Template:Short description {{#invoke:other uses|otheruses}} Template:Use American English Template:Infobox Instrument The ukulele (Template:IPAc-en Template:Respell; {{#invoke:IPA|main}} Template:Respell); also called a uke (informally), is a member of the lute (ancient guitar) family of instruments. The ukulele is of Portuguese origin and was popularized in Hawaii. The tone and volume of the instrument vary with size and construction. Ukuleles commonly come in four sizes: soprano, concert, tenor, and baritone.
Ukuleles generally have four nylon strings<ref>Erich M. von Hornbostel & Curt Sachs, "Classification of Musical Instruments: Translated from the Original German by Anthony Baines and Klaus P. Wachsmann." The Galpin Society Journal 14, 1961: 3–29.</ref><ref name="Merriam-Webster">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:OED</ref> tuned to GCEA. They have 16–22 frets depending on the size.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
HistoryEdit
Developed in the 1880s, the ukulele is based on several small, guitar-like instruments of Portuguese origin, the {{#invoke:Lang|lang}},<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} and {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, introduced to the Hawaiian Islands by Portuguese immigrants from Madeira, the Azores, and Cape Verde.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Three immigrants in particular, Madeiran cabinet makers Manuel Nunes, José do Espírito Santo, and Augusto Dias, are generally credited as the first ukulele makers.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Two weeks after they disembarked from the SS Ravenscrag in late August 1879, the Hawaiian Gazette reported that "Madeira Islanders recently arrived here, have been delighting the people with nightly street concerts."<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
One of the most important factors in establishing the ukulele in Hawaiian music and culture was the ardent support and promotion of the instrument by King Kalākaua. A patron of the arts, he incorporated it into performances at royal gatherings.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
In the Hawaiian language the word ukulele roughly translates as 'jumping flea',<ref>Template:Harvnb</ref> perhaps because of the movement of the player's fingers. Legend attributes it to the nickname of Englishman Edward William Purvis, one of King Kalākaua's officers, because of his small size, fidgety manner, and playing expertise. One of the earliest appearances of the word ukulele in print (in the sense of a stringed instrument) is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Catalogue of the Crosby Brown Collection of Musical Instruments of All Nations published in 1907. The catalog describes two ukuleles from Hawaii—one that is similar in size to a modern soprano ukulele, and one that is similar to a tenor (see Template:Section link).<ref name="met1907">Template:Cite book</ref>
CanadaEdit
In the 1960s, educator J. Chalmers Doane dramatically changed school music programs across Canada, using the ukulele as an inexpensive and practical teaching instrument to foster musical literacy in the classroom.<ref>Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref> At its peak, 50,000 schoolchildren and adults learned the ukulele through the Doane program.<ref>Template:Harvnb</ref> "Ukulele in the Classroom", a revised program created by James Hill and Doane in 2008, is a staple of music education in Canada.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
JapanEdit
The ukulele arrived in Japan in 1929 after Hawaiian-born Yukihiko Haida returned to the country upon his father's death and introduced the instrument. Haida and his brother Katsuhiko formed the Moana Glee Club, enjoying rapid success in an environment of growing enthusiasm for Western popular music, particularly Hawaiian and jazz. During World War II, authorities banned most music from the West, but fans and players kept it alive in secret, and it resumed popularity after the war. In 1959, Haida founded the Nihon Ukulele Association. Japan has since become a second home for Hawaiian musicians and ukulele virtuosos.<ref>Template:Harvnb</ref>
United KingdomEdit
British singer and comedian George Formby was a ukulele player, though he often played a banjolele, a hybrid instrument consisting of an extended ukulele neck with a banjo resonator body. Demand surged in the new century because of its relative simplicity and portability.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Another British ukulele player was Tony Award-winner Tessie O'Shea, who appeared in numerous movies and stage shows, and was twice on The Ed Sullivan Show, including the night The Beatles debuted in 1964.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain tours globally, and the George Formby Society, established in 1961, continues to hold regular conventions.
