Kaʻonohi Hew Len, a BYU–Hawaii senior from California majoring in music, said, “When choosing an ukulele (oo-koo-leh-leh), it’s more than just finding something to play. It’s a connection you are hoping to build.
“When you hold an ukulele, you ask: ‘Can I see myself playing this for the next two, five or 10 years? Does this ukulele produce the sound I want? Do I feel right with this ukulele?’”
In a Facebook poll, 67 percent of members of the I Love BYU–Hawaii and PCC Facebook groups, said they owned an ukulele, and 8 percent said they would like one.
On any day the sound of an ukulele can be heard throughout the BYUH campus.
Olivia Griffith, a BYUH freshman from Utah majoring in psychology, said she bought her first ukulele last summer on a trip to the Big Island.
Griffith said, “It was really cool because they gave me a beginner lesson.”
She said playing the ukulele helps her feel the Aloha spirit of happiness and love because of the instrument’s connection to Hawaii. Griffith said, “It’s fun to have an instrument that is easier to learn than the guitar, but is still a challenge.”
According to experts from beginnerukuleles.com, shopping for the first ukulele can be confusing if people do not know where to start. There are factors to take into consideration. People want their first ukulele to be something they enjoy playing.
How a ukulele feels, looks and sounds, as well as the cost of the instrument should be taken into consideration when purchasing one. Everything about the ukulele–its size, lightweight frame and easily pressed down strings–makes it one of the easiest instruments to play, according to musikalessons.com.
Len's advice for choosing an ukulele, “You create a bond with your instrument you never want to let go. You no longer think about how you can produce the sound, you then begin to see what sound you can make together.”
Len went on to say, “When I chose my first ukulele, I picked it up and started to play and just felt it was the right one for me. Like when you pick up any instrument and play it for the first time, you know it’s the one, like a beckoning call. When you strum an ukulele, you will know it’s the right one by the sound it produces and how it makes you feel.”
There are websites giving people advice on how to choose their first ukulele. Whether they want to follow the advice of friends or research using the Web, most agree on a few steps:
1. Price
Start with a price range. An article posted on beginnerukuleles.com says, “Most ukes in the $50 to $100 range are reasonably well-made instruments that sound good and are comfortable to play. You can certainly spend more, but it’s not necessary to get a great ukulele.”
If you’re thinking about getting a cheap ukulele, beginnerukuleles.com, advised against it saying, “It’s tempting to save a few bucks and buy an ukulele for $25 or $30 online–especially when it may not look different from expensive models.
"Ukes in this price range are more prone to construction issues that can affect tone and make them difficult to play. In our opinion, cheap ukuleles barely qualify as instruments. The cheaper, the more of a chance you’ll run into trouble.”
2. Size
Next, decide what size is most comfortable for you to hold and make chord shapes on. Another site, theukulelereview.com says the most common ukuleles come in three sizes. The smallest one, also referred to as the standard size, is the soprano. This one is little and many times big sounding, but usually the soprano is cramping for medium to large hands, especially as you get to more advanced chords.
The concert is medium size with a longer neck and more room between the frets, making it a easier to handle. It has, like the soprano, the classic ukulele sound and is louder. It is a popular size, and the second most requested after the next size up, the tenor, which is the size used most often by professionals and guitar players.
3. Sound
Finally, do you like how the ukulele sounds? Tone is entirely subjective, and there is no “wrong” tone. According to beginnerukuleles.com, “As a general rule, a bigger body means a bigger tone. Concert and tenor size ukuleles tend to be warmer, richer and more resonant than soprano ukes.
The larger body sizes also produce more bass and volume. Sopranos are typically quieter and have more of a “tinkly” sound that is treble-heavy.”
Writer: Patsy Brereton