The Origins of the Ukulele?

The Ukulele is a plucked string instrument like the guitar. In reality, it’s a mini four-string guitar model. It stands out from its counterparts due to its good handling: less bulky size and easy transport. Very varied, it comes in several models depending on the tessitura. Of Portuguese origin, the Ukulele is now part of Hawaii’s emblematic musical instruments. But how was it really created? Who invented the Ukulele? How can it be easily recognized?

The Ukulele: What is it?

The Ukulele is a traditional musical instrument from the island of Hawaii. It is a small plucked string instrument played practically like the banjo, guitar, etc., using finger picking. It features a mini soundbox, a corresponding neck, and four strings generally tuned to G-C-E-A. It includes tuning pegs connected to each string to easily tune the exact musical notes.

Like the island itself, this type of instrument offers an exotic sound in any music style: Jazz, Blues, Rock, funk, reggae, etc. And, the designer principally uses typical island wood to craft the soundboard and all the wooden parts of the Ukulele. This is Koa, which is a solid wood endemic to Hawaii. Today, this type of wood has become increasingly rare. This pushes manufacturers to turn to other types of wood such as: mahogany, spruce, or cedar. These offer a more pleasant sound quality and longevity to your Ukulele. Some use laminated wood or plywood, or even plastic. But these are low-end models.

The different variations of the Ukulele

Equipped with its four plucked strings, the Ukulele contains nylon and/or steel strings. Very often, silver or aluminum strings can be found on high-end models. But there is also a variation of the Ukulele to make the right choice according to your needs.

Four types of Ukulele exist worldwide:

• The Soprano Ukulele: this is the most common model used by musicians. To get started with this model, it is practically 30.5 cm to 35.5 cm.
• The Concert Ukulele: this is a slightly larger model than the Soprano Ukulele. It measures between 35.5 cm to 40.5 cm.
• The Tenor model, for its part, has an even more imposing size of 40.5 cm to 45.5 cm.
• The Baritone Ukulele: this is the largest Ukulele model. It measures 45.5 cm and more.
• Other Ukulele formats: several less known models exist such as the: 8-string Ukulele, bass Ukulele models, or even the Banjolele.

Where does the Ukulele come from: its ancestors, its release date, etc…?

The Ukulele is a very fascinating instrument that is a better adaptation of the famous cavaquinho. It is a traditional musical instrument from the Iberian Peninsula, particularly Portugal.

It all began in 1879 when the Portuguese ship docked on the Hawaiian coast. A certain Joao Fernandez accompanied some migrants for sugarcane cultivation on the island of Hawaii. He was a Cavaquinho enthusiast who never tired of his small plucked string instrument. With a pleasant sound and beautiful exotic harmony, it seemed to attract the attention of the natives. Even the king of the time, King David Kalakaua, loved playing this mini guitar. This passion led him to adopt this instrument for practicing traditional Hawaiian music like the Hula. Thus, the cavaquinho was slightly adapted to create the Ukulele.

From there, the Ukulele took flight to conquer all of Polynesia and the entire Pacific, from the Tahitians to the Samoan islands. Then, its reputation spread throughout Europe, the United States, and everywhere else in the world.

The great rise of the Ukulele worldwide

Americans were presumably surprised by the Ukulele only from 1915 onwards. Hawaiians performed beautifully with these musicians and the hula dance using the Ukulele during the Panama-Pacific International Exposition. It was especially after this initial success that the Ukulele managed to conquer the rest of the world.

Between 1919 and 1961, the Ukulele was featured in plays and films in Europe and elsewhere. Specifically, it was seen in the play Birds Of Paradise in London. The French also had the good idea of learning the Ukulele through Maurice Chevalier’s methods around 1925. Great actors like Laurel and Hardy also staged a sequence where they played the Ukulele. Even legends like Elvis Presley gave the Ukulele its place around 1961.

Also very popular in Great Britain, the Ukulele left an undeniable mark in the 1930s. The Prince of Wales Edward Windsor himself was a Ukulele enthusiast. Some great artists like Eric Clapton, Paul McCartney, and others are also big fans and collectors of the Ukulele.

Unfortunately, between 1960 and 1970, the Ukulele experienced a brief lull. It was only around the early 90s that everything returned to normal with the appearance of new tracks adorned with the sound of this Hawaiian instrument.

What is the difference between a Ukulele and a Cavaquinho?

The cavaquinho is a plucked string instrument, much like a mini acoustic guitar. It is the origin of the Ukulele. The cavaquinho and the Ukulele have a very similar design. However, these two instruments should not be confused.

The cavaquinho originates from the Madeira Islands in Portugal. There are quite a few differences from the Ukulele. It is played with a pick rather than the Ukulele’s finger-picking. The cavaquinho’s tuning comes in two options: D, G, B, D or G, B, D, G. However, it could also be tuned to the same note as the Ukulele.