Ukulele

A ukulele is a small, four-stringed instrument from the guitar family. It was developed in Hawaii in the 1800s from little guitar-like instruments brought over by Portuguese settlers. It has soft nylon strings and a bright, cheerful sound. Because it's light and the chords are simple, it's one of the easiest instruments for beginners of any age to pick up.

Ukuleles come in four main sizes. The soprano is the smallest and the classic choice, with that sweet, plinky sound most people know. The concert is a little bigger, with more room for fingers on the fretboard. The tenor is bigger again, with a fuller, warmer sound. The baritone is the largest and sounds more like a small guitar.

For small hands, a soprano or concert ukulele is usually the comfiest place to start.

Your Activity Leader starts with the basics: how to hold the ukulele, how to tune it and how to strum with your thumb or finger. The four strings are usually tuned to the notes G, C, E and A, and plenty of players remember them with the phrase My Dog Has Fleas.

Next you learn a few chord shapes, often starting with C, A minor, F and G. You press the strings down against the frets with one hand and strum a steady down and up pattern with the other. Those few chords are enough to play a surprising number of songs, so before long you're strumming and singing along together.

Almost anything with a tune. The ukulele is closely linked with traditional Hawaiian music, but it's just as at home with pop songs, folk songs, campfire songs and nursery rhymes. Most beginners start by strumming chords while everyone sings. Later, some players try fingerpicking, where you pluck single strings to play the melody.

Yes, it's a wonderful first instrument. It's small enough for children to hold comfortably, and the nylon strings are gentle on fingertips. Some chords need only one finger, so children can play a real song very quickly, which is a great confidence boost. Learning side by side is part of the fun, and grown-ups often find they're picking it up at the same pace as their children.

You might also like Pop Choir, African Harmonies and Junkyard Percussion.

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