hundreds of them and I thought why some are better, some are more expensive and some are more beautiful. What they have inside and why. Why other are lighter, why other are louder, why other have better sustain etc etc. At same time I had more sparetime than I need and I thought I need a new hobby. I started analyzing myself and mostly my weakness. I am impatient, sloppy and I have a lack of perseverance. So, I decided to leave my comfort zone and do something about it. I went community college's guitar building course. I met there my teacher, mentor and guru luthier Harri Kauppila. I told him that I want to build ukulele. Just do it, he told me. Then he told me, that he had never do any ukuleles, just guitars, but he thought that methods are mostly same. As they are. Mostly. I had a feeling, that there could be something that guitarbuilder doesnt know so I contact Mr Shane Heighway, whom I had met before and I knew he had made very good ukuleles. I asked if he can help me, if there is something I should know about ukulelebuilding. And there was. And there will be. Many things. Shane has been very helpful and he had told me many things about building, materials and tools. I have to really say thanks to those two masters. And many others too.
At spring 2019 I start thinking that it is time to take next step. I decided to apply IKATA, which is internationally respected luthier school at Ikaalinen and it is only 50 kilometres from my home. I got in, and this is blog about it. Sorry about written mistakes and grammar, I try my second best.
Kari Tuurna
I have always liked music, musical instruments and playing. I have never learned to play any instrument very well, but it is pretty easy to me learn basics of any instrument. I have studied piano and some music theory (it was bad mistake to quit that) when i was kid, and I think it has helped me to understand other instruments. During my life I have collect or bought or got or found instruments to my home, and now I have several guitars, bass, doublebass, piano, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, tuba, balalaika, banjo, more than 10 ukuleles, percussions, flutes and exotic instruments from my trips. And counting, and maybe too fast.About 15 years ago I saw funny little guitar ar local music shop. I knew it was ukulele, but didn't know how to tune or play it. So bought it, becouse I wanted to know. I start to play it and it was fun. At first it was pretty easy to learn basics, but later I realised, that I can be very challenging instrument too. At 2016 I was at workshop by wonderful Derick Sebastian, and after workshop I went to club where he performed. I met there nice lady Outi Koivuniemi, who told me that she teach ukulele players and she had dreamed about biggest ukulele band in Finland. That sounds so crazy that I said I am in immediatly. After that rest is history. In 3 years we, Tampereen Ukuleleorkesteri (Ukulele Orchestra of Tampere) had about 40 players, had over 100 gigs in Finland and abroad, we are training once in a week and it is so fun. And we are biggest ukeorchestra in Finland. I have got many new friends, met interesting people and see world top players, play with them and sometimes take some beers too. I play also in other band called Huojuva Komppi, and there is no other ukeplayers than me, thanks god. I also enjoy playing in jam sessions with other players too.
I am curious and analytic person if I want to be. I had some ukuleles and I have played hundreds of them and I thought why some are better, some are more expensive and some are more beautiful. What they have inside and why. Why other are lighter, why other are louder, why other have better sustain etc etc. At same time I had more sparetime than I need and I thought I need a new hobby. I started analyzing myself and mostly my weakness. I am impatient, sloppy and I have a lack of perseverance. So, I decided to leave my comfort zone and do something about it. I went community college's guitar building course. I met there my teacher, mentor and guru luthier Harri Kauppila. I told him that I want to build ukulele. Just do it, he told me. Then he told me, that he had never do any ukuleles, just guitars, but he thought that methods are mostly same. As they are. Mostly. I had a feeling, that there could be something that guitarbuilder doesnt know so I contact Mr Shane Heighway, whom I had met before and I knew he had made very good ukuleles. I asked if he can help me, if there is something I should know about ukulelebuilding. And there was. And there will be. Many things. Shane has been very helpful and he had told me many things about building, materials and tools. I have to really say thanks to those two masters. And many others too.
At spring 2019 I start thinking that it is time to take next step. I decided to apply IKATA, which is internationally respected luthier school at Ikaalinen and it is only 50 kilometres from my home. I got in, and this is blog about it. Sorry about written mistakes and grammar, I try my second best.
Kari Tuurna
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