VietNamNet Bridge – Playing Ukulele, a small, guitarlike musical instrument, has recently become popular among local youth. Every Sunday at 4 p.m., many young people gather at the Students’ Cultural House on Dien Bien Phu Street in HCMC’s District 3 to play and share knowledge on playing Ukulele.

Ukulele originated from Hawaii has attracted attention of local youth

The musical instrument originated from Hawaii entered Vietnam just a short time ago but it has drawn much attention of learners thanks to its portable and easy-to-play features.

Compared to a normal guitar with six strings, Ukulele has only four strings made from plastic and easy for first time learners. There are four kinds of Ukulele, including Soprano (53.34cm), Concert (58.42cm), Tenor (66.04cm), and Baritone (from 76.2cm and above) at the prices from VND560,000 to VND2 million. The most popular instrument is soprano ukulele at the length of 53cm with 12 to 14 keys.

People play Ukulele to accompany a singer, or to have a solo performance. The melody and its sound vary depending on its size. Those with small sizes will normally deliver high-pitch sound while the large ones will have deep sound. Ukulele’s chords are much easier to play than guitars. However, it requires much effort and techniques to be a professional Ukulele artist.

Many Ukulele playing groups have been established in Hanoi, Saigon, and Danang. They share knowledge with each other at Facebook Ukelala Viet, a social network created by Kim Phung, a college student in HCMC. Phung said that although the network has just been operated for a year it has attracted over 4,000 members.

Furthermore, local Ukulele players also exchange with Filipino players in Manila on techniques. Ukelala Viet also give opportunities for its members to perform at local music events and at coffee shops in HCMC.

Duy Khanh, a 23-year-old player at Ukulele Viet in Saigon, said: “Playing Uke makes me feel relaxed and relieved from stress. The jubilant sound of Ukulele can help people feel happy and cheerful. Joining the club also helps me to learn other instruments from all members and to have chances to perform for audiences.”

SGT/VNN