How Hard Is It to Learn Ukulele
Learning the ukulele can be a fun experience overall and if you are taking a class with a group of people, it can be an excellent way to interact and socialize with your peers as you play and sing songs together. You can also take your ukulele playing to any level professionally as is evidenced by the huge numbers of ukulele stars and virtuosos present today.
However, the road isn’t always as smooth as it should be. When you are first starting out, it is quite normal to feel a little fear, especially if you have never played an instrument before. Not being able to progress as a result of the obstacles that lay ahead can also make the entire experience more frustrating and if you are self-taught, the challenges may even be more frequent in your case.
How hard is it to learn ukulele?
So how hard is it really to learn the ukulele? Let’s explore the beginners’ challenges that you might face at first when learning the ukulele:
Making the decision to keep learning
Deciding that you want to play the ukulele is no small feat, especially if you have gone for most of your life having never thought about picking up a musical instrument. Or perhaps you have previously tried your hand at other instruments and failed.
In any case, it can sometimes feel difficult to muster up the courage to keep learning the ukulele when you first encounter some challenges. But if you persist, it can open you up to a world of possibilities that you never thought possible.
Sore fingers
When you first start learning, you should definitely expect sore fingers, particularly if are strumming an instrument for your very first time. Although your first ukulele chords are will be fairly simple to learn, chances are that learning them will feel like it’s the most brutal thing that your poor fingers have ever experienced.
However, you will be happy to know that as you get used to it, the soreness will disappear as the pads on your fingers get used to the impact. This will only occur, however, with regular and continued practice as it is the only way to build up calluses.
Scheduling your practice sessions
If you are busy and have other commitments in life to attend to, finding time to attend your ukulele lessons, let alone schedule time for practicing, can seem impossible. As a beginner ukulele player, the best thing that you can do when first starting out is to commit yourself to regular practice sessions.
Of course, in the beginning, you might find yourself eager to play all the time. But as time passes by, you must force yourself to maintain that same eagerness and enthusiasm you had for the ukulele at the beginning. If you do not, you might find it difficult to play in a way that produces true results or allows you to explore the ukulele professionally.
Singing and playing simultaneously
The most advanced ukulele players can make singing and playing the ukulele at the same time appear easy. It can be hard to learn how to play a song and sing it out loud- this is actually something even the most advanced ukulele players struggle with. This is because singing and playing simultaneously requires you to multitask proficiently and do it in perfect synchronization. The important thing to remember when you are struggling is that it takes time to perform these tasks competently so give yourself the time that you need to grow and advance.
Tips to help you succeed as a ukulele student
Make a choice to learn from the best
When it comes to the ukulele and other instruments in general, you are only as good as your ukulele teacher. When looking for ukulele lessons, it can be difficult at first to make a choice between the numerous options available. With each teacher claiming to have the best rates and reviews, picking one that is suited for your needs, pace and learning style can be tricky.
ArtistWorks - Craig Chee and Sarah Maisel Ukulele Lessons
As a rule of thumb, you should make the decision to learn from the best from the word go to enhance your chances of succeeding. Reliable and tried and tested instructors such as ArtistWorks’ Craig Chee and Sarah Maisel ukulele lesson are the caliber of instructors that you should be looking for. Not only do both Craig and Sarah have years of professional experience under their belt, but they have built up a practice that is world-renowned and comprehensive for learners to master the ukulele.
Best of all, the ArtistWorks platform is filled with exciting features such as the Video Exchange Learning feature that allows students to interact with their instructors through video exchanges.
Video
Tackle everything one at a time
As stated earlier, trying to sing and play at the same time can seem challenging for beginners as your brain may not be able to fully internalize performing two separate acts simultaneously. In such a case, it helps to tackle each task separately.
For instance, you can start off by ensuring that you are able to play all the cords and able to transit between all the chords smoothly before you can move on to memorizing the melody and rhythm of the songs. If you handle each task separately, it will allow your brain to master the individual parts well so that when it comes to performing both at the same time, the individual elements will come more naturally to you.
The Difficulty and Hardness of Learning Ukulele
The ukulele is an easy instrument to learn as long as you put in the hard work and dedication that is needed to succeed. Best of all, it is quickly rewarding, which means that you will be able to play plenty of tunes as soon as you master the basics.
When first starting out, it can all seem too taxing and daunting but the most essential thing to keep in mind is to have fun with it otherwise you can get bogged down by it all. When you are finally able to perform in front of everyone for the first time, you will find that it was all worth it. So why not sign up for ukulele lessons today?