Before you can play, it helps to know your way around the ukulele. Understanding its parts will make learning everything else much easier. Think of it like learning the names of kitchen utensils before you start cooking.

The body creates the sound, which comes out of the soundhole. The strings start at the bridge, run over the saddle (the little white strip on the bridge), and go all the way up the neck. The front of the neck is the fretboard, which has metal frets embedded in it. At the top of the neck is the nut, which guides the strings to the tuners on the headstock. You'll turn the tuners to change the pitch of the strings.

How you hold your ukulele makes a big difference in how easily you can play. The goal is to be comfortable and relaxed, so the instrument feels like a natural extension of your body.

Whether you're sitting or standing, the basic idea is the same. Rest the body of the ukulele against your chest or upper stomach. Use your right forearm to gently press the instrument against you, which keeps it stable. This frees up your right hand for strumming.

Your left hand's job is to support the neck and press down on the strings to form chords. The neck should rest in the U-shape between your thumb and index finger. Your thumb should be on the back of the neck, providing gentle counter-pressure for your fingers on the fretboard. Your wrist should be relatively straight and relaxed.

Don't grip the neck in a fist or use your left palm to hold it up. The ukulele should be supported mostly by your right arm and body, not your fretting hand.

An out-of-tune ukulele will make even the most perfectly played chords sound wrong. Tuning your instrument every time you play is one of the most important habits you can build.

Standard ukulele tuning is G-C-E-A. This is what you'll use for nearly every song you learn.

The strings are numbered from the floor up. The 1st string is the A string (closest to the floor), and the 4th string is the G string (closest to your chin).

An interesting feature of standard ukulele tuning is that the G string is higher in pitch than the C string next to it. This is called "re-entrant" tuning and gives the ukulele its bright, happy sound.

The easiest way to tune is with an electronic tuner. You can buy a clip-on tuner that attaches to the headstock, or you can download a tuner app on your smartphone. Just play a string, and the tuner will tell you if the note is sharp (too high) or flat (too low) and which way to turn the peg to correct it.

As a general rule for most ukuleles, turning a peg counter-clockwise will loosen the string and make the pitch flatter (lower). Turning it clockwise will tighten it, making the pitch sharper (higher). Turn the pegs slowly to avoid breaking a string.

With a solid grasp of these basics, you're ready to start making some music.