George Harrison, Paul McCartney, and John Lennon all played the ukulele.<ref name="Jackson_8/5/2021">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Harrison, who was a Formby fan, was a great lover of the instrument and often gave them to friends, including Tom Petty, whom he taught to play.<ref name="Whatley_4/20/2020">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
United States mainlandEdit
Pre–World War IIEdit
The ukulele was popularized for a stateside audience during the Panama–Pacific International Exposition, held from spring to autumn of 1915 in San Francisco.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The Hawaiian Pavilion featured a guitar and ukulele ensemble, George E. K. Awai and his Royal Hawaiian Quartet,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> along with ukulele maker and player Jonah Kumalae.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The popularity of the ensemble with visitors launched a fad for Hawaiian-themed songs among Tin Pan Alley songwriters.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The ensemble also introduced both the lap steel guitar and the ukulele into U.S. mainland popular music,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> where it was taken up by vaudeville performers such as Roy Smeck and Cliff "Ukulele Ike" Edwards. On April 15, 1923, at the Rivoli Theater in New York City, Smeck appeared, playing the ukulele, in Stringed Harmony, a short film made in the DeForest Phonofilm sound-on-film process. On August 6, 1926, Smeck appeared playing the ukulele in a short film His Pastimes, made in the Vitaphone sound-on-disc process, shown with the feature film Don Juan starring John Barrymore.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
The ukulele soon became an icon of the Jazz Age.<ref name="Whitcomb2001">Template:Cite book</ref> Like guitar, basic ukulele skills can be learned fairly easily, and this highly portable, relatively inexpensive instrument was popular with amateur players throughout the 1920s, as evidenced by the introduction of uke chord tablature into the published sheet music for popular songs of the time<ref name="Whitcomb2001" /> (a role that was supplanted by the guitar in the early years of rock and roll).<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> A number of mainland-based stringed-instrument manufacturers, among them Regal, Harmony, and especially Martin, added ukulele, banjolele, and tiple lines to their production to take advantage of the demand.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
The ukulele also made inroads into early country music or old-time music<ref name="Herald">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> parallel to the then-popular mandolin. It was played by Jimmie Rodgers and Ernest V. Stoneman, as well as by early string bands, including Cowan Powers and his Family Band, Da Costa Woltz's Southern Broadcasters, Walter Smith and Friends, The Blankenship Family, The Hillbillies, and The Hilltop Singers.<ref name=Herald/>
Post–World War IIEdit
From the late 1940s to the late 1960s, plastics manufacturer Mario Maccaferri turned out about 9 million inexpensive ukuleles.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The ukulele remained popular, appearing in many jazz songs throughout the 50s, '60s, and '70s.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}The Ukulele</ref> Much of the instrument's popularity (particularly the baritone size) was cultivated by Arthur Godfrey on The Arthur Godfrey Show on television.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 1959 the Ukulele made an iconic appearance played by Marilyn Monroe as the character "Sugar Kane" in the movie Some Like It Hot, notably during the band's rendition of Runnin' Wild. Singer-musician Tiny Tim became closely associated with the instrument after playing it on his 1968 hit "Tiptoe Through the Tulips".
Post-1990 revivalEdit
After the 1960s, the ukulele declined in popularity until the late 1990s, when interest in the instrument reawakened.<ref name="Shepherd2003">Template:Cite book</ref> During the 1990s, new manufacturers began producing ukuleles and a new generation of musicians took up the instrument. Jim Beloff set out to promote the instrument in the early 1990s and created over two dozen ukulele music books featuring modern music and classic ukulele pieces.<ref>Mighty Uke, Interview with Jim Beloff, 2010</ref>
All-time best-selling Hawaiian musician Israel Kamakawiwoʻole helped repopularize the instrument, in particular with his 1993 reggae-rhythmed medley of "Over the Rainbow" and "What a Wonderful World", used in films, television programs, and commercials. The song reached number 12 on Billboard's Hot Digital Tracks chart the week of January 31, 2004.<ref>Billboard, for the survey week ending January 18, 2004.</ref>
The creation of YouTube helped revive the popularity of the ukulele. One of the first videos to go viral was Jake Shimabukuro's ukulele rendition of George Harrison's "While My Guitar Gently Weeps". The video quickly went viral, and as of September 2020, had received over 17 million views.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}Template:Cbignore</ref>
In recent years, the ukulele has also been used increasingly in music education, sometimes replacing the recorder as first musical instrument.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The ukulele is used both as a solo instrument and also in ensemble pieces for two or more instruments, such as Markus Rathey's song arrangements for three ukuleles.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
ConstructionEdit
The ukulele is generally made of wood, though variants have been composed partially or entirely of plastic or other materials. Cheaper ukuleles are generally made from plywood or laminated woods, in some cases with a soundboard of a tonewood such as spruce. More expensive ukuleles are made of solid hardwoods such as mahogany. The traditionally preferred wood for ukuleles is a type of acacia endemic to Hawaii, called koa.
