An Introduction to Ukuleles

The ukulele has been classified as a plucked lute; it belongs to the guitar family of instruments, and has generally been seen with four strings. Most people know the ukulele as an instrument used by musicians from Hawaii. The most amusing as well as fascinating story about the origin of the ukuleles is about the now founder of the instrument, Joao Fernandes, who was so happy to land on the shores of Hawaii that he started playing his native folk songs on this instrument. The impressed Hawaiians promptly named the instrument as 'ukulele', which when translated into English is,' the jumping flea'. The name was given as a result of the fast movements of the fingers. Several tongues and pronunciations later the instrument has finally found home as a sweet sounding musical instrument, relatively easy to play and handy in size.

Ukuleles, are made from a fine local wood in Hawaii, known for its fine tone and attractive color, it is called the 'Koa'. A well made ukulele may be pretty highly priced running into thousands of dollars. The instrument has also been variously modified in the hands of different musicians not only in the style of playing but also structurally. The original size called as Soprano Ukulele and is about 21" in length. Another type is the Concert ukulele, which has a 15" scale length. The Tenor Ukulele which has come into being since the 1920's, has a 17" scale length and is about 26" in total length. The Baritone Ukulele is a type which was created much later, around the 1940's, it happens to be the biggest of all the sizes.

A most loved instrument in the Hawaii islands, it is synonymous with its happy go lucky culture. There are many who have been fascinated by its lilting music and taken to playing it. Light in weight and easy to carry around, the ukulele has traveled far and wide. Interestingly this is an instrument played more for the love of music rather than being an impressive fashion quotient. Maestros like, Bill Tapia, Lyle Ritz and Jim Beloff have spread the knowledge and sweetness of this instrument around the world, helping in its growth and popularization.

The popularity of this instrument is due to its versatility. There have been musicians who have played all kinds of music on it, including, jazz, rock, country, folk, classical actually almost the entire range you can think of can be played on the Ukulele. Moreover it is an instrument that is accessible to most people. It is easy to play and almost anyone can learn to play it. There are players who are doing great things on the ukulele and expanding the horizon of this small instrument.

History of Ukulele Music - You Can Get in on the Fun Too!

Instrumental ukulele music is on the verge to becoming just as popular as mainstream ukulele music is. People are finally starting to realize that the ukulele is capable of making very good music. This instrument has been around since 1879 and it is just now being realized how it can make such enjoyable quality music.

When the ukulele was first invented the Hawaiians where not impressed with the beautiful music that the instrument was capable of making. It wasn't till around 1915 that the ukulele popularity came over to the main land. It was after that the craze of the ukulele began which raised the popularity of the instrument. No matter what the history is behind it, the ukulele is now Hawaii's most popular musical instrument.

There was a great demand for ukuleles, which meant that production had to increase substantially. Of the original creators, by 1910, only one of them remained and he couldn't keep up with the demand. New competitors entered the field after time offering unique designs. Although there was a great deal of competition, there were still enough orders that each business was still being flooded.

Competition took a turn when the main land guitar manufactures started making ukuleles around 1915. The Hawaiians where angry when it was learned the mainland manufactures started stamping "Made in Hawaii" on their Ukuleles. The Hawaiian ukulele makers created an original stamp that the legislature backed. Sometime in the 1920's, main land makers started mass-producing the ukulele.

Today we are seeing surges of ukulele music popularity coming back. Hawaii is home to many musicians who have devoted their life to playing the music of the ukulele. The ukulele is very light and also very portable which means that it makes it very easy to practice it.

Even though ukulele music has been around for over 130 years and it is still a very popular musical instrument choice. The music has a lot of history behind it but no matter what the history is, it is now a very popular instrument in world-wide. Even now the demand of ukuleles is growing in South America and other unexpected places.

The ukulele is the little brother of the guitar family and is usually seen with four nylon stings. The volume and tone of the instrument depends solely on the size that it is. They come in four different sizes and are enjoyed by countless individuals all over the world. The three smaller ukulele sizes are the soprano, concert, and tenor, and are tuned to the Key of C with the reentrant "my dog has fleas" tuning. The largest ukulele, the baritone is tuned to the Key of G like a guitar and the baritone ukulele is tuned exactly as the 4 smallest strings of a guitar. All guitar players can immediately play the baritone ukulele, although they may not know it.

If you are looking for a really fun instrument to learn, you do well to find a ukulele.

A Breedlove Guitar and the Quality it Provides

Without a good quality instrument, it is not possible for a musician to make beautiful music. A Breedlove guitar is so well made that many guitarists will only play one of their models. This company makes wonderful instruments using only the best possible materials.

