Kids and grownups are discovering how much fun it is to make their own music with the ukulele. Even though it has been popular for over a hundred years, many folks around the world have yet to try it out.
Many of us can remember learning the recorder in 4th grade and may not have tried to make music since those painful days. Push those whiny sounds out of your mind and prepare to join a fun community of smiles and sunshine.
The Ukulele (Ook-oo-Lay-Lee) stands apart from all other instruments in its ease to pick up and its ability to be a community-building instrument. Most instruments take time to learn and when you begin and make an effort, you find the barrier to entry into community with other players can be very high.
Not so with the ukulele. This community is very welcoming and accessible for all skill levels. Fellow strummers are just happy that you want to play. Most community clubs care more about involvement than expertise and will encourage you and help you learn along the way.
Here’s the short list of how to get started:
- Get a ukulele (obvious, I know)
- Get a tuner
- Take a lesson
- Choose a simple song with a melody you know
- Take your time
- Practice often
Starting is Simple
- Get a ukulele. Picking out a ukulele can be a bit intimidating, as there are a lot of options and nobody wants to get one that sounds awful or goes out of tune every few seconds (Chris recently went through the process of making his first purchase, you can see what he picked up here and our take on it). You can spend as little or as much as you want on a ukulele, and like most things trying them first is the best way to know if one is quality or not.
That being said, we know there aren’t thousands of ukuleles flooding storefronts for you to test out. Chances are you’re going to pick up your first ukulele on the internet. To help you out in the selection process, we’ve put together our top picks that are tried and tested models at different price points. I sent Chris this same shortlist when he picked out his first uke, check that out on our gear page.
If you want to do a bit more homework. I’d suggest calling up a ukulele club in your area. Yes, there probably is one near you! Ask what they recommend and any other questions you might have. I bet someone there will be willing to get you on the right track.
- Get a Tuner. Getting a tuner is an absolute must for beginners. You will need to tune frequently, and having a clip-on is probably the handiest way to go. But there are some pitfalls with some, as these are prone to blow through batteries, and coin batteries aren’t cheap nor do most folks have them laying around the house. We’ve highlighted some models on our favorite gear page that will keep you tuned up the longest before you have to track down another coin battery.
- Take a lesson. There are so many great lessons available for free online. Chris tested this ten day course (youtube) and this thirty-day course (youtube), he said both were a pretty helpful place to start. He actually blew through them over the course of a couple of days. We too have put together our own resource for you in which our team walks you through your first song. A simple youtube search will also bring in a wide range of options.
Many clubs also offer beginner sessions that walk you through your first steps to your first strums. If you called about ukulele suggestions you likely found that out already. I know there can be some intimidation for some of us when starting out, but ukulele clubs are very welcoming. - Choose a simple song with a melody you know. This instrument serves as a great accompaniment to your singing (no matter how good or bad you think that is we are just happy you are singing!). Finding songs you enjoy will help your learning remain fun. In our posts, we highlight many 2 and 3 chord songs that will help you start. We think you’ll find something in there that you like.
However, if choosing your own, we suggest picking one that has just 2 to 3 chords or has been arranged by someone for beginners to use just 2 to 3 chords. Again, be sure it is one you are familiar with, there is enough new material to learn at this stage.
Even though there are a lot of youtube videos out there sharing “super easy songs for beginners”, most are not good for a first song. What they are geared for is the beginner who has been strumming for several weeks to months.
An absolute beginner’s first song should be more along the lines of a nursery song. I often have people start with songs like “If you’re happy and you know it”, “This little light of mine” (where my church kids at?), and “Mary Had a Little Lamb”.
The main goal of your first song is to learn your first chords, how to strum in rhythm, how to change chords in time, and sing while doing all of the above at the same time.
You’ll be advancing to more “radio-friendly” songs before long. It’s just a short progression for most folks to get to. - Take your time while singing and strumming through your song. This is important to both help develop good rhythm and avoid frustration. Play the song slow enough for you to make it through your chord progressions. If you’re attempting to play at normal tempo you’ll find that you are unable to transition between chords fast enough, which will result in a choppy strum pattern, and something that doesn’t resemble the song you’re attempting to play.
By slowing the tempo down to match your chord transition speed, strumming on only one beat, or with each chord change also helps. But sing, sing from the beginning. One of the hardest things to pick up is strumming and singing at the same time. By doing it from the beginning, slowly working up to normal temp will help you progress faster and avoid frustrations later on down the road. - Practice Often. In the early stages, you’ll want to practice every day. Make it a goal to commit to 30 days of playing. If you can practice daily for 30 days you’ll be amazed at what kind of mental and muscle memory you will develop. The human body is truly an amazing creation. Give yourself enough time to work through simple chord changes and several rounds of playing and singing your song.
Unlike most instruments, the ukulele isn’t loud so your friends and family won’t be too frustrated with your first attempts. So don’t stress about your progress, enjoy this step. Listen to each chord shape. If they don’t sound clear and clean work on your chord shaping and always make sure you are in tune.
Beyond that, repeat steps 3-5 while you grow, master a song, learn more, and have fun making your own music.
Once you have mastered your first 4 chords (C, F, G, Am) you are ready to play more songs than you thought possible. You can see those chords in the graphic below. If you’re new to these chord charts, for now, just note that the orange dots represent your fingers holding down a string, the verticle lines are strings, and the horizontal lines are frets. Notice that two of these chords only require one strong finger to shape. Even better!
Remember to Have Fun
Ukulele is fun. Take your time with this great gift. Enjoy singing and strumming and don’t get frustrated because you can’t do it all. You will pick up songs quickly and as you play more your technique and skill will develop.
This instrument is fun from day one and can be taken to insane levels of skill, check out these two videos for a small taste of that.
Grab your uke, tune it up, and join us as we have a blast making our own music!