ukulele for beginners...learn to play the ukulele

The first step for ukulele for beginners is to decide what type of ukulele to play.

There are 4 main sizes to choose from: Soprano, Concert, Tenor and the Baritone

The Soprano Ukulele is the smallest and the most common type of ukulele. It measures about 20-21 inches long, and is a great for a child or someone with smaller hands. It is inexpensive and can be typically found as souvenir ukuleles in gift shops as well as in school music classes. It is the popular type for novice players, but because of its size and its sound quality it is quickly out grown by its user.

The next size is the Concert Ukulele. It delivers the "classic" ukulele sound and is great for the first time user as well as the seasoned player. It measures 24" - 26" and its size allows the user to easily manipulate fingers along the frets of the instrument.

The ukulele of choice for professional players is the Tenor Ukulele. It measures 27-29" . The sound is not the typical "ukulele" sound. It is sometimes played with the low G string which gives the instrument a more bass type of sound.

Baritone ukuleles are the largest of the ukulele sizes. Unlike the other sizes, the baritone is tuned differently. The strings are tuned the same as the bottom 4 strings of a guitar.

Choose a style that fits your needs and have fun with it :)

In 1716 on a small island of the coast of Moracco, Portugal, called Madeira, the most popular instrument was the machete de braga, a tiny instrument with four strings made of catgut. The "machete" which it was often called was used by many of the local entertainers. In 1879 it was introduced in Hawaii during a street concert of Portuguese musicians. The instrument was described as a cross between a banjo and guitar.

In 1886 a group of Portuguese cabinetmakers, immigrants to Hawaii, created a hybrid instrument with a figure eight type shape - the birth of the 1st ukulele.

In 1889 the ukulele made its way into Island society at a party which included Princess Kaiulani as one of the evening's entertainers. Her uncle, King Kalakaua was also a ukulele player. The ukulele quickly became very popular among the Hawaiian population.

The word ukulele means "The gift that came here" It was named by Queen Lili'uokalani, the last Hawaiian monarch. In the Hawaiian language, uku - means gift or reward and lele means to come.