Why do you play the Ukulele?

I know that sounds like a silly question but bear with me a second.
I play the ukulele because of how it makes me feel. It is FUN.
I play alone.
I also play the mandolin but I sound better on the ukulele faster and easier.
Reasons could be:
Tradition - someone in family played

Being unique

Sound - I still like the sound of the mandolin better than any other insturment but I cant get that sound out of one! I love the sound of the uke and am getting some of that sound out of it already.

The island mentality - just want to take the island sound around with you.

Found a Ukulele

Lost a bet

Because it is easy to play at the start and has tremendous upside for Jake like sounds.

Just wondered........

It's different. It gets double takes and people ask stupid things like, "Why do you play a toy guitar?" It is limited too. To play things on a uke takes innovation to get over the limited range.

But at the same time, it just makes people smile. Can't ask for more than that.

I first started playing just for fun, like it was a novelty thing. Even now I wouldn't consider it a "serious instrument" because I do still play it for fun. It just like how it's so accessible and you can play with others easily.

And now it's like my thing. When someone once referred to me as the "ukulele guy" I knew I couldn't stop

it makes me happy

Well I started when I was 6 years old - I got it with S&H Green Stamps. I never played it seriously because I wasn't a natural and who ever heard of ukulele lessons in 1961? My family sure didn't. I took piano lessons... my mother was a piano teacher. Odd, I can't play the piano at all...

I really didn't start playing the uke until 1999. I picked one up on a lark, and really dug it. I played my guitar less and less until now, when I don't really play the guitar at all anymore. I took myself too seriously and overly self-critical when playing the guitar - it stopped being fun. I'm lousy on the uke, but it's totally fun because I can somehow give myself permission to just be a dork.

Dorks have more fun.
And the uke has gotten a cool factor here in the San Francisco Bay Area, so now I'm a cool dork... yep, I be cool, chillin' with mah uku...

uke142464 said:

it makes me happy

Click to expand...

I feel the same way!

Started playing it because all my roommates did (all from da aina)... and when they all moved out of state, I missed all the jam sessions that we had. Plus it's relaxing, frustrating when first learning it but satisfying.

2 reasons...
1) the tenor Uke just feels the most natural to me. Of all the different scales of guitars, basses and misc. other things I've played in my life, the tenor Uke just seems to fit.
2) it's different, it really stands out as not an everyday thing. People are impressed that you can make real music from one. I've gotten gigs just walking down the street carrying my case.

My grandpa used to play ukulele and sing for the family. We ended up with his old baritone, and I picked it up for fun when I wasn't playing guitar. Didn't get too serious about it at first. On a very long trip to Kaua'i a few years ago, I went into Bounty Music hoping to find a cheap guitar or uke to mess around on, and ended up splurging on a Kamaka soprano. Since then it's been my constant travel companion, and it's so relaxing to play.

mentalfloss said:

I know that sounds like a silly question but bear with me a second.
I play the ukulele because of how it makes me feel. It is FUN.
I play alone.
I also play the mandolin but I sound better on the ukulele faster and easier.
Reasons could be:
Tradition - someone in family played

Being unique

Sound - I still like the sound of the mandolin better than any other insturment but I cant get that sound out of one! I love the sound of the uke and am getting some of that sound out of it already.

The island mentality - just want to take the island sound around with you.

Found a Ukulele

Lost a bet

Because it is easy to play at the start and has tremendous upside for Jake like sounds.

Just wondered........

Click to expand...

Great thread! I play 'cos it reminds me of Hawaii. When I play I know that somewhere there's someone having a really fun time on a beach somewhere, especially when I'm stuck in grey, rainy London!

I love the sound of the uke, and it makes me happy / smile.

I can also play it in cramped spaces, lol.

If I don't play at least 3 hours a day my wife gets mad.....oops wrong thread.

A couple years ago I heard a Jason Mraz song and wanted to be the first person to play it on a trombone but the music store only had ukuleles.

Hmm... doesn't Jason Mraz sing a song called I'm Yours or something?

