Ukulele is the first musical instrument that comes to mind of those who are longing for a musical career but have not the talent for it. Parents would like their children to try Ukulele before they start playing another instrument. In short, Ukulele is the most underrated musical instrument in the industry. Ukulele looks cute, easy to play at first sight for those who do not play. It is also affordable and easy to carry around. But what is this ukulele?
Ukulele is from Hawaii. A Portuguese man is said to have brought it to Hawaii. The shape of the instrument is like a guitar with 4 strings. It is like a miniature guitar. Players tuned the strings from left in C, E and A.
The name Ukulele is made up of words that are “lele”, which means to come and “uku”, which means a gift, and Ukulele means “the gift that comes”. Some suggest that the name Ukulele means “Jumping Flea”, inspired by the rapid movement of the fingers of the players as they play.
History of Ukulele
A Portuguese immigrant named João Fernandes bought the Braguinha which is a guitar native to the Portuguese land of Madeira to Hawaii in 1879. The instrument became Hawaiian over time. When the island joined the USA in 1959, Ukulele travelled to America and then to Europe and was very loved in England. In the 1990s, Ukulele was made famous by Marilyn Monroe in Billy Wilder’s movie, Some Like It Hot. But the real musical fame came thanks to Jake Shimabukuro and the instrument became reputable in world music. Born in Honolulu, the Japanese-American composer Jake Shimabukuro is a very famous ukulele virtuoso in the world..
What is Ukulele made from?
The Ukule is originally made from wood. The original materials of Ukulele are mahogany and koa wood. The ones made from koa wood sound brighter whereas those made from mahogany wood sound softer. Although rare, metal ukuleles are around, but if you are a beginner, I recommend you to choose a wooden one.
Types of Ukulele
There are four types of ukulele: Soprano, Concert, Tenor and Baritone. Soprano is 53 cm long, Concert is 58 cm, Tenor is 66 cm and Baritone is 76 cm. The strings of the Soprano are in C tuning order: G,C,E,A. In Ukulele you must tune the sound one octave higher than the guitar. What does that mean? While the left string on the guitar is G3, in the ukulele this string is G4. There is also D tuning which is A, D, F sharp, B. Soprano Ukulele is actually the most traditional and the smallest one. It has 15 frets in warm tones.
Concert ukuleles are also quite common that can go up to 20 ranges. Concert Ukuleles give higher and fuller tones compared to the Soprano, and more comfortable to play as they are larger.
Tenor Ukulele is bigger than the concert one that has a higher sound. If because it offers a richer range of sounds. Tenor ukuleles are commonly tuned in G, C, E, A.
The last one is Baritone. The sound of the baritone is the thickest because it is the biggest one. To find the ukulele that suits you, you have to listen to and play the 4 types of the ukuleles.