The ukulele (pronounced YOO-kə-LAY-lee), also called a uke (informally), is part of the lute family of instruments. It originated in Portugal and became popular in Hawaii. The sound and loudness of the ukulele depend on its size and how it is built. Ukuleles are commonly available in four sizes: soprano, concert, tenor, and baritone. Ukuleles usually have four nylon strings tuned to GCEA, except the baritone, which is usually tuned to DGBE. They have between 16 and 22 frets, depending on the size of the instrument.

History

The ukulele was created in the 1880s and is based on small, guitar-like instruments from Portugal called the machete, cavaquinho, and rajão. These instruments were brought to Hawaii by Portuguese immigrants from Madeira, the Azores, and Cape Verde. Three Madeiran cabinet makers—Manuel Nunes, José do Espírito Santo, and Augusto Dias—are often credited with making the first ukuleles. Two weeks after arriving in Hawaii on the SS Ravenscrag in late August 1879, the Hawaiian Gazette reported that Madeira Islanders were giving street concerts.

King Kalākaua of Hawaii strongly supported the ukulele and helped it become part of Hawaiian music and culture. He included the instrument in performances at royal events. In Hawaiian, the word "ukulele" means "jumping flea," possibly because of the way a player’s fingers move. Some say the name came from Edward William Purvis, an Englishman who worked for King Kalākaua, due to his small size and energetic playing style. The word "ukulele" first appeared in a printed catalog in 1907, describing two ukuleles from Hawaii—one similar to a modern soprano ukulele and one like a tenor.

In the 1960s, educator J. Chalmers Doane used the ukulele in Canadian schools to teach music. At its peak, 50,000 students and adults learned to play it through his program. A revised version of his program, "Ukulele in the Classroom," is still used in Canadian music education today.

The ukulele arrived in Japan in 1929 when Yukihiko Haida returned after his father’s death. Haida and his brother Katsuhiko formed the Moana Glee Club, which became popular during Japan’s growing interest in Western music. During World War II, Western music was banned, but fans kept it alive secretly. After the war, the ukulele became popular again. In 1959, Haida founded the Nihon Ukulele Association, and Japan became a home for Hawaiian musicians and ukulele experts.

British performer George Formby played the ukulele, though he often used a banjolele, a hybrid instrument. Demand for ukuleles increased in the 21st century because of their simplicity and portability. Another British player, Tessie O’Shea, appeared in movies and on The Ed Sullivan Show. The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain now tours worldwide, and the George Formby Society holds regular events.

George Harrison, Paul McCartney, and John Lennon all played the ukulele. Harrison, a fan of George Formby, often gave ukuleles to friends, including Tom Petty, whom he taught to play.

The ukulele became popular in the United States during the Panama–Pacific International Exposition in 1915. A Hawaiian music group, George E. K. Awai and his Royal Hawaiian Quartet, performed at the event, helping spread interest in the instrument. This led to the ukulele becoming a favorite among musicians and songwriters. The instrument also influenced U.S. popular music, with performers like Roy Smeck and Cliff "Ukulele Ike" Edwards. Smeck appeared in films in 1923 and 1926, playing the ukulele.

The ukulele became a symbol of the Jazz Age. It was easy to learn and affordable, making it popular among amateur musicians in the 1920s. Sheet music for songs often included ukulele chord diagrams. Companies like Regal, Harmony, and Martin began producing ukuleles to meet demand.

The ukulele also appeared in early country music, played by musicians like Jimmie Rodgers and Ernest V. Stoneman. It was used by string bands such as Cowan Powers and his Family Band and The Blankenship Family.

From the late 1940s to the late 1960s, plastics manufacturer Mario Maccaferri produced about 9 million ukuleles. The instrument remained popular in jazz songs during the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. Arthur Godfrey helped increase its popularity on television, and Marilyn Monroe played the ukulele in the 1959 movie Some Like It Hot. Tiny Tim also became known for playing the ukulele in his 1968 song "Tiptoe Through the Tulips."

The ukulele had a period of low popularity in the 1960s, as rock and roll overshadowed its sound. However, the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain, formed in 1985, helped revive interest in the instrument. They showed that the ukulele could be used for complex music, not just simple tunes. By the late 1990s, more musicians and manufacturers began making ukuleles. Jim Beloff promoted the instrument in the 1990s, creating music books for modern and classic songs.

Israel Kamakawiwoʻole, a Hawaiian musician, helped make the ukulele popular again with his 1993 song combining "Over the Rainbow" and "What a Wonderful World." The song reached number 12 on Billboard’s Hot Digital Tracks chart in 2004.

The creation of YouTube helped the ukulele gain new popularity. A viral video of Jake Shimabukuro playing George Harrison’s "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" received over 17 million views by 2020.

In recent years, the ukulele has become a common tool in music education, sometimes replacing the recorder as a first instrument. It is used for solo performances and in group music pieces.

Construction

The ukulele is usually made of wood, but some versions are made partly or fully from plastic or other materials. Less expensive ukuleles are often made from plywood or layered wood, sometimes with a soundboard made from a special type of wood, such as spruce. More expensive ukuleles are made from solid hardwoods like mahogany. The wood traditionally preferred for ukuleles is a type of acacia that grows only in Hawaii, called koa.

Ukuleles typically have a body shape that looks like a figure-eight, similar to a small acoustic guitar. They can also come in unusual shapes, such as cutaway or oval, which is called a "pineapple" ukulele, invented by the Kamaka Ukulele company. Other shapes include a boat-paddle design or a square shape, sometimes made from an old wooden cigar box.

