The ukulele, though a Portuguese design, is synonymous with Hawaiian music and culture.
Ukuleles are musical instruments sometimes referred to as "luau strings" or, more commonly, "ukes." The ukulele is widely recognized a primary instrument in Hawaiian music; however, it was originally a Portuguese design. Various stories regarding the ukulele's conception attribute its invention to a group of Portuguese immigrants who worked in Hawaii's sugar cane fields. The instrument's name derives from a term meaning "jumping flea," which the Hawaiians used to describe the quickness of the musician's fingers when playing.
History
Various stories attribute the ukulele's conception and introduction into Hawaiian culture to Portuguese immigrants. During the late 19th century, select members of the Portuguese and Spanish working class traveled to the Hawaiian islands to work in sugar cane fields. With these newcomers arrived fresh cultural influences, which included the ukulele. According to the September 3, 1879 issue of The Hawaiian Gazette, "A band of Portuguese musicians" began performing in the streets "on their strange instruments, which are a kind of cross between a guitar and banjo, but which produce very sweet music...we [Hawaiians] plead guilty to the soothing influences of the Portuguese music."
Construction
Ukuleles resemble guitars in that they have a similar-shaped body, a long neck and strings. They are always smaller than guitars but can range in size. Most have four strings, though there are six- and eight-string versions available. Most ukuleles are acoustic instruments, which means they have hollow bodies and produce sound without any extra amplification. Those that can be plugged into an amplifier for greater onstage volume feature solid bodies. Like other stringed instruments, ukuleles require proper tuning and maintenance.
Types of Ukuleles
There are four primary types of ukuleles. The soprano is the smallest, followed by the concert, tenor and baritone, the largest. Each creates a different sound when played. Other common styles include pineapple and fluke ukuleles. The pineapple version is shaped somewhat like the fruit -- oval but wider at one end than the other. The fluke looks more like a triangle, stretched out lengthwise with two curved sides.
Ukulele Music
Music featuring the ukulele is not limited to the Hawaiian Islands or luau-themed company picnics. For example, Israel Kamakawiwo'ole's influential ukulele rendition of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" is familiar and recognized in many parts of the world. Recently, the ukulele was featured in the mainstream single "Hey, Soul Sister" by the American group Train. Jake Shimabukuro, a solo artist, has also contributed to the instrument's relevance in modern culture with his introduction of instrumental ukulele covers of rock classics like Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody."
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