What inspired you to pick up ukulele?

I had been a musician back in the 70's and 80's, singing and playing rhythm electric guitar in a band in various nightclubs here in Honolulu. During that time I got a tenor Kamaka uke, but didn't play it much since I was so preoccupied with the guitar. After getting married and starting a family, I left the nightclub scene to pursue "real" office jobs. I had not played the guitar much since then - except for occasional family get-togethers. The guitar seemed just too heavy and cumbersome to pull out and play on a regular basis.

A few years ago my son-in-law who, ironically, is from the mainland started getting very passionate about playing the ukulele. In trying to accomodate his interest, I began to listen to more uke recordings like "Legends of the Ukulele", Herb Ohta Jr & Daniel Ho, and Bryan Tolentino. After about 30 years,I busted out my old Kamaka from storage and started to tinkle with some old songs that I had already known. I finally realized how relaxing and enjoyable it was to play the uke. Finding the Ukulele Underground site just sealed my passion for playing the uke. Since then I've developed a case of UAS and an undying love to play the uke! I'd like to say a big "mahalo" to UU for supporting my love for the ukulele! Stu
 
A friend asked me to re-string and tune their new uke - I was hooked!!
 
Curiosity...I have been a long time guitar player and never really took any notice of the little coloured things on the wall of the local music shop...I grabbed one one day cause I thought it might sound novel on some recording I was doing. 5 years and 30+ ukes later I am totally obsessed by all things uke and now only play the guitar when I have to (choir practice / church worship leading / occasional gig).
 
I gave my husband a ukulele for his birthday a few years ago. Seeing how much fun he was having, I got one four months later.
 
I saw GUGUG get featured on Youtube doing Rawhide, and became hooked. I love the song (massive fan of Blues Brothers) and thought they were having so much fun. I checked eBay and found the cheap Mahalo ukes for £12, so ordered one and went ahead with it - never put my uke down since.
 
George Harrison. I'd played bass for ages, but as you know, it's not easy to sit and play a song by yourself on a bass and have anyone be able to recognize it. When George Harrison died, I read about how much he was into ukuleles, and I remembered seeing him in The Beatles Anthology videos, sitting on the grass with Paul and Ringo, and strumming a uke. I thought "Hey, they're cheap... you can play chords on it... it only has 4 strings so how hard can THAT be?". So I ordered a dreadful little soprano from Musicians Friend, along with Jim Beloff's instructional video. It was fun, but was a terrible uke, so I didn't stick with it for long. Although from the video I got I learned about Martin ukuleles, and that planted a tiny little seed in my mind. I had always wanted a Martin guitar (preferably an OLD one), but I'm not enough of a guitarist to justify that. But I thought "Hey, maybe I can get good enough on ukulele to get a Martin, and plus, they're probably less expensive than vintage Martin guitars!".
Last January I saw Jake Shimabukaro's youtube video of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps", pulled my cheap little uke out and decided I needed a better instrument. And that pretty much did me in!
 
Believe it or not, my mother in law drew me(and my wife) into it!
What a great lady!!!!
 
Two summers ago, my wife and I took our first trip to Hawaii. I walked into an ukulele shop in Waikiki and was just amazed. I knew then and there that this was what I was missing. When we got home, I researched ukuleles and bought a Pineapple Flea. I use it in my classroom. I have since purchased a KoAloha concert. My original inspiration was IZ, but now there are too many talented players and performers to mention. I was blown away by Aldrine when I saw him in Reno. Thanks everyone at UU!
Joe
 
I had no idea what an ukulele was until I saw Jake Shimabukuro's rendition of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" on Google Video (back then we thought it was gonna get big). I thought it sounded so incredible that I wanted to get a uke right then and there. I didn't start playing until about 2 years later, but that was when I really look a liking to the sound of the instrument.
 
