Martin Ukulele 1930 - Style 3K
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Instrumental ukulele music is on the verge of becoming just as popular as mainstream ukulele music is. People are finally starting to realize that the ukulele is capable of making very good music. This instrument has been around since 1879 and it is just now being realized how it can make such enjoyable quality music.
When the ukulele has first invented the Hawaiians were not impressed with the beautiful music that the instrument was capable of making. It wasn't until around 1915 that the ukulele popularity came over to the mainland. It was after that the craze of the ukulele began which raised the popularity of the instrument. No matter what the history is behind it, the ukulele is now Hawaii's most popular musical instrument.
There was a great demand for ukuleles, which meant that production had to increase substantially. Of the original creators, by 1910, only one of them remained and he couldn't keep up with the demand. New competitors entered the field after time offering unique designs. Although there was a great deal of competition, there were still enough orders that each business was still being flooded.
The competition took a turn when the mainland guitar manufactures started making ukuleles around 1915. The Hawaiians where angry when it was learned the mainland manufactures started stamping "Made in Hawaii" on their Ukuleles. The Hawaiian ukulele makers created an original stamp that the legislature backed. Sometime in the 1920's, mainland makers started mass-producing the ukulele.
Today we are seeing surges of ukulele music popularity coming back. Hawaii is home to many musicians who have devoted their lives to playing the music of the ukulele. The ukulele is very light and also very portable which means that it makes it very easy to practice it.
Even though ukulele music has been around for over 130 years and it is still a very popular musical instrument choice. The music has a lot of history behind it but no matter what the history is, it is now a very popular instrument in world-wide. Even now the demand of ukuleles is growing in South America and other unexpected places.
The ukulele is the little brother of the guitar family and is usually seen with four nylon strings. The volume and tone of the instrument depend solely on the size that it is. They come in four different sizes and are enjoyed by countless individuals all over the world. The three smaller ukulele sizes are the soprano, concert, and tenor, and are tuned to the Key of C with the reentrant "my dog has fleas" tuning. The largest ukulele, the baritone is tuned to the Key of G like a guitar and the baritone ukulele is tuned exactly as the 4 smallest strings of a guitar. All guitar players can immediately play the baritone ukulele, although they may not know it.
If you are looking for a really fun instrument to learn, you do well to find a ukulele.
There is a world of fun you can have with a ukulele. You don't have to be a musician. You do not need any special musical talent. We know this is true because we have been around ukulele folks for over 20 years now. We have repaired ukuleles, hunted ukulele parts, made banjo ukuleles for several years. And now we try to seek out ukulele items that are quality and worth their cost. And certainly, we will help you if we can.
Keep Strumming... Keep Smiling...
Article Source: EzineArticles |
