Ukulele: The Perfect Alternative

There is sand in your toes, a warm breeze smelling of saltwater, and the sound of waves gently washing up on the beach. Then magically a sound starts to begin. It gets louder and louder as you walk down the path, and then you see a man playing what looks like a tiny guitar. What could it be? It is the Ukulele. Hopefully this has set the scene in your mind for an amazing little instrument that has as of recent years been making a comeback.

Don't let the Ukulele's diminutive size fool you, it is a very versatile instrument. From Hawaiian songs to jazz and even pop music, the Ukulele can be employed by a musician to lighten a song and to expand a song's tonal variety.

The Ukulele, or the “Uke”, was first created in Hawaii in the late 1800's. It was an adaptation of similar instruments brought to Hawaii by Portuguese immigrants. It is a small acoustic instrument typically made of wood, with four nylon strings instead of the typical six on a guitar. There are four different sizes and they are, in order from smallest to largest; soprano, concert, tenor, and baritone. Due to these size differences, each will have a slightly different sound, or “voice”, that it produces. The overall voice of a Ukulele is very light and warm.

Who would a ukulele be a good choice of instrument for? Well anybody who has already had experience playing on strings, but also this instrument is an excellent choice for beginner players, and more specifically for young children. The Uke's smaller size makes it the perfect choice to start a young child on. When a younger child starts on an instrument like a guitar, there can be many difficulties to overcome that many times prevent the child from continuing the learning experience. The size of a standard guitar can be much too large for a child to play comfortably, and the neck can be too large for the child's hand to be able to wrap around. Another very large issue with a guitar is the type of strings that are used. A guitar typically has strings of some sort of metallic construction. Many times the hand strength of a child might not be sufficient enough to press the strings down reliably. Also steel strings can be quite rough on the fingers and cause quite a bit of pain to the beginner. This can be the case for an adult's hands, with a child, it can be enough discomfort to make them want to quit playing altogether.

Within the past ten years or so the Ukulele has seen a quite a resurgence, and by the looks of things will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. This instrument may be small, but the possibilities for musical creation with it are endless. Go pick one up, beginner models are extremely affordable, and a quick internet search will find many many good sources for information. Like always though, some are good and some are bad. Happy strumming!