When learning to play a new instrument, many people give up because the instrument is too hard. When I first learned to play guitar, I had no prior knowledge of the instrument, so I had a hard time trying to learn chords and finger placement. After not playing the guitar for a whole year, I decided to buy myself a ukulele, thinking it was a lot easier than guitar. To make a long story short, it was! I found myself playing a song exactly thirty minutes after getting the ukulele out of the box! Now, I have three different reasons why you too should start playing the ukulele.

1. It's Easy!

Not only is the ukulele super fun to learn, it's also really easy! The ukulele is four strings, usually tuned in the key of C. I love that most ukuleles are tuned in the key of C, because it makes it easy to pick out chords from the strings. Most ukuleles come with a chart showing you very basic chords, so it’s very easy to learn a song right out of the gate. I can guarantee that with a chord chart and a half hour of free time, you can learn a new song. Because the ukulele is so easy, it is also a confidence builder, because you can see yourself learning new songs at such an incredible pace.

2. It's Inexpensive!

If you're looking for a hobby that won't break the bank, then the ukulele is the way to go. Most basic beginner ukuleles will run you about $29, and those are great for when you are just starting. I tend to look for ukuleles around the $60-80 range, mainly because I want to make sure that my ukulele is well built and can last for a while. Also, because ukuleles are so inexpensive, you can become an instrument collector. I love ukuleles with different and cool designs.

3. It's fun!

The ukulele is the most fun you will have with four strings. Almost any song can be strummed along to and that is a good thing. I've stayed up late at night trying to learn guitar tabs but the difficulty is gone when I play the ukulele. It has such a fun, warming, opening sound that is hard to match along with any instrument. I’ve been to many open mics where it’s the same people playing the same thing, but when someone brings up a ukulele, a sense of fun comes over the crowd. Everyone pays attention and reacts greatly to the cute and welcoming sound of the ukulele.

If you’re trying to learn an instrument, then the ukulele is the way to go. The ukulele is not only easy and inexpensive, it’s fun too! I personally own four ukuleles, and they are awesome. My personal favorite is my acoustic-electric one that looks like a Gibson Les Paul guitar! Happy playing!