Ukulele??...Ukulele!!

As a four-stringed instrument from the guitar family, the ukulele (also commonly referred to as the ‘uke’) takes second-hand fiddle to no instrument. Since its creation in the late 1800s in Hawaii, the ukulele has evolved to become an international hit. In recent years it has gained significant popularity in pop music and music for motion pictures and gaming.

The idea of the uke actually stemmed from an instrument the Portuguese brought over to Hawaii. In Hawaiian, ukulele translates to mean “jumping flea” because of the way a player’s fingers move around from one string to the next. And since I’m laying down the facts, I should probably also mention that there are four types--soprano, concert, tenor and baritone. Consider your fun-fact-of-the-day quota exceed!

We have a number of students at Green Brooms who take uke lessons. Unlike the guitar, it is fairly easy to learn and less physically challenging. New students typically start learning a song within two lessons and can play the song proficiently within just a few weeks!

What else can I say? The uke is a fun, moving and prolific instrument. So if you’ve ever felt like trying out a lesson, feel free to stop in and I can inundate you with more instrument trivia!