The first thing you will notice on their website is that they offer two classes of guitars, the Original and the Revival. Both groups are built to the same quality standards, but off their own unique features. A musician will generally prefer one of them, depending on what they require of their guitar.

A thicker and shorter treble side on the Original gives superb resonation to any high notes they play. Bass notes are allowed better resonation due to that side being both longer and thicker. The soundboard is stiffened and relaxed, in order to sustain the notes, with their bridge truss system. A pinless bridge that is also winged makes use of a scalloped bracing for balance of the strings.

More lightweight and making use of X braces to allow for balance and power is the Revival series. You can also play ore precise root notes, because they are made in a graduated thickness. They can be played powerfully and fast, thanks to their pinned bridge. These models are specially made to allow for clear chording and flat picking.

Under each model class there are, of course, different guitars to take under consideration. Guitars are not the only instruments they make, however. You can look through their product line and find ukuleles, basses and mandolins. The companies great dedication to quality goes into each one.

If you do not want to buy a regular, stock guitar, you can also look into their customized options to get exactly what you require of your guitar. They also offer quite a few different body shapes of their guitars. If you like to play a model that uses just nylon strings, they even have options available to suit you.

If you consider a Breedlove guitar, you shouldn't have a problem finding a great quality instrument that suits your needs. Every one of their instruments comes with their limited lifetime warranty, so they stand behind their products. Their website makes it simple to find the information you need and to glance over the different types they offer.

Ukulele For Beginners - Learn to Play the Ukulele

The first step for ukulele for beginners is to decide what type of ukulele to play.

There are 4 main sizes to choose from. Soprano, Concert, Tenor and the Baritone

The Soprano Ukulele is the smallest and the most common type of ukulele. It measures about 20-21 inches long, and is a great for a child or someone with smaller hands. It is inexpensive and can be typically found as souvenir ukuleles in gift shops as well as in school music classes. It is the popular type for novice players, but because of its size and its sound quality it is quickly out grown by its user.

The next size is the Concert Ukulele. It delivers the "classic" ukulele sound and is great for the first time user as well as the seasoned player. It measures 22" - 24" and its size allows the user to easily manipulate fingers along the frets of the instrument.

The ukulele of choice for professional players is the Tenor Ukulele. It measures 27-29". The sound is not the typical "ukulele" sound. It is sometimes played with the low G string which gives the instrument a more bass type of sound.

Baritone ukuleles are the largest of the ukulele sizes. Unlike the other sizes, the baritone is tuned differently. The strings are tuned the same as the bottom 4 strings of a guitar.

Once you decide the type of instrument that fits your needs. The next step is tuning. There are several tuners on the market that range anywhere from $5 - $30. Again whatever fits your need..go with it.

Next step is the learning the basic chords. A basic ukulele chord book can be found online or in your local bookstore.

There you have it. Three simple and basic steps to get you started on learning to play the ukulele.

Fabulous Background Facts on the Ukulele

The Ukulele is a fabulous instrument to learn and play with its simplicity and social connections. It gives schools a simple alternative to the recorder for young students to learn and adults a mobile small instrument to pick, strum and sing along to, either by ones self or a group of friends. The ukulele has some fabulous background facts which are interesting to know before you strum your first song.

The Ukulele was bought to Hawaii by the Portuguese immigrants in the nineteenth century and in Hawaiian means "Jumping Flea".It gained popularity in other parts of America during the twentieth century before spreading to the rest of the world.

The ukulele resembles a small guitar with a fretted fingerboard and four strings that are picked or strummed. There are four common sizes. The soprano or standard size is the smallest and was developed first. The The concert ukulele was developed in the 1920's and it is slightly larger and louder with a more deeper tone than the soprano. The tenor ukulele with its increased size, greater volume and deeper bass tone was developed shortly after. In the 1940's the largest size called the baritone was developed. Some less common ukuleles are the sopranino and bass.

The shape of the ukulele is typically like that of a small acoustic guitar, but other non-standard shapes which are seen include the oval shape (pineapple ukulele ), boat-paddle shape or square shape occasionally.

Ukuleles are generally made of wood and the price of them to buy are determined by the quality of the wood used. Cheaper Ukuleles are generally made of ply or laminate woods with soundboards made of inexpensive but acoustically superior wood such as spruce. Some more expensive ukuleles are made of exotic hardwoods such as mahogany, Most expensive ukuleles are made from Koa, a Hawaiian wood which gives ukuleles an attractive colour and fine tone. They can cost thousands.

