Surprising Fact: There are 11 Different Types of Ukuleles

The ukulele, an instrument that has grown in popularity in recent years, is a small stringed guitar-like instrument. Though popularized by Hawaii's cultural exports, it was originally created by the Portuguese and brought to the idyllic islands in the 19th century by job-seeking immigrants.

Today, most people have a good idea of ​​what a ukulele looks and sounds like. But did you know there are many different types of ukuleles?

Keep reading if you want to learn everything there is to know about the different types of ukuleles. In this article, we'll dive into the origins and unique qualities that make each ukulele so special.

Standard Ukuleles:

The four most common types of ukulele are:

• Ukulele Soprano

• Ukulele Tenor

• Ukulele Concert

• Ukulele Baritone

Each has a unique sound and qualities that make them more suitable for different types of musicians. Let's look at each one in more detail.

Ukulele Soprano

The Soprano Ukulele is the smallest Uku and also the most recognizable and popular.

It is therefore the perfect travel instrument as it fits in almost any bag and weighs only a few pounds at most.

The Soprano Ukulele has the highest vocal range of any other ukulele due to its size, shape and number of strings.

Despite the general concern that the strings and frets are too small for those with larger hands, this instrument is actually perfectly suited for people of all hand and finger sizes.

The standard ukulele soprano is 21 inches long, has 12-15 frets and a GCEA tone.

It is important to note that compared to other types of ukulele, the Soprano tends to get out of tune faster than others.

However, throttling is also more manageable, so this shouldn't pose as much of a problem for most people.

Ukulele Tenor

The Tenor Ukulele is a larger version of the Soprano Ukulele, giving you a louder, fuller sound with more range and options than the standard version.

Plus, the instrument is a bit heavier, which means it's easier to use on stage or roam in your spare time.

However, due to its size, it is not quite as portable as the Soprano.

Due to the increased rod length and size, tenor ukulele players can also play higher notes on the fretboard.

This opens up a whole aspect of Ukulele songs that are not available at all to typical Uku Sopranos, making this the perfect choice for concert players or if you're just starting out. semi-professionally like my Uku.

The standard tenor ukulele is about 26 inches long, has 15-19 (or more) frets, and is typically tuned to GCEA.

However, sometimes you may want to tweak it lower down to DGBE, which is also entirely possible.

Concert Ukulele

In between the Tenor Ukulele and the Soprano, the Concert Ukulele is slightly larger in size than most ukuleles you'll find in the wild.

While that makes it less portable, you'll find that a full-bodied Concert ukulele sounds good even in crowded environments.

The neck concert ukulele is usually an inch or two longer than the average Soprano ukulele.

However, since it usually has fewer frets than the Tenor, you won't be able to hit the high notes as you can with the Tenor.

Another thing about Concert ukulele that people love is the spacing between the keys.

It has a bit more space in between each fret, making it a great choice for those with larger hands and fingers.

If you are looking for a traditional style ukulele that gives you more options than a soprano, then you can choose the Concert Ukulele.

Baritone Ukulele

Capable of achieving a deeper timbre than the rest, the Baritone Ukulele is the largest of the ukulele family and is often used to accompany full bands or stand out in a performance.

While these low notes are fun and useful, you lose a significant portion of the higher tones that Soprano, Concert, and Tenor ukuleles can produce.

While someone invented the Baritone Ukulele in the 1940s, it remains unclear who actually created this amazing instrument.

In an ancient story, two men, Arthur Godfrey and Herk Favilla, both claim to be the inventors of the Uku Baritone.

Godfrey is a television personality; Favilla is a third generation lute maker and stringed instrument shop owner.

If you are a guitarist, you may prefer the Baritone Ukulele as a traveling instrument because it is much smaller than the average guitar and it has a more similar timbre than other standard ukuleles.

It features a 30-inch or longer neck, a 19-21 fret, and a DGBE down-adjustment.

Special Types of Ukuleles

The following ukuleles are variations of the standard Soprano, Concert, Tenor and Baritone ukulele that you will find at every music store.

While many stores have these as well, they are less common and it may take a little more work to find one you like.

Pineapple ukulele

The Pineapple Ukulele is considered a novelty for some, but many musicians actually prefer it to the standard Soprano or Concert ukulele. It has a unique body shape that looks exactly like a pineapple cut in half and hollowed out.

While this may seem like an innocuous detail, it helps create a more vibrant sound than traditional body shapes.

As a result, the pineapple-shaped Uku is the preferred shape of many Soprano and Concert players, especially for troubadour or some form of performance.

People love the look and the sound better than the standard models.

Samuel Kaialiilii Kamaka invented the first pineapple shaped ukulele. He is the founder of the legendary Kamaka Ukulele brand.

