From Madeira to Hawaii
The ukulele was born in Hawaii at the end of the 19th century. It is a four-string instrument played with the fingers.
Its ancestor comes from the island of Madeira, in Portugal. There, people played the four-string machete de braça and the five-string rajão.
In August 1879, three luthiers from Madeira arrived in Honolulu. Their names were Manuel Nunes, Augusto Dias, and José do Espírito Santo.
They made the machete using wood from the islands, Hawaiian koa, which is botanically known as Acacia koa.
The result was a fast instrument with a sweet and lively sound. King David Kalākaua and his court liked it, and it became a symbol of the islands.
The Parts and Woods
The body has a back, sides, and a thin top, which is what vibrates. Above it is the neck with its fretboard and nickel frets. At the top, the headstock has tuning pegs for tuning.
The wood changes the sound.
- Solid koa sounds compact, with soft trebles.
- Mahogany gives a warm sound, with round mids.
- Spruce and cedar for the top provide more volume and a greater dynamic range between playing softly and loudly.
Which Size to Choose
There are four sizes. They change the scale, which is the length of the vibrating string, and the comfort for your fingers.
The first three are tuned the same. The baritone sounds lower, like the first four strings of a guitar.
If you're starting, the concert is a good middle ground. It has more space between frets than the soprano and the same tuning.
| Size | Scale | Tuning | How it Sounds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Soprano | 33 to 35 cm | G4, C4, E4, A4 | Bright and percussive, the classic sound |
| Concert | 38 cm | G4, C4, E4, A4 | More space between frets, more comfortable |
| Tenor | 43 cm | G4, C4, E4, A4 | More tension and longer sustain, for solos |
| Baritone | 51 cm | D3, G3, B3, E4 | Low like a guitar, with its own chord shapes |
Your First 20 Minutes
You don't need hours. 15 to 20 minutes each day will help you progress more than one afternoon a week.
While you rest, your fingertips will gradually harden, and your brain will map out each finger's path. This prevents blisters.
Your first four chords
C Major, A Minor, F Major, and G Major in standard ukulele tuning.
- Step 1:Minutes 1 to 3. Tune and play each open string. Listen to how it sounds alone.
- Step 2:Minutes 4 to 8. Form the four chords C, Am, F, and G one by one. Play string by string and check that they all sound clear.
- Step 3:Minutes 9 to 15. Change chords with a metronome at 55 or 60 BPM. Do four down strums on each chord without stopping during the change.
- Step 4:Minutes 16 to 20. Accompany an easy song or experiment with softer and louder strumming.
If you feel tension in your shoulders, neck, or wrist, stop. Shake out your arms and breathe calmly. You progress when your rhythm is steady and each chord sounds clean, not when you play faster.