The ukulele is an excellent first instrument to learn. First, it is easy to begin playing chords and scales thanks to the four-string setup. The gentle nylon strings will not cause your fingers to ache after several minutes of playing. There are many websites and books that provide ukulele chords and tablature (written music) for virtually every song, meaning you can play any song with a ukulele. Ukuleles are also extremely tiny (particularly soprano and concert ukuleles), and as such, are quite portable. This means you can bring your ukulele with you in a backpack, on business and leisure trips, or even on a plane. Their small size also makes them lightweight and less likely to break. Finally, the ukulele is one of the most affordable instruments. Even high-end ukuleles are relatively cheap, but beginner instruments are even more so.