He indeed can also play guitar, bass, plus the piano and the drums. He’s something of a natural talent with music, in canon, which does make sense, since from what we see/know of Homeworld, it uses musical tones in a lot of their tech, and Greg is also a musician.
Steven is a freaking beast when it comes to music, have you ever tried to play Peace and Love on the ukulele?
Geneseepaws
Crystals can be tuned to certain frequencies. It’s pretty neat. Acutron watches used tuning forks for typing, but all the later battery powered watches use crystals.
Geneseepaws
Err: timing. fingers are for typing, crystals are for timing”
Unless I am wrong – and I am never [not usually] wrong, Steven Universe plays ukulele, guitar, bass, and drums – the three latter he plays in Steven and the Stevens, to name one. And he sings, obviously. He can’t help it if he makes a scene.
SeanC
Stepping out of his hot pink limousine.
Human
He’s turning heads and he’s stopping traffic
When he poses they scream and when he jokes they laugh
Steven also plays the guitar, drums, and bass, though. He also turns things into instruments, like Peridot’s drill, so I don’t think he’d let Sal put him out. They could have stunning duets.
“Also it can be totally cool to have a roommate //
Even if you don’t get along //
Maybe she tried to drown you and the entire planet //
Or she’s just a jerk with a lizard, anyway, you can siiiiing a soooooooong…”
Rebecca Sugar self-described her ukulele playing as something like “unique” or “non-trained” or “non-textbook”. However, listen to her demos, or live, and so much of the underpinnings of the uke on the show is already there. She’s a bit modest in her self-assessment, methinks.
The great thing about ukelele is that if you have any kind of music background, particularly guitar, you can figure pretty much all of it out. They sell whole books of chords, etc, but even more than guitar, anyone with a good ear can play anything they want on it if they put their mind to it.
So I’m gonna say that Sugar wasn’t necessarily being modest- nowhere in your quote did she denigrate her own playing; all she said is that she never, like, took lessons in ukelele.
Like many amazing musicians and songwriters, I’m pretty sure you could put her in front of any instrument she’s never seen before in her life and she could do something cool with it, even if someone who plays it professionally would be like “you’re not using the right fingering!”
Joy
mood!
thejeff
Reminds me of Ian Anderson, Jethro Tull’s flautist, discovering after decades of celebrated flute-playing that he was doing it wrong. 🙂
He was self-taught and he learned when his daughter took lessons that his fingering was all wrong. He relearned it because the “correct” way actually was easier to play, but it took a while to convince himself.
Ed Rhodes
I’m also reminded of Adolph (Arthur) “Harpo” Marx who was self taught on the harp! After they’d become established stage stars, Harpo tried to hire someone to teach him to play “properly,” the guy pretty much said “Move the harp onto the other shoulder and don’t change a thing!”
Roborat
There is no such thing as correct fingering, it is whatever works for you and the situation.
(nah but the best thing to do with strike anywhere matches is light them on your teeth.)
Mr. Bulbmin
I like using my forehead to strike matches, because people don’t remember that strike-anywhere matches exist and it’s hilarious to see people freak out that my head makes fire.
I know a serious ukulele player who would probably be torn between fighting Sal over that comment and looking at Danny like, “Okay, he’s probably not the best rep for us.”
Ukulele is a real instrument, and if Danny works really hard at it he may someday be a real ukulele player.
Or is it ukulele is a real instrument and most ukulele players aren’t XYZ (using it to substitute for personality?
I always have to re-tune after using a tuner or tuning app for it to sound right. Decades ago, I got a Sal-like reaction from my cousin when he saw me using a tuning fork. “Why don’t you just tune by ear?”
208 thoughts on “Tune”
Ana Chronistic
she’s playin’ ya laik a fiddle, Danno
Arawn
I’d actually be interested in her holding him up to her chin and playing him with a bow… but strumming or plucking would be fine.
Sean Dillon
Hell, try telling Steven Universe he doesn’t play a real instrument.
