I am converted to being a ukulele player now.

Hello everyone,

I used to think very poorly of the ukulele. A tinny sounding instrument that lacked any real depth or ability to go anywhere intricate like other instruments. It was cute and fitting for the Honolulu sunset but little more. I recant my views.

My background is strictly guitar based. I have a bunch, all of various kinds (from classical nylon string to downtuned 7 string) but now that I discovered ukulele I'm considering selling all but one of them. I think I found my instrument. I got drunk one night and picked up a concert uke online for about 100 francs and I regret nothing.

I think the most important thing about an instrument is how much enjoyment one can get from playing it. I have not enjoyed playing an instrument as much as my concert uke. The guitar is fun but it is also quite daunting because of the idea lurking in the back of the mind about how brilliant so many guitarists are and the general shame at not being able to sweep pick perfectly or whatever. I know one can become virtuoso in the uke (i.e. Jake Shimabukuro) but he is really the exception, no?

As a result picking up the ukulele lacks that feeling of obligation to improve. It feels like relaxation. It is a bright, positive instrument. When I pick it up it feels relaxing, the moment is just chilled. No pressure. Of course I'm just playing chords but perhaps just by doing that and learning the occasional new technique (currently working on triplet strum).

I guess one can push oneself hard to be the best uke player everywhere but I think that isn't really how it is with uke players. It's not really a race or a competition. Since coming online I've seen many communities, so many youtube channels, etc and everyone seems to be chilled and relaxed.

So, sorry to all uke players I bad-mouthed as an arrogant guitarist. The ukulele has a lot of history behind it and a lot of beautiful melodies and has the ability to play so much music. If you people were a cult I would be in it.

Cheers from Switzerland.

I don’t think there is anything to apologize for. Every human on the planet deals with baggage. As a 45 year old, I was raised with music (and thus am a music teacher), but the combination of the popularity of the guitar and the act of Tiny Tim made the ukulele a gimmick for me, too. It took my current teaching position and a need to find something else for my students to do for part of the year to consider ukulele. I remember seeing students start playing ukulele around 2010 when I was in my previous position—but wasn’t interested at that point. So I adopted ukulele into my current teaching position, and found out that I loved the instrument as well. I wasn’t “hooked” by Iz or “Hey, Soul Sister.” I was hooked going to a local jam seeing people (most 55+) getting together at least weekly to play and sing songs that they loved. As a music educator, that’s the ultimate goal...for people to become musically independent and to find community with others. Yes, there are a lot of community bands and orchestras that do the same thing—but these tend to be groups that draw musicians that have kept playing throughout their lives. The ukulele groups seem to attract a lot of players who are coming back to music—or involved with music—for the first time, even in retirement. I’m 100% for that, but also wonder what could happen if we gave our students this ability to be musically independent before becoming adults?

I was stopped in the hallway on Friday by another teacher who teaches a class that focuses on community, and she let me know that a student had given a presentation on their “passion.” The passion? Ukulele. This is a student that does their work in my class, but that’s about it. They always appear unhappy and as if they don’t want to be there. And it’s middle school and a required music class, so the outward expression is understandable. Meanwhile, that student apparently loves ukulele and told the class they would have never learned the instrument were it not for my class. That student will never say it to me. And they don’t have to. But that’s why I am doing what I am doing.

So...don’t feel too bad about your previous beliefs about ukulele...you don’t any more. And even more important is for you to tell your story to others. You might help someone else come around in their way of thinking, and more importantly, open their lives to an instrument that might bring them joy, too.

Welcome to the forum. I played guitar for almost 50 years before stumbling upon the uke almost 5 years ago. I joined a seniors group that meets 2 days a week and we do gigs often. I agree wholeheartedly that the ukulele is a much more embracing instrument, as well as are the people. I have not touched my 4 guitars since.

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8 tenor cutaway ukes, 3 acoustic bass ukes, 8 solid body bass ukes, 8 mini electric bass guitars

• Donate to The Ukulele Kids Club, they provide ukuleles to children's hospital music therapy programs. http://www.theukc.org
• Member The CC Strummers: https://www.youtube.com/user/CCStrummers/videos

Welcome to the fold, and congrats on your first uke. Nice that you recanted.
It's a shame, I think, that you had to get drunk to buy it, but sometimes, I guess, even booze has its usefulness.
I sold my guitars too.
BTW, our uke club's President's wife says our club is a cult.....
Happy strumming!

Welcome to UU. I am glad you got drunk that fateful night.

Welcome aboard.

Oh.....the evils of drink! :smileybounce::cheers::music:

Haha, I didn't need alcohol to raise my courage to buy it. I was enjoying my rum and I stumbled upon some videos of Jake (who seems like the nicest guy ever) and Iz playing "Over The Rainbow" and it just made me think differently about it. I went online and found a decently rated concert uke for under 100 franc and thought, well, why not give it a shot, I want to feel mellow and relaxed too.

But yeah, three cheers for wine.

Welcome to the cult, I mean club!

Unus pro omnibus, omnes pro uno!

We are a cult........didn't you get your funny looking hat and "decoder" ring in the mail yet.

Welcome to the forums!!