Ukuleles usually have four strings. Some strings are paired together, called courses, which can give the instrument six or eight strings (mainly to increase the volume when strumming). The strings were originally made from catgut. Modern ukuleles use strings made from nylon, synthetic gut, fluorocarbon, or wound strings. These wound strings often have a nylon core wrapped with metal or other materials, such as aluminum or silver-plated copper.

Ukuleles with six or eight strings in four courses are often called taropatches or taropatch ukuleles. These were once common in the concert size, but now the tenor size is more common for six-string taropatch ukuleles. The six-string, four-course version has two single strings and two pairs of strings, and is sometimes called a lili‘u. This name also applies to the eight-string version. Eight-string baritone taropatches exist, and five-string tenors have also been made.

Size and range

Common types of ukuleles include soprano (standard ukulele), concert, tenor, and baritone. Less common types are the sopranino (also called piccolo, bambino, or "pocket uke"), bass, and contrabass ukuleles. Other types include banjo ukuleles and electric ukuleles. Among standard ukuleles, the soprano, often called "standard" in Hawaii, is the second smallest and was the original size. The concert size was developed in the 1920s as an improved soprano, slightly larger and louder with a deeper tone. Soon after, the tenor was created, offering more volume and a deeper bass tone. The baritone (similar to a smaller tenor guitar) was made in the 1940s. The contrabass and bass ukuleles are recent inventions from 2010 and 2014, respectively.

The following chart shows the range of notes for standard ukulele types. Note that the range depends on the tuning and size of the instruments. The examples in the chart reflect the range of each instrument from the lowest standard tuning to the highest fret in the highest standard tuning.

Tuning

The most common tuning for standard or soprano ukuleles is called C tuning. The strings are tuned to G4, C4, E4, and A4. This tuning is often remembered by the phrase "My dog has fleas" (see sidebar). The G string is tuned an octave higher than usual, which is why this is sometimes called "high G" tuning. This type of tuning is known as "reentrant tuning" because the G string is higher than the C string. This tuning allows for unique, closely spaced chords that create rich harmony.

A less common tuning for soprano ukuleles, but more often used on larger ukuleles, is C linear tuning, also called "low G" tuning. In this tuning, the G string is an octave lower: G3, C4, E4, and A4. This is similar to playing the top four strings (D, G, B, E) of a guitar with a capo placed on the fifth fret.

Another common tuning for soprano ukuleles is D tuning. The strings are tuned to A4, D4, F#4, and B4. This tuning is one musical step higher than C tuning. It was once the standard tuning during the Hawaiian music boom in the early 1900s and appears in many sheet music and method books from that time. Some people believe D tuning produces a sweeter sound on smaller ukuleles. A version of D tuning with a lower fourth string (A3, D4, F#4, B4) is sometimes called "Canadian tuning" and is used in Canadian schools, often on concert or tenor ukuleles. This tuning was also used by musicians like James Hill and J. Chalmers Doane.

Whether C tuning or D tuning should be considered the standard is a topic of ongoing discussion. Historical and popular ukulele methods have used both tunings.

For concert and tenor ukuleles, both reentrant and linear C tunings are standard. Linear tuning is especially common for tenor ukuleles.

The baritone ukulele usually uses linear G tuning: D3, G3, B3, and E4. This is the same as the highest four strings of a standard six-string guitar.

Bass ukuleles are tuned similarly to bass guitars. U-Bass style instruments are tuned to E1, A1, D2, and G2. Ohana type metal-string bass ukuleles are tuned an octave higher: E2, A2, D3, and G3.

Sopranino ukuleles have less standardized tunings. They are often tuned re-entrant, but usually at a higher pitch than C tuning. For example, a re-entrant G tuning might be D5, G4, B4, and E5.

Like many string instruments, ukuleles can be tuned in different ways depending on the player's preference. For example, special strings are available to tune baritone ukuleles in linear C tuning. Some players tune ukuleles like other four-string instruments, such as the mandolin, Venezuelan cuatro, or dotara. Ukuleles can also be tuned to open tunings, similar to the Hawaiian slack-key style.

Related instruments

Ukulele types include instruments that mix features of other stringed instruments, such as the guitalele (also called guitarlele), banjo ukulele (also called banjolele), harp ukulele, lap steel ukulele, and the ukelin. Ukuleles often combine elements of other stringed instruments because of their number of strings and ease of playing. There is also an electric version of the ukulele that uses amplification to make sound louder. The resonator ukulele uses one or more spun aluminum cones (called resonators) instead of a wooden soundboard to create sound, which gives it a louder and more distinct tone. The Tahitian ukulele is usually carved from a single piece of wood and does not have a hollow soundbox, though its back is open. The Tahitian ukulele typically has eight strings made from fishing line, arranged in four groups of two strings each, and is tuned the same way as a Hawaiian ukulele. However, the middle two groups of strings are an octave higher than those on a Hawaiian ukulele. Inspired by the Tahitian ukulele, the Motu Nui, a French instrument, has four strings made from fishing line. A hole in its back is designed to create a wah-wah sound effect. Mario Maccaferri invented a device called the Chord Master, which automatically plays chords on the ukulele.

Close relatives of the ukulele include the Portuguese instruments cavaquinho (also called machete or braguinha) and the slightly larger rajão. Other related instruments include 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, which is traditionally made from an armadillo shell. In Indonesia, a similar Portuguese-inspired instrument is the kroncong.

The Uke Bass is a close relative of the leona, a traditional bass instrument used in the son jarocho music genre.

Audio samples

• Song Title: "Hene" by Henry Kailimai
• G-sharp minor chord
• C Major Scale
• Major scale played on a bass ukulele using a felt plectrum (first method) and fingers (second method)
• Tuning Frequencies for Soprano Ukulele