Why did you start to play the ukulele?

My best friend and decided to learn to play an instrument. She chose guitar, and because I have very small hands, decided to play the baritone ukulele. Since they are tuned similar, we were able to learn together. In the course of moving around, it got lost in the mix of life. Fast forward 44 years, and my husband wanted to me accompany him while he played harmonica. He had started playing more, after his terminally ill sister asked him to play at her funeral. I said maybe another baritone ukulele. That was about a year ago, and I have added all the sizes, and am enjoying it immensely.
 
I tried electric guitar, acoustic guitar and bass guitar, harmonica, penny whistle and even didgeridoo.
I was terrible at all of them.
I gave up for many years then saw a documentary on Sky arts about the ukulele.
The idea that it was easy to get the basics gave me hope.
Fortunately I had bought a ukulele for my Dad when he retired but unfortunately an injury to his fingers means it was incredibly painful for him to fret.
I borrowed the uke from him and the rest, as they say, is history.
 
I bought a Makala Dolphin ukulele soprano for my toddler at her music class for about $30. We used it as a "toy" for a few months until I finally looked up some stuff on the internet and learned the Barney I Love You song for her. Then Twinkle twinkle. And I was hooked and started learning other and adult songs. Have only been playing a few weeks now.

And not doing it the right way I am sure. I pick songs I like without regard to how difficult, and try to learn them. Serenaded my husband on Valentine's day with a modified version of you're the one that I want (modified the lyrics). This was because I heard the Lennings version on youtube and loved it, although mine doesn't sound much like theirs!

So fun and addicting. And have already bought 2 more ukes. A Luna Full Moon Tenor and a Lanikai solid mahagony tenor, both were about $250. And I am dreaming of more (KOA!), but will hold off for a while. I though I was splurging on the $250 tenors (!), wow there are so many to try out. I am going to restring that Makala with better strings I just ordered.

I wish there was something like a ukulele library, and you could borrow ukes for a bit and try them out and play with them.
 
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I travel a bit for work and wanted to stay creative while traveling. I didn't want to fly with my Baby Taylor. So, I bought a used concert to take on the trip. The uke is greatest travel instrument!
 
After years of guitar playing, a bit of bass and an attempt at mandolin the ukulele was always in the back of my mind. (I love stringed instruments :shaka:) So following a trip to Hawaii I started to get the bug. Then a pink Ohana soprano wound up at my house, which was used as a prop for one of my daughters plays, and was stuck in a corner looking at me and ukulele's started to sink in. After waiting long enough to see if this was just a passing interest I dove in with a Ana'ole tenor. now I'm on the hunt for a Super Concert.
 
janeray1940 said:
I was *in* an evaporating relationship right when I picked up the uke. And I knew it, but couldn't quite push myself to move on since there was a really long history there. When I started playing uke, the guy in question actually got jealous of it - of my all-consuming interest in something he had no aptitude for, of the new friends I made through playing music - and that made it easier for me to say goodbye and never look back. In a way, uke saved me from what was very much the proverbial life of quiet desperation. Thanks, uke! :)

I've been tempted by the ukulele bass lately myself. The rule I've set is that until I find one made in USA that has steel strings, I can't even consider it. I'm pretty good at making rules to keep the clutter down!
Click to expand...

So glad you met up with the ukulele!
 
Ukejenny said:
So glad you met up with the ukulele!
Click to expand...

Ha ha, me too :) Amazing how life-changing my first little cheapie uke turned out to be. I think that uke had magical powers - after I moved on to bigger and better ukes, I gave it to a former guitarist friend who needed a bit of life-changing herself. It got her back into playing music after years of thinking she couldn't due to hand pain.
 
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mama207 said:
I wish there was something like a ukulele library, and you could borrow ukes for a bit and try them out and play with them.
Click to expand...

Do you know other uke players in your area? I've found that for the most part, by asking around in person and even here on UU, people are often willing to let you borrow one of their ukes for a week or two to check it out. There have been several occasions when I've posted a question here asking about a specific brand or size or something, and have ended up meeting someone locally and borrowing a uke to try out. Joining a uke group is a good start for this.
 
Hand pain is a big reason for my taking up the uke as my main stringed instrument. I bought a dolphin uke years ago for my eldest daughter, and we played it some. I was intrigued, but involved with too many instruments already. Then tendonitis made guitar playing difficult, then it crept into banjo and finally I had too much pain to play my mandolin. I got a Mahalo Happy Face for Father's day, and a Luna Tattoo for my birthday. Both are easy enough to play that they don't hurt.

