This page will be focusing on what percussion instruments you can back up ukulele (and other acoustic instruments!) with. First off, if you can play percussion already, just be sure to ask permission to jam with uke players before you get your bongos or cajon,etc ready. And be sure to tell the other jam partners to let you know if you're playing too loud or need to pump up the volume a bit.
If you're on a tight budget, you don't have to start with an actual drum. As ukes are small instruments for the most part, you can just as easily start with egg shakers, a lap cajon, maracas, or castenets. If you can tap your foot or slap your hands on the top of your legs to the beat of the music, trust me you've got rhythm already!
For beginners, I'd heartily recommend you play along with recorded music to get comfy with it. Main things are you're in time with the music and you're having fun. Start with blues or any other genre with a heavy steady beat if you're entirely new to this. If you've knocked around with percussion a bit. try playing to Martin Denny, swing jazz, blues, in addition to the jam list you have if you're a member of a ukulele club.
Where to shop? I like Amazon Warehouse for good bargains, esp if you're a Prime member. Put "hand percussion instruments" in the search engine for Amazon Warehouse and see what pops up. Ebay can give good deals, but I've often found the shipping rate of a listing usually kills the bargain. Thrift shops, pawn shops, swap meets, and yard sales are other possibilities, esp now that we're into Spring. Facebook marketplace is another possibility- again, watch the shipping rate.
Music stores- be sure to check out the used section and ask about open boxes and demo instruments. Those are usually discounted as they 've already been tried out. Advantage of a music store is you can try the instrument out and see how you like the feel and sound of it, in addition to spotting wear and tear that may not show in photos.
If you're on a tight budget, you don't have to start with an actual drum. As ukes are small instruments for the most part, you can just as easily start with egg shakers, a lap cajon, maracas, or castenets. If you can tap your foot or slap your hands on the top of your legs to the beat of the music, trust me you've got rhythm already!
For beginners, I'd heartily recommend you play along with recorded music to get comfy with it. Main things are you're in time with the music and you're having fun. Start with blues or any other genre with a heavy steady beat if you're entirely new to this. If you've knocked around with percussion a bit. try playing to Martin Denny, swing jazz, blues, in addition to the jam list you have if you're a member of a ukulele club.
Where to shop? I like Amazon Warehouse for good bargains, esp if you're a Prime member. Put "hand percussion instruments" in the search engine for Amazon Warehouse and see what pops up. Ebay can give good deals, but I've often found the shipping rate of a listing usually kills the bargain. Thrift shops, pawn shops, swap meets, and yard sales are other possibilities, esp now that we're into Spring. Facebook marketplace is another possibility- again, watch the shipping rate.
Music stores- be sure to check out the used section and ask about open boxes and demo instruments. Those are usually discounted as they 've already been tried out. Advantage of a music store is you can try the instrument out and see how you like the feel and sound of it, in addition to spotting wear and tear that may not show in photos.