Ukulele: If I Can Play, Uke Can Too

Recently I was asked what the term "ukulele tragic" in my HubPages profile meant. That query inspired me to write this Hub.

So, Jools99, this Hub is for you!

Although traditionally associated with Hawaii, the ukulele was introduced to the islands by Portuguese immigrants in the late nineteenth century.

There is some conflict over the origin and meaning of the instrument's name. The word ukulele is said to translate - albeit roughly - as 'jumping flea', the nickname of an Englishman, Edward Purvis.

Purvis, an officer in the army of King Kalakaua, was a master of the small instrument.

However, Hawaii's last monarch, Her Majesty, Queen Lili'uokalani, wrote that ukulele means 'the gift that came here.'

In 1915, the Panama Pacific Exposition was held in San Francisco. A feature of the Hawaiian Pavilion was George E. A. Awai and his Royal Hawaiian Quartet, a guitar and ukulele group. The quartet's popularity sparked interest in Hawaiian music and the ukulele across the Continental United States and eventually the world.

There are four varieties of ukulele: soaprano (standard), concert, tenor, and baritone.Each variety differs in length and tuning.

My current uke is a C6 tuned soprano, although I plan to invest in concert ukulele in the next couple of months.

In my case, I simply walked into a music store and bought a ukulele and chord book.

Having taught myself guitar twenty three years earlier, I did have some musical knowledge.

If the self taught method is not for you, you can find a professional instructor by simply doing a Google search for 'ukulele teachers'.

There is a vast range of books, compact discs, DVDS and websites out there to help you not only learn to play ukulele, but chord charts, song books for strummers of all levels.

How popular is this mini-me guitar? Typing 'ukulele' into Google brings up 39.3 million results.

Today the ukulele is played by millions of people worldwide. Many put this down to the low cost of a ukulele. In Australia, they start from $25.00 for a soprano uke. Another factor is the accessibility that the uke's size gives you. Unlike other stringed instruments such as the guitar, a child can comfortably handle and play the same ukulele as an adult.

In the United Kingdom, the ukulele has overtaken the recorder as the most taught musical instrument in schools.

In my home town in the Latrobe Valley, at least one of our three government primary schools (5-12 years old) is teaching the ukulele as part of the music curriculum.

Many a famous guitarist started out with a ukulele.

Jimi Hendrix, Dick Dale,and Eric Clapton all owned ukes long before making names for themselves as guitar legends.

George Harrison of The Beatles was a lover of the ukulele, and always carried at least one with him. At 'The Concert for George', Sir Paul McCartney performed Harrison's beautiful song 'Something' on the ukulele.

Pete Townshend (The Who), Brian May (Queen), Elvis Costello, Eddie Vedder (Pearl Jam), are all ukulele tragics.

There are all sorts of ukulele bands, my personal favourite being the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain. Their reportoire includes covers of everything from Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit and the Rollings Stones' Satisfacton, to Anarchy in the UK by the Sex Pistols, and Ennio Morricone's classic Theme from The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.

I use Mel Bay's Ukulele Chords (ISBN 978-0871668653, 1961 & 1989 Mel Ray Publications)

My favourite online resource for chords, tablature, lyrics and more is www.ukulelehunt.com

Hopefully I given you a small insight into ukuleles, their popularity and the spontaneity they bring to music. If one person goes and picks up a uke after reading this, there will be one happier soul out there.

Happy strumming

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