In the Marshall Islands they use the ukelele as an instrument for singing songs. Ukeleles are useful. You can use them when you are bored or when your with friends. It is easy to use and it makes great sounds.
The name "Ukulele" means "jumping flea" in Hawaiian. The ukelele is best known for its part in Hawaiian music, but was derived from two Portugese instruments, the braguinha and the cavaquino. The Ukulele is commonly known as the "Uke". Ukulele's come in four different sizes - soprano, concert, tenor and baritone. The soprano is the standard size ukulele. Tiny Tim bought ukulele playing to the pop charts with his 1968 hit single "Tiptoe Through the Tulips". The ukulele is played by plucking at its four strings. There are now electric ukuleles. Ukulele's are generally made from mahogany wood, however cheaper versions can be found in plastic. The ukulele is small, seldom more than 60cm long. The first ukulele was made in 1879. As of the year 2000, there are only 3 companies in the world which manufacture ukulele's.
The name "Ukulele" means "jumping flea" in Hawaiian. The ukelele is best known for its part in Hawaiian music, but was derived from two Portugese instruments, the braguinha and the cavaquino. The Ukulele is commonly known as the "Uke". Ukulele's come in four different sizes - soprano, concert, tenor and baritone. The soprano is the standard size ukulele. Tiny Tim bought ukulele playing to the pop charts with his 1968 hit single "Tiptoe Through the Tulips". The ukulele is played by plucking at its four strings. There are now electric ukuleles. Ukulele's are generally made from mahogany wood, however cheaper versions can be found in plastic. The ukulele is small, seldom more than 60cm long. The first ukulele was made in 1879. As of the year 2000, there are only 3 companies in the world which manufacture ukulele's.
The original ukuleles were a combination of several instruments from the Iberian Peninsula of Europe brought to Hawaii along with sailors and plantation workers in the 1880s. The ukulele combined elements from the Cavaquinho from Portugal and the Braguinha and Rajão from Maderia near the Canary Islands.
The Cavaquinho looks like a little guitar with four strings. The Portuguese sailors brought their cavaquinhos on their travels in the 15th and 16th centuries, spreading the instrument to other cultures, influencing the Maderia Braguinha, Brazilian Cavaquinho, and the ukulele in Hawaii. The Rajão, also from Madeira, has 5 strings and its D-G-C-E-A tuning is thought to be the root of modern ukulele tuning. Today's Hawaiian soprano ukulele has 4 strings, just like the Braguinha, but is tuned G-C-E-A just like the Rajão.
The Cavaquinho looks like a little guitar with four strings. The Portuguese sailors brought their cavaquinhos on their travels in the 15th and 16th centuries, spreading the instrument to other cultures, influencing the Maderia Braguinha, Brazilian Cavaquinho, and the ukulele in Hawaii. The Rajão, also from Madeira, has 5 strings and its D-G-C-E-A tuning is thought to be the root of modern ukulele tuning. Today's Hawaiian soprano ukulele has 4 strings, just like the Braguinha, but is tuned G-C-E-A just like the Rajão.
Ukulele construction is similar to that of a guitar, but generally uses less bracing because of the small size of the instrument. They can have 4, 6 or 8 strings, but the extra strings are pairs with the same 4 note course. The most common wood used in high-end ukulele building is the Hawaiian koa tree, which is known for it's density, resonance and, most notably, it's beautiful golden curls in the grain of the wood. Makers like Kamaka, G-string, Kanile'a and Po Mahina use koa to build instruments that are both sonically and aesthetically pleasing. With the depletion of koa forests, other types of wood are becoming popular in 'ukulele construction, like mahogany, mango, and cedar, but they don't hold the same desirability as the traditional koa uke. With a shrinking supply of koa for ukulele, prices of koa instruments in the past decade have risen sharply, and the trend will only continue.
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