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Learning how to hold the ukulele is simple, but there is a bit of technique involved in doing it correctly. The ukulele’s small size and associations with easy island music and culture lead many people to think you can simply pick it up and start strumming. This same small size, though, means you have to pay a bit more attention to how you handle it. Holding it incorrectly can muffle the sound, and it can lead to finger and wrist pain, too.
Even if you just plan to play ukulele as a hobby, learning to hold it properly is worth the effort. First of all, it’s more about knowing the right way than perfecting some complex technique. You’ll also be able to play longer without discomfort if you’re holding it right, meaning you’ll enjoy the instrument a lot more.
Sound like a good idea to you?
We thought so! Read on below to learn the right way to hold your uke by the time this articles over.
Jessica Simms is a saxophonist and life-long student of music. She works as a freelance writer and ghostwriter in Pittsburgh, PA.
Unlike other string instruments, such as the guitar or violin, you don’t need any tools like picks or bows. In fact, to learn how to hold the ukulele, the only thing you need is an instrument to practice on.
If you have a uke already, you’re good to go—no extra supplies needed. If you don’t, figuring out which size and style are right for you should be your first step. This handy guide to beginner ukuleles is an excellent resource if you’re not sure what kind of instrument you want to get.
The ukulele is a relatively simple instrument, and there aren’t very many parts to keep track of. There are some specialized terms used to refer to specific areas of the instrument, though, and knowing them will help you as you’re learning how to hold it.
So let’s break it down:
What says class better than a feces pun proudly displayed in your guest bathroom? This lavatory mist features jasmine and red tea, but the real star is the image of Pootin sitting on his horse, with a caption above him saying “I cover your filthy secrets. I bring odor to its knees”.
You’re really not supposed to drink more than a glass of wine, but you feel like you could gulp down the entire bottle? This wine glass was made to help with that exact problem! Big enough to hold a whole bottle, this glass has I Only Have Time for ONE Glass of Wine written on it in huge, block letters.
Make sure no one ever comes near your spare keys! Let’s face it – doormats and flower pots don’t make for the best hiding spots. After all, it’s where everybody keeps them. But hiding them inside fake, but realistic dog poop will surely do the trick of repelling potential thieves.
If your cat could talk, you’d definitely get into trouble for buying this. But she can’t, so you can go about your business, trying to make your loved ones think she can. This gift box is empty, but it features images of the animal translator collar that’s allegedly inside.
If regular journal keeping just isn’t something you can see yourself doing, Keri Smith has the right task for you. In Wreck This Journal, she invites you to poke holes through pages, deface scrapbook photos, and the like. If you’re wondering what exactly you’d end up with, you know what to do.
Be the author of the next book you’ll read. If that sounds interesting, get your hands on Finish This Book, the work of bestselling author Keri Smith and, of course, yourself. You’ll start by undergoing secret intelligence training, but nobody really knows where your journey will take you.
There’s no way to track time that’s quite as mesmerizingly beautiful as with this unique hourglass. Placed on an elegant wooden base, it uses a hidden magnet to pull down ferrous sand. While falling, the sand creates lovely stalagmites you can admire for a lot longer than the one-minute countdown.
Take your gaming sessions to a whole other level by using a great-looking, high-performance keyboard. Its top-quality injection molded keycaps make it perfect for gamers, programmers and writers alike. LED effects with three different brightness settings add a touch of cool to your devices.
Learn how to take truly stunning photos without having to memorize any technical terms. This book contains only information that’s useful to you when you’re ready to snap that perfect shot. Not to mention that it’s packed with gorgeous examples of professional photography.
If clothes make the man, do they make pets, too? If so, you’re in for a real treat! This cat outfit includes a sheriff onesie and a hat with a badge. They’re easy to put on, so you don’t have to worry about your pet getting mad at you. And then they can go exercise their right to boss everyone around.
Let Pikachu follow you wherever you go, just like he did with Ash! This eye-catching hat features the face of the adorable Pikachu, with his ears sticking out to make an even bigger impression. Since it has a snap closure, it can fit kids of all ages and, yes, adults, too.
Now you can finally realize your lifelong dream of becoming the ultimate bird watcher slash opera goer slash intelligence agent! You only need to have these mini binoculars on hand wherever you go. Since you won’t damage them by getting them wet, nothing’s out of bounds!
Give the universe a lick with this unique mix of lollipops. The back of each is black, resembling the outer space, while the front is clear, adding depth to the image. They come in a range of flavors, so there’s something for everyone. Serve these at your next space party or devour the cosmos yourself!
Give your friends and family a proper scare when they least expect it! With the help of this mix of decals, you can turn your toilet into a place from which emerge yucky octopus tentacles and even decomposing zombie hands. Simply stick them onto the seat and cover, and wait to hear the first screams!
Make sure your next camping trip doesn’t get interrupted by any sudden deaths. Bringing the world’s toughest tent should be more than enough. Made from thick, tear-resistant materials and easily packable into the tiniest bag, it’s the ideal companion for two people embarking on a dangerous trip.
Turn your backyard into a real amusement park with this incredible water slide! Twenty five feet long and equipped with sprinklers, it’s perfectly capable of entertaining your entire family. Since it’s made of embossed PVC, you don’t even need to add soap to achieve smooth rides.
