{"id":44127,"date":"2024-06-27T15:12:14","date_gmt":"2024-06-27T13:12:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/efcdcea8-8305-40a4-a2bc-0ec179ea8c55"},"modified":"2024-06-27T15:36:12","modified_gmt":"2024-06-27T13:36:12","slug":"a-jumping-flea-and-a-merry-monarch-nine-fascinating-facts-about-the-ukulele","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/rss_feed\/a-jumping-flea-and-a-merry-monarch-nine-fascinating-facts-about-the-ukulele\/","title":{"rendered":"A jumping flea and a merry monarch: nine fascinating facts about the ukulele"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By <\/p>

Published: Thursday, 27 June 2024 at 13:12 PM<\/p>

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The guitar’s diminutive cousin, the ukulele has seen a huge surge in popularity in recent years. We’ve got some fascinating uke facts for you, along with some advice on picking up this most portable of instruments. <\/p>

1. The ukulele is related to the violin <\/strong><\/h2>
The ukulele forms part of the large lute family – instruments with plucked strings, also including (deep breath) the lute itself, plus the oud, pipa, guitar, banjo, bouzouki, theorbo, sitar and many others. Bowed instruments, including the viols and violins, are also members of the lute family. <\/p>
Ukuleles commonly come in four sizes: soprano, concert, tenor, and baritone.<\/p>
2. It can trace its ancestry back to Tudor times<\/strong><\/h2>
The ukulele\u2019s classical roots have been explored most recently in a collaboration between master uke players (and Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain<\/a><\/strong> members) Nick Browning and George Hinchliffe, together with lutenist Elizabeth Kenny\u2019s ensemble Theatre of the Ayre. Called Lutes \u2018n\u2019 Ukes<\/i>, the project unites the Renaissance guitar and 20th-century ukulele. \u2018The Portuguese braguinha<\/i> and lute would have been contemporary instruments and played together in Elizabethan times,\u2019 says Browning. <\/p>
<\/div><\/figure><p>\u2018One of our orchestra plays a <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/articles\/a-guide-to-renaissance-music\/\">Renaissance<\/a> <\/strong>guitar that just happens to be a four-course instrument with re-entrant tuning, very much like the ukulele.\u2019 And the project also links two homonymous composers from very different eras: Robert Johnson (1583-1633), the Tudor lute composer, and Robert Johnson (1911-38),the <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/articles\/blues-music\/\">blues<\/a><\/strong> guitarist.<\/p><div class=\"wp-block-group highlight-box is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\"><div class=\"wp-block-groupinner-container\"><ul><li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/artists\/6-famous-ukulele-players\/\">6 famous ukulele players and ensembles<\/a><\/strong><\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-3-it-found-a-dream-audience-in-hawaii\"><strong>3. It found a dream audience in Hawaii<\/strong><\/h2><p>The ukulele first arrived on the shores of Hawaii in 1879 in the guise of the Portuguese <i>braguinha<\/i>, a small four-stringed instrument from the island of Madeira, closely related to the mainland <i>cavaquinho<\/i>. <\/p><p>The instrument pitched up on the Hawaiian islands with Portuguese immigrants from Madeira, the Azores and Cape Verde. Three of these visitors – Manuel Nunes, Jos\u00e9 do Esp\u00edrito Santo, and Augusto Dias, all of them cabinet makers from Madeira – are credited as the first ukulele producers.<\/p><p>Just a fortnight after the visitors arrived in August of 1879, the local newspaper carried a report that ‘Madeira Islanders recently arrived here, have been delighting the people with nightly street concerts’. Lovely stuff.<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-4-why-is-it-called-a-ukulele-maybe-because-of-this-guy\"><strong>4. Why is it called a ukulele? Maybe because of this guy…<\/strong><\/h2><p>One man, Jo\u00e3o Fernandes, learnt to play on the four-month sea voyage to Hawaii and legend has it that islanders were so impressed with the speed of his finger work that they named the instrument \u2018ukulele\u2019, or \u2018jumping flea\u2019.