Ukulele Love

If you enjoy ukulele -- whether that be playing, listening, or even just looking at them -- we invite you to come visit us at the Grand Ukulele Station Discord server. It's a place to show off your talents, get help and advice, chat with like-minded people, or just kick back and listen to some ukulele tunes. We are a friendly and welcoming community, and would love you to join us!

Caterpillar exercise using all four fingers to fret up and down the neck, working on coordinating both hands.

[image description: man with short brown hair and beard holding a Kanile’a brand wooden tenor ukulele. Titled My favorite ukulele warm-up exercise for all levels.]

I figured out that the tuner is a good holder for a kazoo, but I've overestimated it's power :D

If you have any advice or song suggestions - please comment :)

There are a surprising number of ukulele clubs “in the wild”, some are quite tiny and difficult to find. If you’re not having luck, ask places that have community rooms (like the library or senior center or parks department) if they have a ukulele group that meets there.

Someday, after I win the lottery!

Everybody plays it, you know you want to!

September 22-24

My favorite strings at the moment, so I’m biased. Unlike Fremont Blackline, the Clears only come in one flavor. (And it’s a delicious flavor!). A set of high G strings is about $7. A single unwound low G is about $3.

The moment I played a set was one of those cartoonishly “ah-ha! Eureka!” experiences. Everything felt and sounded perfect.

The strings feel gentle and responsive under the fingers, unlike Aquilas which feel heavy and dull to me. Hammer-ons and pull-offs are so easy and clear. I can play with much more nuance than with Aquilas or heavier fluorocarbon. (Mind you I play quietly by myself, so I don’t know how these would sound where volume is required in a group or performing.)

Try a set of the Fremonts if you have arthritis or strength issues in your hands, or neuropathy, or are just frustrated by strings that require pedal-to-the-metal amounts of power to play.

The fretboard is pretty wild. And if you are coming to the ukulele from wind instruments like I am, this video overview might be helpful.

This is only one festival calendar, I’m sure there are more to be added. (please add any you know of)

Mango vs koa tone woods. Identical tenors and “tiny tenors” that only differ by the woods used.

Quick tour through the Koaloha factory.

Uke With Alex (Alex Beds of SUS fame) discusses matching strings with tone woods

For those of us who would rather play the melody than sing it, this is a treasure trove!

Very thorough step-by-step video

Nightly builds (near the bottom of page) for Linux and Windows now support the Ukulele!

Bought this one for my oldest son of two and a half years of age. He loves it and I love it - not because of its craptastic bridge or wonderful blue, but for its joyous ease to pick up and noddle for a bit.

It has sparked quite the musical revolution for me. Sort of floated away from my electric bass playing (after 9-10 years) around 2015~, since then I've not played much of anything. This Ukulele have me saving up for a really nice tenor of some kind - probably a Rebel Double Creme or something similar (vegan friendly higher end)