This miniature Hawaiian instrument is very similar to a regular guitar: all the same neck, all the same deck, but instead of 6 strings – 4. There are several species of ukulele. They differ only in size. The more the cursor is — the lower the structure is played on the instrument.
Soprano is the most common form. Instrument length — 53cm. Configured in GCEA (more about the systems a bit below).
The concert is a bit larger and sounds louder. Length — 58cm, GCEA system.
Tenor — this model appeared in the 20’s. Length is 66cm, the standard or lowered DGBE system.
The baritone is the biggest and youngest model. The length is 76 cm, the structure is DGBE.
Sometimes you can meet non-standard Ukulele with twisted strings. 8 strings are broken in pairs and tuned in unison. This allows for more surround sound.
Ukulele tuning
The most popular system is GCEA. It has one interesting feature. The first strings are tuned as on ordinary guitars — from the highest to the lowest sound. But the fourth string – G refers to the same octave as the rest 3. This means that it will sound higher than the 2nd and 3rd strings. Such a system makes the game on ukulele a little unusual for guitarists. But, it’s pretty comfortable, and it’s easy to get used to it. The baritone and, sometimes, the tenor are tuned to DGBE. The first 4 guitar strings have a similar structure. As in the case of GCEA, the string D belongs to the same octave as the others. Some musicians also use the advanced system — ADF # B. It finds its application in Hawaiian folk music. A similar system, but with an octave lowered by the 4th string, is taught in Canadian music schools.
Chords for ukulele
When you can confidently clamp the strings and extract sounds from them, you can begin to study the chords. Since there are fewer strings here than on a guitar, chords are much easier to clamp.
The picture shows a list of the main chords that you will use during the game. Points are marked frets, on which you need to clamp the strings. If there is no point on some string, then it should sound in the clear.
