ukulele

instrumentsyoo-kuh-LAY-leefrom Hawaiian

A small four-stringed instrument from Hawaii, similar to a guitar but higher-pitched and more compact.

In Depth

The ukulele (Hawaiian for jumping flea, possibly describing the quick finger movements of players) is a small guitar-like instrument with four nylon strings. It comes in four sizes: soprano (the smallest and most traditional), concert, tenor, and baritone (the largest, tuned like the top four strings of a guitar). The ukulele arrived in Hawaii in the 1880s with Portuguese immigrants from Madeira, who brought the machete de braga — a small string instrument that Hawaiians adapted and made their own. The ukulele became a symbol of Hawaiian culture and entered American popular music in the early 20th century. Its recent revival, driven by artists like Israel Kamakawiwo'ole and Jake Shimabukuro, has made it one of the most popular beginner instruments worldwide.
Did you know?

Israel Kamakawiwo'ole's ukulele version of Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World has been streamed over a billion times — making it one of the most-heard ukulele performances in history.

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