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'Ukulele, Ukulele, Ukelele a.k.a Uke

The start page for all things ukulele on the Curt Sheller Publications web site

The Ukulele

'jumping flea', Uke, ukulele, ukelele

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Uke_EN15622.jpgUkulele The ukulele is a fretted string instrument which is, in its construction, essentially a smaller, four-stringed version of the guitar. In the early 20th century, the instrument's name was often rendered as "ukelele", a spelling stilll used in Great Britain. The Hawai'ian spelling 'ukulele is also sometimes seen.

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The Ukulele

In 1879, a Braguinha arrived in Hawaii on a Portuguese ship loaded with laborers destined for the sugar fields. Hawaiians made the instrument their own and calling it "ukulele" which translates to "jumping flea," It is believed to have originated because of the way a performer's fingers jump around on the strings.

Ukulele Timeline

  • 1879: Portuguese sailors introduce Hawaiians to small four-stringed instrument that gave rise to the ukulele.
  • 1915: Panama Pacific International Exposition unveils ukulele to the world.
  • 1920s: Ukuleles all the rage.
  • 1940s: Ukulele craze revived by GIs returning home from South Pacific after World War II.
  • 1950s: Weekly TV host Arthur Godfrey keeps ukuleles in the spotlight.

  • Current: Virtuoso musicians such as Jake Shimabukuro and James Hill are alterering traditional perceptions of ukulele music.

The ukulele (pronounced oo-koo-lele) comes in 4 sizes Soprano (sometimes called Standard), Concert, Tenor and Baritone. Tuned like the thin 4 strings of a standard guitar. The baritone Uke uses "G" Tuning (D G B E) just like the guitar. The Soprano, Concert and Tenor uses "C" Tuning G C E A and "D" tuning (A D F# B). The Tenor can also be tuned like the Baritone ukulele. These are the same intervals as the guitar's upper 4 strings, string 4 to 3 is a perfect fourth (P4) or 11th depending on whether using traditional high tuning or a more guitar like low tuning, string 3 to 2 is a major third (M3) and string 2 to 1 is a perfect fourth (P4).

A ukulele can be a mellow-mainland or bright-island sound.

The baritone ukulele can be used as a small starter guitar. Easy on little tikes hands.

The most common number of strings are 4. By doubling any of the 4 strings, 5, 6 and 8 string variations are common. The Kanile’a 'Ukulele web site has a page of MP3 sound files titled Sound Files @ Kanile'a 'Ukulele. Check these out to here how quality Ukes are supposed to sound. Nothing like your cheaper Ukes in most music stores.

Ukulele prices range from a few dollars for cheap plastic toy ones up to a few thousand for custom built ukuleles using the best woods in the world. Everyone should have at least one ukulele.

More info:


“Folks, if you haven't stopped by Curt's site, do so right now! ..And get his books, they are fantastic. This guy knows his stuff and is able to pass it along too.” - Alan Johnson Proprietor, The 4th Peg


Ukulele Like Instruments

  • Cavaquinho

    The cavaquinho (pron. /kɐ.vɐ.'ki.ɲu/ in European Portuguese and /ka.va.'ki.ɲu/ in Brazilian Portuguese) is a small string instrument of the European guitar family with four wires or gut strings. It is also called machimbo, machim, machete (in the Portuguese Atlantic islands and Brazil), manchete or marchete, braguinha or braguinho, and cavaco. Its standard tuning is D-G-B-D

    The Hawaiian islands have an instrument similar to the cavaquinho called the ukulele, which is thought to be a development of the cavaquinho, brought to the island by Portuguese immigrants. The Hawaiian ukulele has four strings and a similar shape to the cavaquinho, which was introduced into Hawaii by Augusto Dias, Manuel Nunes, and João Fernandes in 1879.

  • Cavaquinho Artists
  • Cavaquinho "Cavaquinho" link, Júlio Pereira
  • Cavaquinho Ukulele link

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