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More informationHardly anyone in this country has done as much to spread the ukulele in recent years as Stefan Raab - and maybe Israel "IZ" Kamakawiwo'ole with his version of "Somewhere over the Rainbow" - of course performed on this small, so lovable one Instrument. The history and origin of the ukulele is of course much older than these two gentlemen would be together. So let's go to the beginning.
A History of the Ukulele
If you had to name countries that played a major role in the development of the ukulele, that would be a little Portugal and a lot Hawaii. In the second half of the 19th century, immigrants from the Portuguese enclave of Madeira brought a variant of the cavaquinho, a very small version of a guitar, to the island that decades later would become part of the United States. That's where the name ukulele came from, meaning jumping flea. Everyone can decide for themselves whether that should describe the sound of the very short strings or the fingers flying over the compact neck.
However, the worldwide triumph of the ukulele was still many decades to come, and ukuleles only recently have become a real phenomenon - historically speaking. Today, the tiny instrument sells great alongside acoustic and electric guitars, electric basses and other modern musical instruments.
The inexpensive entry
Is it any wonder that ukuleles have become a real trend instrument? No, because several advantages are obvious. First of all, good quality ukuleles, whether in baritone, tenor, concert or soprano format, can be obtained quite cheaply. Usually in a set with a gigbag it starts at 20 euros. If you rely on quality for lasting fun, a budget of €100 to €200 will do.
An ukulele simply takes up significantly less space than a guitar, for example. So you can always have one with you on vacation. Thanks to its compact dimensions and soft strings, the instrument is ideal as an introduction to the world of music for children. Even adults can learn their first songs on the ukulele in a very short time. After all, you only have to keep four strings under control and the distances and resistances are pretty small.
By the way: For experienced guitarists, the intervals between the strings and the resulting fingering patterns or chords are confusing at first. The fact that the top string is the highest is also something new. But you get used to that quickly. It's a similar but still different instrument.
The different sizes
And how do I find the right ukulele for me now? Once you have decided on a budget, the first question to ask is what format you want. There are four "classic" sizes:
Baritone Ukulele: The largest of the typical ukuleles. Mostly tuned to d-g-b-e and therefore lower than the other designs. You can find a nice selection of models here: (https://shop.warwick.de/de/instrumente/ukulele/baritone)
Tenor ukulele: Slightly smaller than the baritone but already tuned "normally" to g-c-e-a, you get the richest sound here. Particularly suitable for chord accompaniment. You can find a nice selection of models here: (https://shop.warwick.de/de/instrumente/ukulele/tenor)
Concert Ukulele: The mid-size among the classically tuned ukuleles. It offers a mixture of soprano and tenor. Particularly suitable for people with large hands who actually want the soprano sound but cannot cope with the small spacing of the soprano model’s fretboard. You can find a nice selection of models here: (https://shop.warwick.de/de/instrumente/ukulele/concert)
Soprano Ukulele: The classic and the most compact and popular ukulele. Mostly tuned in g-c-e-a, this design inspires with very lively, bright and probably most typical ukulele sounds. You can find a nice selection of models here: (https://shop.warwick.de/de/instrumente/ukulele/soprano).
There are also special forms such as the very popular bass ukuleles (https://shop.warwick.de/de/instrumente/u-bass), with which you can also indulge in much deeper sounds in a compact format. So-called guitarleles (https://shop.warwick.de/de/instrumente/guitarlele) make it easier to switch to guitars, since you get six strings and the usual intervals. In other words, they are very small acoustic guitars.
Entry-level models
As already mentioned above, the entry into the world of ukuleles starts at a price at which you cannot even get a full meal in a restaurant. But even if you can buy a ukulele in the supermarket and it appears to be a toy - if you want to play your instrument regularly and often, we recommend going to a music dealer. There you are much better off with questions and get strings and other accessories. And who knows, you might want to switch to a higher-quality instrument soon. Then you are in good hands here.
When it comes to manufacturers, there is by now more than enough choice. Including of course the usual suspects like Fender or Epiphone, but due to history also other manufacturers like Kala (https://kalabrand.com) or Mahalo of course. These and other manufacturers also offer complete sets with ukulele, bag, strap, teaching material and much more. With this you can start straight into the world of these compact, fascinating instruments.
Room to grow
Once the ukulele virus has a firm grip on you, everything is open-ended in terms of quality and price. For handcrafted ukuleles made of fine woods, you can quickly reach 500 €. If you even have an instrument tailored to your needs, it can also be significantly more expensive. But that doesn't have to be the case for most people. Because in the range of 100 to 200 € really good instruments are available, with which you can be happy for a lifetime. So, what are you waiting for?
