The Lure of the Ukulele

In 2003 Bill Robertson created an excellent short documentary about the mystique of the ukulele called Rock That Uke. He stated that the shape, the size, and certainly the sound, all in combination, account for the immensely intriguing popularity of the ukulele. Robertson believes that, by the simple act of physically holding the ukulele, a person quickly becomes enchanted by the instrument.

He notes, “It’s about the size of a human infant, and when you hold it to play, you hold it up close and you’re cradling it to your heart… to be corny about it. It is this small thing that you’re protecting, and also giving you a sense of protective purpose in the world.”

However, most of all, it has just one resonant sound. It sounds gentle, pure and incredibly jubilant. This is even true when it boils down to the player’s blunt distinction, i.e. Taylor Mac, the man who performed at the Undermain Theatre in Dallas toward the beginning of this month. Mac says, “We’re reminded of a time when we were so young that nothing is our fault.” “And that makes us happy.”

Not only that, but the ukulele’s four strings have a high end but no opposing low end, as my ukulele guru Bill Robertson is quick to mention. So what you end up with is that distinctive “plink quality,” as Robertson describes it. As your playing, all of the sound is in the upper range, so you don’t have that “bass sort of support that a guitar has, that robust sound.” With a ukulele, you have only the high sounds, which create a “very childlike quality that conveys a certain innocence.”

It’s affordability, transportability and accessibility are three more factors behind its appeal. A beginner’s soprano ukulele is priced at anywhere from $30-$40. However, just as with all music instruments, the more complex inlays and wood could make a ukulele cost thousands of dollars.

If you are just a beginner, never fear, this is an easy instrument to learn how to play, as any die hard uke player will tell you. Master Uke player Levine of the Dallas Ukulele Headquarters insists that he can “teach anyone to play the ukulele in about 15 minutes”. In fact, each class begins with a 15-minute session on how to play.

Mac says that other musical instruments just don’t have the quality that you find in a ukulele.

Mac feels that the connection is there “because of the humanity of the instrument”. This is an instrument that almost anyone can pick up and “learn how to play three chords in about an hour, and play a song”. As Mac explains, the ukulele has the unique ability to “bring joy, because people see the possibility that ‘if you can do it, I can do it, too”.

For more information on Paper Lunch Bags and Japanese Bathtub, visit our site

Note: The good folks at the FTC require me to disclose that I am an affiliate of the companies that manufacture and market the health products you will find on this website, and that these companies will compensate me if you buy any of these products.