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10 Reasons to Learn to Play the Ukulele

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Chatham chapter.

1. There are only four strings, so there’s minimal information to memorize from the get-go. 

2. Ukuleles are smaller than guitars: perfect for beginners looking for a gateway instrument and professionals with tiny hands.

3. Ukes are much easier to play than their four-stringed-cousin, the violin.  No bow or rosin necessary to start strumming!

4. It only takes about an hour to learn to play.

5. You can find chords for endless songs on endless websites.  There is no excuse for not learning your favorite songs.

6. In fact, you can learn the entire soundtrack to Lilo and Stitch and spend your days pretending that your dorm is actually Hawaii.

7. It is entirely appropriate to play the ukulele in a bikini and a grass skirt, or your pajamas, or a formal gown.  It is as versatile an accessory as it is an instrument, really.

8. You can play nearly anything on a ukulele, from Disney classics to the Beatles to your favorite movie’s theme to all those songs you’ve never heard of but will shamelessly listen to on repeat once discovered.

9. They make bonfires even better!  C-A-M-P-F-I-R-E-S-O-N-G songs, anyone?

10. The best reason of all to pick up a uke: joining the Chatham Ukulele Club!

 

Photo by Chris Yarzab used under Creative Commons Attribute 2.0 Generic license.

Kaitlyn is a first year Physics and Creative writing double major at Chatham. Her interests include reading, running, and playing the ukulele.
  Mara Flanagan is entering her seventh semester as a Chapter Advisor. After founding the Chatham University Her Campus chapter in November 2011, she served as Campus Correspondent until graduation in 2015. Mara works as a freelance social media consultant in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She interned in incident command software publicity at ADASHI Systems, gamification at Evive Station, iQ Kids Radio in WQED’s Education Department, PR at Markowitz Communications, writing at WQED-FM, and marketing and product development at Bossa Nova Robotics. She loves jazz, filmmaking and circus arts.