You want to learn to play the ukulele and a little voice in your head says, “It’s too hard” or “I’ll never be able to play it perfectly.” A critical family member or friend may say that you are not musical or you can’t sing so “stop that awful noise.” Well don’t let your inner Demon of Perfectionism or anyone else deny you the pleasure you will gain from playing this fantastic little instrument.
The ukulele is an instrument that you can take up at any age. Even a child can do it. As US performer Amanda Palmer says in her Ukulele Anthem:
“You can play the ukulele too, It is painfully simple,
Play your ukulele badly, Play your ukulele loudly,…….
Limit yourself to three chords, And do not practice daily.”
It is meant to be fun, not a chore. You can be as casual or as serious as you like.
You don’t need to be a musical virtuoso to play the ukulele, as it is primarily a rhythmic and percussive instrument that contributes to the beat of a song. It is easy to sing along with simple chord strums on the ukulele. If you don’t want to sing you can concentrate on fingerpicking the melodies beginning with simple ones. You will get better if you set yourself small goals and will be surprised at how far you can progress.
As for the cost, a basic ukulele is relatively cheap and highly portable. You can take it anywhere to practice. There are also plenty of free resources on-line to help you to learn to play basic chords (see the Links on this website).
Joining a local ukulele group will help you to improve and is a lot of fun. There is no need to feel isolated.
So do yourself a favor and jump into the wonderful world of the Uke!
Kat
Bayside Ukes Member
baysideukes.com 