The ukulele is said to have been invented in 1879 in Hawaii. People got the idea from small 4-stringed guitar-like instruments known as cavaquinhos brought to the island by Portuguese immigrants, mainly from Madeira and the Azores.
Hawaiians gave the instrument its name, which means 'jumping flea'- a reference to the speed of the player's fingers on the strings. Legend attributes it to the nickname of the Englishman Edward William Purvis, one of King Kalākaua's officers, because of his small size, excitable manner, and quick fingered expertise on the cavaquinho.
Built from Hawaiian koa wood, ukuleles were popular among the Hawaiian royalty in the late 19th century. King Kalākaua was a patron of the arts and he incorporated the ukulele into performances at royal gatherings.
1893's World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago saw the first major performance of Hawaiian music with ukulele on the USA mainland.
Ernest Ka'ai, cited by some as being "Hawaii's Greatest Ukulele Player", wrote the earliest known ukulele method in The Ukulele, A Hawaiian Guitar and How to Play It in 1906.
By the mid 1910s, Hawaiian music had become a national craze, and the ukulele was incorporated into popular American culture soon afterwards. Millions of ukuleles were sold during the 1920s, and Tin Pan Alley publishers added ukulele chords to standard sheet music
Vaudeville performer Cliff Edwards (June 14, 1895 – July 17, 1971) was also known as Ukulele Ike, and was one of the best known ukulele players during the height of the instrument's popularity in the United States. Edwards taught himself to play ukulele to serve as his own accompanist (choosing it because it was the cheapest instrument in the music shop).
The highest paid entertainer and top box office attraction in Britain during the 1930s and 40s, George Formby, popularized the ukulele in the United Kingdom. He used one on songs such as "Leaning On A Lamp post." Formby also played the round-bodied banjolele.
Marilyn Monroe played the ukulele for her role in Some Like It Hot.
When Jimi Hendrix’s father saw his young son playing a simple kitchen broom, he bought him his very first musical instrument, which was a one-stringed ukulele.
George Harrison of The Beatles took up the ukulele and was said to have had one in every room of his home. A member of the Ukulele Society of Great Britain, Harrison played a ukulele solo in the style of George Formby at the end of "Free as a Bird".
Harrison gave a ukulele to Paul McCartney early on in their career and after leaving The Beatles, he composed several of his solo songs on the instrument including "Ram On."
Ukuleles commonly come in four sizes: soprano, concert, tenor and baritone.
Ukuleles are generally made of wood, though variants have been composed partially or entirely of plastic or other materials.
They normally have nylon strings or gut strings, which are usually tuned G, C, E, A' or A, D, F#, B.
Here is a list of songs with a ukulele
Sources Daily Mail, Blog-oup
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| Three hula dancers with ukulele. Wikipedia |
Hawaiians gave the instrument its name, which means 'jumping flea'- a reference to the speed of the player's fingers on the strings. Legend attributes it to the nickname of the Englishman Edward William Purvis, one of King Kalākaua's officers, because of his small size, excitable manner, and quick fingered expertise on the cavaquinho.
Built from Hawaiian koa wood, ukuleles were popular among the Hawaiian royalty in the late 19th century. King Kalākaua was a patron of the arts and he incorporated the ukulele into performances at royal gatherings.
1893's World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago saw the first major performance of Hawaiian music with ukulele on the USA mainland.
Ernest Ka'ai, cited by some as being "Hawaii's Greatest Ukulele Player", wrote the earliest known ukulele method in The Ukulele, A Hawaiian Guitar and How to Play It in 1906.
By the mid 1910s, Hawaiian music had become a national craze, and the ukulele was incorporated into popular American culture soon afterwards. Millions of ukuleles were sold during the 1920s, and Tin Pan Alley publishers added ukulele chords to standard sheet music
Vaudeville performer Cliff Edwards (June 14, 1895 – July 17, 1971) was also known as Ukulele Ike, and was one of the best known ukulele players during the height of the instrument's popularity in the United States. Edwards taught himself to play ukulele to serve as his own accompanist (choosing it because it was the cheapest instrument in the music shop).
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| Cliff Edwards playing ukulele with phonograph, 1947 |
Marilyn Monroe played the ukulele for her role in Some Like It Hot.
When Jimi Hendrix’s father saw his young son playing a simple kitchen broom, he bought him his very first musical instrument, which was a one-stringed ukulele.
George Harrison of The Beatles took up the ukulele and was said to have had one in every room of his home. A member of the Ukulele Society of Great Britain, Harrison played a ukulele solo in the style of George Formby at the end of "Free as a Bird".
Harrison gave a ukulele to Paul McCartney early on in their career and after leaving The Beatles, he composed several of his solo songs on the instrument including "Ram On."
Ukuleles commonly come in four sizes: soprano, concert, tenor and baritone.
Ukuleles are generally made of wood, though variants have been composed partially or entirely of plastic or other materials.
They normally have nylon strings or gut strings, which are usually tuned G, C, E, A' or A, D, F#, B.
Here is a list of songs with a ukulele
Sources Daily Mail, Blog-oup
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