DailyBrad
Steven can also play guitar, I think. I’m not positive about that, though.
Some1
He plays guitar here https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=f8kHSyeM8_Q
And piano here https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=uZQmOLxE7xQ
And drums (and maybe bass) here https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=P-cx0qToGhU
Lapin
He indeed can also play guitar, bass, plus the piano and the drums. He’s something of a natural talent with music, in canon, which does make sense, since from what we see/know of Homeworld, it uses musical tones in a lot of their tech, and Greg is also a musician.
Commodore Counterintuitive
Steven is a freaking beast when it comes to music, have you ever tried to play Peace and Love on the ukulele?
Geneseepaws
Crystals can be tuned to certain frequencies. It’s pretty neat. Acutron watches used tuning forks for typing, but all the later battery powered watches use crystals.
Geneseepaws
Err: timing. fingers are for typing, crystals are for timing”
Robbie
Unless I am wrong – and I am never [not usually] wrong, Steven Universe plays ukulele, guitar, bass, and drums – the three latter he plays in Steven and the Stevens, to name one. And he sings, obviously. He can’t help it if he makes a scene.
SeanC
Stepping out of his hot pink limousine.
Human
He’s turning heads and he’s stopping traffic
When he poses they scream and when he jokes they laugh
Human
Steven also plays the guitar, drums, and bass, though. He also turns things into instruments, like Peridot’s drill, so I don’t think he’d let Sal put him out. They could have stunning duets.
Some1
I feel like it would just be Steven trying to get Sal to open up while singing about how she should talk to Amazi-Girl.
Bagge
“Also it can be totally cool to have a roommate //
Even if you don’t get along //
Maybe she tried to drown you and the entire planet //
Or she’s just a jerk with a lizard, anyway, you can siiiiing a soooooooong…”
ValdVin
My ear is not coming up with the tune you’re riffing.
Bagge
I made it up 🙂
ValdVin
Rebecca Sugar self-described her ukulele playing as something like “unique” or “non-trained” or “non-textbook”. However, listen to her demos, or live, and so much of the underpinnings of the uke on the show is already there. She’s a bit modest in her self-assessment, methinks.
Historyman68
The great thing about ukelele is that if you have any kind of music background, particularly guitar, you can figure pretty much all of it out. They sell whole books of chords, etc, but even more than guitar, anyone with a good ear can play anything they want on it if they put their mind to it.
So I’m gonna say that Sugar wasn’t necessarily being modest- nowhere in your quote did she denigrate her own playing; all she said is that she never, like, took lessons in ukelele.
Like many amazing musicians and songwriters, I’m pretty sure you could put her in front of any instrument she’s never seen before in her life and she could do something cool with it, even if someone who plays it professionally would be like “you’re not using the right fingering!”
Joy
mood!
thejeff
Reminds me of Ian Anderson, Jethro Tull’s flautist, discovering after decades of celebrated flute-playing that he was doing it wrong. 🙂
He was self-taught and he learned when his daughter took lessons that his fingering was all wrong. He relearned it because the “correct” way actually was easier to play, but it took a while to convince himself.
Ed Rhodes
I’m also reminded of Adolph (Arthur) “Harpo” Marx who was self taught on the harp! After they’d become established stage stars, Harpo tried to hire someone to teach him to play “properly,” the guy pretty much said “Move the harp onto the other shoulder and don’t change a thing!”
Roborat
There is no such thing as correct fingering, it is whatever works for you and the situation.
Ferret
Phrasing, boom.
Passchendaele
*instinctively plays Desperado*
Stephen Bierce
And with that, I’m taking the rest of the week off. *hands Pass the controls to the Muzak*
Passchendaele
*accepts the controls*
*relishes in the power*
Doctor_Who
I wonder what someone going mad with power while in control of the Muzak is like. Probably like that John Mulaney routine.
Roborat
If it is anything like my daughter, we will only be hearing 45 seconds worth of any given song.
