When I was a child, I used to convince the other kids in band to let me borrow their instrument for the night. I’d take it home, learn the level 1 book, and trade it for another instrument the next day. I loved learning and playing all of the instruments, and I was a little afraid that the instrument I had picked to play in the band might not be the BEST one. What if missed out on something spectacular about the clarinet or was denying some inner calling to be a drummer? How do you commit to THE one? How do you know which instrument is the best?
At Sing Out Studios, we’ve come up with a handy list of reasons we believe the ukulele is the best instrument for your young musician (and you)!
1. It’s inexpensive.
When I was in grade school, it was several hundred dollars (at least) to own your own band or orchestra instrument. Ukuleles can be picked up for about as little (or as much) as you’d like to spend. Price can sometimes reflect quality so consult an expert before purchasing.
2. It’s an ideal instrument for ear training.
Ear training is when we train the ear to recognize pitches and the intervals between those pitches. This is used in reading, writing, and dictating music. Because of the way the ukulele is laid out, we can explore a multitude of pitches by sliding up and down the fretboard easily.
3. You can sing and play at the same time.
Children love to sing! Playing a wind instrument means you can either play OR sing but not both. The requires only your hands to play, so it allows children to accompany themselves.This means more concerts for Mom and Dad!
4. It’s portable.
If social media had been around when I was a child, there would have been a viral video of me trying to haul a baritone saxophone onto a school bus. It was no easy feat! Fortunately, the ukulele is small enough to carry on the bus, to the beach, to grandma’s house, on a road trip, or literally anywhere they want to take it. These soprano ukuleles are so compact that I throw mine in my diaper bag to take with us wherever we go. There will be no shortage of practice or performance time with this portable instrument.
5. It’s FUN!
Seriously, the ukulele is loads of fun! Just ask Spongebob or the Minions! In our summer camp, we swung them around, danced while we played, banged on them for percussion, and played Red Light, Green Light with them. In fact, our ukulele classes are so much fun that we can’t keep the parents out of the room. For this reason, we invite interested parents into our classroom to learn right alongside their child, at no additional charge. We love watching parents and children connect and experience the joy of music together.
For more reasons why the ukulele is the best instrument and to find out more about our Group Ukulele Classes for children 8+ and their grownups, please visit SingOutStudios.org/Ukulele.
Play on!
