| The ukulele is not originally Hawaiian but is actually an | | | | be accompanied by just about any musical instrument |
| instrument that was introduced to Hawaii in 1879 | | | | and sound great |
| when Joao Fernandez, a Portuguese immigrant to | | | | Many people think the ukulele is strictly an Hawaiian |
| arrived in Honolulu aboard the Portuguese ship the | | | | or tropical instrument but this is far from the truth. |
| Ravenscrag. He came with 500 other immigrants | | | | As the ukulele grows in popularity, it is being used in |
| from the island of Madeira to work in the Sugar cane | | | | almost every style of music including folk, rock, jazz, |
| fields. Instead of working he spent much of his time | | | | and classical. Today there are ukulele fests all over |
| playing Portugese folk songs on a borrowed | | | | the world that offer concerts and workshops by |
| cavaquinho, a small 4 string guitar shaped instrument | | | | some of the most talented players in the world. At |
| made of pine wood. The natives he entertained | | | | the uke fest I went to in New York, there was one |
| thought his fingers moved like "jumping fleas". | | | | huge room filled with every style and type of ukulele. |
| Although it is open for conjecture, this strange image | | | | Many famous uke vendors and entertainers, like |
| is a rough translation of the Hawaiian word, "ukulele". | | | | Jumping Jim Beloff, were there to display their wares. |
| Fernandez soon played his instrument for King David | | | | If you like unique ukes, you can buy a cigar box uke |
| Kalakaua, Queen Emma, and Queen Liliuokalani. King | | | | there or buy the kit to make one yourself. Jumping |
| David soon became a practitioner himself and | | | | Jim carries his line of "Flukes" and "Flees", triangular |
| introduced it to other royals. Soon local craftsmen | | | | and oval shaped ukes made of a durable plastic. They |
| started building and modifying the instrument. The | | | | were invented by his brother in-law. They sound as |
| most popular wood used in it's construction is the | | | | good as the wooden uke and the flukes stand up by |
| Hawaiian koa wood. Island musicians started trying | | | | themselves! The smallest and highest pitched ukuleles |
| alternate tunings and playing methods. Because of it | | | | are the sopranos, with the strings tuned GCEA, as |
| was so portable, light weight, and had such a pleasing | | | | are the larger tenor and concert ukes. The lower |
| sound, it became the most popular instrument on the | | | | pitched and largest uke is the baritone: it is tuned like |
| island. In Hawaiian bands since Fernandez's time, the | | | | the first 4 strings of a guitar: DGBE. If you are a |
| ukulele has often been accompanied by the slack | | | | ukulele enthusiast, check out a uke fest or just |
| steel guitar, the mandolin, and Hawaiian drums. As it | | | | explore how many ways a ukulele can be used! |
| has been used in other styles of music, the uke can | | | | |