Ukuleles are cool, Gucci, lit, sick, sweet, snatched, etc. You get the picture.
Don’t believe me?
Well, they are. Ukuleles are REALLY popular right now.
Allow me to explain why…
1. Major Celebrities Play the Ukulele
Billie Eilish’s first instrument was the Ukulele, and she even has her own signature Fender uke today. Not to mention Paul McCartney, Taylor Swift, and Dwayne the Rock Johnson all play the ukulele.
Observe the coolness:
Plus additional coolness:
If you don’t think at least ONE of those people are cool, then you are a level 10 hipster, and I respect your avoidance of the mainstream. But I still think they’re cool anyway.
2. Ukulele “Feels” Approachable, Like a YouTuber
Let’s face it. It can be pretty intimidating to start learning a traditional instrument, like the piano or guitar.
Ukuleles are smaller and less complicated than these instruments. And the ukulele’s “personality” (e.g. its design, small size, bright tone, etc.) also make it feel friendlier and less daunting than other instruments.
So a lot of people gravitate towards the approachability of the ukulele, just like you might gravitate towards a YouTuber like Casey Neistat, who is famous for his sincerity and personality. I don’t know about you, but I think most people would agree that Casey Neistat is cool.
3. Ukulele is a Legit Part of Modern Pop Music
Ukulele is famously used in big hits, like “Riptide”, and “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”. BUT, the use of ukulele in pop songs goes a lot deeper than that.
In fact, Eddie Vedder (of Pearl Jam) recorded an entire album on the ukulele and Twenty-One Pilots has also been known to use the instrument in their recordings. If that’s not your genre, then Grace VanderWaal is another ukulele artist who gets a lot of attention.
Ukulele also works really well with popular songs like “Hey Soul Sister”, “I’m Yours”, and other classic tunes for new ukulele players.
4. You Can Sound Good, Really Quickly
One thing that is genuinely incredible about the ukulele, is that you can start playing songs REALLY quickly. I’d guess that if you picked up a ukulele for the first time today, you could play a simple song with a basic strumming pattern, within 30-60 minutes.
For example, if you just learn the 4 easy ukulele chords below, you’d be able to play Let It Be by the Beatles:
- Am
- G
- F
- C
Other instruments also have 4-chord songs, but the ukulele is unique in how quickly you can start getting basic chords to sound good.
On other instruments (i.e. guitar, piano, etc.) there’s usually more difficult finger positions and movements that you’ll have to learn, which is fine, but it does require more time to practice.
5. Ukulele is a Serious Instrument (It’s WAY More than a Toy)
Because of the relative simplicity and small size of the ukulele, it sometimes gets accused of being a toy, or a “beginner guitar”.
This is just not true!
Ukulele is a full-fledged instrument, with it’s own unique sound. And I think the best way to illustrate this point, is by showing you how high the musical ceiling is for this instrument.
Enter: Jake Shimabukuro.
Skip to timestamp 1:12 if you want to be impressed.
6. Quality Ukuleles Look Like Art
If you’ve ever seen a well-built ukulele, then you’ll know that these instruments are excellent wall-art, even if you don’t play them.
Don’t get me wrong – you should definitely play your uke!
But, if you’ve ever been in a ukulele shop, you’ll know just how awesome the craftsmanship of these instruments looks when it’s hung on a wall hook.
And I haven’t even mentioned the wood! The colorful woods that are used in ukulele construction, including Mahogany and Mango wood, can be truly mesmerizing.
7. There’s some Epic Ukulele Gear
If you like to nerd-out about gear, then you can also do that in the world of ukulele.
There’s the “normal” accessories that most people know about, like tuners, carrying bags, capos, etc.
But in my opinion, that’s not really even the cool stuff. The cool stuff, is amplification, trying different string materials, different types of ukes, and more!
For example, did you know that there is a bass ukulele (which is basically the bass guitar version of a uke)? Or did you know that if you use black nylon strings instead of the nylgut strings that came with your ukulele, that you can get a much “warmer” more laid-back sound?
That’s just a tiny sample of the cool gear stuff you can play around with as a ukulele player.
8. It Sounds like a Vacation
The ukulele and it’s unique tropical vibe, are inextricably associated with Hawaii.
As one of the most picturesque vacation destinations in the US, this association between Hawaii and the ukulele can easily get you daydreaming about an island getaway when you hear it’s music.
Not to mention that if you ever do get a chance to visit Hawaii, you can visit some truly amazing ukulele shops, particularly in Honolulu. A couple of years ago, I got to go ukulele shopping in Hawaii, and just thinking about it now makes me want to go back!
9. The Ukulele Community
There’s not much that can make you feel cool faster than a group of people that share one of your interests, and ukulele is no different.
In fact, I think that you’ll find the ukulele community to be even more fun and welcoming than those for other instruments.
There’s a big international community of ukulele players and hobbyists, and there are even local ukulele groups that meet up to play together.
One of the unique things about ukulele, is that there are soprano, concert, tenor, and baritone ukuleles, which means you can form a complete ukulele ensemble if you meet someone who plays each variation of the instrument.
10. Ukulele Skills Transfer (Guitar, Bass, etc.)
Ukuleles are also an excellent “gateway” instrument. If you want to try the ukulele, but think you might switch to another instrument later, then you can totally do that!
That’s one of the reasons ukuleles are so popular among people who are just getting started in music.
Many of the skills that you’ll learn while playing ukulele, transfer directly to other fretted instruments, like guitar and bass, including the following:
- Finger positions and chord shapes
- Transitions between chords
- Strumming or picking patterns
- Basic music theory
- Tuning and string replacement
11. Ukuleles Are Small
Another thing that ukuleles have going for them, is that they are quite small.
There’s a number of reasons that’s a good thing. For example, it makes it WAY easier to store in a small living space (like an apartment), which is a bigger deal than you might think since over 80% of the US population lives in urban areas.
Another benefit, is that it makes ukuleles much easier to carry around with you. Which is nice if you like to play music in the park, or even if you want to take your ukulele with you on an international backpacking trip.
Finally, depending on what’s currently trendy, sometimes small stuff is just plain in style. You know, like the tiny cell phone in Zoolander. Yeah, I know that’s a deep cut. 20 pop culture points to you if you got that reference.