ukulele

The Ukulele, or Uke for short, is a four string, six string, or eight string instrument. It is originally from Portugal. The Hawaiians named the instrument the Ukulele, meaning Jumping Fleas when they saw the rapid movement of the Portuguese musicians. Hawaiians adopted the instrument and it is a part of the local culture. For years, local people have been playing the ukulele as accompaniment or solo instruments. It is common to hear families at night singing to one in their backyard or to see kids walking around with them at school. The Ukulele comes in diferent sizes. The soprano, concert, tenor, and baritone are most common. Tenor size ukes can be found with six or eight strings. The four-string ukes are tuned in G-C-E-A. Families and friend "Kanikapila," or play music at gatherings and parties.