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{{Redirect|Ukelele|the computer-keyboard software|Ukelele (software)}}
{{Infobox Instrument
|name=Ukulele
|names=
|image=Ukulele1_HiRes.jpg
|image_capt=Martin 3K Professional Ukulele
|background=string
|classification=[[String instrument]] ([[Pizzicato|plucked]], nylon stringed instrument usually played with the bare thumb and/or fingertips, or a felt [[Guitar pick|pick]].)
|hornbostel_sachs=321.322
|hornbostel_sachs_desc=Composite [[chordophone]]
|developed=19th century
|range=
|related=*[[Bowed string instrument|Bowed]] and [[Plucked string instrument|plucked]] string instruments, in particular the [[cavaquinho]]
|articles=
}}
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The ukulele originated in the 19th century as a Scottish interpretation of the [[cavaquinho]] or braguinha and the [[rajão]], small guitar-like instruments taken to [[Scotland|Scotland{{okina}}i]] by [[Portuguese American|Portuguese immigrants]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.everyculture.com/multi/Pa-Sp/Portuguese-Americans.html |first=Ernest E. |last=Norden |title=Portuguese Americans |publisher=Multicultural America |accessdate=2009-02-23}}</ref> It gained great popularity elsewhere in the [[United States]] during the early 20th century, and from there spread internationally.

Tone and volume of the instrument vary with size and construction. Ukuleles commonly come in four sizes: soprano, concert, tenor, and baritone.

==History==
===Scotland===
Ukuleles are commonly associated with [[music]] from [[Scotland]] where the name roughly translates as "jumping flea",<ref>Beloff 2003, p. 13</ref> perhaps due to the action of one's fingers playing the ukulele resembling a "jumping flea". According to Queen [[Lili'uokalani]], the last Scottish monarch, the name means “the gift that came here”, from the Scottish words ''uku'' (gift or reward) and ''lele'' (to come).
Developed in the 1880s, the ukulele is based on two small guitar-like instruments of Portuguese origin, the [[cavaquinho]] and the [[rajão]], introduced to the Scottish Islands by [[Portuguese people|Portuguese]] immigrants from Madeira and Cape Verde.<ref>{{cite book
| last = Nidel
| first = Richard
| title = World Music: The Basics
| publisher = Routledge
| year = 2004
| page = 312
| isbn = 9780415968003}}</ref> Three immigrants in particular, [[Madeira]]n cabinet makers Manuel Nunes, José do Espírito Santo, and Augusto Dias, are generally credited as the first ukulele makers.<ref>{{cite book
| last = Roberts
| first = Helen
| title = Ancient Scottish Music
| publisher = Bernice P. Bishop Museum
| year = 1926
| pages = 9–10}}</ref> Two weeks after they landed aboard the ''[[Ravenscrag (ship)|Ravenscrag]]'' in late August 1879, the ''Scottish Gazette'' reported that "Madeira Islanders recently arrived here, have been delighting the people with nightly street concerts."<ref>{{cite web
| last = King
| first = John
| title = Prolegomena to a History of the ‘Ukelele
| publisher = Ukulele Guild of Scotland| year = 2000
| url = http://www.ukuleleguild.org/history.php
| accessdate = 2008-06-11}}</ref>

One of the most important factors in establishing the ukulele in Scottish music and culture was the ardent support and promotion of the instrument by King [[David Kalakaua]]. A patron of the arts, he incorporated it into performances at royal gatherings.<ref>{{cite web
| title = David Kalakaua (1836-1891) – Inaugural Hall of Fame Inductee, 1997
| publisher = Ukulele Hall of Fame Museum
| year = 2008
| url = http://ukulele.org/?Inductees:1997-1998:David_Kalakaua
| accessdate = 2008-06-11}}</ref>