Typically, ukuleles have a figure-eight body shape similar to that of a small acoustic guitar. They are also often seen in nonstandard shapes, such as cutaway and oval, usually called a "pineapple" ukulele (see image below), invented by the Kamaka Ukulele company, or a boat-paddle shape, and occasionally a square shape, often made out of an old wooden cigar box.
These instruments usually have four strings; some strings may be paired in courses, giving the instrument a total of six or eight strings (primarily for greater strumming volume.) The strings themselves were originally made of catgut. Modern ukuleles use strings made from nylon polymers, synthetic gut, or fluorocarbon or wound strings composed of a (typically) nylon core wound with metal or polymers,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> including aluminium and silver-plated copper.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Instruments with six or eight strings in four courses are often called taropatches, or taropatch ukuleles. They 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 and two double courses, and is sometimes called a lili‘u, though this name also applies to the eight-string version.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Eight-string baritone taropatches exist,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and 5-string tenors have also been made.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Types and sizesEdit
Common types of ukuleles include soprano (standard ukulele), concert, tenor, and baritone. Less common are the sopranino (also called piccolo, bambino, or "pocket uke"), bass, and contrabass ukuleles.Template:Cn Other types of ukuleles include banjo ukuleles and electric ukuleles. Of the 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 enhanced soprano, slightly larger and louder with a deeper tone. Shortly thereafter, the tenor was created, having more volume and a deeper bass tone. The baritone (resembling a smaller tenor guitar) was created in the 1940s, and the contrabass and bass are recent innovations (2010 and 2014, respectively).<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
| Type | Alternate names |
Typical length |
Scale length<ref>The "scale" is the length of the playable part of the strings, from the nut at the top to the bridge at the bottom.</ref> |
Frets | Range<ref>Exact range depends on the tuning and the number of frets.</ref> | Common tuning<ref>On the soprano, concert, and tenor instruments, the most common tuning results in a "bottom" string that is not the lowest in pitch, as it is tuned a 5th higher than the next string (and a major 2nd below the "top" string). This is called re-entrant tuning.</ref> |
Alternate tunings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| piccolo, sopranino, sopranissimo | Template:Convert | Template:Convert | 10–12 | G4–D6 (E6) | D5 G4 B4 E5 | C5 F4 A4 D5 | |
| Soprano | standard, ukulele | Template:Convert | Template:Convert | 12–15 | C4–A5 (C6) | G4 C4 E4 A4<ref name="Tamberino-2014">Template:Cite book</ref> | A4 D4 FTemplate:Music4 B4 G3 C4 E4 A4 |
| Concert | alto | Template:Convert | Template:Convert | 15–18 | C4–C6 (DTemplate:Music 6) | G4 C4 E4 A4<ref name="Tamberino-2014" /> | G3 C4 E4 A4 |
| Tenor | taro patch, Liliu<ref>Tenor ukuleles exist in a variety of styles, with 4, 5, 6, and 8 strings. What the tenor is called depends on which style it has been designed in.</ref> | Template:Convert | Template:Convert | 17–19 | G3–D6 (E6) | G4 C4 E4 A4 ("High G") G3 C4 E4 A4 ("Low G") |
D4 G3 B3 E4 A3 D4 FTemplate:Music4 B4 D3 G3 B3 E4 |
| Baritone | bari, bari uke, taropatch<ref>Eight-string "taropatch" baritone ukuleles have been made; however, they are very rare. See, for example, the Kamaka HF-48</ref> | Template:Convert | Template:Convert | 18–21 | D3–ATemplate:Music5 (CTemplate:Music 6) | D3 G3 B3 E4(Guitar tuning)<ref name="Tamberino-2014" /> | C3 G3 B3 E4 |
| Bass<ref>See the Luna Uke Bass and the Kala U-Bass</ref> | 30 in
(76 cm) |
20 in
(51 cm) |
16–18 | E2–B4
(C♯ 5) |
E2 A2 D3 G3 | ||
| Contrabass | U-Bass, Rumbler<ref>U-Bass and Rumbler are trade names of the Kala ukulele company</ref> | Template:Convert | Template:Convert | 16 | E1–B3 | E1 A1 D2 G2 | D1 A1 D2 G2 ("Drop D") |
The following chart shows the range of notes of standard ukulele types. Note that the range varies with the tuning and size of the instruments. The examples shown in the chart reflect the range of each instrument from the lowest standard tuning to the highest fret in the highest standard tuning.
