Ukulele history & types of ukulele

Summary

Mix and match activities to create a fun lesson in which students will learn about the origins and development of the modern-day ukulele, get familiar with the most common types of the instrument and boost their creativity by inventing a new ukulele type.

💻 Materials:

• Solfeg.io web app best used with Chrome browser
• Projector or computer and access to WIFI
• Ukuleles (optional)
• Colored pencils or crayons
• Paper

Listen to ukulele

🕐 Time: 5 min

🎯 Objectives:

• Recognize and describe the sound of the ukulele
• Test their knowledge on the basics of ukulele history

🎶 Recommended Songs:

‍

🎲 Activity:

• Select the song “Riptide” by Vance Joy or “House of Gold” by Twenty One Pilots from the Song library. Click on “Ukulele” under “Tools” - “Visuals” to make the ukulele chord diagrams visible.
• Listen to a part of the song, for example, Chorus 2.

What string instruments do you hear? (Ukulele, bass guitar)

How would you describe the sound of the ukulele? (Choose suitable adjectives: mellow, sweet, mild, bright, soft, smooth, friendly, happy, etc.)

Do you know when the ukulele was invented?

Do you know in which country the ukulele was invented?

Ukulele history

🕐 Time: 10 min

🎯 Objectives:

• Get familiar with the origins and development of the ukulele

🎲 Activity:

• In the 1870s, a ship with Portuguese immigrants arrived in Hawaii from the Portuguese island of Madeira to work in sugarcane fields. They brought small, four-stringed Portuguese guitars called “braguinhas” or “machetes”.
• The word “ukulele” means “jumping flea” in Hawaiian. It was given by listeners who compared the player's fingers to fleas jumping across the fingerboard.
• The ukulele became popular in Hawaii almost immediately. Craftsmen started to produce the instruments from local wood. Even David Kalakaua, Hawaii's last king played it!
• In 1915, ukulele arrived in the USA. It was performed at the Pan Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco.
• In the 1950s, television sets became more widespread in American homes. Ukulele tutorials were shown on TV and millions of TV Pal ukuleles and other mass-produced plastic ukuleles are sold by the millions as instruments to strum while watching TV.
• In the second half of the 1950s, the popularity of ukulele decreased with the beginnings of rock'n'roll, and the guitar took over.
• In 1961, the pop star Elvis Presley played the ukulele in the movie “Blue Hawaii”.
• Not featuring in popular culture in the 1970s, ukuleles reappeared in the mid 80s as the “ultimate punk instrument”.
• In the late 90s, the spread of the internet allowed ukulele players to meet each other and make ukulele clubs.
• In 2005, YouTube was launched and became a global stage for musicians. An early viral video was Jake Shimabukoro playing an advanced version of the Beatles song “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” on the ukulele.
• Nowadays ukuleles are very popular due to their cheap prices. They are often used in popular music, and famous players include Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish, amongst others.

Ukulele types

🕐 Time: 10 min

🎯 Objectives:

• Get familiar with different ukulele types

🎲 Activity:

• There are lots of different ukulele types and sizes. The most common are these four:

Soprano ukulele is the smallest. It has a standard tuning of G-C-E-A.

Concert ukulele is slightly larger than the soprano ukulele and has the same tuning.

Tenor ukulele is even larger and louder and has the same tuning.

Baritone ukulele is the same length as the tenor ukulele but slightly broader. It has a deeper sound and is tuned to D-G-B-E.

• There are less common ukulele types, such as:

Guitalele is a hybrid of guitar and ukulele. It has 6 strings.

Bass ukulele or U-Bass has the tuning of a bass guitar (E-A-D-G).

Banjolele is a cross between banjo and ukulele.

Electric ukulele is amplified, just like an electric guitar.

Pineapple ukulele has a rounder body, similar to a pineapple cut in half.

Sopranino ukulele is even smaller than the soprano ukulele.

Pocket ukulele is the tiniest one. Its scale length is around 11 inches, making it quite challenging to press some chords!

• Take a look at the ukulele(s) you have available in the classroom.

What type(s) are they?

Invent a new type!

🕐 Time: 15 min

🎯 Objectives:

• Boost creativity
• Imagine a new instrument, drawing inspiration from existing ukulele types

🎲 Activity:

• Split students into small groups.
• Ask each group to imagine and draw a new ukulele type.

Think of hybrids between different instruments, weird shapes and colors etc. Let your imagination fly!

• Invite each group to shortly present their invention, answering these questions:

What is the name of the new instrument?

How did you create it?

What material would it be made of?

How would it sound?

What sort of music could be played on it?

Reflection

🕐 Time: 4 min

🎯 Objectives:

• Reflect on the concepts learned in the lesson

🎲 Activity:

• Ask these questions to the class and have a short discussion

Which ukulele type did you like the most?

Which ukulele type would you like to try?

What songs would you like to learn on the ukulele?

Homework assignment

🕐 Time: 3 min

🎯 Objectives:

• Practice playing and singing a whole song

🎲 Activity:

Challenge students to go beyond the lesson by…

• Taking this mobile class to learn their first chord on the ukulele (Day 1 of ukulele program)
• Choosing a guided song tutorial and learning a song on the ukulele

‍