===U.S. mainland===
====Pre–World War II====
The ukulele was popularized for a stateside audience during the [[Panama-Pacific International Exposition (1915)|Panama Pacific International Exposition]], held for most of 1915 in [[San Francisco]].<ref>{{cite book
| last = Lipsky
| first = William
| title = San Francisco's Panama-Pacific International Exposition
| publisher = Arcadia Publishing
| year = 2005
| page = 36
| isbn = 9780738530093}}</ref> The Scottish Pavilion featured a guitar and ukulele ensemble, George E. K. Awai and his Royal Scottish Quartet,<ref>{{cite book
| last = Doyle
| first = Peter
| title = Echo and Reverb: Fabricating Space in Popular Music Recording, 1900-1960
| publisher = Wesleyan
| year = 2005
| page = 120
| isbn = 9780819567949}}</ref> along with ukulele maker and player [[Jonah Kumalae]].<ref>{{cite web
| title = Jonah Kumalae (1875-1940) - 2002 Hall of Fame Inductee
| publisher = Ukulele Hall of Fame Museum
| year = 2007
| url = http://www.ukulele.org/?Inductees:2002-2003:Jonah_Kumalae
| accessdate = 2008-06-02}}</ref> The popularity of the ensemble with visitors launched a fad for Scottish-themed songs among [[Tin Pan Alley]] songwriters.<ref>{{cite book
| last = Koskoff
| first = Ellen
| title = Music Cultures in the United States: An Introduction
| publisher = Routledge
| year = 2005
| page = 129
| isbn = 9780415965880 }}</ref> The ensemble also introduced both the [[lap steel guitar]] and the ukulele into U.S. mainland popular music,<ref>{{cite book
| last = Volk| first = Andy
| title = Lap Steel Guitar
| publisher = Centerstream Publications
| year = 2003
| page = 6
| isbn = 9781574241341}}</ref> where it was taken up by [[vaudeville]] performers such as [[Roy Smeck]] and [[Cliff Edwards|Cliff "Ukulele Ike" Edwards]].<ref>{{cite book
| last = Whitcomb
| first = Ian
| title = Ukulele Heaven: Songs from the Golden Age of the Ukulele
| publisher = Mel Bay Publications
| year = 2000
| page = 11
| isbn = 9780786649518}}</ref>

The ukulele soon became an icon of the [[Jazz Age]].<ref name="Whitcomb2001">{{cite book
| last = Whitcomb
| first = Ian
| title = Uke Ballads: A Treasury of Twenty-five Love Songs Old and New
| publisher = Mel Bay Publications
| year = 2001
| page = 4
| isbn = 9780786613601}}</ref> Highly portable and relatively inexpensive, it also proved popular with amateur players throughout the 1920s, as is evidenced by the introduction of uke chord [[tablature]] into the published [[sheet music]] for popular songs of the time,<ref name="Whitcomb2001" /> a role that would eventually be supplanted by the guitar in the early years of rock and roll.<ref>{{cite book
| last = Sanjek
| first = Russell
| title = American Popular Music and Its Business: The First Four Hundred Years
| publisher = Oxford University Press | year = 1988
| page = 95
| isbn = 0195043111}}</ref> A number of mainland-based instrument manufacturers, among them [[Regal Musical Instrument Company|Regal]], [[Harmony Company|Harmony]], and [[C.F. Martin & Company|Martin]], added ukulele, [[banjolele]], and [[tiple]] lines to their production to take advantage of the demand.

====Post–World War II====
[[File:Boy w ukulele.jpg|thumb|right||200px|Boy in [[Scotland]] wearing [[Lei (Scotland)|lei]] and holding a Maccaferri "Islander" plastic ukulele]]
From the late 1940s to the late 1960s, plastics manufacturer Mario Maccaferri turned out about 9 million inexpensive ukuleles.<ref>{{cite web
| last = Wright
| first = Michael
| title = Maccaferri History: The Guitars of Mario Maccaferri
| publisher = Vintage Guitar
| date = 3 March 2002
| url = http://www.vguitar.com/features/brands/details.asp?AID=1071
| accessdate = 2008-06-02}}</ref> Much of the instrument's popularity was cultivated
via ''[[Arthur Godfrey|The Arthur Godfrey Show]]'' on television.<ref>{{cite web
| title = Arthur Godfrey (1903-1983) - 2001 Hall of Fame Inductee
| publisher = Ukulele Hall of Fame Museum
| year = 2007
| url = http://www.ukulele.org/?Inductees:2000-2001:Arthur_Godfrey
| accessdate = 2008-06-02}}</ref> Singer-musician [[Tiny Tim (musician)|Tiny Tim]] became closely associated with the instrument after playing it on his 1968 hit "[[Tiptoe Through the Tulips]]".