Before you create any sound on the ukulele you need to make sure all the strings are in tune. Ukuleles go out of tune especially the cheaper brands and so it is a good idea to tune them at the beginning of each play.

The standard tuning for soprano, concert and tenor ukuleles is C tuning which means the four strings will be associated with the pitch of G C E A. The 4th string is G, 3rd string is C, the 2nd string is E, the 1st string is A. That is when you strike the open string it sounds those notes. The G is tuned to the G above middle C on the piano, an octave higher than you might think. The baritone ukulele is tuned to D G B E with the sound going from low to high.

To tune a ukulele, the tuning heads at the head of the ukulele are loosened to lower the pitch and tightened to raise the pitch. It is a good idea to loosen the string below pitch to begin with and gradually tighten the heads until you reach the desired pitch.

There are several ways to tune a ukulele. They are:
1. Electric Tuner: This instrument will tell you when you have reached the desires pitch.
2. External Source like a piano keyboard or guitar. Just play the required note on the other instrument and turn the tuning heads on the ukulele until they reach the sound on that instrument.
3. Relative Tuning: This is often used when there is no external source or tuner to use. Basically you assume that the 3rd string is correctly tuned to C. Then you press down the fourth fret ( small distance between metal rods on the fretboard ) on the third string and tune the second string until they sound the same. Then you press down the fifth fret (A ) on the second string and tune the open first string to it. Finally, press down the third fret on the third fret (G ) and tune the forth string to it. When all strings are in tune then they will sound out the phrase - My Dog Has Fleas.

The ukulele history and the variable ukulele sizes, shapes and materials used to create them are all fabulous background facts on the ukulele which are useful to know. Ukulele tuning is essential to know if you wish to learn and play the ukulele.

Famous Hawaiian Musicians

There are three distinctly types of Hawaiian guitar: ukulele, slack key guitar, and steel guitar. The most famous and most notable Hawaiian guitarists did not only play guitar (ukulele, slack key, or steel guitar) par excellence. They also either revolutionized the way a type of guitar is played, or brought Hawaiian music to a wider audience through use of their instrument. They made Hawaiian music transcend from Hawaii to US mainland and beyond.

Hawaii has produced many renowned guitarists, but these are some of the most famous.

Tau Moe Family

Tau Moe was a Samoan who moved with his family to Hawaii when he was 11. He learned to play steel guitar from M.K. Moke, and later married another steel guitar player named Rose. The couple joined a traveling show, performing Hawaiian music to international audience. The couple had two children, Lani and Dorian. When they grew up, Lani and Dorian joined Tau Moe and Rose. The family was dubbed the" Aloha Four." Tau and Rose lived as far as Germany, Japan, India, and Lebanon. It is even said that they performed for Adolf Hitler during Nazi Germany. Tau Moe and his family helped spread Hawaiian folk music and hapa haole music worldwide.

Gabby Pahinui

Born in Honolulu in 1921, Charles Philip "Gabby" Pahinui was a key in bringing slack key guitar from the "back porch" of Hawaiian homes into a bigger audience. He is also dubbed the "folk hero of the Hawaiian music" for he was a force behind its resurgence.

A musical wiz, Gabby had no formal music education. He played in cafes, restaurants, and night clubs for more than 40 years, and spent 10 years producing albums and holding concerts.

Gabby's early interest was American jazz. He would later meld jazz with traditional Hawaiian music and slack key guitar, a musical ingenuity he was particularly famous for.

Gabby recorded his first song in his early 40s. Entitled Hi'ilawe, the song became a hit.

The Sons of Hawaii

The Sons of Hawaii consisted of four famous Hawaiian guitar players. Founded by Gabby Pahinui and Eddie Kamae (ukulele), the group also included David Rogers (steel guitar) and Joe Marshall (bass). They released their first album in 1962. In 1960, The Sons of Hawaii was the highest paid Hawaiian group in the state.

Eddie Kamae

Also born in Honolulu, Eddie Kamae was a ukulele virtuoso. He was famous, foremost, for promoting "Hawaiian Cultural Renaissance." Before founding The Sons of Hawaii with Gabby Pahinui, he played with Ukulele Rascals and Ray Kinney's Orchestra. Eddie's unique plucking methods revolutionized the way ukulele is played. This multi-awarded guitarist has also produced films promoting Hawaiian music and culture.

Don Ho

Who could forget Tiny Bubbles and Pearly Shell? Both were as famous as its singer and slack key guitarist, Don Ho. A former member of the United States Air Force, Don Ho had also made appearances in many television shows such as I Dream of Jeannie and The Brady Bunch, and later had his own television show, The Don Ho Show.

