Ukulele - A Traditional Baby Guitar From Hawaii

Recently, we saw the latest trending among guitar enthusiast is the "baby" guitar. It's small, easy to carry and hold, and easy for travel. But the true original "baby" guitar has been around with us for many years. We may saw it performed in the clubs or lounges but didn't pay much attention, it's called Ukulele.

Today, Ukelele is commonly associated with music from the Hawaiian islands due to its use in popular music originating there. According to Queen Lili'uokalani, the last Hawaiian Monarch, the name means "the gift that came here", from the Hawaiian words uku (gift or reward) and lele (to come).

In 1915, this exotic baby guitar gained popularity on the mainland of the United States beginning in San Francisco. This is due in part to the Panama Pacific International Exposition, which took place in San Francisco, where Ukulele prominently featured in exhibit. It is estimated having 17 million visitors. The popularity of this exhibit at the Expo launched a fad for Hawaiian-themed music, including Ukulele, on the mainland of the United States.

Ukulele has been played as a solo instrument for many years, but groups of Ukulele players are cropping up all over the world. Ukulele also played in orchestra and ensembles as well.

This amazing baby guitar commonly has four strings and is actually big on tone and sweet in sound. The sounds emanating from a Ukelele depends on its size and how it has been constructed. There are four common sizes of this instrument: Soprano, Concert, Tenor and Baritone.

Soprano, the smallest Ukelele, is the original size. In Hawaii, it is known as the "standard" Ukulele, extremely light and portable. Soprano is probably the most popular and widely owned and played of Ukulele. Soprano usually have around 15 frets, as the smallest, producing tiny sound most recognizably from Ukulele. As a result of its small size, kids generally easily holding it, so encourage them to learn how to play it. Many schools utilize Soprano size Ukuleles in their music classes.

Concert was introduced in 1920s, as an enhancement of Soprano. Concert Ukuleles are slightly larger than Soprano and usually have anywhere between 15 and 20 frets, producing deeper tones.

Tenor Ukuleles are slightly larger than Concert, producing more volume and deeper bass tone compare with Concert and usually have 15 or more frets. Concert is the choice size for most performing soloists.

Baritone is the largest size, was created in the 1940s, is the largest of Ukulele sizes. Baritone exhibits a much deeper sound than other ukulele sizes.

As for choosing the right size, the very best way to find the perfect Ukulele for you is to check out Ukuleles by yourself. How it sounds and feels to you is the most important thing when time has come to decide.

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The Ukulele - A Traditional Hawaiian String Instrument

The ukulele, or uke, is a Hawaiian stringed instrument. This instrument was developed in the late nineteenth century in Hawaii, and was based on a small instrument similar to a guitar brought to the islands by immigrants from Portugal. In particular, three cabinet makers are credited as the inventors of the first ukulele. The Portuguese immigrants were known to play folk songs on the dock, where native Hawaiians were impressed not only by the sweet sounds of the instrument, but also the fast fingers of the players. Roughly translated, the name "ukulele" means "jumping flea," a reference to the action of the player's fingers.

The ukulele's quick rise in popularity has been credited in part to the ardent support of the instrument by King David Kalakaua, the last king of the Kingdom of Hawaii. Serving from 1874 until 1891, he was in office when the first ukuleles were played in 1879 and 1880, and soon made them an integral pat of royal performances. Several members of the Hawaiian royalty learned how to play this instrument; it also became popular with Hawaiians from all walks of life, including fishermen and taro farmers. Today, the ukelele is often associated with music from the Hawaiian islands due to its use in popular music originating there.

During the early and mid twentieth century, this exotic instrument also gained popularity on the mainland of the United States. This is due in part to the Panama Pacific International Exposition, which took place in San Francisco throughout 1915 and featured a guitar and ukulele band hailing from Hawaii. The popularity of this exhibit at the Expo launched a fad for Hawaiian-themed music on the mainland during the Jazz Age of the 1920s.

This enjoyment of all things Hawaii would continue following World War II and the resulting popularity of tiki culture. The ukulele fit right in with this midcentury fad. From the 1940s through the 1960s, over 9 million inexpensive plastic ukuleles were produced to satisfy the demand from Tiki aficionados. Today, the ukulele can be found in many musical styles around the world. It is particularly popular in Japan.

The ukulele is known as a relatively inexpensive and portable instrument, making it a favorite of amateur players since the 1920s. On the other end of the spectrum, some of the most valuable ukuleles, made from Hawaiian koa wood prized for its tone and attractive coloration, can cost thousands of dollars.

A subset of the guitar family, most ukuleles have four strings. The sounds emanating from a ukelele depends on its size and how it has been constructed. There are four common sizes of this instrument: baritone, tenor, concert, and soprano. The soprano, the smallest uke, is the original size. In Hawaii, it is known as the "standard" ukulele. Although traditional ukuleles have a body shaped like a figure eight, similar to the body of an acoustic guitar, there are also oval ukuleles (sometimes referred to as a 'pineapple' shape), boat paddle shaped bodies, and occasionally square bodies, which are often constructed from a wooden cigar box.