Ukulele sales are booming thanks to a new generation of players like Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish

The electric guitar is arguably the coolest instrument of all time but the ukulele is having a moment. 

A member of the lute family of instruments, it was developed in the 1880s in Portugal and popularized in Hawaii. 

Today, artists in just about every music genre play the uke, and with it girls like Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish making them look super cool, sales are booming.

Today, artists in just about every music genre play the uke and it girls like Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish are making them look super cool 

At twelve year’s old, Grace VanderWaal stole America’s hearts during her 2016 audition for America’s Got Talent with her original song titled ‘I Don’t Know My Name.’ The star looked effortlessly cool in a white blouse topped by a black sweater and paired with yellow skinny jeans, while playing her ukulele

Compared to the guitar, a ukulele has a quieter tone, with a smaller body and only four nylon strings. 

Simple, joyful and easy to play, it’s no surprise that ukuleles have become very popular. 

But there’s nothing new about them. 

They’ve actually been around a long time. This small, four-stringed instrument that popularized in Hawaii has been played now for over a century. 

And while artists like Cyndi Lauper, George Harrison, John Lennon, Elvis and Eddie Vedder have all strummed them at one time or another, recently ukes have gotten a big boost from a new generation of players like Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, and Ingrid Michelson.

And while artists like Cyndi Lauper, George Harrison, John Lennon, Elvis and Eddie Vedder have all strummed them at one time or another, recently ukes have gotten a big boost from a new generation of players like Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, and Ingrid Michelson

And who can forget Grace VanderWaal stealing America’s hearts during her 2016 audition for America’s Got Talent with her original song titled ‘I Don’t Know My Name.’

At twelve year’s old the star looked effortlessly cool in a white blouse topped by a black sweater and paired with yellow skinny jeans, while playing her instrument of choice. 

Since winning that 11th season, she’s released two albums, both of which showcase her soaring vocals anchored by the sweet sounds of her beloved ukuleles.

Billie Eilish loves them so much – the ukulele was the first instrument she learned to play at six years old – she even teamed up with guitar brand Fender to release her own signature version. 

The black and white strummer is adorned with Billie’s signature ‘blohsh’ logo, and reflects her edgy style.

Eilish says, ‘The rules of the ukulele are simple, and basically if you know three chords you can play almost any song.’

Billie Eilish loves them so much – the ukulele was the first instrument she learned to play at six years old – she even teamed up with guitar brand Fender to release her own signature version

Currently on tour with ‘Eras’, global superstar Taylor Swift has also been credited with propelling Ukes’ popularity, as she regularly plucks one onstage. 

And we know that where Taylor goes, her army of Swifties will swiftly follow.

It’s not just professional musicians who like them, either. 

Duane ‘the Rock’ Johnson loves his uke, as do Ryan Reynolds, James Franco and George Clooney. And lots of ‘normies’ love them too. 

Across the US right now, sales are booming. According to 2022 Guitar Center sales data, the ukulele is one of the top-selling string instruments – with more than 30 states now reporting it as a top three seller.

According to experts, the ukulele is much easier to learn than the guitar and other stringed instruments. 

Its soft nylon strings are gentler on your fingertips (no finger pain like guitars can sometimes cause), and the small size reduces wrist tension because the notes are reachable without too much stretching. 

Meghan Trainor performed with a blinged-out ukulele

The fact that it only has four strings, is a bonus – it makes chords and scales a whole lot simpler to learn. 

Says former James Bond, Pierce Brosnan, ‘I love the ukulele. It’s got a beautiful, melodic tone to it. There’s something innocent and romantic, and it’s just a grand instrument to play.’

Ukes have even taken to the skies. 

Last year, a Southwest Airlines flight heading from Long Beach to Hawaii teamed up with Guitar Center to lead an impromptu ukulele lesson aboard the flight.

‘It was inspiring to see how quickly passengers of all ages picked up the ukulele – many with no musical background. It’s a perfect instrument for beginners, and it shows just how fun and easy learning something new can be,’ said Alexandra Windsor, educational affairs specialist for GC Lessons.

John Mayer fancies a ukulele

As ‘New Girl’ star and talented singer Zooey Deschanel says, ‘There’s something about guitars, they’re just so big, you know what I mean? You’re just like, ‘Ugh!’ It just seems so overwhelming. And the ukulele is, like, the opposite of overwhelming.’

Most ukuleles range in price from $30 to above $2000. 

There are some offerings under $30, but those are probably not the best ones to try. 

For beginners, the experts advise going for one that is anywhere from $150 and $500. 

Move up to $1000 and higher, you are looking at a really refined instrument or maybe even something custom made.