afeistyfiesta
Well-known member
I was in Sam Ash music the other day buying a couple sets of Ukulele Strings, and the guy says to me, "So, tell me...what the Hell is the deal with the ukulele, anyway? Why is it getting so popular all of the sudden?"
I didn't have a definitive answer for him....for those of you west of Cincinnati, Ohio, USA, you may not know that here in the 'nati, as we like to say, ukuleles have typically been a rare thing. When I first got my ukulele about 8 years ago (it is worth noting that I didn't start really playing it until about a year ago), I couldn't find ukulele anything anywhere (which is part of the reason I stopped playing so much). I couldn't so much as find a chord chart on the internet let alone in a store in Cincinnati, so I gave up.
About 3 years ago, however, I noticed that music shops started carrying base line kala and savannah ukuleles (the 20-50 dollar ones). Then about two years ago, method books started showing up, then strings, then about a year ago, more ukuleles. So I did another google search for ukulele about a year ago, and my web browser EXPLODED with results.
I told the guy I noticed the trend too. I told him that I attributed it to a combination of things. I said first of all, Paul McCartney and George Harrison both gave very high praise to the ukulele...George Harrison late in life called himself more of a ukulele player than anything else, and that it was by far his favorite instrument to play, and that it was pretty much all he ever played at home...Paul McCartney saying that he instantly respects and has a soft spot for any adult who plays the ukulele.
Then I told him about how 10 years ago, Eddie Vedder played "Soon Forget" on the uke at pretty much every show on their world tour. Then I pointed out that we're starting to see it permeate pop and indie music more, between Death Cab using it, Beirut, Jack Johnson, Jason Mraz, IZ music getting put into movies, and now Train, and then of course that dude playing IZ's version of Somewhere Over the Rainbow on American Idol, we're starting to see it all over the place.
I told him that that was the first part of why it is getting popular...the second part is that when people fiddle around on it, they can't not love it.
I told him that I don't think it was just a pop culture fad, and that I thought it is catching on because it actually is really fun, but if it IS just a fad, I don't care, because I love it.
So what do you guys think?
What the Hell is the deal with the ukulele, anyway?
I didn't have a definitive answer for him....for those of you west of Cincinnati, Ohio, USA, you may not know that here in the 'nati, as we like to say, ukuleles have typically been a rare thing. When I first got my ukulele about 8 years ago (it is worth noting that I didn't start really playing it until about a year ago), I couldn't find ukulele anything anywhere (which is part of the reason I stopped playing so much). I couldn't so much as find a chord chart on the internet let alone in a store in Cincinnati, so I gave up.
About 3 years ago, however, I noticed that music shops started carrying base line kala and savannah ukuleles (the 20-50 dollar ones). Then about two years ago, method books started showing up, then strings, then about a year ago, more ukuleles. So I did another google search for ukulele about a year ago, and my web browser EXPLODED with results.
I told the guy I noticed the trend too. I told him that I attributed it to a combination of things. I said first of all, Paul McCartney and George Harrison both gave very high praise to the ukulele...George Harrison late in life called himself more of a ukulele player than anything else, and that it was by far his favorite instrument to play, and that it was pretty much all he ever played at home...Paul McCartney saying that he instantly respects and has a soft spot for any adult who plays the ukulele.
Then I told him about how 10 years ago, Eddie Vedder played "Soon Forget" on the uke at pretty much every show on their world tour. Then I pointed out that we're starting to see it permeate pop and indie music more, between Death Cab using it, Beirut, Jack Johnson, Jason Mraz, IZ music getting put into movies, and now Train, and then of course that dude playing IZ's version of Somewhere Over the Rainbow on American Idol, we're starting to see it all over the place.
I told him that that was the first part of why it is getting popular...the second part is that when people fiddle around on it, they can't not love it.
I told him that I don't think it was just a pop culture fad, and that I thought it is catching on because it actually is really fun, but if it IS just a fad, I don't care, because I love it.
So what do you guys think?
What the Hell is the deal with the ukulele, anyway?