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The Great & Humble Ukulele
The ukulele is a member of the lute family of instruments. It generally employs four nylon strings. The ukulele is a small, guitar-like instrument, which was introduced to Hawaii by Portuguese immigrants from Madeira. It gained great popularity elsewhere in the United States during the early 20th century, and from there spread internationally. The ukulele is generally made of wood, though variants have been composed partially or entirely of plastic or other materials. Cheaper ukuleles are generally made from plywood or laminated woods. More expensive ukuleles are made of solid hardwoods such as mahogany. The tone and volume of the instrument vary with size and construction. Ukuleles commonly come in four sizes.
Ukulele Size Guide
The ukukele comes in a variety of sizes, each offering a unique tone & sound
Soprano
A soprano ukulele is the smallest commonly found ukulele. The soprano size has that trademark plinky ukulele sound, though because it doesn’t have a very large resonating surface it doesn't have the volume or depth of tone you’d find in a larger instrument. The traditional tuning of the soprano ukulele is A4, D4, F#4, and B4, though most musicians tune them down one whole step G4, C4, E4, A4.
Scale Length: 13-14 inches Overall Length: 21 inches
Concert
The concert ukulele is the middle ground between a tenor and soprano ukulele. It has the delicate and sweet tone of a soprano ukulele while having some of the depth of a tenor. Concert ukuleles are tuned the same as sopranos.
Scale Length: 15-16 inches Overall Length: 23-25 inches
Tenor
Tenor ukes are becoming more and more popular due to their versatility. They’re more appealing to finger-pickers due to their longer scale length (see the section below for a definition of scale length). Tenor ukuleles can be tuned to either high-G (the same as a soprano or concert) or low-G. Low-G tuning offers more possibilities, though it’s not as traditional sounding as high-G tuning.
Scale Length: 17-18 inches Overall Length: 26-27 inches
Baritone
The baritone ukulele is unique in that it doesn’t use a reentrant tuning. What this means is that the strings are ordered from those lowest in pitch to those highest, as opposed to other ukuleles which are not. This body style, while retaining some of the sound the ukulele is known for, has a response similar to that of a classical guitar. This means that it wouldn’t be the best fit for someone looking for a traditional ukulele tone, but at the same time it does have a pretty unique sound. The baritone ukulele is also tuned a fourth lower than other body styles, so playing music intended for tenor-style or smaller ukuleles will require some transposing.
Scale Length: 19-20 inches Overall Length: 30-31 inches
Famous Ukulele Players
For your inspiration check out some of the most famous ukulele players ever to have embraced the earth