Ukulele: The Perfect Instrument?

OK, that may be an overstatement.  But I’m pretty convinced that it is near perfection in a couple of roles:

1. As a first instrument
2. As a gift

If you want to know why I come to these conclusions, read on.

As A First Instrument

1. Ukuleles are easy to learn.  I probably shouldn’t share my number one sales technique for ukulele, but here it is: I put one in the customer’s hands and then promise them that I can have them playing a song in ten minutes.  What’s the closer, you ask?  We actually do it!  Now I’m not saying that everyone will be a virtuoso ukulele player in just ten minutes.  But it is true that in ten minutes anyone can learn three basic chords and with three basic chords you can quite literally play thousands of songs.
2. Ukuleles are very affordable.  For under $50.00 you can get a decent quality beginner uke.  Higher quality mid-range ukes are only about $100.00.  That’s a fraction of the cost of a quality guitar, band instrument, or keyboard.  Ukuleles are so affordable that many players (including yours truly) have multiple ukes in different sizes, colors, shapes, and designs.
3. Ukuleles are kid-friendly.  Ukuleles are small, durable, and as mentioned above, very affordable.  In addition, the fact that they only have four strings makes them easier to learn than a guitar.  Those nylon strings are also more gentle on little fingers than steel strings.  Given how easy it is to learn those first chords, ukuleles provide almost-instant gratification and this helps kids keep their enthusiasm, making it less likely that they’ll give up in frustration.

As a Gift

We’ve already covered affordability, variety and ease of playing.  Those three things alone make it a great gift.  Let’s talk about the people that are perfect fits for a gift ukulele.

1. Guitarists will appreciate a new challenge in an instrument with a familiar shape that uses a similar technique.
2. Keyboard players will get an instrument that makes it easier to take their music making with them wherever they go.
3. Band students finally get to play something that they can sing along to.
4. First-time musicians get introduced to the joy of making music with an instrument that meets all the criteria in the first bullet of this article. (Notice I didn’t say “non-musician” here.  I firmly believe there is no such thing as a non-musician, but that’s a matter for another blog post.

Finally, I want to add that I have always said that it is impossible to be depressed while playing the ukulele.  It’s a crazy world out there right now and it’s easier than ever to get stressed, worried, and just overall bummed out.  There’s never been a more perfect time to take a break by spending a few minutes each day with a ukulele.