The ukulele has come a very long way from being a little-known musical instrument to now being one of the most popular musical instruments out there. Of course, you need to learn how to hold a ukulele before you can attain a level of mastery over it.
The tiny, guitar-like instrument has generated a lot of interest among new musicians who want to pick it up and start playing their favorite tunes.
First things first, the ukulele is a fun and easy-to-learn instrument. By making sure that you are perfectly in tune with all the basics right from the beginning, you can have an easier time learning how to play your ukulele.
Parts of the Ukulele
Before you learn how to hold it, here’s some information about the different parts of the ukulele. Let’s consider the ukulele as a mini version of a standard-size guitar.
You have a hollow body with a sound hole and a bridge on it, just like you have with your standard guitar. There is the neck that leads up to the head.
The only real difference between the ukulele and the guitar is that the ukulele has four strings instead of 5 or 6 like the guitar does and it is much smaller in size.
How to Hold a Ukulele
Now that you understand the different parts of the ukulele, it is time to learn how to hold the ukulele. First off, you need to hold the ukulele against your chest with your right forearm across the edge of the top side on the body.
Your strumming fingers should freely be able to reach the spot where the neck of the ukulele meets the body. This spot is the best place to strum and maximize the sound of the ukulele.
The Fretting Hand
To adjust the position of your fretting hand, put the pad of the thumb right on the back of the neck. Make sure it is somewhere between the nut and the third fret of the ukulele.
Don’t wrap the whole thumb over the top of the neck because that will limit your movement while you are playing the ukulele.
Final Few Things to Note
Learning how to hold the ukulele is actually very simple. Positioning your hands and your arms like how we’ve mentioned before might seem pretty standard to the people who already have experience playing the guitar.
It is just that learning how to hold the ukulele properly will allow you to get a good start and learn how to play it without any hassle.