Another benefit

James Hill taught that the uke is a vocal training instrument. He said if you can sing the song, its easier to learn the whole song.

I got chastised for not singing in my first efforts at video with the uke. It was a good chastising because now I firmly believe like the majority that playing uke and vocalizing is important. Why? There are many reasons I've found out. But the main thing is: A voice has to practice just like you practice playing uke. Singing songs is better now - I think.

Anyways with all this playing uke and trying to sing, I had forgot I'm in a tonal language country.

In prior attempts to learn the language, I resigned myself that I had no clue how to figure out the tones.

Well..... I put in another learning course and I was easily identifying and articulating the tones myself.

AHA. AHA. AAAAHHHAAA..

Thanks Uke!! Thanks for making me try to sing. even if its singing badly, its still singing.

You know- I have spent the last twenty years convinced my wife was tone deaf. Now, I ain't the best singer, especially nervous, but I can tell relative vocal pitch...she never could.
Until I put an Ukulele in her hand. The other night, I heard her practicing, and normally I would go join in...but this time she was singing too! I figured I would leave well enough alone (she will take me joining as an excuse to listen most times) and realized pretty quickly she had found the notes and can sing. Whether she ever does it on a video is another story, but the song she was learning took her about 15 minutes after she opened up and sang it along (Townes' Pancho and Lefty...little New Years tribute).

You don't have to be able to sing to play/enjoy the uke. My 2¥ worth.

It's true of any instrument. If you're site reading a song, every band director will tell you that if you can't sing it, you have no hope of playing it.

But as for singing and playing, I still can't. I do practice, but I just can't. I can walk and chew gum. I can pat my head and rub my belly. I could march and play back in the day. I could sing back in the day. But I can't sing AND play at the same time.

Thanks Uke!! Thanks for making me try to sing. even if its singing badly, its still singing.

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You bet! The reason I picked up the uke in the first is cuz I like to sing
DAP

For all the years I was a drummer, I ALWAYS sang the lyrics to every song in my head while the band was playing. This was not only because I could rarely hear the singer over my own bashing, but because it helped me "understand" the song and how to play behind it. I think the same works for ukulele on many levels.