Ukulele

The ukulele, also called a uke informally, is a fun and lively instrument that belongs to the lute family. It originally came from Portugal but became very popular in Hawaii. Ukuleles come in different sizes, like soprano, concert, tenor, and baritone, and each one sounds a little different.

Usually, a ukulele has four nylon strings tuned to the notes GCEA, except for the baritone ukulele, which is tuned DGBE. Depending on its size, a ukulele can have between 16 and 22 frets, which are the little lines on the neck that help you play different notes.

History

The ukulele started in the 1880s. It comes from small guitar-like instruments from Portugal. Portuguese people brought it to Hawaii. Three men, Manuel Nunes, José do Espírito Santo, and Augusto Dias, are known as the first ukulele makers. They arrived in Hawaii in 1879.

King Kalākaua helped make the ukulele popular in Hawaii. He loved music and included it in royal events. In Hawaiian, "ukulele" means "jumping flea," maybe because of how players' fingers move. The word was first used in a book in 1907.

In the 1960s, a teacher in Canada used the ukulele to teach music in schools. In 1929, the ukulele arrived in Japan with a man named Yukihiko Haida. It became very popular there, especially after World War II.

In the United Kingdom, singers like George Formby played the ukulele. In the United States, the ukulele became famous at a fair in San Francisco in 1915. It was used in jazz and country music. In the 1990s, interest in the ukulele grew again. Musicians like Israel Kamakawiwoʻole and Jake Shimabukuro helped make it popular again. Today, the ukulele is used in schools and by many musicians around the world.

Construction

The ukulele is usually made of wood, but some are made from plastic or other materials. Cheaper ones might use plywood or laminated wood, while more expensive ones are made from solid hardwoods like mahogany. A special type of wood from Hawaii called koa is often used.

Ukuleles typically have a figure-eight shape like a small acoustic guitar, but they can also come in other shapes, such as cutaway, oval (called a "pineapple" ukulele), boat-paddle, or even square shapes made from old wooden cigar boxes.

These instruments usually have four strings, though some have six or eight strings grouped into courses for more volume. Originally, the strings were made from catgut, but today they are made from nylon, synthetic materials, or fluorocarbon, and some have a nylon core wrapped with metal or polymers like aluminium or silver-plated copper.

Size and range

Ukuleles come in several sizes. The most common types are soprano, concert, tenor, and baritone. The soprano is often called the "standard" ukulele and was the original size. The concert size, developed in the 1920s, is slightly larger and louder. The tenor size, created after the concert, has more volume and a deeper sound. The baritone, which looks like a smaller tenor guitar, was made in the 1940s. Bass and contrabass ukuleles are newer types, made in 2010 and 2014.

The notes a ukulele can play change depending on its size and tuning.

Tuning

One of the most common ways to tune a standard ukulele is called C⁶ tuning: G₄–C₄–E₄–A₄. You might remember this tune with the jingle "My dog has fleas." The G string is tuned an octave higher, which is why it's sometimes called "high G" tuning.

Another way to tune a ukulele is C⁶ linear tuning, or "low G" tuning. This tuning has the G note an octave lower: G₃–C₄–E₄–A₄. It's like playing the top four strings of a guitar with a special device called a capo on the fifth fret.

There are also other tunings, like D⁶ tuning, which is one step higher than C⁶ tuning. It was popular in the early 1900s and is said to bring out a sweeter sound in some ukuleles.

Different sizes of ukuleles have their own common tunings. For example, the baritone ukulele is usually tuned like the highest four strings of a guitar: D₃–G₃–B₃–E₄. Bass ukuleles are tuned like a bass guitar or double bass.

Players sometimes choose their own tunings based on what they prefer. Some even tune their ukuleles like other instruments, such as a mandolin or a cuatro.

Related instruments

The ukulele has many fun varieties and close friends! Some of these include the guitalele, banjo ukulele, harp ukulele, lap steel ukulele, and the ukelin. There is even an electrically amplified variant that makes the sound louder. The resonator ukulele uses special spun aluminum cones called resonators instead of wood to make its sound.

Another interesting type is the Tahitian ukulele, which is often made from one piece of wood and has eight strings made from fishing line. Inspired by this, a variant from France called Motu Nui has just four strings and creates a special wah-wah sound.

The ukulele’s family tree also includes instruments like the Portuguese cavaquinho, the Venezuelan cuatro, the Colombian and North American tiples, the timple from the Canary Islands, the Spanish vihuela, the Mexican requinto jarocho, and the Andean charango. In Indonesia, you can find the kroncong, which is also inspired by Portuguese music.

Audio samples

Here are some sounds you can listen to from a ukulele:

• "Hene", a song by Henry Kailimai

• G♯-minor chord

• C major scale

• Major scale played on a bass ukulele using a felt pick and fingers

• Frequencies for tuning a soprano ukulele