The Ukulele was developed in the 1880’s from Portuguese origin, and later arrived in it’s adopted its final cultural birthplace of Hawaii. This tiny, happy-sounding instrument has become popular beyond belief around the world! What was once a somewhat obscure exotic instrument has now become a staple of contemporary music as we know it today.
If you have felt the itch, and decided to start your own journey with the ukulele, then we hope this blog can help you start on your path. Ukuleles have become one of the most popular instruments to learn among hobbyist and professionals alike. Choosing your instrument is arguably the most important step.
Ukuleles in their most traditional sense, exist in 3 configurations that each increase in size. They are, Soprano, Concert, and Tenor in ascending order. These 3 types of ukulele are all tuned to the same pitch and key as each other! So what’s the difference? Aside from the larger body providing more ‘boomy’ low end to the tone of the instrument, the longer scale length (the distance between the nut and bridge of the instrument, over which the string is stretched) will give you more tension on the strings, which results in a ‘punchier’ sound with much more volume. For your first ukulele, try not to get too hung-up on this decision as, if you can play one ukulele, you can play them all. It’s also good to note that the sound that people have in their head of a ukulele, is generally a Soprano. It’s arguably the most traditional and widely used size.
But it can’t be that simple!? It’s not. There are other ukes that are still classified as ukuleles, but will often be tuned differently or have other unique features. The most common of these is a Baritone ukulele. This instrument is tuned in a lower key from its smaller counterparts, similar to that of the top 4 strings on an acoustic guitar. There are also bass ukuleles, electric ukuleles as well as 6 and 8 string ukuleles! All of these ukes sound fantastic, and can add depth to an ensemble setting, but are often not used as a ‘beginners’ instrument, as much of the learning material you encounter will be geared towards the traditional tunings in the 3 standard sizes we mentioned earlier.
Now that you’ve chosen your size, the build materials of the ukulele will effect how it sounds. Generally you will see 3 types of ukulele construction, an ABS plastic body build, a laminated wood body build, a solid wood body build. From time to time you will see hybrid ukuleles that utilise a combination of these materials for the top and the body. That’s because the top of the ukulele is the soundboard of the instrument and has one of the biggest effects on how a ukulele sounds.
ABS Plastic ukuleles will generally sound quite ’tight’ with not a huge amount of sustain or volume in the sound. Laminated wooden ukes will sound far more impressive and recognisable as a ukulele sound you are accustomed to. (The majority of ukes you seen in the market are made this way.)
if you go one step further to a solid wood ukulele, you will guarantee yourself a great sounding uke that will, over time, improve its tone with age. The older it is, the more it is played, the more that solid wood ‘settles’ and offers more depth to your sound. People will often describe a well played in instrument as sounding very ‘open’ and it’s one of the main driving factors for the desire of vintage acoustic guitars.
We hope that has de-mystified the ukulele for you and you are one step further on your ukulele journey.
if you have the itch to begin ukulele and still don’t know where to start, get in touch with one of our friendly staff and we will help you find your perfect first instrument!
Happy strumming!