The Joy Of Ukuleles
In 2003, Bill Robertson released a wonderful documentary entitled Rock That Uke, a tribute to the ukulele and its unique sound, and the mystique that surrounds not only its musical qualities but its size and shape. Bill Robertson explained that much of the enjoyment uke players have is in the simple act of holding the instrument.
As he points out in the film, a ukulele “[is] about the size of a human infant”. And just like an infant, a ukulele is held close to the chest, near the heart, as if you were cradling a baby…. which probably seems a little sappy. You have this small, wonderful instrument that you’re shielding from harm which in turn gives you a real sense of purpose.
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.”
My go-to logician on ukuleles, Bill Robertson, also make a point to call attention to the fact that the four strings on the ukulele has a high end, but there isn’t a low end. “All that really means,” he says, “is that it is the ‘plink’ quality.” “You’re strumming the ukuele, all the strings are in the upper range, and it doesn’t have that bass sort of support that a guitar has, that robust sound. “It just has a high sound, which gives it a very childlike quality that conveys a certain innocence.”
Fans of the ukulele will cite other reasons for its popularity, most notably it’s low cost, easy portability and a simplicity of style that almost anyone can learn to play. For those just starting out, a soprano ukulele will run about $30 to $40. For more advanced players looking for a custom instrument or collectors who enjoy an instrument made with finer woods or with inlays, the cost can run into the thousands of dollars.
When it comes to learning how to play, ukulele enthusiasts affirm that it’s child’s play. “I can teach anyone to play the ukulele in about 15 minutes,” Levine from the Dallas Ukulele Headquarters states. “We do roughly a 15-minute session at the beginning of each class.
Taylor Mac believes that these distinctive characteristics give the ukulele that certain air that you don’t find with any other musical instruments.
It’s partly because of the humanity of the instrument,” he tells us. “Pretty much anyone can pick up a ukulele, and you can learn how to play three chords in about an hour, and play a song. So it brings joy, because people see the possibility that ‘If you can do it, I can do it, too.
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