Why the sudden popularity in ukes?

What explains the current explosion in popularity for ukulele?

I started just a few months ago after losing motivation and the desire to play my previous instrument which I had been totally hooked on for 20+ years.

One of my work mates plays uke and she introduced me to this wonderful instrument. She is an avid Pearl Jam.. Eddie Vedder fan. Is it these high profile artist who have made the uke “cool” for the masses again?

I also notice so very many tv and radio commercials with ukulele playing in the background now.

Bill

All the people who remember Tiny Tim are either dead or senile.

Jake shimabukuro inspired me and I think a lot of people to start playing by doing such recognizable songs like bohemian rhapsody etc. so I think he had a big part in making the ukulele "Cool". And I think Eddie vedder and George Harrison made it very well known and also made it a cool just because who doesn't really know the Beatles or pearl jam.

finkdaddy said:

All the people who remember Tiny Tim are either dead or senile.

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I knew there had to be SOME explanation! :smileybounce:

And that would make me senile.

Now, what were we talking about... ?

Why do you think it's so sudden?

I'd put it at ten years plus for this wave, and I'd suggest that Jim Beloff has a lot to do with it.

Actually, sudden popularity is probably not entirely accurate, but it is good to see people constantly finding the ukulele as a legitimate instrument.

The explosion probably got into full force after Jake Shimabukuro's 2006 youtube, but the ukulele had already started to get popular before then.

What really helps the ukulele is that it truly is the instrument for the masses. One person can strum along without too much effort or musical background and another can just rip melodies and complex finger patterns.

And it doesn't hurt that it is portable and just plain fun to play.

John

Rick Turner said:

Why do you think it's so sudden?

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That was my first thought.

I think there are really two parts to this question.

1) What inspired people to check out a ukulele for the first time?

2) Why do people like it so much after they try it?


I don't have much insight into #1 though it probably involves people like Jake Shimabukuro, Eddie Vedder, and mumford and sons.

But I think I undersand part 2. The ukulele is popular because it is versatile and relatively easy (perhaps 'accessible' is a better word than 'easy'). Versatile instruments include other instruments like piano and guitar. They are well suited to a variety of styles of music and sound great by themselves or with other instruments. Contrast this to less versatile instruments like flute, bass, or trombone. The problem with piano and guitar is that they require quite of bit of time and expertise to master. In fact, they require quite a lot of time just to play pretty basic tunes. Ukulele on there other hand is incredibly accessible. People can play easy songs (even popular tunes that they like) in the first week. And after that it is possible to progress quickly into finger picking and beyond. Please don't be offended when I say that ukulele is relatively easy. What Jake Shimabukuro and James Hill do is not anywhere close to easy. They are equally as talented and doing equally difficult things as anyone playing guitar or any other instrument at the highest level. I just mean to say that getting started and making progress at the beginning is easier than with some other instruments. On top of that they are typically cheaper, more portable, and smaller (guitars can be too big for children or those with smaller hands) than other versatile instruments. All of these things contribute to its accessibility.

Almost every one would like to make music. And ukuleles get you to the point of making music much faster.

There are certainly other reasons to like the ukulele (its happy sounding, people like hawaiian music, etc) but I think the versatility and accessibility are the major reasons. Those are certainly what drew me in.

The question I always have is why weren't they already popular? Why did they lose popularity in the past?

Anyway, that's what I think. I am sure others have different ideas and am interested to see what they say.

My first experience with ukuleles that made me want to play was the first time I viewed "The Concert for George" DVD about five years ago.

It took a while before I actually purchased my first uke, but that concert film planted the UAS seed in my mind.

Ok so its not so sudden. I just never noticed the ukulele before I started playing myself.

Bill

I had thought that the magnitude of the hit Soul Sister helped sell some ukes.

Jim Beloff had a huge amount to do with the resurgence of the uke this time around. Many folks owe him a lotta money....not that he'll ever see it!

http://www.hampshire.edu/news/17626.htm

Bill,

Don't feel bad. In January 2007 I had just picked up Guild Songbird guitar, by March I bought my first ukulele.

Ironically I heard "Over the Rainbow" for the 10,000th time and decided to do a search on ukuleles. I figured I would at least look at chord patterns to see if I wanted to put in any time learning them. Much to my surprise, they are the same shape as the guitar.

I found a ukulele forum (Uke Talk) and couldn't believe the number of people talking about a ukulele. It blew me away. There was a whole world out there that I had no clue existed.

So the players come and go, but the uke just keeps going along.

John

Many people attribute it to Jake post While My Guitar Gently Weeps on Youtube.

finkdaddy said:

All the people who remember Tiny Tim are either dead or senile.

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Definitely. We had to wait for a new generation to come along that didn't stigmatize the instrument because of Tiny Tim.

The other big thing was that makers of quality beginner ukes came along. Back in the '80s, all I was seeing in stores was Martin sopranos and the occasional baritone. There weren't any Dolphins, Fleas, etc.

After that, the uke was capable of popularizing itself, through the ease with which a newcomer can pick up a uke and play a song. And seeing pop artists like Train, Taylor Swift, Eddie Vedder playing the uke helped teenagers see the uke as a possibility.

Rick Turner said:

Why do you think it's so sudden?

I'd put it at ten years plus for this wave, and I'd suggest that Jim Beloff has a lot to do with it.

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What Rick said. Sometimes I think that Jim simply willed the Uke back into popularity. His passion and dedication is extremely contagious!


Scooter

finkdaddy said:

All the people who remember Tiny Tim are either dead or senile.

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Actually, no we aren't

The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain got me interested, personally.

Seems to be an amount, if not hatred, heavy dislike for Tiny Tim. Both here and also in that on-line Ukulele Player magazine.

He wasn't a ukulele virtuoso by any means... but he did play the uke better than Elvis played guitar. He was a great entertainer, a walking enclyclopedia of early 20th century music, and by all accounts he exhibited the "aloha spirit" that I've seen written about countless times here, with the best of them.

I'm neither old, dead, nor senile. I not only remember Tiny Tim, I admire his whole body of work. Those that think of him as a joke have either not looked into the man's art or have a very close minded view of what a musician is, can be, or should be.

finkdaddy said:

All the people who remember Tiny Tim are either dead or senile.

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Well, I'm not dead,so.....?