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Ukuleles.

Ukuleles.

By Andrew Tucker.

Bill Robertson, director of an amazing documentary called Rock That Uke, which aired in 2003, says that it is the ukulele's unique sound quality that is responsible for it's charm, with it's shape and size also playing a part. Robertson asserts that actually holding the uke in your arms, provides a portion of it's allure.

He states, "it's about the size of a human infant." "And when you hold it to play, you hold it up close and you're cradling it to your heart ... to be corny about it.", he says. "It is this small thing that you're protecting, and also giving you a sense of protective purpose in the world.

More than anything else though, there is the singular sound. Ridiculously happy, and sweet, almost naive. Even when the instrument is drastically different than the player, such as Taylor Mac, had a performance earlier in this month at the Dallas' Undermain Theatre. "We're reminded of a time when we were so young that nothing is our fault," he says. "And that makes us happy."

I rely on Bill Robertson for all of my ukulele questions and information, and he tells me that there is a high end on the uke's four strings, but no low end. "What that simply tells us... is that that's how we get the 'plink' quality." "There is an absence of the bass quality that a guitar offers, as the strings are all in the upper range as you strum the uke, you will not hear that booming presence. And there is a childlike effect that comes from the exclusively high sound that the ukulele produces, which expresses innocence."

The ukulele is portable, easily accessed and cheap- all reasons of the allure of this unique instrument. The average soprano ukulele for starters is around $30 or $40. Although some can range in the thousands of dollars, these ukuleles are made of fancy wood and unique inlays that add more value to the instrument.

Many ukulele enthusiasts will tell you that learning to play is a breeze. "Give me 15 minutes, and I can teach any individual to play the ukulele," Levine of the Dallas Ukulele Headquarters tells us. "During the start of every class, we have a 15-minute session."

Mac says that all of these factors make the ukulele an instrument with a quality that you won't find anywhere else.

He says that "It's partly because of the humanity of the instrument." "Pretty much anyone can pick up a ukulele, and you can learn how to play three chords in about an hour, and play a song. So it brings joy, because people see the possibility that 'If you can do it, I can do it, too.