The ukulele (also called a uke) is a musical instrument in the lute family, which includes old types of guitars. It was created in Portugal and became widely known in Hawaii. The way the ukulele sounds and how loud it is depend on its size and how it is built. Ukuleles are usually made in four sizes: soprano, concert, tenor, and baritone.
Most ukuleles have four nylon strings tuned to G-C-E-A. The baritone ukulele is an exception, as it is normally tuned to D-G-B-E. These instruments typically have between 16 and 22 frets, depending on their size.
History
The ukulele was created in the 1880s. It is based on small, guitar-like instruments from Portugal, called machete, cavaquinho, and rajão. These instruments were brought to the Hawaiian Islands by Portuguese immigrants from Madeira, the Azores, and Cape Verde. Three men, Manuel Nunes, José do Espírito Santo, and Augusto Dias, are often credited with making the first ukuleles. Two weeks after they arrived in Hawaii on the SS Ravenscrag in late August 1879, the Hawaiian Gazette reported that the Madeira Islanders were giving street concerts.
King Kalākaua of Hawaii strongly supported the ukulele. He loved music and included it in performances at royal events. In Hawaiian, the word "ukulele" means "jumping flea," possibly because of the quick finger movements when playing. Some say the name came from Edward William Purvis, a small Englishman who worked for King Kalākaua and played the instrument well. The first printed use of "ukulele" to describe a stringed instrument appeared in 1907 in a catalog from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which described two Hawaiian ukuleles.
In the 1960s, J. Chalmers Doane, an educator in Canada, used the ukulele in schools to teach music. His program helped 50,000 students and adults learn to play. A later version of his program, called "Ukulele in the Classroom," is still used in Canadian schools today.
The ukulele arrived in Japan in 1929 when Yukihiko Haida returned after his father’s death. He and his brother formed a music group called the Moana Glee Club, which became popular during the rise of Western music. During World War II, Western music was banned, but fans kept playing in secret. After the war, the ukulele became popular again. In 1959, Haida started the Nihon Ukulele Association. Japan later became a place where many Hawaiian musicians and ukulele experts lived.
British entertainer George Formby played the ukulele, though he often used a banjolele, a mix of a ukulele and a banjo. Demand for the ukulele grew in the 2000s because it is simple and easy to carry. Another British player was Tessie O’Shea, who performed on stage and in movies. The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain now tours worldwide, and the George Formby Society still holds events.
George Harrison, Paul McCartney, and John Lennon of The Beatles all played the ukulele. Harrison, a fan of George Formby, often gave ukuleles to friends, including Tom Petty.
The ukulele became popular in the United States during the Panama–Pacific International Exposition in 1915. A Hawaiian music group, the Royal Hawaiian Quartet, performed with a ukulele maker named Jonah Kumalae. Their performances inspired many people to play the instrument. The ukulele was also introduced to American music by performers like Roy Smeck and Cliff "Ukulele Ike" Edwards. Smeck played the ukulele in a 1923 film and another in 1926.
The ukulele became a symbol of the 1920s Jazz Age. It was easy to learn and affordable, so many people played it. Sheet music for songs included ukulele chords. Companies like Martin made 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 The Hillbillies and The Hilltop Singers.
From the 1940s to the 1960s, Mario Maccaferri, a plastics manufacturer, made millions of inexpensive ukuleles. The instrument stayed popular in jazz music during the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. Arthur Godfrey, a TV personality, helped make the baritone ukulele famous. The ukulele also appeared in movies, such as when Marilyn Monroe played it in Some Like It Hot. Tiny Tim, a singer, became known for playing the ukulele on his song "Tiptoe Through the Tulips."
The ukulele’s popularity dropped in the 1960s because rock and roll became more popular. However, the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain helped bring it back in the 1980s. This group showed that the ukulele could play complex music, not just simple tunes. In the 1990s, new ukulele makers and musicians helped revive interest in the instrument. Jim Beloff created music books to teach modern and classic ukulele songs.
Israel Kamakawiwoʻole, a famous Hawaiian musician, helped make the ukulele popular again with his 1993 song that combined "Over the Rainbow" and "What a Wonderful World." The song reached number 12 on a music chart in 2004.
The creation of YouTube helped the ukulele become popular again. A video of Jake Shimabukuro playing George Harrison’s "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" went viral and had over 17 million views by 2020.
In recent years, the ukulele has been used more in music classes. It is often the first instrument taught to students, sometimes replacing the recorder. The ukulele is used both for solo performances and in group music pieces.
Construction
The ukulele is usually made of wood, though some versions use plastic or other materials. Less expensive ukuleles are often made from plywood or thin layers of wood, sometimes with a soundboard made from a special type of wood, like spruce. More expensive models are made from solid hardwoods, such as mahogany. Traditionally, a type of acacia wood called koa, which is found only in Hawaii, has been preferred for making ukuleles.
