The ukulele is a small guitar-shaped instrument brought in the 1800s by the Portuguese to Hawaii, where it became a standard in the development of the islands' cultural music. This small, four-stringed instrument doesn't look very intimidating, but the "uke" requires as much work to master as any other stringed instrument. Some basic instruction will begin you along the path to playing the ukulele.
Hold A Uke
Learn properly hold your ukulele so that you may play chords and strum in the correct way.
Hold the ukulele (if you're right handed) cradled in your right arm with the fat part of the uke's body held between your wrist and upper body. The strumming area on the uke's body will likely feel the most comfortable pressed against the area just at or below your right breast.
Extend your index finger on your right hand toward the strings, as you will use this finger primarily strumming.
The neck of the ukulele will extend to your left; hold it in your left hand much like a guitar. If holding the uke properly, it should remain in place if you take away either hand.
Tuning
Tune the much like you would a standard guitar in respect to the way you tighten and loosen the strings to change the pitch.
Turn the tuning pegs to change the note caused by plucking the open string. Tune the string closest to your face in the note of G, then tune the strings tuned to C, E and A, respectively, as you work away from you. Tune to another tuned instrument in your group, or use an automatic guitar tuner. You may also find help tuning to a standard tone online at www.ukeschool.com/.
Making Your First Chord
When learning a new instrument, learn to make it resonate with a proper sound quickly so that you will gain confidence that you can learn the instrument. The ukulele provides one of the simplest first lessons in music.
Hold the ukulele properly and press your left ring finger down on the A string (the one farthest away from your face) between the second and third fret. (Frets are the little bars that divide up the neck of the ukulele.) Once you have the string gently pressed in the correct position, strum the strings with your right finger and listen to the sound. You have just played a C major chord on your ukulele.
Strumming
In the beginning, you will only need to know perform a basic strum on the ukulele. You will learn more advanced techniques as you progress.
Use your index finger with the fingernail facing the floor to begin a standard strumming motion, according to Pineapple Pete's Uke School website. Simply run your nail down and across the strings, then use the tip of your finger and nail to graze the strings on the way back up.
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