How to Play the Ukulele
Choose a ukulele., Know the parts of the ukulele., Tune your ukulele., Get the correct posture.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Choose a ukulele.
There are several different sizes and corresponding sounds of ukuleles, and it is important to select the best option for you.
As a beginner you will most likely want to choose a cheaper option rather than investing in an expensive ukulele, but this may not be the case.
There are four different styles of ukuleles.
A soprano ukulele is the most common style.
It is recognized by its small size and classic “uke” sound.
This is the cheapest style of ukulele, and is most often chosen by beginners.
It is on average 21” long, and has anywhere from 12-14 frets.
The alto ukulele (or concert ukulele), is the next size up from a soprano.
It measures 23” long and has 15-20 frets.
Because of its slightly bigger size, people with large hands find it easier to play than a soprano ukulele.
It also has a slightly fuller sound than a soprano.
The next step up from an alto ukulele is the tenor ukulele.
The tenor ukulele is 26” long and has 15+ frets.
It has an even richer sound than the concert ukulele, and has the ability to reach more notes because of its extended fretboard.
The largest ukulele is the baritone ukulele, which is 30” or more and has 19+ frets.
It is tuned the same way as the four lowest strings on a guitar, which makes the two instruments very similar.
Because of its size, it loses the classic ukulele sound, but is a good option if you want really full, rich music.Some ukuleles are a different shape, namely flukes, pineapples or fleas.
A fluke is shaped like a triangle, a pineapple is shaped like, well a pineapple (oval shape), and a flea is shaped like a pineapple ukulele with a flat bottom.
The one pictured in the illustration is a pineapple. -
Step 2: Know the parts of the ukulele.
The ukulele has an anatomy of parts slightly different than a guitar or other stringed instrument.
Before you begin playing it, make sure you understand the basic layout of the instrument.
The body of the uke is the hollow wooden part that makes up the majority of the instrument.
It has a small hole under the strings that you strum above.
The neck of the uke is the long wooden piece that the strings sit above.
The neck refers to the slightly rounded bottom part, while the flat top part of the neck is called the fingerboard or fretboard.
The frets are sections of the fingerboard divided by metal fret dividers.
Each fret divides the strings into different notes.
The head of the ukulele is the topmost part of the uke where the tuners are located.
There are four strings on a ukulele, although depending on the type of uke you buy they may be different.
The lowest or thickest string is known as the 1st string, moving upwards to the highest or thinnest string which is the 4th string., Before you start playing, it is imperative that you tune your instrument.
This will give the strings the correct sound, and lessen the discouragement you would have thinking you were playing poorly when your uke was simply out of tune.
To tune the uke, you twist the tuner knobs at the top of the head to tighten and loosen the strings.
Over time, the tension in the string reduces
- they get looser
- which puts them out of tune.
That means you will have to tighten the strings more often than you will have to loosen them.
If you are facing the uke, the top left tuner is ‘C,’ the bottom left tuner is ‘G,’ the top right tuner is ‘E,’ and the bottom right tuner controls ‘A’.
Adjusting these will change the corresponding string’s sound.
Use an electric tuner or an online tuner to hear the sound each string should make when plucked.
Then, alter the sound of yours until it matches.
If you have a piano or keyboard available, you can play the key that corresponds to the string you are tuning and match those sounds., If you don’t hold your ukulele the right way when you are playing it, you won’t sound as good, you will be uncomfortable, and you run the risk of injuring your wrists over time.
Make sure that you are always in the proper position with good posture before beginning to play your ukulele.
Regardless of whether you are sitting or standing, you will hold your ukulele in the same fashion.
The ukulele should be slightly pushed between your right forearm and your body, and simultaneously resting in the crook of your elbow.
If you are holding it correctly, you can remove either of your hands without the uke shifting position.
This also means that the uke is held relatively high on your body, near your waist or chest.
The neck of the uke should be resting on the thumb and web of your left hand, allowing you to reach around with your other four fingers to touch all the strings.
When you strum with your right hand, use the back of your nails going down the strings and the fleshy part of your fingertips coming back up.
Strum a little higher on the body of the uke than the hollow hole in the center.
Although that is the correct position to play the strings on a guitar, for a uke it is the proper position to play nearer to the neck.
Keep you back and shoulders straight so that you aren’t hunched over the ukulele.
This will improve your appearance when playing and reduce the amount of pain and tension in your back. -
Step 3: Tune your ukulele.