<\/p><ul><li><strong>The ukulele features in our list of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/instruments\/easiest-instruments-play\">easiest instruments to play<\/a><\/strong><\/li><\/ul><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-5-for-the-hawaiian-royal-family-it-was-love-at-first-sight-or-sound\"><strong>5. For the Hawaiian royal family, it was love at first sight (or sound)<\/strong> <\/h2><p>Another (possibly more credible) explanation for its name came from Hawaiian royalty. Princess Likelike was herself a ukulele player and explained that the name meant \u2018the gift that came to here\u2019. <\/p><p>Royal seal of approval also came from Hawaii’s King Kal\u0101kaua (who reigned from 1874 to 1891, and was splendidly also known as the Merrie Monarch) and Queen Lili\u2018uokalani, who both played and composed on the instrument. With their endorsement it soon became central to the sound of Hawaiian music. <\/p><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Hawaii’s King Kal\u0101kaua (1836-1891) was an early fan of the ukulele. Pic: Pictures from History\/Universal Images Group via Getty Images – Pictures from History\/Universal Images Group via Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure><p>\u2018It brings a bouncing counterpoint to the rhythm guitar and a gut or nylon string timbre to groups of steel instruments,\u2019 guitarist and ethnomusicologist Bob Brozman explained to me back in 2006. \u2018And of course it provides a rhythm for singing as well as slack and steel guitar.\u2019<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-6-it-hit-the-us-big-time-during-world-war-i\"><strong>6. It hit the US big time during World War I<\/strong><\/h2><p>In 1915, the ukulele hit the US. A highly portable and inexpensive instrument, it sparked a craze and quickly became a staple of vaudeville, jazz and country music. Across the Pacific it was introduced to Japan in 1929 by Hawaiian-born Yukihiko Haida and its popularity has never diminished \u2013 in fact, the country is considered the ukulele\u2019s second home. <\/p><p>The instrument is loved by young Japanese, best exemplified by the flash mob group Ukulele Afternoon, who descend on beaches and shopping malls to play as a group and describe their form of playing as \u2018Punk rock combined with the sensitivity of a chamber orchestra\u2019.<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-7-george-formby-championed-the-uke-in-the-er-uk\"><strong>7. George Formby championed the uke in the, er, UK<\/strong><\/h2><figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embedwrapper\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"George Formby - When i'm cleaning windows\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/sfmAeijj5cM?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/><\/div><\/figure><p>Here in the UK, the \u2018uke\u2019 is most commonly associated with George Formby, the comedian and film star who played a banjolele \u2013 a ukulele hybrid with a banjo resonator body. Formby ignited a passion for the instrument in the Beatles\u2019 guitarist George Harrison, who had a ukulele in every room of his house. Other celebrity players include Paul McCartney and comedian Peter Sellers.<\/p><p>Although Formby was an impressive player, it\u2019s that jaunty \u2018Leaning on a Lampost\u2019 association that has sunk the instrument\u2019s reputation in the eyes of many people. But for classical guitarist Nick Browning, the ukulele is a very serious proposition. <\/p><p>\u2018I came to the uke as a challenge,\u2019 he explains. \u2018As a classical guitar student, I was very pleased with myself when I\u2019d cracked one of the <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/articles\/what-fugue\/\">fugues<\/a> <\/strong>by J.S. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/composers\/johann-sebastian-bach\">Bach<\/a><\/strong> on classical guitar. Then I heard a violinist playing it on just four strings and I wanted to know how they were doing it. So when I discovered the uke I set out to challenge myself to do just the same.\u2019<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-8-the-ukulele-orchestra-of-great-britain-can-play-you-almost-anything\"><strong>8. The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain can play you almost anything<\/strong><\/h2><p>The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain has become a national institution, with a repertoire that ranges from classical to punk, and spaghetti western to \u201970s disco. And yes, all of this musical cornucopia is performed on instruments with just four strings (a solitary acoustic bass guitar gets in on this technicality). <\/p><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1890\" height=\"1258\" src=\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2024\/06\/GettyImages-846198342.jpg\" alt=\"Members of The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain \" class=\"wp-image-207088\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Members of The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain pose with some splendidly decorated instruments. Pic: Eamonn M. McCormack\/Getty Images – Eamonn