Passchendaele
Six continuous hours of rickrolling. 😛
Reltzik
PLAY FREEBIRD!
Meta
I like that portrayal of the sound of tuning
Nicster216
Wait, did sal just use her breast to light that match? BADASS
MM
No, she just gripped it, concentrated, and it burst into flame.
Bagge
That’s how hot she is
Yumi
Fire boobs would be so conflicting to me. My fear of fire meets my love of boobs.
Marsh Maryrose
Come, fill that Cup, and in the Fire-Boob of Spring
That Winter-garment of Repentance fling!
Bicycle Bill
You noticed that too, did you?
Swissaboo
strike. ANYWHERE.
Swissaboo
(nah but the best thing to do with strike anywhere matches is light them on your teeth.)
Mr. Bulbmin
I like using my forehead to strike matches, because people don’t remember that strike-anywhere matches exist and it’s hilarious to see people freak out that my head makes fire.
Roborat
It is just a little cool tonight.
Yumi
I know a serious ukulele player who would probably be torn between fighting Sal over that comment and looking at Danny like, “Okay, he’s probably not the best rep for us.”
MM
But his jaunty cap!
TemperaryObsessor
Ukulele is a real instrument, and if Danny works really hard at it he may someday be a real ukulele player.
Or is it ukulele is a real instrument and most ukulele players aren’t XYZ (using it to substitute for personality?
Lapin
Try telling Hawai’i the ukulele isn’t a real instrument. (Because it is, and seriously, watch some videos of some of the serious practitioners)
Yumi
It can be played so beautifully/awesomely.
Anyway, here’s “Wonderwall.”
TrueVCU
Fact: whenever Sal plays any instrument the noises spontaneously form Smoke on the Water
ValdVin
Dave Barry wrote that if you throw an electric guitar down a cliff, the series of collisions will play “Smoke on the Water” naturally.
Needfuldoer
What if you burn it to the ground with a flare gun?
MM
Then it skips straight to “fire in the sky,” duh.
D-Doc
Did…did she light a match off her shirt????
ZerglingOne
Looked like off of her boob as well.
I’m no boob expert, being a guy, but that seems like it would hurt.
Danni
she could have a match book
Koms
More like a match boob amirite?
Remmington Steele
On a technical issue, she could be wearing a bra although from the drawing it would seem unlikely.
Joy
strapless?
Danni
*strums careless whisper*
Derek
Did Sal learn how to play the guitar in the Catholic boarding school?
or is this a crossover skill from the Roomies verse?
Dean
No, she learned to play the pipe organ. That’s what Sal considers a ‘real instrument’.
Tacos
What about a didgeridoo or a theremin then?
Eldritch Gentleman
So basically if you don’t need heavy machines to move it, it’s not a real instrument?
3-I
She snuck into the belltower late at night to play heavy metal on the carillon.
If your instrument doesn’t need a building to be built AROUND it, it’s not a real instrument.
thejeff
Doesn’t the sneaking become pretty irrelevant as soon as you start to play?
I guess if it’s a short song and you’ve got your escape route planned…
Roborat
Yea, she never managed to get in more than the first four notes of Smoke on the Water before she had to run away.
BBCC
I love this so much.
– Personal info about Sal! *squee*
– Sal ribbing Danny! Yay!
– Sal’s face when she hears about his ‘tuning app’. Oh, Sal. Same.
– “Played” an instrument. So she doesn’t now? Interesting.
– She stops lighting her cigarette so she could tune the ukulele.
– Ukulele jokes. XD
I love this strip.
Tacos
Well it’s nice to see that he seems to be serious about learning to play that ukulele. Even got a tuning app.
Roborat
Don’t see what is wrong with a tuning app. I use one with my guitars. However, in my defense, I have a slight hearing impairment.
Old Fart
I always have to re-tune after using a tuner or tuning app for it to sound right. Decades ago, I got a Sal-like reaction from my cousin when he saw me using a tuning fork. “Why don’t you just tune by ear?”
Keulen