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Step 4: Get the correct posture.
Detailed Guide
There are several different sizes and corresponding sounds of ukuleles, and it is important to select the best option for you.
As a beginner you will most likely want to choose a cheaper option rather than investing in an expensive ukulele, but this may not be the case.
There are four different styles of ukuleles.
A soprano ukulele is the most common style.
It is recognized by its small size and classic “uke” sound.
This is the cheapest style of ukulele, and is most often chosen by beginners.
It is on average 21” long, and has anywhere from 12-14 frets.
The alto ukulele (or concert ukulele), is the next size up from a soprano.
It measures 23” long and has 15-20 frets.
Because of its slightly bigger size, people with large hands find it easier to play than a soprano ukulele.
It also has a slightly fuller sound than a soprano.
The next step up from an alto ukulele is the tenor ukulele.
The tenor ukulele is 26” long and has 15+ frets.
It has an even richer sound than the concert ukulele, and has the ability to reach more notes because of its extended fretboard.
The largest ukulele is the baritone ukulele, which is 30” or more and has 19+ frets.
It is tuned the same way as the four lowest strings on a guitar, which makes the two instruments very similar.
Because of its size, it loses the classic ukulele sound, but is a good option if you want really full, rich music.Some ukuleles are a different shape, namely flukes, pineapples or fleas.
A fluke is shaped like a triangle, a pineapple is shaped like, well a pineapple (oval shape), and a flea is shaped like a pineapple ukulele with a flat bottom.
The one pictured in the illustration is a pineapple.
The ukulele has an anatomy of parts slightly different than a guitar or other stringed instrument.
Before you begin playing it, make sure you understand the basic layout of the instrument.
The body of the uke is the hollow wooden part that makes up the majority of the instrument.
It has a small hole under the strings that you strum above.
The neck of the uke is the long wooden piece that the strings sit above.
The neck refers to the slightly rounded bottom part, while the flat top part of the neck is called the fingerboard or fretboard.
The frets are sections of the fingerboard divided by metal fret dividers.
Each fret divides the strings into different notes.
The head of the ukulele is the topmost part of the uke where the tuners are located.
There are four strings on a ukulele, although depending on the type of uke you buy they may be different.
The lowest or thickest string is known as the 1st string, moving upwards to the highest or thinnest string which is the 4th string., Before you start playing, it is imperative that you tune your instrument.
This will give the strings the correct sound, and lessen the discouragement you would have thinking you were playing poorly when your uke was simply out of tune.
To tune the uke, you twist the tuner knobs at the top of the head to tighten and loosen the strings.
Over time, the tension in the string reduces
- they get looser
- which puts them out of tune.
That means you will have to tighten the strings more often than you will have to loosen them.
If you are facing the uke, the top left tuner is ‘C,’ the bottom left tuner is ‘G,’ the top right tuner is ‘E,’ and the bottom right tuner controls ‘A’.
Adjusting these will change the corresponding string’s sound.
Use an electric tuner or an online tuner to hear the sound each string should make when plucked.
Then, alter the sound of yours until it matches.
If you have a piano or keyboard available, you can play the key that corresponds to the string you are tuning and match those sounds., If you don’t hold your ukulele the right way when you are playing it, you won’t sound as good, you will be uncomfortable, and you run the risk of injuring your wrists over time.
Make sure that you are always in the proper position with good posture before beginning to play your ukulele.
Regardless of whether you are sitting or standing, you will hold your ukulele in the same fashion.
The ukulele should be slightly pushed between your right forearm and your body, and simultaneously resting in the crook of your elbow.
If you are holding it correctly, you can remove either of your hands without the uke shifting position.
This also means that the uke is held relatively high on your body, near your waist or chest.
The neck of the uke should be resting on the thumb and web of your left hand, allowing you to reach around with your other four fingers to touch all the strings.
When you strum with your right hand, use the back of your nails going down the strings and the fleshy part of your fingertips coming back up.
Strum a little higher on the body of the uke than the hollow hole in the center.
Although that is the correct position to play the strings on a guitar, for a uke it is the proper position to play nearer to the neck.
Keep you back and shoulders straight so that you aren’t hunched over the ukulele.
This will improve your appearance when playing and reduce the amount of pain and tension in your back.
About the Author
Beverly Cook
Specializes in breaking down complex lifestyle topics into simple steps.
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