I'm attempting to play the ukulele because I like that they're considered a "fun" instrument. Skill levels from sucky, good to great still lends plenty of entertainment and fun. I like that the uke is simple in a complex kind of way. It's a unique instrument to play. My roommate, after seeing my uke laying on the bed, ask me if it was real and what it was called. There are people out there that don't know what a ukulele is? Wow!

I picked up a Mahalo at my local music store on a whim. (best they carry around here (real shame in the state that makes the Fleas and Flukes)). I had played a uke a little as a teen almost by accident and after stumbling over Jakes "Weeps" vid the idea of picking one up again apealed to me.

I found myself playing on a daily basis. I don't know exactly why. I had tried guitar 4 or 5 times but the strings were to painful on my fingers and the sound never hit me where I live. On the other hand I can't tell you how many times I've strummed a uke chord for the first time and thought to myself "That's pretty".

I did eventualy upgrade to a tenor Kala ka-st from MGM. When it arived, the Mahalo started collecting dust. I still picked up a uke every day though.

I have a decent job with an ok boss. Every once in a while though he will say something that will just piss me off. I bite my tongue and get on with the rest of my working day. This is life for the most part for the majority of the world.

I have a secret weapon though, I found it out by accident. The last time my boss had said something to me that really pissed me off was about 1 month after I had started practicing the uke on a daily basis. I came home that day and I was almost afraid to pick up my uke. I did not want my anger to ruin the experience. I picked it up anyway. About 5 minutes into my practice I suddenly realized that I had forgotten my anger. That was a powerful moment.

Playing the Uke puts things in perspective for me. I can let go of the BS when I'm playing. When I've played for a bit, I can take another look at my day and let go of the stuff that really does not matter. I can also refocus on the stuff that does.

Well, you did ask.

-I love the sound, and was impressed with players like Jake and John King.

-I had been playing the guitar but had to cut way back because playing would make my hands go numb. Uke didn't do that.

-It's difficult to make it sound nice. Guitar was almost too easy, too forgivable. I like that the uke isn't. I have to pay attention, to concentrate, and that takes my mind off of other things- which is a great feeling.

-It feels like it was made for me. I've played lots of instruments (each for a year or two), cornet, piano, violin, flute, clarinet, melodica, and guitar- but none of those really seemed to fit me. I wasn't bad at any of them, but I quickly grew bored with them and practicing was painful. I've been playing uke for almost 6 months- so still in my first year, but I doubt I'll grow bored with the uke. With all other instruments six months was when I started looking for a new instrument to give a try.

i agree it makes me HAPPY!.

hahah but then yeah i got into it because i was riding my koa longboard down the street where i work and one dude was like thats tight. and he was on an ukulele so we ended up like trading haha. yesssh true story he taught me some stuff. then i met others and yeah

the story unfolds.

Because Rayan already plays the guitar

Because I can....

I tried guitar a few times... to many strings...not enough fun...

I was on my way to a music store to pick up a set of Conga drums for the house, I listen to alot of latin and caribbean/island music and figured I could beat on them to some songs.
On the way there a song I was listening to featured the Uke Humuhumunukukupua' by a guy Eric Stone, he plays Troprock (JimmyBuffett) style.

To walk to the drums I had to go past the strings and hanging there all by its self was a Johnson Soprano, I didn't know the difference between junk and a G-string so I grabed it and strummed alittle. A guy that works there asked if I could play, I told him no.
He asked if I wanted to I said I don't think I can so he showed me the C, Am, F and G7 and I was playin a Uke!!! I latter found out it was the song "Surf" he showed me.

The drums are still at the store and I now have 6 Uke's and the 7th is on the way!!!!

haole said:

My grandpa used to play ukulele and sing for the family. We ended up with his old baritone, and I picked it up for fun when I wasn't playing guitar. Didn't get too serious about it at first. On a very long trip to Kaua'i a few years ago, I went into Bounty Music hoping to find a cheap guitar or uke to mess around on, and ended up splurging on a Kamaka soprano. Since then it's been my constant travel companion, and it's so relaxing to play.

Click to expand...

Eh haole, how far out on the Island are you? Im in brooklyn and Im struggling to get people form the TriState area together to jam. Are you down?