What is the name of the small guitar

Beginning musicians often ask what is the correct name for a small guitar. The ukulele is a ukulele with 4 strings. Translated from the Hawaiian language, its name means “jumping flea.”

This instrument is used to play solo parts and chordal accompaniment of a composition.

More about musical instrument

Ukulele dimensions

In appearance, the ukulele resembles a classical guitar, only differs from it in size and number of strings. For example, the parameters of the popular soprano ukulele are 53 cm. The scale is 33 cm, and the neck has 12-14 frets .

History of the ukulele

The prototype of today’s musical instrument appeared in the 15th century in European countries. It was used by itinerant artists and visiting musicians, since the then mandolins and guitars were expensive. Cavakinho , the prototype of the ukulele, had 12 frets and 4 strings. In the 19th century, Portuguese navigators brought the instrument to the Hawaiian Islands. There they began to develop it from a special variety of acacia – Koa. With the ukulele, local musicians performed at an exhibition in the United States at the beginning of the 20th century, which made the instrument popular.

Kinds

Answering the question of what a ukulele is, we will inform you that there are 4 types of instrument:

1. Concert – another name – alto ukulele, the length of which is 58 cm, and the fret ov is 15-20. The tool is suitable for performers with large hands. Compared to the soprano, the alto ukulele sounds deep.
2. Tenor – reaches 66 cm in length, has 15 frets . The sound is deep, and the long neck adds a range of tones.
3. Baritone – has a length of up to 76 cm and 19 frets . This ukulele is very similar to the guitar of all types of this musical instrument. The baritone gives depth and richness to the sound.

Clearer and more detailed about the types:

Ukulele soprano

An instrument with a classic sound. Of the entire family, this is the smallest representative, with an average length of 58 cm. It is the most common due to its low cost compared to other instruments.

The number of frets here reaches 14 maximum.

Popular compositions and artists

In total, 10 musicians are known to use the ukulele in their performances:

1. Dwayne Johnson is an American singer.
2. Amanda Palmer is a solo singer from the United States.
3. Beirut is a Mexican indie folk band .
4. Eddie Vedder is the leader of Pearl Jam. He has an entire album dedicated to songs played with the ukulele.
5. Elvis Presley is one of the most successful performers of the last century.
6. Roger Daltrey is an English performer.
7. Rocky Marciano is a professional boxer who played the ukulele in his spare time.
8. Elvis Costello is an English singer.
9. William Adams is an American rapper.
10. Deschanel Zoe is an American singer.

One of the most popular ukulele songs is Eddie Veder’s “Dream a Little Dream”.

How to choose a ukulele

Ukulele ukulele is selected depending on the size required by the musician. A soprano will be a universal product, which will definitely suit novice performers. This guitar is great to take with you when you travel. Alto ukulele is suitable for concert performances. When purchasing a ukulele, you need to check how convenient it is for the musician to clamp the strings.

The highest quality samples are guitars of French brands – for example, Lag: these instruments have the best system. It is also worth buying a product from Hora, a developer from Romania. Korala has a low price, suitable for professionals and novice musicians.

Interesting Facts

When answering the question of how many strings a ukulele has, one should not be limited to only 4 – there are instruments with 6 strings, of which 2 are doubles. For such products, the 1st string has a bass winding, and the 3rd string has a thin duplicating string.

With the help of the ukulele, you can compose any melodies, even simple ones. His sound is positive. Therefore, the instrument appears in many cartoons and films: ” Only Girls in Jazz “, “Lilo and Stitch”, “Clinic” and others.

Summary

The ukulele, otherwise known as the ukulele, gained popularity thanks to musicians from the Hawaiian Islands who performed at an exhibition in San Francisco in the early twentieth century. Today, the most popular variety is the soprano. There are 10 celebrities in the world who preferred to use different types of guitar for creativity.