The ukulele really saved me from having to give up playing stringed instruments. I find I can play it for a good long while without pain, and I've come to appreciate the immense diversity of musical expression the little instrument is capable of.
 
Three and a half years ago, a friend gave my daughter a Dolphin. Being a good dad, I volunteered to help her learn some chords. An hour later, I was hooked. She stayed with the uke for a few months before moving on to other instruments (likely because if her old man liked it, it couldn't be cool!)
 
Great question, and a lot of great answers. I have spent may hrs lurking on this forum and this seems as good a place as any to dive in.

I tried to learn guitar starting in my early 20s and the bottom line is that I would just rather hear someone else play it than me. Wasn't getting good enough quick enough for it to be fun.

Fast forward 25+ years--my very musical 16 (now 17) year old son picks up the uke and a couple months later is playing in a talent show. I pick it up and realize that it just feels more doable to learn these chords. That night I have a very vivid dream in which I am playing original ukulele music apparently composed by my subconscious mind.

And off we go. Not that it's coming that easily to me, but it is fun enough that I've been practicing pretty much every day for the last 2 months. I am thrilled to have found my instrument.
 
I started in my mid-30's as a stress-reliever. I had zero musical background/ no musical experience. I'm nothing more than a chord strummer but I enjoy it/ like it/ good way to unwind after a crappy day at work. Plus a good community vibe for the instrument
 
I was looking for an instrument that would fit in my suitcase to take with me on vacations.
A bass was no option (I'm a bass player), and I couldn't find a small enough guitar.
I ended up with a ukulele and found a new best friend in the intrument.
Best choice ever!
 
Hi there,

I am new to this board. I started playing Bass Guitar at the age of 18 - 19. Then stopped cause of the lack of people to play with and started again at the age of 35. Then I was soaked in totally and practiced four years all scales and chord arpeggios on the bass, I started to write my own instrumentals and took lectures from a Jazzmusician. After that time I started a Duo called 2Bass and we performed regularly on Tuesdays in a local club. The event ran for 2 Years, then we broke cause of changed interest. That Solo experience on the Bass leaded me to be disappointed playing melodies that are beautiful arpeggio work but more or less only to hear amplified. So the consequent step was to search for a similar instrument not to start totally new. And what can I say: The Tenor Ukulele fits exactly my needs. So the fist was a cheap 20 € something buy. That was a total waste of money, so I got a new one. A KALA Tenor. That went to my lovergirl, who just kept it, so I needed to get myself a Lanikai Ukulele. You can understand that I play with a low G, as a formerly bassist. An introduction and the story how I became a Uke. I am addicted to fingerstyle stuff of any kind.

Cheers Bernd
 
Wouldn't it be cool to have ukulele contests for amateurs like guitar and fiddle players have?
 
Uku has always been part of my life for as long as I could remember. But guitar and drums were my main instruments.

I'm from a very beautiful Island and uku has always been part of most of the Islanders. Easy to transport, easy to tune and easy to play. And I guess it fits in with the Island setting. Don't know exactly how it got there, that's another story, that was before my time.
 
I've always admired the ukulele but when my wife bought me my first uke for Father's Day one year it was over. I was hooked.
 
i suppose i started playing for somewhat superficial reason at first; score chicks at the campfire/shindig/beach....and to learn a couple songs a particular hottie happens to like, but found something else entirely. i wasn't learning for me. i wasn't playing for my own enjoyment. i'd get frustrated and put it down for few days, and then came to this site read many posts about what this instrument is for different people, and adjusted my scope on what the ukulele is for me. since then it has literally save my life. some times it's the only thing enjoyable; to play music(first instrument since piano at age 7). so, now that i am a few months into the ukulele, sound it makes has been really uplifting; the diversity of the music that it can make is also a really great thing and a challenge as well. music really does soothe the soul.
 
janeray1940 said:
Ha ha, me too :) Amazing how life-changing my first little cheapie uke turned out to be. I think that uke had magical powers - after I moved on to bigger and better ukes, I gave it to a former guitarist friend who needed a bit of life-changing herself. It got her back into playing music after years of thinking she couldn't due to hand pain.
Click to expand...

That must be a healing, life affirming and changing ukulele. I'd like to play it!
 
I picked up the ukulele because, quite frankly, I was getting bored with playing all the other instruments that I've been blessed in learning how to play. Really, didn't know anything about the ukulele, until I did a bit of research about how it's tuned like the first four strings of the guitar capoed at the 5th fret. That, and the fact that I already knew the "My Dog Has Fleas" tuning...it was fairly easy to "get my feet wet" on playing the uke.
 
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