Greg, to get a real Hawaiin sound…learn about the strum technique called ‘chunking’. UU has a little bit, but I found more on YouTube. All the guys use it (Aldrine, Jake, natives, etc) so I’m surprised they don’t highlight it more. Maybe I just haven’t found it here. But it’s a great addition to the basic ukulele sound.

My situation is similar…and at the risk of blurring your focus…I would recommend picking up a bass ukulele and trying it out. I keep mine by the couch and play along with movies scores, etc. Last night it was Handel’s Messiah. Lol. I’m not quite up for that one yet, but it was fun trying.

Let me know how it goes with your granddaughter…my grandson is very musical…only 2…so I left him with one of my uses. He has done a little…good rhythm, good strumming. But I couldn’t bear to leave him with one of those toy guitars, so I left him a nice one. His father plays guitar, so we’ll see where it all goes.