Hello from Northumberland.

Hi, I'll just get a confession out of the way first. Until recently I had little experience of ukuleles, and the odd time I had heard them in my childhood it was the only instrument I had an active dislike for. As strings are my thing, it was odd, but I didn't even consider that it might be lovely in the right hands.

Fast forward 50 years. One of my brothers who I rarely see or hear from turned up unexpectedly for a short visit. I tend to think of him as a guitarist, so when I saw he was carrying a small case in his van, I asked what it was, to be told an ukulele. He encouraged me to have a play.

I didn't want to seem churlish and tell him I don't like them, so lifted it out, and it was actually a guitarlele, something I had never heard of. After he showed me that it could be used as an uke or small guitar, I got really into it, and have since bought myself one, a very beautiful Alulu Koa baritone with amazing mother of pearl inlay.

I have been watching a ton of YouTube videos and now realise that ukuleles are actually fantastic instruments, whether they have six or four strings. I don't see the point in tuning it down to EADGBE (which is what I was advised to do) when I have a small Spanish guitar; so I have kept its original tuning. I want to learn to play it as well as I can so that it sounds like the instrument it is designed to be, which is why I'm here.

Lengthy intro, soz.

Be Happy

Welcome to UU, Dolly Dumpling!

Before COVID-19 there were quite a few uke groups in the Northeast and Cumbria. Most of them are mentioned on the Ukes4fun website:
https://ukes4fun.org.uk/north-east-and-cumbria-uke-sessions-classes-etc/
As the lockdown measures are loosened check if the groups mentioned are still going strong.

In the meantime you can take a look at the songbooks and get that practice in.

Welcome Dolly!

Welcome to the UU family!