Ukulele Surge

Ian Boys

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I'm sure there have been topics related to this subject before, but I'm curious as to what might have caused the surge in the uke's popularity during the last few years (namely last year).


If you've taken up the uke recently... would you mind letting me know what prompted you to do so? I'm trying to see if there is a trend to be found...
 
The trend for me is that I heard the sound of it from someone playing some reggae, and I dug it. Also with the small neck, it's ideal for my small fingers in a way guitar is not.
 
Someone I met in Costa Rica on a tour group trip was playing a Hula Tenor Ukulele and he told me to try it out and i fell in love after the first chord i played
 
My aunt was learning how so I tried it out, and have been hooked. It seemed like a fun and different alternative to percussion I play. My mom and sister got ukes for Christmas, too.
 
I've been thinking about this a bit myself. I think it's the convergence of a lot of things.

Bruddah Iz and Jake Shimabukuro have become increasingly popular. This has raised the interest level in island music and let more mainstream listeners know that the uke isn't just a novelty instrument, but something that can, in the hands of a virtuoso player, sound freaking amazing.

For people from a more indie/rock background, the Magnetic Fields' Stephen Merritt has been a real booster for the instrument, though he's backed away from it recently. The documentary "Rock That Uke" has also really opened some people's eyes to the possibilities of the instrument-- when you see a ukulele punk band, or the guy who plays a soprano uke with forty or so pedals, you really see the instrument in a new light-- the uke can be a pretty punk-rock instrument.

There also seem to be an increasing number of companies making ukuleles at different price points-- it's easier to go from that first twenty-dollar cheapie to a decent beginner instrument for a hundred or two to (if the Ukulele Acquisition Syndrome really kicks in) the really nice quality instrument that may run you a grand or more. More variety, more innovative designs, more price points... all this attracts more new buyers.

Finally, it's hard to discount the impact of the internet and Web 2.0. Youtube videos seem to have influenced a lot of people's decision to pick up a uke. E-commerce and ebay have made ukuleles easier to purchase, no matter where you live. Uke tabs and chords can be found everywhere. Uke blogs are proliferating. And there's nice ukulele tools online-- like Sheep Entertainment's Ukulele Chord Finder and Tom Smith's Let's Play Ukulele make it easier to learn without a friend or a teacher to help you along.

Anyway, that's my take on it.
 
50 first dates was a big impact when Bruddah Iz graced the credits with Over the Rainbow.
 
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i listened to a three plus cd. that got me interested. that was some few years ago. then a good friend of mine move back to hawaii. so a few of us went over to visit him. while at the flea market, i decided to get one. and told myself if i get a decent one, i would dedicate what time i had to learning how to play. 8 months later.... here i am. crazy how things work out sometimes.
 
Well a cumulation of things for me... I played guitar and I liked it but the chording was so hard sometimes... I saw a uke for real cheap on ebay and thought hey I will try it. Got it and decided against it at the time. Uke sat around for a year then I was working nights and had nothing to do so I thought hey I will try to learn it. It was one of those 15 dollar mini sopranos so I could easily put it in my book bag and go. So I did and the rest is history. Been playing consistently for about a year and a half now...
 
Hmm... so I guess, from the looks of things, the ukulele has been getting more and more exposure as of late... and the more people who take it up, the more exposure it gets.... the more websites go up... the more professional musicians appear with them.... the more people end up influencing their friends to buy one and give it a try....

....the Ukulele Epidemic of the 21st Century.

Something along those lines.
 
Great discussion folks! Lots of insights. Three additional thoughts:

1. There is something very unique about the size and portability of the ukulele that is very attractive. You really can take it anywhere, unlike, say, a Hammond B3 organ. :rolleyes:

2. The uke also seems to fit with the DIY (Do It Yourself) aspect of contemporary urban technological culture. Its pretty amazing how many new ukulele clips appear on youtube per day and just how many different ukulele forums and blogs there are. :cool: Very different from, say, the world of dobros and weissenborns (which I am more familiar with), where there's only a few forums. :p

3. The exposure factor, as already discussed. I think its a great thing that there are increasingly more and more ukulele "ambassadors" in pop culture. For some folks its was Jake or Iz that turned them on to the uke. For me, it was, in part, Zach Condon's band Beirut. :D
 
I think the theories posited in this thread hold a lot of water.