Ukuleles typically have a body shape that looks like a figure-eight, similar to a small acoustic guitar. They can also come in other shapes, such as cutaway (which allows easier access to the upper strings), oval (often called a "pineapple" shape, invented by the Kamaka Ukulele company), boat-paddle, or square, sometimes made from old wooden cigar boxes.
Most ukuleles have four strings. Some strings are paired together, called courses, which can result in six or eight strings total. This increases the volume when strumming. Originally, strings were made from catgut, but modern ukuleles use strings made from nylon, synthetic gut, fluorocarbon, or wound strings. Wound strings have a core made of nylon and are wrapped with materials like metal or polymers, such as aluminum or silver-plated copper.
Ukuleles with six or eight strings arranged in four courses are called taropatches. These were once common in the concert size, but today, the tenor size is more frequently used for six-string taropatches. The six-string, four-course version has two single strings and two pairs of strings, and is sometimes called a lili‘u. This name can also refer to the eight-string version. Eight-string baritone taropatches and five-string tenor ukuleles have also been made.
Size and range
Common ukulele types include soprano (the 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 created in the 1920s as an improved soprano. It is slightly larger, louder, and has a richer sound. Shortly after, the tenor was developed. It has more volume and a deeper bass tone. The baritone, which is similar to a smaller tenor guitar, was created in the 1940s. The contrabass and bass ukuleles are recent inventions, developed in 2010 and 2014, respectively.
The following chart shows the range of notes for standard ukulele types. Note that the range of notes 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
One of the most common tunings for the standard or soprano ukulele is called C tuning. The strings are tuned to G4, C4, E4, and A4. This tuning is often remembered by the notes in the "My dog has fleas" jingle (see sidebar). The G string is tuned an octave higher than usual, so this is called "high G" tuning. This is known as a "reentrant tuning," which allows for unique, closely spaced harmony chords.
A less common tuning for the soprano ukulele, 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 the soprano ukulele is D tuning, which has higher string tension. The strings are tuned to A4, D4, F♯4, and B4. This is one musical step higher than the C tuning. D tuning was once the standard and was widely used during the Hawaiian music boom in the early 20th century. It appears in many sheet music and method books from that time. Some people believe this 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" because it was used in Canadian schools, mainly on concert or tenor ukuleles. It was also used by musicians like James Hill and J. Chalmers Doane.
Whether C or D tuning should be 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 (D, G, B, E) of a standard six-string guitar.
Bass ukuleles are tuned similarly to bass guitars and double basses. For U-Bass style instruments (sometimes called contrabass), the tuning is E1, A1, D2, G2. For Ohana type metal-string bass ukuleles, the tuning is an octave higher: E2, A2, D3, G3.
Sopranino ukulele tuning is less standardized. They are usually tuned re-entrant, but often at a higher pitch than C. For example, re-entrant G tuning might be D5, G4, B4, E5.
Like many string instruments, ukuleles can be tuned in ways that suit individual players. For example, special string sets allow the baritone ukulele to be tuned in linear C. Some players tune ukuleles like other four-string instruments, such as the mandolin, Venezuelan cuatro, or dotara. Ukuleles may also be tuned to open tunings, similar to the Hawaiian slack-key style.
Related instruments
Ukulele varieties include hybrid instruments such as the guitalele (also called guitarlele), banjo ukulele (also called banjolele), harp ukulele, lap steel ukulele, and the ukelin. It is common to find ukuleles combined with other stringed instruments because of the number of strings and the ease of playing. There is also an electrically amplified version of the ukulele. The resonator ukulele uses one or more spun aluminum cones (resonators) instead of a wooden soundboard to produce sound, giving it a louder and more distinct tone. The Tahitian ukulele is another variant, usually carved from a single piece of wood and lacking a hollow soundbox, though the back is open. The Tahitian ukulele generally has eight strings made from fishing line, tuned the same as a Hawaiian ukulele in four sets of strings, with the middle two sets an octave higher than the Hawaiian version. Inspired by the Tahitian ukulele, the Motu Nui variant from France has four strings made from fishing line, and the hole in the back is designed to create a wah-wah effect. Mario Maccaferri invented an automatic chording device for the ukulele, called Chord Master.
Close relatives of the ukulele include the Portuguese forerunners, the cavaquinho (also known as machete or braguinha) and the slightly larger rajão. Other related instruments include the Venezuelan cuatro, the Colombian and North American tiples, the timple of the Canary Islands, the Spanish vihuela, the Mexican requinto jarocho, and the Andean charango, traditionally made from an armadillo shell. In Indonesia, a similar Portuguese-inspired instrument is the kroncong.
The Uke Bass is a close cousin to the leona, a traditional bass instrument used in the son jarocho music genre.
Audio samples
- "Hene," a song by Henry Kailimai
- G-sharp minor chord
- C major scale
- Major scale played on a bass ukulele using a felt pick (first) and fingers
- Tuning frequencies for a soprano ukulele