Don't let the size fool you! The ukulele is a member of the fretted instrument family, yet it is no closer to being a little guitar than a banjo or bass. It's true that there is a lot of transferable information that a player can take with them from the guitar to the ukulele, but much still has to be learned in order to play the ukulele well and in its true style.

Many children start on the ukulele as a first stringed instrument. The size is right, the strings are soft to play, and student ukuleles are very affordable. For these reasons, many people adopt the idea that the ukulele is a kid's toy or a "pre-instrument". If the ukulele serves that purpose well, it's a wonderful thing. The irony is that the ukulele is as serious an instrument as any.

Ukuleles have been used in several genres of music, including rock, folk, bluegrass, classical, standards, jazz, reggae, countless styles of world music and many other musical forms. The ukulele can be used as a rhythm or lead instrument and in the right hands, you won't miss the guitar player for a second.

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