For me, I just picked one up one day and fell in love with the sound of it, how it felt in my hands, and the portability factor.

I didn't hear Iz's "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" until after I'd picked one up. I heard Jake's "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," but that wasn't the impetus, either. I saw that video and just said to myself, "Damn. He's awesome. I'll never be able to play that instrument like he does."
 
I think the theories posited in this thread hold a lot of water.

For me, I just picked one up one day and fell in love with the sound of it, how it felt in my hands, and the portability factor.

I didn't hear Iz's "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" until after I'd picked one up. I heard Jake's "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," but that wasn't the impetus, either. I saw that video and just said to myself, "Damn. He's awesome. I'll never be able to play that instrument like he does."


haha seeso, your SAT words are making me feel dumb. i need to read more.:eek:
 
Many people got into acoustic music a few years ago. They picked up a guitar, and found it rather hard to play due to its size and the causes to your fingers.

They picked up a uke, a smooth similar way. And fell in love with it. Which is why I continued my uke playing. I played uke in 03, then played the guitar for about a year and went back.
 
Great discussion folks! Lots of insights. Three additional thoughts:
2. The uke also seems to fit with the DIY (Do It Yourself) aspect of contemporary urban technological culture. Its pretty amazing how many new ukulele clips appear on youtube per day and just how many different ukulele forums and blogs there are. :cool: Very different from, say, the world of dobros and weissenborns (which I am more familiar with), where there's only a few forums. :p

Really?
I mean, I agree to a point-- I talked as well about the proliferation of the uke on the internet, that it's becoming the poster instrument of Web 2.0, but I think there's a real DIY appeal to dobros.

I just got my first metal-body resonator uke and the fact that it's mostly metal makes me want to tinker with it more-- I've already purchased new tuners, and my next purchase, rather than another uke, will likely be a National cone.

I'm afraid of woodworking. Metal I can deal with.
 
I hear what you're saying Tad. :) Good points.

Another thought, based on what Degracia is saying: is the increasing popularity of the uke perhaps related also to the broader trend of the revival of interest in acoustic instruments across a variety of genres?

BTW, what kind of resonator uke do you have? I'd be interested to hear how your cone upgrade goes. I've read that those new "hot-rod" National Reso-phonic cones are the real deal. I'd love to get me a resonator uke one day to complement my squareneck six-stringers. :D
 
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I hear what you're saying Tad. :) Good points.

Another thought, based on what Degracia is saying: is the increasing popularity of the uke perhaps related also to the broader trend of the revival of interest in acoustic instruments across a variety of genres?

BTW, what kind of resonator uke do you have? I'd be interested to hear how your cone upgrade goes. I've read that those new "hot-rod" National Reso-phonic cones are the real deal. I'd love to get me a resonator uke one day to complement my squareneck six-stringers. :D

It's a Republic. As far as I can tell, it's a Johnson with different but comperable neck, headstock, and cone, (actually, I've heard several people claim it's a better cone than the Johnsons have out-of-the-box) and about two hundred bucks cheaper. It's a startup brand by this guy outta Texas, so I think he's trying to eke out a spot in the market by selling resos that are comparable to Johnsons and Regals that sell for a more modest price point.

It's my first resonator, but I'm pretty happy with it. As I said, there are a few things I'm planning on changing, over time, but overall, it was worth it at the price. Two hundred bucks for a metal body resonator is a good price. I figure if I put another hundred bucks or so, I'll have a much better quality instrument than one that cost that much out of the box.
 
I'm a parrothead, when Jake toured with Jimmy it just clicked for me...
 
Uke popularity?

About three years ago i was listening to XM satellite radio one night and heard an instrumental. I said, "What is that and who is that?" As it turned out it was Herb Ohta on uke. Hmmm. I got to look into this uke thing. What a pleasant sound. Then a few friends in my Western music community were playing uke. I started aquiring ukes off eBay, quite a few. I like the sound and similarity and difference compared to guitar. I've played guitar and mandolin for most of 50 years. The uke is a very pleasant change.
 
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