We all have to start strumwhere, and if getting started on learning an instrument feels daunting, ukulele might just be your perfect match! Ukuleles are affordable, portable, and quick to get playing. They support your other musical endeavors too: you can accompany yourself or others singing, and make a great launchpad to get into larger fretted instruments as young musicians grow or adults are ready to branch out.
CMC faculty member Erik Pearson, who teaches the Ukulele for Beginners for Adults, shared some fantastic reasons and great ideas for learning ukulele.
The Perfect Musical Companion
One thing that always makes the ukulele popular is its size and ease of access: they are inexpensive, they are small and light, and they don’t hurt your fingers to play. They’re a good size for kids who are too small to play the guitar, and you can get playing pretty quickly. People can get a song or two under their fingers on the first day with just a few simple chords.
“I got interested in starting the Ukulele for Beginners class it because of the SF Uke Meetups I discovered several years ago. I thought it’d be great to structure some classes to echo those community events, and prepare folks to join a local jam session like that with confidence.”
Origins of the Ukulele
A little-known fact about the uke is that we associate them so much with Hawaiian music, but it’s only been part of Hawaiian music since 1878 or so when a Portuguese sailor wowed the Hawaiian population on an extended visit. He started showing the locals how to play, and it spread like wildfire, and has been so thoroughly incorporated that we associate it only from there, and not from Portugal at all.
Springboard to Musical Success
You don’t need more reason to choose ukulele than because it’s fun and easy to get into! Playing uke certainly won’t interfere with any other musical endeavors, it can only support them, or lead to them. You can do it alongside any other instrument you might want to play, to get a better understanding of chords and harmonic structure. If you’re taking voice lessons, ukulele is perfect to accompany yourself, or a friend! Because there aren’t many barriers to get started, a lot of folks transition easily to other instruments like guitar after building fundamental skills and confidence on ukulele, especially young kids as they get bigger.
Ready to give it a try? Check out the Ukulele for Beginners class or browse CMC’s experienced faculty for private lessons.