Drinking only one cup of coffee a day has finally been made possible! Big enough to hold 64 ounces of liquid, this mug is the ideal gift for that one friend who can’t seem to stop drinking coffee, but if they don’t like it, you can also use it as a container for, well, 64 ounces of stuff.
What better way to cool off than by having a unicorn spray you with water from his magic horn? This huge inflatable toy unicorn doubles as a sprinkler for hot summers. Compatible with most garden hoses, it makes playing in the yard super fun for the entire family. Or just yourself – no one’s judging.
If there ever were a marathon in writing stuff by hand, you’d be the first one to cross your t’s and dot your i’s. Designed to minimize the strain on your fingers and hand, this pen fits snugly, yet comfortably around your index finger. As a result, you need to put in less effort to actually do the writing.
Had enough of classic LEGO building kits? Okay, it sounds completely absurd now that we say it, but you might still have a lot of fun building a ship in a bottle using only LEGOs. The kit includes everything from the bottle and wax seal elements to the ship with all its parts. Anchors aweigh!
You might be tempted to simply grab the instrument by the neck, but this isn’t the best way to do it. Gripping the neck this way can potentially damage the strings, and also leaves the body swinging, which increases the chances you’ll hit it off of something.
Instead, cradle the body against your body, even when you’re not playing it.
There will be three primary points of contact between the ukulele and your body:
The ideal position for most players will be roughly at the level of your ribs. Hold the ukulele just tightly enough for it to stay in place. If you squeeze it against your body, this will affect the resonance of the instrument and make it sound muffled.
Hold your right elbow at a 90° angle, with the body of the uke against your forearm. The instrument should be roughly parallel to the ground, although you can angle the neck up slightly if that makes it more comfortable.
Place your thumb on the back of the neck between the nut and the third fret. Don’t wrap your thumb completely over the top of the neck. This will limit your hand’s range of motion, making it more difficult to play chords.
Once your thumb is in position, wrap your fingers around the front of the neck. Keep them as close to parallel to the frets as possible, with your wrist straight, and don’t put any of the weight on your fingers—only the tips should touch, and they should float over the strings when you’re not playing.
In fact, once you’re playing, you don’t want any of the weight held by your left hand at all. A light grip will make sure your fingers can freely move across the strings.
Extend your right forearm along the bottom of the ukulele. Just like with the left arm, keep your wrist straight and don’t let your fingers carry any of the instrument’s weight. While you’ll use all four fingers to fret, you’ll only use one to strum—usually either your thumb or index finger. Your hand should be positioned so your strumming finger can reach the strings easily without straining.
And that’s all there is to it—seriously! You’re ready to learn some basic strumming patterns and start making music (there’s tons of uke sheet music at this site if you need some).
You’ll probably find a lot of different advice online for beginning ukulele players—some of which might be blatantly contradictory. The steps and tips above are taken straight from music educators and experts and they’ll get you started off right, but that doesn’t mean you only have one way to do things.
No technique is wrong if you sound good and feel comfortable doing it.
Do you have a tip of your own for how to hold the ukulele? Be sure to share it in the comments—it just might be the answer someone else is looking for.
You don’t have to—if your technique is correct, you’ll be able to hold the instrument against your chest whether you’re standing or sitting.
When you’re sitting down, though, you do have the option of resting the instrument on your lap, instead. This can be especially helpful for smaller players or larger ukuleles, like tenors and baritones.
You will have to change the position of the ukulele slightly if you’re playing it from your lap. Rest the body on your right thigh with the neck tilted up at approximately a 45° angle. Still try to keep your fingers parallel to the frets, if you can.
You should also maintain the same three points of contact list above (back, bottom, and neck). This both supports the instrument and makes it an easier transition if you want to stand and play later.
Again, you don’t have to, but you can if you’d like. The question again typically comes down to the instrument’s size. Most players find a strap unnecessary with soprano and concert ukes because they’re so light. Many soprano ukuleles don’t even come with pegs for a strap since they’re typically played without one.
An instrument strap can be helpful to make sure you don’t accidentally drop or damage your ukulele, especially for standing play and larger instruments. If you have an adjustable guitar strap around the house you can use it for a ukulele, but you can also buy straps designed specifically for the smaller instrument. This strap from CloudMusic is a good example, and an affordable option, too, at right around ten bucks.
Most players strum either directly over the soundhole, or in the area between the soundhole and the neck. The closer your fingers are to the bridge when you strum, the less resonant and more strident the sound will be. If you feel like your sound is thin, try moving your strumming hand closer to the neck.
For more advice about strumming, this article from RIT has some great tips for strumming beginner chords.
Your hands might get tired more easily than you’d expect when you’re first starting, but pain is a warning sign from your body that something’s wrong. Most often, too much tension is the cause of stiff or aching fingers and wrists.
Put the instrument down for a minute to stretch and shake out your arms. When you pick the ukulele up again, watch yourself play in the mirror to make sure your wrists are straight and use as little pressure as you can without dropping the instrument.
You can still use your right hand to strum, even if it isn’t your dominant hand. If you’d rather strum with your left hand, you have a few options. The easiest is to buy a left-handed ukulele.
You can also play a right-handed ukulele upside-down, although this will mean learning a different playing technique.
The most complicated option is to re-string a standard uke to turn it into a lefty uke, though if you’re a beginner, you’ll probably want to have a music repair technician do this for you.
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