The day came when I bought one. My approach was simple: I wanted an instrument around $100 because that's what I could afford. I didn't want a toy, which cost anywhere between $25-$60. I couldn't afford, nor would I be guaranteed to like the instrument if I paid more than $250. I ended up spending $99 on my Cordoba concert ukulele, and it met all expectations I could have possibly had, which were honestly quite low at the time. I literally shopped for it while carrying my sleeping child, and bought it without strumming it. I'm still amazed that I bought a decent uke with the amount of effort I put into it.
The big kicker though was that I didn't have money leftover to pay for lessons. Being how I was obsessed with something and could only afford $99, I wasn't about to spend another dime on someone teaching me how to play it.
Let me be clear, if you want to learn the ukulele, or any instrument, take lessons. You'll learn tips, tricks, techniques, songs, theory, etc. in a fraction of the time and effort. This post is more for organic learning, teaching yourselfers, who don't have two nickels to rub together, yet have access to the internet.
The good news is that we live in the age of information. The internet can be used as a tool. I didn't know this until I started using it to learn, and lo and behold, it was there to teach me.
Let's start with online instructors. If you want to learn the ukulele, go to YouTube, and find Ukulele Mike. He is hands down the best ukulele instructor on YouTube. He has tons and tons of videos for FREE that teach you strumming, theory, songs, songs, songs, and more songs. His videos are great because he does play/sing alongs with the chords, which helps anyone who is trying to learn.
It's easy to get your fill of Mike though, so look for other instructors on YouTube. I like Ukulele Underground, and Hawaiian Music Supply, but there are many more, each catering to the likes of YOU, a viewer interested in learning the uke. You are, of course, allowed to be picky. Find the instructors that are right for you, and subscribe to them. Simple enough. You get weekly emails telling you what's new on your channel. Pretty cool.
Next, you're going to want to learn theory, different chords, different techniques, etc. You're best resource for any kind of ukulele information is ukulelehunt.com. It's the best. Truly. There's other great sites, but this is the best place to start. There you will find instructions on reading music, tablature, songs, technique, and all sorts of stuff in between. There are plenty of resources on the website that are FREE, so go for it!
Do you like books? Do you feel you would learn from a book on how to play the ukulele? Go to your local library! Who goes to the library anymore, right? Seriously, I hadn't been to one in years. But I went, and they let you borrow books for FREE!! What a crazy concept. I recently checked out "Learn to Play the Ukulele: A simple and fun guide for complete beginners." The book has a CD in it, so you can listen to the instructors be nerds and teach you strumming technique, blues progressions, and a variety of songs to play. Super fun! This isn't the only book you'll find at the library though, so go and check it out. You might find something even more amazing.
The thing is, you have to practice if you want to get better. The beauty of the ukulele is that it's light, portable, and at least mine is surprisingly hardy. My two year old plays with it, I drop it on the floor, it takes a beating every day. But it's out, and played every day. Use the tools available to you to get ideas of where to go, but then practice on your own whenever you have a minute.
And that is my expert advice, because I'm obviously an expert on not spending a dime to learn something important to me. The stuff I have on my blog is free, too. See what I have available and let me know what you want to learn!
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