There has never been a better time to start playing ukulele, given the hundreds of models available to choose from in every price range. Today you will also find a lot of resources to help you learn ukulele and develop your gaming skills. We want to help you find your way through a stunning number of ukulele on the market for this model that makes sense in terms of music tastes and budget.

Sometimes considered a toy in the past, the adoption of ukulele by artists such as Paul McCartney, Eddie Vedder, Dhani Harrison and Jason Mraz gave this instrument a new respect. Jake Shimabukoro’s astounding mastery of the instrument has proven that in the right hands the ukuleles are capable of creating exceptionally refined music. His interpretation of George Harrison’s “When My Guitar Gently Weeps” was an online sensation with over 12 million views in that writing!

The popularity of ukulele should not be surprising; with just four nylon strings, they are easy to learn and play, and easy on the fingers of novices. In this guide I will present a brief history of this instrument, and in a while I will give you the information you need to choose the right ukulele that suits your aspirations and budget.
A brief history of ukulele

Based on a few small members of the guitar family, the ukulele was first made in Hawaii in the 1880s, when Portuguese emigrants created instruments similar to those popular in their homelands. Ukulele quickly became very popular on the islands thanks to the enthusiastic support of King Kalakau, whose court was often presented at the ukulele. By the way, the name ukulele comes from a “jumping flea” in Hawaiian and is based on the impression of the islanders about the quick movements of players’ hands on the fretboard.

The best popularity of ukulele spread in the US, when American songwriters began to compose music with Hawaiian motifs and sounds in the 1920s. The Ukulele musicians were popular on the vaudeville scene, and the small instrument became strongly associated with Jazz Age. The picture, wearing a mail shirt on a college student’s shed, became an icon of pop culture, and the publishers began to release songs for the ukulele. Noting fashion, American instrument makers such as Martin and Harmony began to produce ukuleles. String bands from the era also brought ukulele to their instrument sets.

Although the presence of ukulele in pop music lasted from 1940 to 1960, partly due to the production of millions of inexpensive plastic “bits” and the hit by Tina Tim from 1968, “Tiptoe Through the Tulips.” The popularity of the instrument has dropped. Ukulele returned in the 90s, thanks in part to the huge popularity of the compilation Over the Rainbow and What a Wonderful World by Izrael Kamakawiwoola, which appeared in television commercials and films. Since then, the return of the ukulele has been strengthened by countless video performances on YouTube, as well as by rock, pop and folk performers who have embarked on playing this unique instrument.