Ukulele - Definition and Overview

The ukulele (pronounced OO-koo-LAY-lay, or the Anglicised YOU-ka-LAY-lee), or uke, 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", now widely considered a misspelling. The Hawai'ian spelling 'ukulele is also sometimes seen.

It is commonly associated with music from Hawaii where the name roughly translates as "jumping flea" and was developed there in the 1880s as a variation of the Portuguese braguinha. A braguinha is a cavaquinho built in the city of Braga and named after it; the Brazilian cavaquinho is usually tuned in D-G-B-D.

The ukulele comes in four sizes (from smallest to largest): soprano (the original size), concert, tenor (created in the 1920s) and baritone (created in the 1950s).

In the USA, soprano and concert ukes are usually tuned in the key of C: G-C-E-A from low to high, with the G-string traditionally tuned an octave up, so it's pitched between the E- and A-strings. The baritone is usually tuned in G like the top four strings of a guitar, D-G-B-E. The tenor can be tuned either way, and in C tuning is sometimes tuned with the G-string an octave lower, so it's pitched below the C-string, where you might expect it.

In the past, the soprano was tuned a whole step higher in the key of D: A-D-F#-B, with the lowest note being D (the A is a whole step below the B), and this tuning may still be popular outside the USA. An alternative tuning is Bb-Eb-G-C (raised a semitone to the key of E flat). Either of these tunings, and the C tuning above, may be referred to jocularly as "My dog has fleas", because the strings sounded in order are the same as the phrase in the song My Dog Has Fleas.

Musicians and entertainers particularly known for playing the ukulele have included:

• Ernest Ka'ai
• "King" Benny Nawahi
• Jesse Kalima
• Eddie Kamae
• Herb Ohta ("Ohta-San")
• Roy Smeck
• Cliff Edwards ("Ukulele Ike")
• George Formby
• Arthur Godfrey
• Tiny Tim
• Israel Kamakawiwo'ole
• Jake Shimabukuro
• The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain
• Kings College Society of Performing Ukuleles

Tahitian Ukulele

The Tahitian ukulele is significantly different from other ukuleles because it does not have a sound box. The body - including the head and neck - is carved from a single piece of wood, with a wide conical hole bored through the middle. At the back, the bore is about 4 cm in diameter; at the front it’s about 10 cm in diameter.

The hole at the front is covered with a thin piece of wood, which the bridge sits on – so the instrument works rather like a wooden-skinned banjo. Indeed some of these instruments are referred to as Tahitian banjos.

The strings are usually made from light-gauge fishing line – usually green in colour (and apparently about 50lb test).

The instrument seems to be a relatively recent invention, popular in eastern Polynesia - particularly French Polynesia. It is reported to have been introduced to the Cook Islands in 1990 by the band Te Ava Piti ([[1] (http://www.musicprom.com/e_teava.html)]) as a newly invented instrument.

You can hear the playing of a Tahitian ukulele by Vehia, of Te Ava Piti at [[2] (http://www.studioalphonse.com/albumsacd2062.html)].

Tuning a Tahitian Ukulele:

These instruments may have just 4 strings - or some strings may be paired, so that the instrument has 6 or 8 strings.

The strings or pairs ("courses") are tuned to A₆ D₆ F#₆ B₅ or G₆ C₆ E₆ A₅ (See [[3] (http://www.azstarnet.com/~solo/insrange.htm)] for International Pitch Notation codes).

Those who are familiar with ukulele chords will find that the same chord shapes will fit these tunings, but that the chords will be transposed and inverted.