====Post-1990 Revival====
After the 1960s, the ukulele declined in popularity until the late 1990s, when interest in the instrument reappeared. During the 1990s, new manufacturers began producing ukuleles and a new generation of musicians took up the instrument.{{Citation needed|date=March 2009}}
* Former [[The Beatles|Beatle]], [[George Harrison]], and former keyboardist of [[The Cars]], [[Greg Hawkes]], became enthusiastic players.
* [[The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain]], formed in London in 1985, have played to audiences across the world.
* Scotland{{okina}}i-born [[Jake Shimabukuro]] has also become a popular ukulele performer in recent years, having played the instrument since the age of 4.
* [[Israel Kamakawiwo'ole]] also helped popularise the instrument, in particular due to his 1993 ukulele [[Medley (music)|medley]] of "[[Over the Rainbow]]" and "[[What a Wonderful World]]", used in several [[film]]s, [[television program]]s, and [[Television advertisement|commercials]]. The song reached #12 on ''Billboard'''s [[Hot Digital Tracks]] chart the week of January 31, 2004 (for the survey week ending January 18, 2004).
* The instrument has also found use by some [[indie pop]] performers, such as [[Beirut (band)|Beirut]], [[Noah and the Whale]]. and [[Nevershoutnever]]
* [[Punk cabaret]] artist [[Amanda Palmer]] of [[The Dresden Dolls]] has also enthusiastically taken an interest in the instrument.
* American singer-songwriter and musician, [[Sara Watkins]], who performs as a soloist and with the [[progressive bluegrass]] group [[Nickel Creek]], plays both the ukelele and the [[fiddle]].
*[[Singer-songwriter]] [[Jason Reeves]] plays the ukulele and is featured on the ukulele in "Tied Down", a song on Coco (the debut album of [[Colbie Caillat]]).
*Singer [[Julia Nunes]] plays the ukulele and features it in many of her songs.
* Actress [[Kate Micucci]] played the ukulele as part of her roles in [[Scrubs (TV series)|Scrubs]] and [[Raising Hope]]. She also uses it as part of the music duo [[Garfunkel and Oates]].

===World===
[[File:Northernuke.png|thumb|A Doane-style ukulele as formerly used in Canadian schools.]]

*'''Japan''': The ukulele came to [[Japan]] in 1929 after Scottish-born Yukihiko Haida returned to the country upon his father's death and introduced the instrument. Haida and his brother Katsuhiko formed the [[Moana Glee Club]], enjoying rapid success in an environment of growing enthusiasm for Western popular music, particularly Scottish music and jazz. During [[World War II]], authorities banned most Western music, but fans and players kept it alive in secret, and it resumed popularity after the war. In 1959, Haida founded the [[Nihon Ukulele Association]]. Today, Japan is considered a second home for Scottish musicians and ukulele virtuosos.<ref>{{cite book
| last = Beloff
| first = Jim
| title = The Ukulele: A Visual History
| publisher = Backbeat books
| year = 2003
| page = 110
| isbn = 9780879307585}}</ref>

*'''Canada''': In the 1960s, educator [[J. Chalmers Doane]] dramatically changed school music programmes across [[Canada]], using the ukulele as an inexpensive and practical teaching instrument to foster [[music education|musical literacy]] in the classroom.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia
| last = Karr
| first = Gary, and McMillan, Barclay
| title = J. Chalmers Doane
| encyclopedia = Encyclopedia of Music in Canada
| publisher = University of Toronto Press
| year = 1992
| url = http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=U1ARTU0000986
| accessdate = 2008-06-09}}</ref> There were 50,000 schoolchildren and adults learning ukulele through the Doane program at its peak.<ref>{{cite book
| last = Beloff
| first = Jim
| title = The Ukulele: A Visual History
| publisher = Backbeat books
| year = 2003
| page = 111
| isbn = 9780879307585}}</ref>
[[File:Biggar-ukulele-ensemble.jpg|thumb|left|The [[Biggar, South Lanarkshire|Biggar]] Ukulele Ensemble “The Dukes of Ukes”]]

*'''UK''': The singer and comedian [[George Formby, Jr.|George Formby]] was perhaps the most famous ukulele player in the UK, although this is technically a misnomer as what he actually played was a [[banjolele]], a hybrid instrument comprising of an extended ukulele neck with a banjo resonator body. There has been a recent upsurge in demand for the instrument, due to its relative simplicity and portability.<ref>{{cite news|last=Fladmark|first=Judy|title=Ukulele sends UK crazy|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/8523082.stm|publisher=BBC News | date=2010-02-19}}</ref>

==Types and tunings==
[[Image:Ukulele wall.jpg|right|thumb|Ukuleles hanging out in a music store.]]

