You might know chords and strumming patterns, but do you know these 10 ukulele facts? Uke teacher James W. has some great trivia for you…
The ukuele is a universally popular instrument and a fine way to enjoy music together anywhere anytime. So, here’s a little food for thought for the next time you’re strumming one…
The ukulele descended from an instrument called a machete brought to the islands by sailors visiting Hawaii from Portugal.
You may have heard that ukulele means “jumping flea” in Hawaiian. However, the last queen of the Kingdom of Hawaii, Liliuokalani, translated ukelele as “gift from afar”.
Beatle George Harrison, before he passed away, collected hundreds of ukuleles and was often seen strumming them or giving them away to friends.
In 1916 The New York Tribune Newspaper made fun of what they called “the Hawaiian Quarter”. Cartoonists lampooned the ukulele craze by depicting upper class people wearing grass skirts in the middle of a New York winter, while playing the uke of course. This did nothing to dull the popularity of the ukulele.
Early ukulele strings were made from cat or sheep gut. Most modern ukulele strings are now made of nylon, but you can still find gut strings at specialty shops.
Jason Mraz’s 2008 single “I’m Yours” is the best-selling ukulele song of all time. After spending 76 weeks on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart, it broke a record for the number of consecutive weeks spent on the chart. It is also the tenth best-selling digital download of all time in the United States with over six million downloads sold.
There is a Ukelele Orchestra in Great Britain that is hugely popular. They regularly perform worldwide to great critical acclaim.
The ukulele business is booming! In recent years, ukulele manufacturers such as Kala have reported growth of 500-600%.
The first man on the moon, Neil Armstrong loved to play the ukulele (as do many other famous people). In fact, after visiting the moon he spent several weeks in quarantine as scientists at the time feared he may have picked up strange bacteria while in space. He spent much of this time in quarantine strumming his uke.
In the event of an apocalypse, you can transform your ukulele into a flamethrower. Check out this Mad Max inspired tutorial and watch out for war boys! Remember kids, safety first!
Do you know any interesting facts about ukuleles? Let us know in the comments below!
Post Author: James W.James W. teaches guitar, singing, and acting lessons in Jacksonville, FL. He specializes in teaching pop, rock, and modern country styles. James has been teaching for 10 years and joined the TakeLessons in 2010. Learn more about James here!
Photo by reway2007
Megan L.