...to buy a ukulele

[WarmSausageTea]

I was reading an article on things to do during lockdown, and one of them was, strangely, learn to play the ukulele. I had a look online, and they're not expensive, with many around £30, so now I'm thinking about getting one.

The downside to this is that although I like music, I have a tin ear, and have never been able to play an instrument. Also, I'm not good at using my hands to do two different things at the same time.

But still, I have the time, and it seems a small price to pay for something that I might enjoy, so please, MN jury, help me decide.

YABU - it'll be a complete failure and a waste of money.

YANBU - give it a go. But don't blame us if you can't get the hang of it.

Thanks all, I have bought a ukulele. I haven’t mentioned this to DP, I’ll let its arrival be a lovely surprise.

As long as you dont live with me, or near me and plan to practise with windows open/in garden I would say go for it!!!

A friend of mine bought herself one back in March. She loves it! It sounds like a good lockdown-type activity.

If you have thin walls, be considerate as to the time of day you learn and practice. Good luck as played well they are a beautiful musical instrument.

I got one a couple of years ago and taught myself to play using info freely available online. They're great fun and really easy to pick up. I play duets with friends and family and play a lot of rock music for my personal amusement :-)
They're pretty quiet instruments (they have plastic strings and are much quieter than a guitar so it would be pretty hard to annoy the neighbours.

We only have one set of neighbours, and we’re mutually very considerate. Though they have pan pipe style wind chimes, so presumably they’re okay with terrible rackets. (Joking aside, there won’t be any public performances, I’m not sure I want to hear it, let alone inflict it on others.)

There was an article on our local news about them and DH decided he wanted one so we have one arriving on Friday

Definitely a good idea.
A friend who has never played any instrument decided on a whim to buy a cheap saxophone on ebay and having s lot of fun with it -‘tis the time!

Do it! You might want to add the price of a basic electric tuner to the budget to help you get it in tune before you play each time.

@EmmanuelleMakro a saxophone, you say? Now there’s an idea... 🎷😳

I have one, love it and it's really easy to get going on it. I use the Ukeoke app

Glad you bought one

I nicked this quote, I've forgotten from where:

"Play the ukulele! The most fun you can have doing something badly!"

If we weren't in sodding lock-down I would suggest that you look for a local ukulele club. It's a lot more fun learning that way AND no one can hear when you make a mistake

There are lots of lists of clubs on the internet - and this site is a good starting place for beginners anyway:

ukulelehunt.com/2010/03/10/ukulele-clubs-and-groups/

I hope you bought a tuner too

ukulelehunt.com/new-to-uke/

To be honest, you will be very lucky to have got a ukulele that is pleasing to the ear if you only paid £30.

It will also have crappy strings. Everyone has their favourite brands, my personal preference is Fremont Black Hardline - they are good and they are cheap. The best price I have found is Lucy's Ukulele on eBay. They are in the USA but delivery is always very prompt:

www.ebay.co.uk/sch/m.html?_odkw=&_ssn=lucysukulele&_armrs=1&_osacat=182172&_from=R40&_trksid=p2046732.m570.l1313&_nkw=fremont&_sacat=182172

Another site that is good if you want to learn to play by ear rather than relying on songsheets:

www.playukulelebyear.com/first-time-visitor/

Good luck!

i play piano and used to think i’d never be able to play with two hands going in different directions and at different speeds but of course now i can. it’s like everything, just takes practice.

i used to play violin and one daughter does, the other plays piano and ukelele and my teenage boy only plays playstation. was going to say something else there

My 13 year old DD plays and it's a lovely sound, she sings beautifully too. She did a lovely version of Fleet Foxes White Winter Hymnal at a recent socially distanced carol service.

You've inspired me to revisit this today, has made me smile! That's the nice thing about the ukulele, doesn't take itself too seriously.

<a class="break-all" href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=m.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DNNAEIiEuSRs&ved=2ahUKEwjJkIv9kb7uAhWVtXEKHfjsC2cQ28sGMAB6BAgBEAk&usg=AOvVaw36kuWEmMTB9QpdS1MZVduX&cshid=1611820585734" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=m.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DNNAEIiEuSRs&ved=2ahUKEwjJkIv9kb7uAhWVtXEKHfjsC2cQ28sGMAB6BAgBEAk&usg=AOvVaw36kuWEmMTB9QpdS1MZVduX&cshid=1611820585734

Go for it.

I want to buy one but my partner won’t let me :(

Had a recorder a couple of years ago that I couldn’t play either and they gave it to a charity shop behind my back

I inherited a banjolele years ago but have never yet learned to play it (have started a few times). It is about 100 years old -my grandmother's cousin used to play it. This thread has inspired me.

Thank you all for the encouragement, ideas, quotes and links. Lots to think about. DP will be completely , but he has his scotch, I will have my ukulele... I'll even let him use it, if he wants to. He won't.

This www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B06W9GN7ZK/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?psc=1This&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&ie=UTF8 is the one I bought, supposedly £50 RRP, but I didn't check, I just liked that one.I figure if I take to it (unlikely, but still) I can upgrade; if that happens, we have a friend whose son is a very good guitarist, so he might enjoy tinkering on it.

fuzzy, your post has made me sad; I hope you can get what you want.

Banjolele always makes me think of Julie Walters in a Victoria Wood sketch... was it an Acorn Antiques episode? I'll have to look for it.