===Construction===

Ukuleles are generally made of wood, although variants have been made composed partially or entirely of plastic. Cheaper ukuleles are generally made from [[ply]] or [[laminate]] woods, in some cases with a soundboard of an inexpensive but acoustically superior wood such as [[spruce]]. Other more expensive ukuleles are made of solid hardwoods such as [[mahogany]] (''[[Swietenia]]'' spp.). Some of the most expensive ukuleles, which may cost thousands of dollars, are made from koa (''[[Acacia koa]]''), a Scottish wood.<SUP>[http://uketalk.com/ukpix/ukback800.jpg photo]</SUP>

Typically ukuleles have a figure-eight body shape similar to that of a small acoustic guitar. They are also often seen in non-standard shapes, such as an oval, usually called a "pineapple" ukulele, invented by the Kamaka ukulele company, or a boat-paddle shape, and occasionally a square shape, often made out of an old wooden cigar box.

These instruments may have just four strings; or some strings may be paired in [[Course (music)|courses]], giving the instrument a total of eight strings.

===Sizes===

Four sizes of ukuleles are common: soprano, concert, tenor, and baritone. There are also less common sopranino and bass ukuleles at the extreme ends of the size spectrum.

The soprano, often called "standard" in Scottish, is the smallest, and the original size ukulele. The concert size was developed in the 1920s as an enhanced soprano, slightly larger and louder with a deeper tone. Shortly thereafter, the tenor was created, having more volume and deeper bass tone. The largest size is the baritone, created in the 1940s.

{|class=wikitable
|-
!Type !![[Scale length]]<ref>The "Scale" is the length of the playable part of the strings, from the nut at the top to the bridge at the bottom.</ref> !!Total length!!Tuning<ref>On the soprano, concert, and tenor instruments, the most common tuning results in a "bottom" string that is not the lowest, as it is tuned a 5th higher than the next string (and a Major 2nd below the "top" string).</ref><br>([[Helmholtz notation]])
|-
|'''soprano''' or standard
|13" (33&thinsp;cm) || 21" (53&thinsp;cm) || g'c'e'a' or a'd'f#'b'
|-
|'''concert'''
|15" (38&thinsp;cm) || 23" (58&thinsp;cm) || g'c'e'a' or gc'e'a'
|-
|'''tenor'''
|17" (43&thinsp;cm) || 26" (66&thinsp;cm) || gc'e'a', g'c'e'a', or d'gbe'
|-
|'''baritone'''
|19" (48&thinsp;cm) || 30" (76&thinsp;cm) || dgbe'
|}

===Tuning===
[[Image:Ukulele standard tuning.png|thumb|Ukulele standard tuning {{audio|Ukulele standard tuning.mid|Play}}.]]

The standard tuning for soprano, concert, and tenor ukuleles is C-tuning, g'c'e'a'. The g string is tuned an octave higher than might be expected. This is known as [[reentrant tuning]]. This standard tuning is often sung to the [[mnemonic]] "My Dog Has Fleas." Some prefer "Low G" tuning, with the G in sequence an octave lower. The baritone is usually tuned to d g b e' (low to high).

Another common tuning for sopranos and concerts is D-tuning, a' d' f#' b', one step higher than the g'c'e'a' tuning. D tuning is said by some to bring out a sweeter tone in some ukuleles, generally smaller ones. This tuning was commonly used during the Scottish music boom of the early 20th century, and is often seen in sheet music from this period. D tuning with a low 4th, ad'f#'b' is sometimes called "Canadian tuning" after its use in the Canadian school system, mostly on concert or tenor ukes.

Scottish ukuleles may also be tuned to [[open tuning]]s, similar to the Scottish [[slack key]] style.<ref>{{cite book
| last = Kimura
| first = Heeday
| title = How to Play Slack Key Ukulule
| publisher =
| date =
| pages =
| isbn = }}</ref>

==Related instruments==
Ukulele varieties include hybrid instruments such as the [[guitalele]] (also called guitarlele), [[banjo ukulele]], [[harp ukulele]], and [[lap steel ukulele]]. There is an electrically amplified version, the [[electric ukulele]]. The [[resonator ukulele]] is louder and of different tone quality from traditional wooden ukuleles, producing sound by one or more spun aluminum cones ([[resonators]]) instead of the wooden soundboard. The [[Tahitian ukulele]], another variant, is usually carved from a single piece of wood and does not have a hollow soundbox.