Apparently, it reminded them of the pineapples the author and friends ate around the Hawaiian Islands.

Cutaway Ukulele

The Cutaway ukulele is a popular type at many music stores and is a particularly popular ukulele among players of all four main types.

Basically, a cutaway ukulele has a missing right shoulder. You can play the top keys more easily thanks to that missing part.

You can find cutaway variations of the Soprano, Tenor, Concert and Baritone ukulele, so how the defect affects the sound will depend on what you're playing.

Although it has a small effect on the roundness and depth of the sound, the notches mainly make it easier to play complex samples on such a small instrument.

Guitalele

The Guitalele is one of the most popular "hybrid" ukuleles, where the creators combine qualities from another stringed instrument into the compact ukulele form.

Guitalele is a combination of classical guitar and Ukulele Tenor.

While you can play multiple chords with a standard Uku, the Guitalele has 6 strings, giving you the ability to play a wider variety of chords.

A standard Uku Tenor already has a longer neck, so adding more strings gives you access to a wider variety of music.

However, the Guitalele's tuning is different from the standard Uku Tenor and classical guitar. It tunes to ADGCEA, raising the pitch of the guitar but lowering the pitch from the ukulele.

Banjolele

As you might have guessed, the Banjolele is a delightful cross between the ukulele and the banjo, a five-stringed instrument popular in country, bluegrass, and folk music.

The metal ring around the round body creates a unique sound that sets players apart from ukulele enthusiasts.

Like a full-size Banjo, the Banjolele usually has nylon strings but a higher tone than the GCEA. Therefore, Ukulele Soprano players can feel most comfortable with Banjolele.

However, Concert or Tenor players may find it a fun addition to their repertoire.

It has 15 frets, longer than the Soprano but standard for Concerts.

Banjolele reached its peak in popularity in the 1920s and 1930s with American artists such as Roy Smeck and Wendell Hall.

Since then, its use has dwindled and it's rarely seen played anywhere, let alone hung in music stores.

Today, however, it is gaining popularity as a distinctive instrument with a refreshing sound that you can use in many genres of music.

Ukulele Bass

The Bass Ukulele is a fun little instrument that's growing in popularity as a companion for bassists looking to address that musical itch.

Although the same size as the Baritone Ukulele, the Bass Ukulele has polyurethane strings that can mimic the notes of the Upright Bass.

Originally developed by Road Toad in 2007, who partnered with Kala in 2009, the Bass Ukulele or U-Bass was initially dropped as a gimmick to attract new Bass players to the world. scene.

However, once seasoned players get their hands on the instrument, they quickly realize that U-Bass is nothing to joke about.

Since the bass ukulele is new compared to the rest, it has only been recognized recently.

These days, you'll be hard-pressed to find a store or online retailer that doesn't stock some sort of portable U-Bass.

Harp Ukulele

A dreamlike combination of a harp and a ukulele, the Harp Ukulele features a long neck with fretted strings like a Tenor Ukulele or a Concert Ukulele.

However, it also has a harp-like bridge extension, with four or five strings without frets that you can play upright or lap like a standard Uku.

The exact origins of the Harp Ukulele are not entirely clear, but history credits Kris Knutsen with bringing the first harp to the United States in 1896.

While it has never achieved nearly as much popularity as other variations like Banjolele and Guitalele, musicians are now experimenting with them more often.

Without a doubt, they are one of the more unique instruments out there.

The difficulty with the Harp Ukulele is that it is difficult to produce top quality instruments.

However, with improvements in technology, the Harp Ukulele is likely to see a spike in usage in the coming years.

Electric Ukulele

Last but not least, the Electric Ukulele is just an electrified version of the standard Ukulele.

You can find Soprano, Tenor, Concert and Electric Baritone Ukulele. You can even find some special types of electric ukuleles, such as electric guitars or electric bass ukuleles.

They are especially useful if you want to record some music that uses a ukulele, plugged directly into your system.

There are two different types of electric ukuleles; full-electric and electro-acoustic.

While going all-electric may have some additional electronic interface options, electroacoustics are by far more common.

They are usually cheaper and you can play them without any audio equipment.

Edmund A. Rafalco patented the first electric Uku in 2012, which is the most recent Ukulele to appear.

However, since most music is made electronically these days, it's become readily available almost anywhere you can buy an instrument.

Conclusion

We have covered all the different types of ukuleles.

From the standard Soprano to the Harp Ukulele, we hope you have a better understanding of the many options available.

The more you learn about the different types of ukulele, the more creative and inspired you can become to create new music.

Every Uku has its use.

If you're looking for a reliable instrument that you can take with you when you travel, look no further than a unique ukulele that sounds great no matter where you are.