You know what? I think the ukulele is pretty cool.
I’ve been playing guitar for many, many years. I’ve got a bit of a collection and it is wonderful thinking of the history behind each instrument. I have even recorded a few things in my time.
The ‘uke’ has been growing in popularity recently. There is even an orchestra and a whole host of different ‘ukejams’ going on around the world.
I have now picked up my very own (called Layla… as in ‘uke-layla’.. groan….) and love it. Why are they just so sweet?
- EASY TO LEARN: Four strings. Very quick to get the initial chord shapes going, although as the tuning is different from a guitar I felt a bit like a sprawling kitten to begin with. Anyone can get going very, very quickly. I learned about four chords before heading to my first jam session and learned the rest as the evening went on! The fact that the strings are typically nylon avoids newbie fingers being cut to shreds as well.
- CHEAP! A basic ukulele can be yours for about £25. As a result, great for children. When my eight year-old daughter plays with my guitars I am half excited, half petrified, and find myself edging closer to her ‘just in case’ ! If she takes to the ‘uke’, and I really think she will, I intend to get her one of her own! Of course, if you get really into it, you can spend more money to get something of a bit more quality…
- TINY! Ukuleles are really small. As a result, they are immensely portable. When I played in a band, I was forever lugging flight cases and amplifiers about. My ukulele weighs about the same as my mobile phone.
- SMILE! You can’t stop smiling when playing a ukulele. The tone and action, and in particular, the ‘jam’ feeling when playing in a group are great.
If you (or a child?) are thinking of learning a musical instrument, or want to try something new, then I heartily recommend picking one up. You could then join the whole social experience by popping along to a jam session!
UPDATE: I was remiss in not mentioning the particular ‘ukejam’ session that I have been intending. Especially since it was the final push in convincing me to get my own ukulele. Please check out the Godalming-based Ukejam as it is wonderful. Thanks to Claire (in the comments section) for pointing this out.
Still need convincing? Here are a couple of videos!