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- positions points used by the bars
- Cx4 = middle C
- Cs4 = middle C sharp
Define $Cx0 = 6 # 16.35Hz Define $Cs0 = 12 # 17.32Hz Define $Dx0 = 18 # 18.35Hz Define $Ds0 = 24 # 19.45Hz Define $Ex0 = 30 # 20.6Hz Define $Fx0 = 36 # 21.83Hz Define $Fs0 = 42 # 23.12Hz Define $Gx0 = 48 # 24.5Hz Define $Gs0 = 54 # 25.96Hz Define $Ax0 = 60 # 27.5Hz Define $As0 = 66 # 29.14Hz Define $Bx0 = 72 # 30.87Hz Define $Cx1 = 78 # 32.7Hz Define $Cs1 = 83 # 34.65Hz Define $Dx1 = 89 # 36.71Hz Define $Ds1 = 95 # 38.89Hz Define $Ex1 = 101 # 41.2Hz Define $Fx1 = 107 # 43.65Hz Define $Fs1 = 113 # 46.25Hz Define $Gx1 = 119 # 49Hz Define $Gs1 = 125 # 51.91Hz Define $Ax1 = 131 # 55Hz Define $As1 = 137 # 58.27Hz Define $Bx1 = 143 # 61.74Hz Define $Cx2 = 149 # 65.41Hz Define $Cs2 = 155 # 69.3Hz Define $Dx2 = 161 # 73.42Hz Define $Ds2 = 167 # 77.78Hz Define $Ex2 = 173 # 82.41Hz Define $Fx2 = 179 # 87.31Hz Define $Fs2 = 185 # 92.5Hz Define $Gx2 = 191 # 98Hz Define $Gs2 = 197 # 103.8Hz Define $Ax2 = 203 # 110Hz Define $As2 = 209 # 116.5Hz Define $Bx2 = 215 # 123.5Hz Define $Cx3 = 221 # 130.8Hz Define $Cs3 = 227 # 138.6Hz Define $Dx3 = 233 # 146.8Hz Define $Ds3 = 239 # 155.6Hz Define $Ex3 = 244 # 164.8Hz Define $Fx3 = 250 # 174.6Hz Define $Fs3 = 256 # 185Hz Define $Gx3 = 262 # 196Hz Define $Gs3 = 268 # 207.7Hz Define $Ax3 = 274 # 220Hz Define $As3 = 280 # 233.1Hz Define $Bx3 = 286 # 246.9Hz Define $Cx4 = 292 # 261.6Hz Define $Cs4 = 298 # 277.2Hz Define $Dx4 = 304 # 293.7Hz Define $Ds4 = 310 # 311.1Hz Define $Ex4 = 316 # 329.6Hz Define $Fx4 = 322 # 349.2Hz Define $Fs4 = 328 # 370Hz Define $Gx4 = 334 # 392Hz Define $Gs4 = 340 # 415.3Hz Define $Ax4 = 346 # 440Hz Define $As4 = 352 # 466.2Hz Define $Bx4 = 358 # 493.9Hz Define $Cx5 = 364 # 523.3Hz Define $Cs5 = 370 # 554.4Hz Define $Dx5 = 376 # 587.3Hz Define $Ds5 = 382 # 622.3Hz Define $Ex5 = 388 # 659.3Hz Define $Fx5 = 394 # 698.5Hz Define $Fs5 = 400 # 740Hz Define $Gx5 = 406 # 784Hz Define $Gs5 = 411 # 830.6Hz Define $Ax5 = 417 # 880Hz Define $As5 = 423 # 932.3Hz Define $Bx5 = 429 # 987.8Hz Define $Cx6 = 435 # 1047Hz Define $Cs6 = 441 # 1109Hz Define $Dx6 = 447 # 1175Hz Define $Ds6 = 453 # 1245Hz Define $Ex6 = 459 # 1319Hz Define $Fx6 = 465 # 1397Hz Define $Fs6 = 471 # 1480Hz Define $Gx6 = 477 # 1568Hz Define $Gs6 = 483 # 1661Hz Define $Ax6 = 489 # 1760Hz Define $As6 = 495 # 1865Hz Define $Bx6 = 501 # 1976Hz Define $Cx7 = 507 # 2093Hz Define $Cs7 = 513 # 2217Hz Define $Dx7 = 519 # 2349Hz Define $Ds7 = 525 # 2489Hz Define $Ex7 = 531 # 2637Hz Define $Fx7 = 537 # 2794Hz Define $Fs7 = 543 # 2960Hz Define $Gx7 = 549 # 3136Hz Define $Gs7 = 555 # 3322Hz Define $Ax7 = 561 # 3520Hz Define $As7 = 567 # 3729Hz Define $Bx7 = 572 # 3951Hz Define $Cx8 = 578 # 4186Hz Define $Cs8 = 584 # 4435Hz Define $Dx8 = 590 # 4699Hz Define $Ds8 = 596 # 4978Hz Define $Ex8 = 602 # 5274Hz Define $Fx8 = 608 # 5588Hz Define $Fs8 = 614 # 5920Hz Define $Gx8 = 620 # 6272Hz Define $Gs8 = 626 # 6645Hz Define $Ax8 = 632 # 7040Hz Define $As8 = 638 # 7459Hz Define $Bx8 = 644 # 7902Hz Define $max = 650
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color:h1 from:$Dx2 till:$Cx6 text:classical guitar color:h3 from:$Ex1 till:$Ex6 text:all ukuleles color:h6 from:$Gx4 till:$Ex6 text:sopranino color:h5 from:$Cx4 till:$Cx6 text:soprano color:h6 from:$Cx4 till:$Ex6 text:concert color:h5 from:$Gx3 till:$Ex6 text:tenor color:h6 from:$Dx3 till:$Cs6 text:baritone color:h5 from:$Ex2 till:$Cs5 text:bass color:h6 from:$Ex1 till:$Bx3 text:contrabass
color:legend textcolor:legendtext align:left fontsize:7 mark:(line,white) width:12 shift:(3,-4)
bar:pitch from:0 till:$max at:$Cx0 text:C0 at:$Cx1 text:C1 at:$Cx2 text:C2 at:$Cx3 text:C3 at:$Cx4 text:C4 (middle C) at:$Cx5 text:C5 at:$Cx6 text:C6 at:$Cx7 text:C7 at:$Cx8 text:C8
bar:Hz from:0 till:$max at:23 text:20 Hz at:65 text:30 at:105 text:44 at:153 text:70 at:190 text:100 at:232 text:150 at:262 text:200 at:304 text:300 at:344 text:440 at:392 text:700 at:430 text:1000 at:472 text:1500 at:502 text:2000 at:544 text:3000 at:583 text:4400 Hz
bar:pitch2 # exact copy of bar:pitch from:0 till:$max at:$Cx0 text:C0 at:$Cx1 text:C1 at:$Cx2 text:C2 at:$Cx3 text:C3 at:$Cx4 text:C4 (middle C) at:$Cx5 text:C5 at:$Cx6 text:C6 at:$Cx7 text:C7 at:$Cx8 text:C8
bar:Hz2 # exact copy of bar:Hz from:0 till:$max at:23 text:20 Hz at:65 text:30 at:105 text:44 at:153 text:70 at:190 text:100 at:232 text:150 at:262 text:200 at:304 text:300 at:344 text:440 at:392 text:700 at:430 text:1000 at:472 text:1500 at:502 text:2000 at:544 text:3000 at:583 text:4400 Hz
</timeline>
TuningEdit
One of the most common tunings for the standard or soprano ukulele is C6 tuning: G4–C4–E4–A4, which is often remembered by the notes in the "My dog has fleas" jingle (see sidebar).<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The G string is tuned an octave higher than might be expected, so this is often called "high G" tuning. This is known as a "reentrant tuning"; it enables uniquely close-harmony chording.
More rarely used with the soprano ukulele (but more common on larger sizes) is C6 linear tuning, or "low G" tuning, which has the G in sequence an octave lower: G3–C4–E4–A4, which is equivalent to playing the top four strings (DGBE) of a guitar with a capo on the fifth fret.