Sol Ho'opi

Sol Ho'opi was the most famous steel guitarist of the 20th century. He has also appeared in a number of movies including Waikiki Wedding and some Charlie Chan films.

Helpful Hints For Tuning Drums

The most important step in becoming good at tuning-drums is to practice--tune a LOT!

Be brave--find a sound that is YOU. The more time you spend experimenting with tuning, the less you will fear doing something "wrong". There IS no wrong sound. If you ask every drummer you meet how to tune, you will probably get a slightly different answer from each one.

The sound of your drums depends upon three things:

1. Choice of heads

2. Muffling

3.Tuning.

CHOICE of HEADS

This is the foundation for later tuning-drums and creating your "signature sound." There are many choices available, but the main types of heads are:

Clear heads-- Clear heads are known for their ease in tuning, and bright, open resonance, with plenty of attack. These heads are used by many drum manufacturers as standard for toms and bass drums.

Batter Heads are used on the top of drums (the side you strike with your sticks) and

Resonator Heads are for the underside of the drum.

Drum heads basically come in three thicknesses: thin, medium, and thick. Years ago, Remo gave these thicknesses names: Diplomat, Ambassador, and Emperor . These names are so well-known that if you go to any drum store and ask for, for example, an Ambassador -weight head you will get a medium thickness head no matter what brand you might choose.

So a nice safe choice if you are just starting out would be Ambassador weight clear heads for your bass drum and toms. You can make adjustments in the weight as you learn more about what you like.

Coated heads--these are the heads that have a white coating. They are (in my opinion) best used only for the batter heads of snare drums. Snare heads are much thinner and are used on the bottoms of snare drums.

Hydraulic heads--these heads are 2-ply(have two layers) and have a thin coating of oil between the layers. These first became popular in the 70's and are used as batter heads. They are strong and tune quickly and easily. They have less "ring" and a kind of warm mellow sound.

There are also Black Dot heads which have a polyester dot laminated to the center of the head for strength and dampening. Personally, I find these heads a little too "dead". It is much easier to muffle a drum than to add life to a dead, flat sound. of course this is just MY opinion. There are just as many opinions about choosing heads as there are about tuning-drums.

There are so many choices--how to decide? My advice is to stick with the basics and then when you have a specific sound in mind, try various heads to achieve that sound.

MUFFLING

Although much of the unwanted overtone sound (ringing) can be controlled by proper methods of tuning-drums, there are situations which require a little extra treatment.

If you are in a live situation and have no other resources, you can resort to good old duct tape to get rid of a slight high-pitched ring. You may have to move the tape to different points on the head until you find the source of the ring and you may have to use more than one piece. Place the tape so that it does not interfere with the playing area of the head. Be sure to leave little "handles" on the ends of the pieces of tape so you don't have to scrape it off of your head later.

For a more aesthetic and most times more effective solution, you can make a donut out of an old head. Find an old head the same diameter as the head you need to muffle. Cut around the edge removing only the rim, but leaving the edge flat. Now cut a smaller circle out of the inside piece. The donut should be about 3/4" to 1" wide. Place it on top of the drum's head. If the donut flies off at inopportune moments, affix it to the head with SMALL pieces of duct tape stuck to the rim.

Or you may purchase a commercial version such as "REMOS". These are pre-sized versions of the homemade donut. They now come in a couple different varieties. Choose ones that match the size of your drums. There are also drum heads with built in rings.

By the way how do you measure your drums? Measure from the outside edge of the shell to the opposite outside edge (diameter). Do not include the metal ring. Heads are measured in inches, so if you come up with something in between, you probably need to measure again.

Your bass drum may be muffled by "filling" it with soft, sound-absorbent materials such as blankets or pillows. Just be careful not to deaden the sound too much by overfilling. Or you can cut a hole in the back head. The problem with this is that it is difficult to experiment with the size of the hole. You would need a LOT of bass drum heads!

Of course, there are those who say that drums should NEVER be muffled. Some things you just have to decide from your own experience.

TUNING

The absolutely best source for a detailed discussion of changing heads and tuning-drums can be found at the Tomas Howie Drumming Web. I don't think anyone could add more. This guy knows it ALL!

Happy Drumming!

Types of Ukulele - Concert and Cutaway

There are several different voices of ukulele and several different body designs. The soprano is the smallest of the models and has the highest voice. The concert model is one size larger, followed by the tenor and the baritone. This is among the best selling sizes for ukuleles. The body is large enough that it has good resonance and the pitch is pleasant; high enough for melodies and low enough for rich bass. Many professionals choose this size of ukulele. Concert cutaway models have an additional feature that makes the useful for those who play challenging pieces.

