A `Ukulele is:

• Small and Portable
• Light Weight
• Easy on the Fingers
• Less Required Fingers ( Four Strings, Four Fingers )
• Less Need for Strumming Accuracy

The music you play can be as simple or complex as you want. The Ukulele is a powerful musical instrument for communication.

The Ukulele History

In 1879, a Braguinha arrived in Hawaii on a Portuguese ship loaded with laborers destined for the sugar fields. Hawaiians made the instrument their own and calling it "ukulele" which translates to "jumping flea," It is believed to have originated because of the way a performer's fingers jump around on the strings.

The Ukulele Timeline

• 1879: Portuguese sailors introduce Hawaiians to small four-stringed instrument that gave rise to the ukulele.
• 1915: Panama Pacific International Exposition unveils ukulele to the world.
• 1920s: Ukuleles all the rage.

  This corresponds to the populary and availability of radio in the decade of the 20s to 40s.

• 1940s: Ukulele craze revived by GIs returning home from South Pacific after World War II.
• 1950s: Weekly TV host Arthur Godfrey keeps ukuleles in the spotlight.

  A shift from the popularity of radio to most household have access to a TV and the second wave of the ukulele craze.

• Current: Virtuoso musicians such as Jake Shimabukuro and James Hill are altering traditional perceptions of ukulele music.

  The third wave of the ukulele corresponding the the influence of the YouTube and the Internet.

Baritone Ukulele

The baritone ukulele can be used as a small starter guitar. Easy on little tikes hands.

With more and more children wanting to start guitar at an earlier and earlier age, the baritone ukulele, which is tuned just like the guitar's top (higher) four strings, is a great starter guitar.

5, 6, and 8 String Ukuleles

The most common number of strings are 4. By doubling any of the 4 strings, 5, 6 and 8 string variations are common. The Kanile’a 'Ukulele web site has a page of MP3 sound files titled Sound Files @ Kanile'a 'Ukulele. Check these out to here how quality Ukes are supposed to sound. Nothing like your cheaper Ukes in most music stores.

Ukulele prices range from a few dollars for cheap plastic toy ones up to a few thousand for custom built ukuleles using the best woods in the world. Everyone should have at least one ukulele.

More info:

• The Ukulele: Hawaii's Little Musical Giant
• How I Learned to Play the ‘Ukulele By John King

This is the best article that I have come across on the ukulele anywhere.

• Ukulele Hall of Fame Museum

Simulating Various Ukulele Scale Lengths

If you don't have any concert size instruments nearby to try in a store you can create the scale length on your tenor with an inexpensive capo. A capo on the second or third frets of a tenor leaves you with a scale length (and fret spacing) similar to a concert and the neck width at that level should be very close to that found on most concerts. And if you want to get an idea of what a soprano scale would feel like put the capo at the 4th fret and you'll be almost exactly at the standard 13 5/8 inch length. However the width at that point on a tenor will in most cases be greater than at the nut of a soprano.