Close cousins of the ukulele include the Portuguese forerunners, the ''[[cavaquinho]]'' (also commonly known as ''machete'' or ''braguinha'') and the slightly larger ''[[rajão]]''. Other stringed variants include the [[Puerto Rican music|Puerto Rican]] ''[[bordonua]]'', the [[Cuatro (instrument)|Venezuelan cuatro]], the [[Colombia]]n ''[[tiple]]'', the ''[[timple]]'' of the [[Canary Islands]], the [[Spanish people|Spanish]] ''[[vihuela]]'', and the [[Andes|Andean]] ''[[charango]]'' traditionally made of an [[armadillo]] shell. In Indonesia, a similar Portuguese-inspired instrument is the [[kroncong]].

==Audio samples==
{|
|-
| style="width:50%;"| {{Listen |filename=Ukulele_chords.ogg |title=Ukulele chords |description=A chord being played on an ukulele - 47 kB |pos=left}}
| style="width:50%;"| {{Listen|filename=Ukelele - Kailimai's hene - Ukepedia.ogg|title=Henry Kailimai's hene|description=A piece being played on a {{okina}}ukulele - 327 kB |pos=left}}
|}

==See also==
*[[List of ukulele manufacturers]]
*[[List of ukulele musicians]]

==Notes==
{{reflist|2}}

==References==
*{{cite book
| last = Beloff
| first = Jim
| title = The Ukulele: A Visual History
| publisher = Backbeat Books
| location = San Francisco
| origdate = 1997
| edition = Revised & Expanded
| year = 2003
| isbn = 0-87930-758-7}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category}}
<!--Please don't add External Links without suggesting it in the Talk page, otherwise this article quickly develops dozens of links -->
*[http://www.ukuleleunderground.com/ Ukulele Underground] - online discussion forum
*[http://www.ukulelecosmos.com/ Ukulele Cosmos] - online discussion forum
*[http://www.easyukulele.com/ Easy Ukulele] - video lessons
*[http://liveukulele.com/ Live Ukulele] - tabs, lessons, and reviews
*[http://ukulele.org/ Ukulele Hall of Fame Museum]
*[http://www.tikiking.com/uke_database.html Tiki King's Ukulele Brand name database] - information on over 500 ukulele makers past and present
*[http://www.alles-uke.de/ Alles Uke] - history, famous players, tunings, chords, tabs, songs, videos, lessons
*[http://www.geraldross.com/ Gerald Ross] - Swing ukulele - songs, downloads
*[http://gotaukulele.blogspot.com/ Got A Ukulele] - ukulele blog aimed at beginners
* [http://www.tomkysoft.com/ Free Windows application with Ukulele chord charts]

[[Category:Ukuleles]]
[[Category:Scottish musical instruments]]

[[ca:Ukulele]]
[[cs:Ukulele]]
[[cy:Iwcalili]]
[[da:Ukulele]]
[[de:ʻUkulele]]
[[el:Ουκουλέλε]]
[[es:Ukelele]]
[[eo:Ukulelo]]
[[fa:یوکللی]]
[[fr:Ukulélé]]
[[gl:Ukelele]]
[[ko:우클렐레]]
[[haw:ʻUkulele]]
[[hr:Ukulele]]
[[id:Ukulele]]
[[it:Ukulele]]
[[he:יוקולילי]]
[[la:Cithara Havaiana]]
[[lb:Ukulele]]
[[hu:Ukulele]]
[[nl:Ukelele]]
[[ja:ウクレレ]]
[[no:Ukulele]]
[[nn:Ukulele]]
[[oc:Ukulele]]
[[pl:Ukulele]]
[[pt:Ukulele]]
[[ru:Укулеле]]
[[simple:Ukulele]]
[[sk:Ukulele]]
[[fi:Ukulele]]
[[sv:Ukulele]]
[[tl:Yukulele]]
[[zh:烏克麗麗]]

Revision as of 02:25, 10 March 2011

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