Instrument – Steve Colby

A director and cinematographer based in Atlanta, Georgia, Steve Colby has served as director of Pogo Pictures for more than two decades. Outside of his work with the award-winning production company, Steve Colby enjoys playing instruments such as the piano, guitar, and ukulele.

Playing an instrument has numerous proven benefits, including stress reduction. Listening to and playing music has a physiological effect on the body, lowering the blood pressure and slowing the heart rate, which contributes to a feeling of calm. Additionally, music stimulates the brain and improves cognitive functions such as memory and abstract reasoning.

Improving at a musical instrument increases discipline, as it requires daily practice, time management, and patience. Playing music takes not just technical skill, but also personal expression. Individuals who can express themselves through music tend to be more creative in other areas as well. Finally, learning an instrument activates both sides of the brain, which strengthens both short-term and long-term memory. According to a 2013 study, even short-term musical training helped individuals retain sharp processing of speech sounds and reduced age-related hearing loss.

Steve Colby is an Atlanta, Georgia-based entrepreneur who guides Pogo Pictures, where he creates impactful ad campaigns for a wide range of brands and vacation locales. A music enthusiast, Steve Colby enjoys playing instruments such as the violin, guitar, piano, and ukulele.

An ideal instrument for beginners that features only four strings and manageable frets a short distance apart, the ukulele has a standard tuning of G-C-E-A. This makes it ideal for songs in the key of G, ranging from traditional Hawaiian tunes to those by songsmiths such as Bob Dylan and Bob Marley.

One aspect of playing that gives the ukulele a distinctive sound is the strumming pattern. One syncopated style that works well with a variety of songs is a downward strum, followed by five down-up-down strum patterns. This is capped with a down-up strum before the sequence repeats.

A popular attraction of standard ukuleles is that they pair well with other types of ukuleles, such as soprano and baritone models. One style that works well in duo settings is to have one player play chords while the other picks a melody line. With practice, players can switch off at will. And if both can sing in harmony, that makes songs even more memorable.

Category: Instrument

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