Another common tuning for the soprano ukulele is the higher string-tension D6 tuning (or simply D tuning), A4–D4–FTemplate:Music4–B4, one step higher than the G4–C4–E4–A4 tuning. Once considered standard, this tuning was commonly used during the Hawaiian music boom of the early 20th century, and is often seen in sheet music from this period, as well as in many method books through the 1980s. D6 tuning is said by someTemplate:By whom to bring out a sweeter tone in some ukuleles, generally smaller ones. D6 tuning with a low fourth string, A3–D4–FTemplate:Music4–B4, is sometimes called "Canadian tuning" after its use in the Canadian school system, mostly on concert or tenor ukuleles, and extensive use by James Hill and J. Chalmers Doane.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Whether C6 or D6 tuning should be the "standard" tuning is a matter of long and ongoing debate. There are historic and popular ukulele methods that have used each.<ref>Tranquada, J.; The Ukulele: A History; University of Hawaii Press; Honolulu: 2012. 0824-83634-0 According to Tranquanda, "This is an old and seemingly never-ending argument. While the pioneering methods of Kaai (1906) and Rollinson (1909) both use C tuning, a sampling of the methods that follow give a sense of the unresolved nature of the debate: Kealakai (1914), D tuning; Bailey (1914), C tuning; Kia (1914), D tuning; Kamiki (1916), D tuning; Guckert (1917), C tuning; Stumpf (1917), D tuning."</ref>
For the concert and tenor ukuleles, both reentrant and linear C6 tunings are standard; linear tuning in particular is widely used for the tenor ukulele, more so than for the soprano and concert instruments.
The baritone ukulele usually uses linear G6 tuning: D3–G3–B3–E4, the same as the highest four strings of a standard 6-string guitar.
Bass ukuleles are tuned similarly to the bass guitar and double bass: E1–A1–D2–G2 for U-Bass style instruments (sometimes called contrabass), or an octave higher, E2–A2–D3–G3, for Ohana type metal-string basses.
Sopranino ukulele tuning is less standardized. They are usually tuned re-entrant, but frequently at a higher pitch than C; for example, re-entrant G6 tuning: D5–G4–B4–E5.
As is commonly the case with string instruments, other tunings may be preferred by individual players. For example, special string sets are available to tune the baritone ukulele in linear C6. Some players tune ukuleles like other four-string instruments such as the mandolin,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Venezuelan cuatro,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}Template:Cbignore</ref> or dotara.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}Template:Cbignore</ref> Ukuleles may also be tuned to open tunings, similar to the Hawaiian slack-key style.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Related instrumentsEdit
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 very common to find ukuleles mixed with other stringed instruments because of the number of strings and the easy playing ability. There is also an electrically amplified variant of the ukulele. The resonator ukulele produces sound by one or more spun aluminum cones (resonators) instead of the wooden soundboard, giving it a distinct and louder tone. The Tahitian ukulele, another variant, is usually carved from a single piece of wood,<ref name="Studies2003">Template:Cite book</ref> and does not have a hollow soundbox, although the back is open. The Tahitian ukulele generally has eight strings made from fishing line, tuned the same as a Hawaiian ukulele in four courses, although the middle two courses are an octave higher than its Hawaiian cousin. Inspired by the Tahitian ukulele, there is the Motu Nui variant, from France, which has just four strings made from fishing line and the hole in the back is designed to produce a wah-wah effect.Template:Citation needed Mario Maccaferri invented an automatic chording device for the ukulele, called Chord Master.
Close cousins of the ukulele include the Portuguese forerunners, the cavaquinho (also commonly known as machete or braguinha) and the slightly larger rajão. Other relatives include the Venezuelan cuatro, the Colombian tiple, the timple of the Canary Islands, the Spanish vihuela, the Mexican requinto jarocho, and the Andean charango traditionally made of an armadillo shell. In Indonesia, a similar Portuguese-inspired instrument is the kroncong.<ref name="Wallach2008">Template:Cite book</ref>
Uke Bass is close cousin to leona, a traditional bass instrument in son jarocho genre.
Audio samplesEdit
{{#invoke:Listen|main}}
See alsoEdit
ReferencesEdit
BibliographyEdit
External linksEdit
- {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }} An exhibition that details the ukulele's history and waves of mainstream popularity.
- {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }} Information about over 600 ukulele makers past and present.
- {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }} The differences between the word "ukulele" in Hawaiian and English.
- Unveiling the Electric Ukulele