Uke 'n' Play

This blog aims to introduce the ukulele to a wider audience and encourage everyone to play. I will post about all kinds of topics (including accords, songs, brands, instrument repair and my own experience with these) in a way that both beginners and advanced players will find interesting and relevant content.

I'll try  my best to keep the posts simple and readable, so that even people new to the world of music will be able to understand basic theory and concepts. To begin, let's get acquainted with the nature and history of the ukulele. According to Wikipedia:

"The ukulele - sometimes abbreviated to uke -, is a member of the guitar family of instruments; it generally employs four nylon or gut strings or four courses of strings.

The ukulele originated in the 19th century as a Hawaiian interpretation of the machete, a small guitar-like instrument related to the cavaquinho, braguinha and the rajao, taken to Hawaii by Portuguese immigrants. It gained great popularity elsewhere in the United States during the early 20th century, and from there spread internationally.

Ukuleles are commonly associated with music from Hawaii where the name roughly translates as "jumping flea", perhaps because of the movement of the player's fingers. Legend attributes it to the nickname of the Englishman Edward William Purvis, one of King Kalākaua's officers, because of his small size, fidgety manner, and playing expertise. According to Queen Liliʻuokalani, the last Hawaiian monarch, the name means "the gift that came here," from the Hawaiian words uku (gift or reward) and lele (to come).

The singer and comedian George Formby was perhaps the UK's most famous 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. Today the ukulele's popularity in Great Britain continues to grow with the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain touring globally and Paul McCartney's 2002 tribute tour to George Harrison, a huge fan of the instrument.

The tone and volume of the instrument varies with size and construction. Ukuleles commonly come in four sizes: soprano, concert, tenor, and baritone."

Unfortunately, a lot of websites refer to ukuleles as "toy guitars". As you can see from the Wikipedia entry, ukuleles are closely related to guitars. However, their small size doesn't make them toys!

If you haven't seen a ukulele with your own eyes, watching a music video can help you grasp the proportions and the beauty of the instrument. Here is a picture of a concert size uke to give you a better idea of its dimensions:

It is also worth browsing YouTube for ukulele music. Later on I'll analyze some of the more unique and inspiring videos. There are many of them, including this little inspirational piece from the world's greatest ukulele player:

Jake's awe-inspiring level of skill is probably out of our reach, but it is beautiful nonetheless. This music video proves, that regardless the common misconception, the ukulele is not a toy. It is a serious musical instrument that can yield amazing results with lots of practice.