Custom Ukuleles

The ukulele is an instrument that is rich with history and tradition. First appearing in Hawaii in the 1800s, the ‘uke' has found a unique home for itself in both traditional and popular music. Artists as diverse as Eddie Vedder, Amanda Palmer, Don Ho, and Jason Mraz have all made use of the ukulele over the years to add a special something to their classic songs. A great starting point for musicians of any age, the uke is an easy to learn instrument that will provide a challenge, as well as musical joy, for years to come. Before you purchase your new ukulele, there are some things you will want to keep in mind. Most importantly, keep in mind that ukuleles come in four main sizes – soprano, which are the smallest and have the highest pitch, concert, which offer a rich mid-range tone, tenor, which features a deep tone and long fret board, and baritone, which produces the lowest uke tones and is tuned differently from its counterparts.

There are four main types of ukuleles: the baritone ukulele (18-21 frets), the tenor ukulele (17-19 frets), the ukulele concert (15-18 frets), and the soprano ukulele (12-15 frets).

High-quality ukes are made of acacia koa or mahogany. The cheaper models are built using plywood, plastic, or laminate woods, and they're a great choice for beginners.

The best and most popular ukulele brands and manufacturers are Gecko,Kala, Lanikai, Mahalo, Hola!, Luna, Oscar Schmidt, ADM, Sawtooth, Diamond Head, Lohanu, Ohana, Pono, Kamaka, and Kanilea.

The uke is a versatile instrument that can be carried inside a small gig bag.

It is often used and heard in a broad range of musical genres, including jazz, country music, pop, world music, and rock.

It is also the instrument that best represents surfing and surfers and is relatively easy to play.

The most common and standard ukulele tuning is G4, C4, E4, and A4, but it only applies to soprano, concert, and tenor models.

The ukulele is easier to learn than the guitar and other stringed instruments like the mandolin. Its soft nylon strings are gentler on your fingertips and don't create finger pain like guitars do.

However, generally speaking, it can take anywhere from a a few weeks or months to a few years to become proficient at playing the ukulele. If you're a complete beginner, you must learn the basics of the instrument, such as how to hold it, strum, and play chords.

The typical ukulele shape is a figure eight design. A traditional, non-cutaway shape gives the instrument its mini acoustic guitar look. The figure eight shape sometimes features a cutaway on the right shoulder, which allows for easier access to higher frets. Another variation is the oval, or pineapple, ukulele shape. This shape gives a stronger, resonant sound—especially to soprano and concert models. These days, there are even varieties that combine the uke with other exciting instruments for a truly unique musical experience.

High-quality ukuleles are made with solid wood, while more affordable models use laminates. Often, uke tops—which directly affect the sound quality—use a solid tonewood, like spruce, for a bright sound. For a traditional Hawaiian look and sound, search for koa wood in the body.

Mahogany is often used for the uke’s neck to yield a darker, warmer sound. Rosewood is a popular, durable choice for fretboards, and can even be used in the body.

The 4-string ukulele is the standard variation, but 6- and 8-string ukes also exist.

Typically found in tenor ukuleles, the 6-string variation is set up with two single and two double courses. This type of tenor can also be referred to as a “Lili’u” ukulele.

Rarer 8-string variations can usually be found on taropatch baritone ukuleles.

A classical guitar will give you a good sense of how a ukulele operates, though the ukulele, as well as being much smaller, has four strings rather than the guitar’s six strings. Ukuleles also are far quieter, and like the guitar they don’t have a deep tone. Banjos have 4 strings but they can also have 5 strings, and are distinct from ukuleles in their tone which is brighter than the mellow ukulele tone.

There are a couple of ways to tune a ukulele. If you are a beginner, then you might want to invest in a tuner. With a tuner, all you have to do is clip it onto the headstock of your ukulele and turn it on (the tuner, that is! The ukulele thankfully doesn’t need turning on.) Then, making sure that the tuner is in C mode, you can simply begin by plucking the G string, which will be the one nearest your face. Your tuner will tell you if you’re in tune or if you need to very slightly tighten or loosen the string. You can then proceed to the rest of the strings in a like manner.

If you don’t yet have a tuner, but do have some kind of reference source such as a tuned or digital piano, then you can compare the sound of the strings (G, C, A and E) with that of the piano. Alternatively, you only really need to tune your G string, and then you can use that to tune the A string by placing your finger on its second fret, the E string by placing your finger on the third fret, and then tune the C string by placing your finger on the fourth fret and aligning the pitch to the E string.

Most ukuleles have only four strings. But some have up to eight with strings paired together in courses that allow players to strum at greater volumes. While the ukulele is known as an acoustic instrument, there are acoustic-electric ukuleles. Certain ukes even have USB connectivity, allowing players to record directly into a computer. Compared to guitars or banjos, ukuleles are extremely small, lightweight, and portable. The instrument’s delightful sound often gives compositions a tranquil, charming air.

Ukulele Tabs: A community to share ukulele chords for songs, new and old.

Ukulele Underground: This online community has a very active forum, learn-to-play video lessons, and play-along-song videos.

EzFolk.com Ukulele Chord Charts: Chord charts with variations arranged by letter.

Ukulele Chord Finder: Has an interactive chord diagram which includes different tunings for the ukulele. *Note* the default tuning is Soprano – D, switch to Soprano – C for the more common tuning.

Ukulele Chords – King of Charts: Has downloadable charts, chords are arranged by letter.