Ukulele Sizes – Soprano, Concert, Tenor & Baritone Soprano Ukule

Soprano Ukulele

Length: 21″

Tuning: GCEA, ADF#B

Number of frets: 12-15

The most common and standard type of ukulele is the soprano ukulele. It’s the smallest ukulele and is known for its thin, jangly sound so commonly associated with ukuleles.

Concert Ukulele

Length: 23″

Tuning: GCEA (re-entrant), GCEA (linear)

Number of frets: 15-20

The concert ukulele, sometimes referred to as the alto, is just a little bit bigger than the soprano and some would consider it to have a fuller sound.

Tenor Ukulele

Length: 26″

Tuning: GCEA (re-entrant), GCEA (linear)

Number of frets: 15+

The tenor ukulele is just a little bit bigger than the concert uke. The overall sound and tone is even fuller than it’s smaller brothers. For performers, the tenor ukulele is great because you get a rich full sound, and since you have more frets, you’re able to reach higher notes on the fretboard.

Baritone Ukulele

Length: 30″+
Tuning: DGBE
Number of frets: 19+

The baritone ukulele is the biggest of the ukes. It’s tuned down lower to DGBE, which is equivalent to the tuning of the bottom four strings on a guitar. This is going to produce a deeper sound. While you can still strum it like any other ukulele, you’re going to really lose that bright crisp sound that you’d get with soprano. Baritone ukes are great for blues players and fingerpickers, or those who prefer that deeper and fuller sound.
Source:http://www.ukuleletricks.com/ukulele-sizes-soprano-concert-tenor-baritone/

The history of the Ukulele

The ukulele is a small guitar-like instrument, which was originated in the 19th century as a Hawaiian adaptation of the Portuguese machete instrument, introduced to Hawaii by Portuguese immigrants, many from Madeira and the Azores. It gained great popularity elsewhere in the United States during the early 20th century, and from there spread internationally.

According to Queen Liliʻuokalani, the last Hawaiian monarch, the name means "the gift that came here", from the Hawaiian words uku (gift or reward) and lele (to come).

Developed in the 1880s, the ukulele is based on several small guitar-like instruments of Portuguese origin, the machete, introduced to the Hawaiian Islands by Portuguese immigrants from Madeira and Cape Verde.

United States mainland

Pre–World War II

The ukulele also made inroads into early country music or old-time music parallel to the then popular mandolin. 

Post–World War II 

From the late 1940s to the late 1960s, plastics manufacturer Mario Maccaferri turned out about 9 million inexpensive ukuleles. The ukulele continued to be popular, appearing on many jazz songs throughout the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. 

Post-1990 revival

After the 1960s, the ukulele declined in popularity until the late 1990s, when interest in the instrument reappeared. During the 1990s, new manufacturers began producing ukuleles and a new generation of musicians took up the instrument. 

The creation of YouTube was a large influence on the popularity of the ukulele. The ready availability of thousands of instructional videos has greatly expanded the popularity of this instrument, and it is now commonly heard in pop music and even TV commercials.

Source:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ukulele, https://www.flickr.com/photos/gyom80/2668435335

Know Its Parts

1. Head — where the four tuning adjusters are located.

2. Tuning adjusters — These are the four pegs that are turned clockwise or counter-clockwise to tune the ukulele.

3. Neck (or fret board) — This is where the frets are located and where you should press the strings to make chords and play specific notes.

4. Frets — These are the spaces separated by thin, wooden or metal sticks and located on the neck.

5. Body — This is where the sound resonates. It usually has a hole in the middle.

6. Saddle and Bridge — This is what supports the strings.

Now that you’re familiar with the ukulele, it’s time to start playing!

Learn the Proper Way to Play It

If you are sitting, remember not to squeeze the ukulele with your stomach and upper thigh. Stabilize it without applying too much pressure on the body. If you are using a right-handed uke, place your left thumb behind the neck to allow your other fingers to play chords and change frets with ease. Use your right hand to strum. Press the strings with your finger palms, not with your finger tips.

 

1^st finger is to control the first roll of frets and so on

Tune your ukulele.

You can use a ukulele tuner or other properly tuned instruments to tune your ukulele. When we say GCEA tuning, it means that the four strings are tuned to G (sol), C (do), E, (mi), and A (la). The same principle goes with the other tunings. Hold your ukulele properly and look at the four strings. The string nearest to your face is should be tuned to G. The string farthest from your face should be tuned to A.