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Ukulele
This small 4-stringed instrument originated in Hawaii and was based on Portuguese instruments. The instrument has seen a recent resurgence in popularity as more mainstream musicians have incorporated it into their repertoire.
454 Questions
Are the lyre and ukulele similar instruments?
The lyre is more like a small harp, while the ukulele is more like a small guitar. The only similarity is they are both stringed instruments.
What do you need to play the ukulele?
Knives to carve and shape the wood. Bending and steaming equipment to form the woods. Clamps to hold the wood in shape as the glue dries. A drill would be useful. Small saws for the rough shaping would be useful. There are many other specialized tools that can make the work easier, such as a special router for putting binding on the edges, but they aren't required.
What kind of wood is a wooden ukulele made of?
Ukuleles are versatile instruments that can be made from many materials. It can be made from just about any type of wood, solid or laminate, or even plastics. The original instruments were made with native Hawaiian woods. It needs to be strong and light. Mahogany, spruce, maple, and mango are common. The prime wood that is sought after is the Koa wood.
Many ukuleles are made from plastic and some quality instruments are available (Flea and Fluke are examples). Inexpensive 'toy' ukuleles are available as well.
Ukuleles are also made from existing items. An example is the cigar box ukulele or the lunch box ukulele, where the sound box is built from an existing structure and a neck is added to the box. Some makers even use metal cans for the body of their ukuleles. Wood is the primary material for a traditional ukulele. Koa wood is traditional, but pretty much any wood can be used. Popular types are mango, mahogany, spruce, and cedar. Fret boards are often made of rosewood or even ebony.
There is metal in the frets and the tuners.
Inlays are made from plastic, ivory or mother-of-pearl.
How much is a 1950 Marx violin-uke worth?
These were produced in the early 1900's. They were sold door to door and it was a combination of something that could be plucked like an ukulele, or bowed like a violin. It was set up with a number system that made it easy to play.
Value is minimal, you can purchase them on eBay for anywhere from $20 to $100 depending on condition.
What song has the ukulele and goes sha na na na na na na na nananana?
Is This the Way to Amarillo written by Neil Sedaka, originally released in UK by Tony Christie (1971) & later by Peter Kay (2005) where it became UK #1 & the biggest selling single of that year
The related question below talks about the various tunings and strings for an ukulele.
The mechanical process is pretty straightforward for those that can be done with a simple knot at the bridge end. Those that have a more complex method are still pretty easy. There are a couple of videos on youtube that show the method of tying the knots.
And remember that it will take several days for the strings to stretch and settle to the point where they will hold the tuning for more than a few minutes.
How can you make a guitar sound like an ukulele?
Volume swells. you can either use a volume pedal, or just the volume knob of your guitar. check Yngwie Malmsteens Echo Etude on youtube for a good example of using the volume knob of your guitar.
Are the notes for the violin the same on the ukulele?
The notes are going to be the same, but getting them will be different! The strings are different notes then a guitar. If you play the baritone guitar, the strings are normally tuned to the same as the bottom 4 strings of the guitar, so that could be played the same way.
There are 4 strings on the ukelele and six on the guitar so it would be different.
How do you play D on the ukulele?
One way on the standard G'CEA tuning, the D chord is created by barring the top three strings at the second fret. The tab would look like this:
0000
XXX0
0000
0000
Others find it easier to play by stopping all strings at the second fret (with index finger) then also stopping first string at the fifth fret with little finger. The tab would look like this:
0000
XXX0 (only higher stopping of first string is shown - later)
0000
0000
000X
Several advantages to this second way.
1: Some people feel that it is easier.
2: The root note (D) is played twice (1st and 3rd string) and is also LAST note played on downward stroke - and first on upstroke.
3: If D7 is then required - second finger at third fret on first string - replaces little finger at fifth fret, which retains the root note which is still on third string.
4: Fretting all of the stings allows one to control the length of the notes using the 'squeeze' method of damping the strings by pulling the fingers off the fret board.
One of the disadvantages of the second method is that it can make it more difficult to transition to some of the other chord fingerings commonly used. This can be mitigated to some extent by learning alternative methods for other chords.
You'll find the one that works best for you and the music you are playing!
When did Taylor Swift start playing the ukulele?
Taylor Swift does play the ukulele, as well as the guitar, banjo and piano.
Is the solid mahogany koloa baritone ukulele a good ukulele?
Harmony made some the of finest Ukes since the 1920s. Purchase price at the time was reasonable. Since, however, many of these, especially those built in the 1940s and 50s are very collectible.
The vintage Ukuleles often have some really good tones. The wood has had decades to 'relax' allowing them to really reverberate. I have two that are over 40 years old and they make some big sound!
