Ukulele

Ukulele is not a hard instrument to learn. You know that a child is ready to learn ukulele based on his/her curiosity of the instrument. In my own experience teaching the musical instrument, a four or five-year-old child should be ready to learn to play the ukulele.

So how to teach a child to play the ukulele? The most important aspect of teaching a child to play ukulele is getting them interested in playing it. Once the child is interested in actually playing it, get a uke that is suitable for children. Then start teaching them basic chords, strumming patterns, keeping in mind some songs to learn, such as nursery rhymes.

1. First, make sure the child has a ukulele

To get started the child needs a ukulele. Bring the child to any music store and have him look around and see if there’s any spark of interest with the different musical instrument. Who knows he or she might pick up a different instrument to learn instead of a ukulele while roaming inside the music store.

You could also let the child watch a few youtube videos of any young ukulele players. Ask the child if he or she has a favorite color or specific design that he/she likes.

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Whether you’re somewhere over the rainbow or can’t help but falling in love– you’re ukulele is the instrument to get you there.

Over the past six years, the ukulele’s popularity has steadily grown. From its appearance in blockbuster movies to its fan-base on YouTube, the instrument is a staple in folk and indie music today.

Like any instrument that gains popularity overnight, new musicians are unaware of how to properly maintain it.

Starting out with a new instrument is intimidating enough while learning how to play. Friends, family, and instructors will have different opinions about proper care and maintenance.

We have assembled some straight-forward maintenance tips to help keep your ukulele in great condition.

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A reader asked me a question recently on whether or not it was possible to use a guitar tuner to tune a ukulele. I figured it seemed to be a common question and decided to put together this article to answer this question more in depth.

Can you tune a ukulele with a guitar tuner? There are a variety of guitar tuners on the market.  Clip-on tuners are the most versatile tuners used for guitars that can also be used to tune a ukulele. This multi-instrument tuner is very useful for getting your ukulele tuning just right every time.

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Composing your first song/music using ukulele is not suppose to be a daunting task that requires you to get a four year college degree.

It depends on how complex` or catchy (hook) you want your music/song to be. Sometimes those simple catchy tunes are the one that top the charts. Not to mention that once your creative juice starts flowing, Ukulele is a very handy instrument to write with, in comparison to using a piano or a guitar.

How to compose a song on ukulele? Composing a song on ukulele consists of having an idea for a singable melody, developing chord progression that fits your style, the lyrics for the song, a song form and finally the combination of your voice and your ukulele playing.

You could be riding a train or bus when that melodic, rhythmic, or harmonic idea hits you. The ukulele is your best friend. An instrument that would allow you to hear your melody and harmony (chords) right away.

Of course, a recording device like your smart phone can be very handy too so you would not loose that idea when inspiration hits you. For me, If you can hum a melody that’s already a good start. Otherwise, the ukulele can aid you to jumpstart either a melody, a chord, or simple rhythmic pattern, or a combination of all of them.

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Did you know that the ukulele has been around for more than 138 years?

However, this century-old instrument is no way out of fashion. Ukulele sales have actually doubled between 2009 and 2012, and they’ve been going up ever since.

What is it that has caused this dramatic rise in popularity? Read on to find out all about why the ukulele is so “vogue” right now, and how the history of the ukulele began.

So, what are you waiting for? Let’s strum on!

Why is the ukulele so popular today? The ukulele is so popular today due to famous songs such as “Somewhere Over The Rainbow”, “I’m Yours”, and “Hey, Soul Sister” and exposure from top ukulele players such as Jake Shimabukuro, James Hill, and others.

What’s so Special About Ukuleles?

What’s so special about the ukulele? Is it the chunk-a-chunk sound? The teeny, tiny body? Or the Hawaiian Roots?

Ukulele mastermind Jake Shimabukuro said, “There’s something about the ukulele that just makes you smile. It makes you let your guard down. It brings out the child in all of us.”

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