Strumming along: Youngsters strum ukuleles like Tiny Tim in BeInstrumental classes

Jimi Hendrix. Carlos Santana. Eric Clapton.

Their names always appear in the list of the best guitarists ever,

But can you name the top, or most famous, ukulele players?

Among them are many current stars, Taylor Swift and Eddie Vedder are just two, as well as the late George Harrison, Tiny Tim, John Lennon, and Israel Kamakawiwo’ole, who, some say, basically brought the instrument out of obscurity with his renditions of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” and “Wonderful World.”

Could the children enrolled in BeInstrumental’s ukulele classes in three sessions this summer at the Kent branch library be among them one day?

Six children made up the most recent series of classes, held over three days. The one who attended all the classes won a ukulele.

Teacher Kaiden Chase said this time, the contest was tied among Michael, his sister, and another student Michael won, Chase said, but if Michael would share, his sister could get in some serious strumming.

Odds are he will.

Jaclyn Hotaling-O’Neill, BeInstrumental’s program director,  said absolutely, the ukulele is easy enough to learn in a few classes, though being a pro might take a little more practice. “The ukulele is such an accessible instrument, Hotaling-O’Neill said. “There's only four strings, and you really can play a chord with one finger. So many people can pick up a ukulele and learn a song in a few moments.”

And she said there’s not a lot of technical skills needed.

“You don't need to practice for hours and hours and hours to learn one song. You can play one chord with one finger, or maybe even two fingers.”

The songs that are popular for kids, she said, only use two to three chords, and learners can have “that feeling of success in the short time of an hour.”

Chase agreed and said that the students didn’t have to listen to a lengthy lecture about how to play the instrument. They just played it.

“So it wasn't you sit down, you have to hold the instrument, you have to be quiet, and you have to learn all these things,” he said. “I really try to engage in games. So everybody who attended the class was busy the whole time. We were playing games and trying to learn some fundamentals of the ukulele.”

Fundamentals were certainly involved. But, Chase said, that was not his main goal.

“I would say my number one goal was to have fun.”

A free ukulele can’t be won by everybody, but, Chase said, children can keep coming to the classes for another try.

The next classes are scheduled for Aug. 12, 14, and 16 at the South branch library, 1736 Broadway St.