UKULELE ORCHESTRA
lesson one: introduction to the ukulele
The ukulele originated in the 19th century as a Hawaiian adaptation of the Portuguese machete (cavaquinho),[4] a small guitar-like instrument, which was introduced to Hawaii by Portuguese immigrants, mainly from Madeira and the Azores. It gained great popularity elsewhere in the United States during the early 20th century and from there spread internationally.
The tone and volume of the instrument vary with size and construction. Ukuleles commonly come in four sizes: soprano, concert, tenor, and baritone.
UKULELE SIZES EXPLAINED
In this video, we examine the varying tones available in the four common types of Ukulele. It's very useful to know the differences if you're going to invest in your own ukulele!
The first step is to know the names of the various parts of the ukulele! Look at this diagram, and take particular note of the frets, nut, bridge and saddle, as these are terms we will use all the time!
TUNING YOUR UKULELE!
The next step is to learn the names of the strings (see diagram below) and how to tune them. In this video, the tutor is using a tuning app, but it is also a good idea to learn how to tune by ear as well.
"My Dog Has Fleas" is a (very short) song a lot of ukulele players memorise to tune their ukuleles by ear. 'UKULELE' means 'jumping flea' in Hawaiian.Â
The notes on the stave (from left to right) are G, C, E and A - The names of the strings from the top of the ukulele to the bottom.
Here is the same information, but this time the open strings are being played as a chord (at the same time) rather than an arpeggio (picked one at a time). It's useful to get used to the sound of this chord, so that you can quickly tell if your instrument is in tune.
THE strings!
Here is a diagram with the strings clearly labelled. MEMORISE THESE! Also, notice that in this diagram (and most ukulele diagrams) we are looking at the ukulele UPSIDE DOWN! When you're holding the ukulele, a G is normally at the top, and the A is at the bottom.
WORKSHEET ONE
Use this quick quiz to help you memorize the parts of the ukulele :)
