In the quiet suburbs of Adelaide on any given Tuesday night there’s a musical movement that’s gathering momentum. While many of us are tucked up at home, a group of likeminded people are headed to a well-known watering hole to unite in the sweet strumming sounds of the humble ukulele!

Welcome to the Ukulele Appreciation Society at the Governor Hindmarsh Hotel – Adelaide’s Premier Live Music Pub! A regular forum where people from all walks of life pick up the ukulele to express their musical inklings, meet new people and to have a bit of fun! It’s fair to say this pintsize instrument has come a long way since the novelty songs of Tiny Tim in the late sixties, and it’s not hard to see the attraction. Four bright little strings, the pling–pling sound of a happy tune, the very affordability of the instrument itself and its ease of use has this bunch and half the world hooked.

I’ve come along to check out the 'Beginners Session' which is on the 1st Tuesday of the month. Just bring a gold coin donation, your uke and then you’re off learning the basics! Before long you’ll be ready to jam! Leading tonight’s session is Richard Tonkin – he’s actually the owner of the Gov, and a self-confused uke afficionado.

Pete: So Richard, why the ukulele? What has sparked this interest in this brilliant little instrument?

Richard: Look, for me it’s just been so much absolute fun. I play a few different instruments, I’ve actually played around the world in a bush band on a button accordion and I just think this is the most ripper way to pass on music from one person to another. This has hit You Tube. And the kids are getting onto it on You Tube, and they’re learning songs and talking back to each other and I’ve never seen anything like it. I go into music shops and they say we sold fifty ukulele’s last Saturday arvo, and I think it’s wonderful. A couple of years ago I was going around tuning the things up just in case someone wanted to buy one. Now they’re just walking out the door.

You might have noticed the ukulele’s musical renaissance in the charts – it seems everyone from Eddie Vedder to Train, Indie rock bands and pop artists are using a uke in their music these days.

No one’s going to believe this but I actually think I know what I’m doing. It’s a lot easier than I thought. I’ve been here for around 2 hours and I’ve already grasped the basics!

Pete: Do you reckon it’s the kind of instrument that could catch on with the younger folk?

Nathan: I think so, and I would encourage other people to try and play the ukulele.

Pete: Why do you reckon? Why is it so much fun?

Thea: because you learn new stuff, and very challenging. And they’re very small, so they’d be good for little kids.

Pete: What made you say to yourself one day that I can’t live without playing the ukulele?

Morris: Well my wife did the course and she started playing so I use to come up here and sit around , so I thought well that’s not much fun, I might as well get involved so I bought one myself, (Pete: And a hat I see!) and a hat and a few shirts and got into it.

Meg: It’s like falling in love actually, my non-ukulele friends never see me, they’re always complaining because I’m never around, I come home from work I have to be with my uke, I have to touch it, play with it, it just fills my mind all day long, I’m walking along the street singing songs, everything I hear on the radio I think, oh that’d be good on the uke.

Pete: So you’re introducing the ukulele to realms it’s never been before?

Meg: Well I wouldn’t say we are, but it is a very versatile instrument and it’s not just about folky music, you can do anything with it, with the right attitude and a bit of jutsbah you can get away with anything!

If you’d like to get on board this uke revival checkout the Ukulele Appreciation Society website or come along to any of their beginners sessions on any 1st Tuesday of the month.

And don’t forget to pick up a copy of this Month’s SA Life Magazine because it features a great article about some interesting South Australians who confess to being four string fanatics, just like me, I can see It’s contagious, I’m going to get back in there!