M. McCormack\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure><p>The orchestra has played a major part in popularising the ukulele, with sales at music stores booming and the instrument becoming a mainstay of schools\u2019 music curriculum. But it\u2019s been far from an overnight sensation. <\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-9-it-has-a-small-range-but-huge-potential\"><strong>9. It has a small range – but huge potential<\/strong><\/h2><p>Adding to the restriction of a small fretboard is the ukulele\u2019s \u2018re-entrant tuning\u2019, which is also found on instruments such as the five-string banjo and means that the strings don\u2019t run from low to high \u2013 instead, they begin with the G above middle C, then drop down to middle C itself before rising up to E and then A. This high register gives the ukulele its characteristically bright sound, but limits the range to that of a descant recorder.<\/p><p>\u2018With the re-entrant tuning, it\u2019s an exercise in minimalism,\u2019 explains the Orchestra’s Nick Browning. \u2018You have to imply a lot as there\u2019s no bass note. It\u2019s a small instrument with a tiny range, so you have to orchestrate carefully. But by using the high G and playing across the strings, it does allow you to achieve that <i>campanella<\/i> \u2013 or bell-like \u2013 sound that would have been heard in Elizabethan music. So the ukulele has the potential to connect people to a vast repository of classical and contemporary music.\u2019<\/p><div class=\"wp-block-group highlight-box is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container\"><h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-more-instrument-guides\">More instrument guides<\/h4><ul><li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/instruments\/oboe-vs-clarinet\/\">Oboe vs clarinet: what is the difference between these two woodwind instruments?<\/a><\/strong><\/li><li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/instruments\/pianola\/\">Pianolas: what they are and how they differ to the \u2018reproducing piano\u2019<\/a><\/strong><\/li><li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/instruments\/the-bassoon-a-guide-to-the-orchestras-largest-wind-instrument\/\">The bassoon: a guide to the orchestra\u2019s largest wind instrument<\/a><\/strong><\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div> <\/body><\/html>\n<hr class=\"no-tts wp-block-separator\"\/>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Published: Thursday, 27 June 2024 at 13:12 PM The guitar’s diminutive cousin, the ukulele has seen a huge surge in popularity in recent years. We’ve got some fascinating uke facts for you, along with some advice on picking up this most portable of instruments. 1. The ukulele is related to the violin The ukulele […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":44128,"template":"","categories":[1,17],"acf":{"readingTimeMinutes":"6"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/06\/a-jumping-flea-and-a-merry-monarch-nine-fascinating-facts-about-the-ukulele.jpg",1890,1417,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/06\/a-jumping-flea-and-a-merry-monarch-nine-fascinating-facts-about-the-ukulele-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/06\/a-jumping-flea-and-a-merry-monarch-nine-fascinating-facts-about-the-ukulele-300x225.jpg",300,225,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/06\/a-jumping-flea-and-a-merry-monarch-nine-fascinating-facts-about-the-ukulele-768x576.jpg",768,576,true],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/06\/a-jumping-flea-and-a-merry-monarch-nine-fascinating-facts-about-the-ukulele-1024x768.jpg",800,600,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/06\/a-jumping-flea-and-a-merry-monarch-nine-fascinating-facts-about-the-ukulele-1536x1152.jpg",1536,1152,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/06\/a-jumping-flea-and-a-merry-monarch-nine-fascinating-facts-about-the-ukulele.jpg",1890,1417,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"By Published: Thursday, 27 June 2024 at 13:12 PM The guitar’s diminutive cousin, the ukulele has seen a huge surge in popularity in recent years. We’ve got some fascinating uke facts for you, along with some advice on picking up this most portable of instruments. 1. The ukulele is related to the violin The ukulele…","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed\/44127"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rss_feed"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/44128"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=44127"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=44127"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}