In a Christmas episode of "Happy Days" (titled "White Christmas"), Big Al (played by Al Molinaro) brings a Harmony baritone uke to the Cunninghams' house party.
Should you buy an ukulele or a guitar?
There is no right or wrong answer to this.
The ukelele is generally considered much easier to play. There are only four strings (rather than six on a guitar) and just strumming the open strings on a ukelele using standard tuning almost produces a C major chord (it requires a single finger press to turn it into a C major chord, vs. the guitar, where producing a C major chord from the standard tuning involves pressing three strings and only strumming five strings rather than all six). The fact that the standard tuning is so close to a major chord (any major chord) means that it's easy to play other major chords as well, using one finger as a "bar" to press all the strings at the same fret.
The other aspect is that learning to play the ukulele will make transition to another stringed instrument such as a guitar relatively straight forward. Once you get the chord shapes down, they can be used on several instruments, the shape will create another chord, but the fingering is close. With the variety of instruments and sizes, the ukulele can play any type of music. Look for Jake Shimabukuro on YouTube and see some of the boundries he's pushing!
If your goal is just to be able to play a stringed instrument ... any stringed instrument ... the ukelele will work for you. If you want to play rock, get a guitar (unless you want the main part of Train's "Hey Soul Sister" in which case get an ukulele).
If you're playing folk music, you might consider an Appalachian dulcimer, which is usually tuned in either the Ionian or Aoelian modes for playing music in major and minor keys respectively, has three (or four) strings, and you "note" only on one string (two, on the four-string version, but they're tuned identically so it's still a single press), with the other two strings playing a "drone" note (this is similar to how bagpipes work, so a dulcimer actually works pretty well for Celtic/Scots music also). At the same time James Hill won Canadian Folk Album of the Year playing ukulele.
How does the ukulele help people?
In general, it is difficult to show major affects of something like an ukulele on society. However, the ukulele has a defined history and known origin. It was adapted quickly by the Hawaiian Royal Family and became a unique part of their culture. The state song and many other songs written by them are associated with the islands and it is difficult to portray Hawaii without incorporating the sounds of this instrument.
Where can one go to learn to play the ukulele?
In order to learn to play the ukulele one can visit the 'Ukulele Underground' website where they have a video demonstration. One can also find help from 'ukeschool' and on 'YouTube'.
Is an ukulele a guitar or a bass?
Not really. The standard ukulele tuning is very different then a guitar. The bass ukulele could be tuned from a bass guitar.
What is the highest note a soprano ukulele can produce?
the highest note you can play on a soprano recorder is high b. this is a freakishly high note so be careful not to blow into your recorder really hard while playing this note because you'll pop your Eardrums!
What other names does the ukulele have?
Many players tend to use the term "Uke" as a nickname for the Ukulele.
Some refer to their instruments by the maker or the type of ukuleleor a nickname they have for their 'babies', things I've heard include:
My Martin
Fluke - a quality plastic uke that is great for the beach
Flea - same people who make the Fluke
The Beater - usually the first ukulele one had, no longer the favorite, but servicable.
A ukulele is sometimes abbreviated in writing and speaking as uke.
No, but they are in the same plucked lute category of stringed instruments. Many compare it to a guitar, in that they are very similar in shape and in the method of playing. The ukulele usually has 4 strings and a guitar typically has 6. The ukulele is much smaller.
Will using a guitar pick on an ukulele mess it up?
It will certainly increase the wear on the strings. And the hard plastic will scratch the finish up faster than using fingers. But there typically won't be a problem, but most prefer to play the ukulele without a pick.
How many strings does an ukulele have?
The ukulele comes in pretty much any color you would wish. They can be painted in hundreds of colors, though they are often natural wood stained in traditional instrument patterns such as the sunburst.
For what type of occasions do you use an ukulele?
Play it! This is a very versatile stringed instrument that can be used in any genre of music.
Strum it like a guitar.........most people who play the ukelele sing along too.
How long does it take to build an ukulele?
Lots of factors involved:
- The age of the strings
- Whether the ukulele is plastic or wood or a combination
- How humid the weather is and what the temperature is
- How tight the tuners are
I have some inexpensive (less the $20) ukuleles I purchased used that will stay in tune for a week with moderate playing. But the first few days of new strings I had to tune daily.
How do you play a G chord on an ukulele?
Your strings are known as eBGDAE with the little high pitched string being e and the lowest thicker string being E. I like to remember it as " easter Bunny Gets Drunk At Easter " The frets are the lines that go across the neck of the guitar. They are numbered. 1 being near the top, closet to where you tune your guitar. # Place your first finger on the second fret on the A string. # Your middle finger goes on the third fret on the E string. # Your pinky goes on the third fret on the e string. (Optional: You can place your ring finger on the third fret B string)
