Best ukulele I have been playing for just four months now and I am pleased that I was able learn to play a few enjoyable songs so quickly. My good friend, Maria, encouraged me to start playing as she was just getting back into it again after not playing since her early college days in Hawaii.

She gave me some good tips and took me to a Strum Along where I could practice
and have fun with other strummers which made it even more enjoyable. I continue to get some good tips from other players and wanted to share what I have learned to help other new players (or those getting back into playing).

In a nutshell, here are my tips:
TIP 1 - Keep your finger nails trimmed
TIP 2 - Practice as often as you can and take your ukulele everywhere
TIP 3 - Start with a few simple chords
TIP 4 - Practice playing without looking at your fingers
TIP 5 - Find some songs that are enjoyable (and easy) to play
TIP 6 - Learn how to easily tune your ukulele
TIP 7 - Play songs in a "key" that matches your voice if you want to sing along

Read more below to learn how these tips can help you.

TIP 1 - KEEP YOUR FINGER NAILS TRIMMED
I quickly learned that it is important to keep your finger nails trimmed because the long nails can prevent you from placing your fingertip fully on a string and getting a clean sound.

TIP 2 - PRACTICE AS OFTEN AS YOU CAN AND TAKE YOUR UKULELE EVERYWHERE

Of course, I always want to do something I enjoy as often as I can but it is important for a few reasons.

-- to get your fingers used to pressing on the strings to form protective calluses so they won't feel so tender while playing; My fingers are still quite tender but not as much as when I first began.

-- to get your fingers used to playing some simple chords; My fingers did not want to cooperate at first. I even had to use my other had to place each finger on the proper string before I strummed it at first. After a while, my fingers got used to those positions but I still have to keep looking sometimes to make sure I am on the right fret .

-- keep your ukulele handy so you can practice and use up time you would have wasted anyways; I even take mine when I go visiting someone, if I am babysitting, if I have to go somewhere that I might need to wait for more than 15 minutes, etc. If I am waiting and can let the receptionist know that I am close by waiting in my car practicing, they can call me and I can be right
there within a few minutes. I play at the airport while waiting for a flight sometimes, too.
-- Be sure to keep your instrument sheltered from extreme heat or humidity - DO NOT leave it in our car even for a few hours. It is better to sling it over your shoulder an djust take it with you or just leave it at home if you will not be able to keep it in your shoulder.

TIP 3 - START WITH A FEW SIMPLE CHORDS

--- Learn some simple chords so you can play some recognizable and enjoyable songs. I first learned the simple version of the chords - C, Em, F , E7, Am, G, Dm and G7 . These happend to be the chords in the "Somewhere Over The Rainbow Medley" by Isreal Kamakawiao'ole (IZie) , my all time favorite Ukulele player. I have still not figured out how to strum like him but I can
do a simple Hawaiian style strum and hum to "Oooooo" part and create a pleasantly good sounding version.

--- Print out a copy of a chord chart and start getting familiar with the finger positions. Note that there is more than once way to play a chord and the sound is harmonically the same when played both ways. Choose the finger positions that are easiest to reach and practice your each by transitioning between the C chord
and another chord.
Click Here to see the chord chart from the Kiwi Ukulele site.

TIP 4 - PRACTICE PLAYING A FEW CHORDS WITHOUT LOOKING

--- It is hard to hold the ukulele properly, play, and read the music if you have to keep looking at your fingers. I am still trying to get my fingers to memorize those positions and once I can play some chords without looking, maybe I can even sing.

Doing all three at once (read music, play, and sing) is a challenge for me but , with more practice, I can get better and better at it.

TIP 5 - FIND SOME SONGS THAT ARE ENJOYABLE (AND EASY) TO PLAY

--- There are so many songs that are easy to play because they use the
same basic set of chords. I try to expand and learn new chords when
I come across a new song that I really want to learn how to play.

--- It is helpful to practice the same beginner songs that you learned with the
familiar chords because you can still improve the quality of the sound
by pressing more firmly and transitioning more smoothly between chords.

--- Keep your chord chart handy if you select music that does not show the chord
finger positions. Practice until you can play the beginner chords without looking.

There are several sites with songs transposed from the guitar to use Ukulele chords - see some links on the Ukulele Song Books

To take a song that you know and determine which chord to play and when
to transition to another chord to harmonize with the melody takes a real
musical talent and ability. There are many people who do "play by ear"
and can tell what to strum by listening to the song but I am not at that level (yet).

TIP 6 - LEARN HOW TO EASILY TUNE YOUR UKULELE

It is amazing how different a song can sound when played on an instrument that is
out of tune. A song will just not sound right and, when playing with others, your
sound may be quite noticeably off from the others.

---One of our members got a bunch of electronic tuners and is selling them for a low price of $12. You may be able to get one from him at a Strum Along when he attends.

---I got an electronic tuner at the Ukulele Paradise - Island Bazaar in Huntington Beach. The owner was very helpful in recommending a tuner that would be good for kids. I ended up buying two, one for a 9 year-old player and one for me. I recommend you stop by that store if you are in that area. Besides having a great selection, they have events for Ukulele players and small concerts by fabulous musicians and world famous Ukulele players.
Check out the Island Bazaar - Huntington Beach


--- You can tune by ear using certain relative strings. See the beginner's instructions which includes a tuning lesson at the Live Ukulele Site .
Strings are A,E,C,G (bottom string is A, top is G). To tune using the relative method, the A string should sound like the 5th fret on the E string and the 2nd fret on the G string; The E string should sound like the 4th fret on the C string.


TIP 7 - PLAY SONGS IN A "KEY" THAT MATCHES YOR VOICE IF YOU WANT TO SING ALONG

Now you are getting more advanced if you are able to play and sing, too.
Even if you play and someone else sings, you need to play in a key within
their singing range. Most of the songs I collected are in the key of C and
require a higher voice range (which I don't have but I can hit most of them).

You can play the same song in different keys but the chords you will play
are different in each "key". Try playing the "Five Foot Ywo" practice song
in the different keys. This is also a good practice song for doing your basic
chord transitions in your favorite key.
Click here the "Five Foot Two" practice
song.