I got the chance to originate a part in a musical while it was being workshopped, and the romantic lead had a song on the ukulele, so I learned to play "It Had to Be You" on the uke for my audition. I got the part, and practiced the uke song like crazy until I was ready to play it in front of a live audience, and I've been playing ever since.
 
Seriously, it was that dude at the Aloha Bowl Swap Meet selling the Leolani ukes. He would just pick one up and wail on the thing. I knew I was hooked. Bought one, came back on the next vacay and bought another, and then started checking out UU and all the fabulous people here who play and post and inspire. What a great way to spend some time.
 
About seven years ago, my wife and I decided to learn to play the guitar together. The steel strings were too much for her small hands so she "discovered" the ukulele. I didn't take it too seriously but she was having a great time learning the instrument. Right about that time, at age 42, I had a heart attack followed by a quad bypass. During my 12 week recovery, I decided that six strings was two too many and life was just too short. I picked up a ukulele and never looked back. Our lives changed at that point.

Thanks,
Mike
 
pauljmuk said:
Simple-

George Harrison, and

George Harrison
Click to expand...

What about George Harrisons hero, the other George, as in Formby?



I play the guitar and was simply drawn to the uke. I got a wee travel guitar and enjoyed the sound, then began to look for something new and the uke was the next step. Also it was very easy to pick up due to already playing the guitar.
 
Bill Murray in Meatballs. It was a short scene with friends singing along. It looked like so much fun. I had to try.
 
I have to admit and i regret it now i first wanted the uke as a novelty item. But then i saw Jake Shimabukuro's 'lets dance' and then the only instrument i wanted to play was a uke.
 
Honestly, my ukulele probably has a lot more to do with the topless ukulele-playing call girl performing "Japanese Sandman" on Boardwalk Empire than I'd like to admit. :eek: I listen to a lot of popular music from the Interbellum period (jazz and tin pan alley stuff) and also sing, not formally anymore, but around the house. Ukulele Ike and other uke-playing performers of that era popped up on my favorite Pandora radio stations with some regularity. I had a passing familiarity with contemporary ukulele music, but seeing it on the show was a "Eureka!" moment: it's pretty-sounding, portable, well-suited to the type of music I listen to and enjoy singing. It offered the possibility of maybe learning to play to play something with my uncle's band, too.

So, in short: despite passing familiarity with (some) ukulele music and performers, it never would have occurred to me as an option until its current resurgence in pop culture, but I can't imagine giving it up if the zeitgeist moves on.
 
Sometime last year I got it stuck in my head that I needed to learn how to play some sort of instrument. Any sort of instrument. It was more of an idea to help promot my creativity. I thought long and hard about different types of instruments that might work for me. It had to affordable, portable, and preferably, not too common. Somehow I decided that a ukulele was the perfect choice.

Then I started searching for exactly what I wanted and came to the decision that I wanted a tenor ukulele. Then, I lost my job and was unemployed for 5 months so the idea of an instrument took a back seat to real life concerns. Now that I am, for the most part, back on my feet. I'm finally getting the ukulele that I wanted so much and I can't wait to learn to play it.
 
Although not born in Hawaii (both parents were), I have a lot of family ties there and we go often. I'd say over the past 10 years I've gained a deeper appreciation of the ohana and aloha spirit of the Islands, especially the music and dance. I've also been a fan of early jazz for most of my life and as an extension of that I started learning early 20th century jazz dances such as Lindy Hop, Charelston, etc. over 12 years ago. I had toyed with the idea of learning clarinet (I love Pee Wee Russell and Sidney Bechet - soprano sax, I know) and even bought a vintage rosewood Evette and Shaepher this past November at a flea market. I have yet to play it. I actually took a free beginner lesson at the Ukulele House in the Waikiki Shopping Plaza with my wife, brother, and dad back in May 2007. I guess with my family background, ukulele was a more logical choice. My current plan is to focus on Hawaiian mele and early 20th century jazz standards.

Oh, and I went and saw Jake in concert at the Belly Up in Solana Beach in Feb 2010 . It was completely mind-blowing.
 
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