History of the ukulele

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Ukulele sizes

The four sizes of ukuleles are;

Soprano or standard 13" (33 cm) 21" (53 cm)
Concert 15" (38 cm) 23" (58 cm)
Tenor 17" (43 cm) 26" (66 cm)
Baritone 19" (48 cm)

The ukulele, or the uke as it is sometimes known, became a huge hit in Hawaii and by 1879, the Hawai reported that the musicians were “delighting the people with nightly street concerts.”

The ukulele players captivated fans with their beautiful sounds and speedy fingers. Thus the origin of the name “ukulele” which means “jumping fleas.” in Hawaiian

It was King David Kalakaua, patron to Augusto Dias, one of the major instrument makers, who boosted the popularity of the ukulele. In no time, every Hawaiian was happily strumming a uke from the fishermen and farmers to royalty. It was “the people’s instrument.”

The ukulele made its way across the ocean to mainland US around 1915. The fascination with Hawaiian music started in San Francisco and rapidly spread to the east Coast. The craze reached such a pitch that music teachers moved away from giving piano lessons to teaching the ukulele. Ukulele sales started to increase and demand became so great the ukulele makers in Hawaii could not keep up with the demand.

From beginner to master

Is the ukulele hard to play

 As a music teacher I have told my students that playing the Ukulele is a very easy thing to do, if you're playing basic chords. If we are talking about chords only, the Ukulele is easier than playing the guitar, mainly due to the fact that the uke has four strings and the guitar has six. Six strings are harder to finger than four.
   If we are talking about instrumental pieces, then I have to say that the Ukulele is harder and can take a longer time to master.

Holding the Ukulele

Holding the Ukulele is like holding a small guitar and should be held at about a forty~five degree angle in front of the body, using a relaxed, comfortable grip. The Ukulele should be held flat against the player's body, while the body of the instrument is supported in place with the forearm of the strumming hand. The forearm is constantly used to hold the back of the instrument against the player's body. 

Tuning a Uke  

Buying a Uke