Ukuleles, like their players, come in all different shapes, sizes and sounds. What we all know as the original, standard uke, was created in Hawaii, based on the Portuguese chordophones, the cavaquinho, rajão, and braguinha. These four stringed mini guitar-like instruments were brought to Hawaii by musicians from Portugal, before the US gained control of the islands.
These instruments were plucked and strummed with the fingers, and all had the very distinct "plinky" sound of today's ukuleles. Skilled craftsmen cabinetmakers from Madeira were the first to build ukes in Hawaii, essentially recreating the instruments from their homeland. Thus, the unique Hawaiian musical sound was born- King Kalakaua was very musically inspired, and began to work ukuleles in to his royal parties and ceremonies.
As the uke progressed and gained popularity in the US, an array of sizes were developed by luthiers across the country. Multi-instrumentalists were getting turned on to the sound, and for guitarists, it was a simple transition. Soon, along with the Soprano (standard), came the Concert, Tenor and Baritone, all maintaining the essence of the Uke, but changing the dynamics of tone and volume.
The Soprano (or standard) ukulele is what most of the world thinks of when the term is mentioned. Picture Tiny Tim tiptoeing through the tulips- the Soprano ukulele traditionally measures 13" between the nut and the bridge (Scale length) with a total length of 21". The Soprano Uke is most commonly tuned to C tuning, g'c'e'a', with a popular alternate tuning, one step up of a'd'f#'b, which often produces a sweet, ringing sound.
The Concert Ukulele, is just a bit larger than the Soprano. Due to it's larger size it produces a slightly deeper sound with more volume than the Soprano Ukulele. The scale length is 15", with a total length of 23". The larger size makes the fingerboard easier to maneuver and easier to learn. It is tuned to the C Tuning, g'c'e'a' and also sees the D tuning one step up, a'd'f#'b.
The Tenor Ukulele is just larger than the Concert Ukulele, with a scale length of 17" and a total length from tip to tail at 26". It produces a deeper sound, but maintains the unmistakable ukulele tone. This uke, like the two smaller ones, is tuned to g'c'e'a'.
The Baritone ukulele is the big brother of them all, often playing the bass line notes in a ukulele composition. The scale length is 19", with a total of a whopping 30" length. Good for transitioning guitarists, the Baritone ukulele shares a tuning- d'g'b'e', like the four strings on a standard tuned guitar.
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