The body of a ukulele generally joins the neck around the 12th fret. This makes it difficult to maintain correct hand position while fretting notes above the octave on any string. A cutaway allows the player to slide their hand underneath the neck and to fret any note among the smallest frets with greater precision and, thus, better tone. For difficult pieces, this is a necessary feature for a ukulele. Concert cutaway body styles also allow players to preserve their energy, as they're not required to stretch their hands into odd contortions to hit certain notes. When one is playing a long piece, this is a huge benefit.

Some players prefer a traditional ukulele. Concert cutaway models do make using the upper frets easier for most players, but some will actually prefer more "meat" around the higher frets. Especially for players with larger hands, the junction of the body and the neck can be used as a leverage point, helping them to maintain good finger pressure without exhausting their hands. There are plenty of concert-sized ukuleles on the market that are not cutaway models. If a cutaway doesn't seem particularly beneficial, try one of these models to see if it is preferable.

There are plenty of custom body options for any brand of ukulele. Concert cutaway styles are but one option. Exotic body styles sometimes employ rounded backs, square shapes and innovative woodworking where the neck and body meet. Electric ukuleles offer till more body style options, as the body isn't required to actually resonate the sound. Changing the body style on an electric uke, however, will change the sound quality somewhat, so there are still plenty of options for body styles where these instruments are concerned. As ukuleles have become taken more seriously as instruments, there has been more effort put toward making them more versatile.

There are a few things to consider when selecting a non-traditionally shaped ukulele. Concert cutaway types will take the same style of case as any traditionally-shaped ukulele, but others will not. It may be more difficult to find cases for custom shapes and it may be more difficult to find stands that can accommodate ukuleles without rounded bottoms. Make sure to keep this in mind before buying. For cutaways, however, there should be no problem finding several different options for a suitable case. Other shapes generally come with custom cases.

Guide to the Types and Styles of the Ukulele

The ukulele is a very small guitar that originated from an island in Portugal called Madeira. This instrument was called "braguinha" in Portuguese. In 1879, travelers took a ship from the island of Madeira to Hawaii. Craftsmen who witnessed this instrument being played were fascinated and began producing it for Hawaiians. The instrument was nicknamed "ukulele," which actually means, "jumping flea." It is also called "uke" for short.

Ukes are different from guitars in several ways. They are usually very lightweight and easy to carry. Original style ukes are easier to learn to play because they have fewer strings. They are also easier on the fingers. Ukes are, however, limited in the range of notes that can be played. They are great for musicians who want simplicity!

Today this instrument is still very popular in Hawaii and is being shipped to music lovers around the world. Let's take a look at the types and styles of ukuleles.

Four Types of Ukuleles

There are four standard types of ukuleles, which are concert, soprano, tenor, and baritone. The most commonly used type is the soprano ukulele. Each type, except the baritone, is tuned using the well-known tune/phrase "my dog has fleas!" This involves hitting the keys G, C, E and then A. The tenor type is one octave down from soprano. The baritone's tuning is accomplished using this order of keys: E, B, G, D.

There are also hybrid ukuleles being produced today, such as the banjulele (banjo body), taropatch (eight-stringed instrument) and ukelin. These specialty instruments are usually developed by individuals or specialty musical instrument companies. Some are even highly collectible today.

The soprano uke is the smallest at about 21 inches long. The concert uke is about 23 inches long. The baritone uke is 30 inches long, and the tenor uke is 26 inches long. The baritone and tenor ukes are more similar to regular-sized guitars, only with just four strings.

Styles of Ukuleles

Ukuleles may also come in a variety of styles, colors, and shapes to reflect the personality of the musician. Some examples of style variety are the Bushman ukuleles, which come in styles such as Jenny Soprano, Jenny Pineapple, Jenny Concert, Jenny Tenor, and Jenny Baritone.

A ukulele maker might use a variety of high-quality woods to produce the instruments such as Mahogany to give the instrument a brilliant finish. The shapes of the instrument may vary as well. Some resemble the regular guitar shape while others might be completely oval-shaped, similar to a pineapple shape, or have a piece "cut away" at the neck.

With prices ranging from $169 and up, anyone can own a ukulele. They can be ordered online for music fans that live in areas where the ukulele is not readily available locally. There is also a wide variety of ukulele strings and accessories such as felt picks, tuners, amplifiers, shoulder straps, strap buttons, tuning machines, ukulele humidifiers, and more. Whether one wants a cheap ukulele to keep around the house for fun or an expensive one for professional concerts, it's easy to find just the right style online.