The ukulele (pronounced “oo – koo – lay – lay”) is one of the world’s most popular instruments for three reasons:
- It is one of the cheapest instruments to buy
- It is easy to learn to play it
- It is easily one of the most portable instruments out there
Today we’re going to get you set up on the ukulele with a quick primer on the ukulele. To do so I’ll answer the most frequently asked questions that new ukulele players have asked me.
What is a good starter ukulele?
Most people when they ask this are quite baffled to find out that you can get set up with a decent ukulele for between €20 and €30.
I would recommend starting off with a soprano ukulele. Here are a few examples:
How do I hold it?
The neck of the ukulele should be held by your non-dominant hand (i.e. if you write with your right hand then this would be your left hand). You strum or pluck the strings using your left hand.
What should I strum with?
Traditionally ukulele players would brush the strings using their index finger of your dominant hand (i.e. the hand you write with). However if you prefer you can use a plectrum (like what you use on a guitar). If you do use a plectrum the lighter the plectrum the better. Ideally you should get a felt plectrum. The ones I recommend can be bought from Charles Byrne Music, Dublin 2 (Click to go to their online store)
Courtesy of Ukuguides
Where on the ukulele should I strum?
There is a hole in the body of the ukulele called the “sound hole”. You should aim for somewhere between the edge of the sound hole and the start of the fingerboard.
How do I tune it?
From top to bottom the strings are tuned to the notes G, C, E and A. To remember this remember the phrase “Gruesome Cats Eat Animals”. You can download apps onto your smartphone like gStrings (for android devices) and Guitar Tuna (for apple devices). However I would recommend buying a clip-on tuner which you can get from any music store.
Click for a full guide
What chords can I learn?
Firstly lets go over how to reads a chord diagram (See example to the left). Chords are normally written on a grid like the nearby example. The name of the chord is written above this grid. The topmost horizontal line represents the nut of the ukulele (which the strings go over the fingerboard from). The remaining horizontal line represent the bars separating each fret. The vertical lines represent the strings (remember that the topmost string is G). The dots represent where your fingers go.
You can see an expanded guide by clicking here.
Your fingers on your chord making hand are numbered 1 to 4. Your index is number 1, middle is number 2 and so on. Generally speaking each finger will look after its own fret i.e. finger 1 will go to fret 1, finger two to fret two and so on.
Every ukulele player should start off by learning the 4 chord trick. These chords are the most commonly used chords in songs you would hear on the radio. As you will see the animation shows each chord and how to move from one to the next. I have also provided a little counter so you can practice moving between them in order.
Animation of chord changes
Start out by doing each chord by itself.
Once you have mastered this, try following the counter. Play each chord on beat one and use two, three and four to change to the next chord.
Then try strumming every beat and changing to the next chord following the animation as closely as possible.
What songs can I play now?
If you have mastered these 4 chords, have a go of the following songs:
You can also check out the other tunes available on the ukulele songs page
Where can I learn more?
If you live in the Arklow, Co. Wicklow area there are two options available. You can come to The Breffni, Main Street, Arklow on a Tuesday night (6:30pm for beginners, 8pm for the main session – €5 per person) or alternatively you can get private lessons (for more information, click here)
