A musical revolution has taken place across Oxfordshire as people have ignored more traditional instruments to tune up their ukuleles.

Classes which teach musicians how to play the four-stringed instrument have grown in popularity and sales have gone through the roof.

Comedian Frank Skinner is one of a number of celebrities who have popularised the ukulele. In 2011 he made a documentary about one of Britain’s most famous ukulele players, George Formby, who was particularly popular during the Second World War. There are groups in Oxfordshire, including Wantage, Hendred, Steventon and Sonning Common. One shop which traditionally sold guitars now almost exclusively stocks ukuleles thanks to their popularity.

Highly Strung in Mill Street, Wantage, started life as a guitar-making business in 1979 before starting to sell instruments in the late 1990s.

At that time it almost exclusively stocked guitars but in the past 10 years the growth in popularity of ukuleles has seen the business change its focus.

Owner Nigel Thornbory said: “Fifteen years ago we used to keep one cheap ukulele in stock and when it sold every six months or so we would replace it.

“Now we have about 400 in stock. They are attractive because they are really easy to learn. Come September time we sell a lot to schools because they have a lot more ‘street cred’ than recorders and you can sing while you are playing them.

“Getting started on the guitar can be difficult, especially for a young kid but a ‘uke’ is more accessible and even a six- or seven-year-old child can play.”

For details of the Hendred Ukulele Group, call Derek Witts on 01235 831115.