Ukulele Underground Forums. Ukulele reviews and commentaries. People laughed when I entered the room with my ukulele in hand... that's a common reaction to the uke from people who don't appreciate its versatility or range. It looks small, so it must be a toy or a novelty instrument, they think. It can't be a serious instrument they imagine - but it has been taken very seriously in Hawaii for more than a century. Many musicians are taking it very seriously, today, too. But serious doesn't mean it's not also a lot of fun. A uke looks like a small, four-string guitar. Ukulele owners may blanch at that description, but it's fair, given its ancestry.
To be technically correct using musicology terms, a ukulele is classified as a chordophone in the plucked lute group of musical instruments. Ukuleles usually have four strings, although six- and eight-stringed versions exist (these always pair with an existing string, either the same note or an octave apart). However, the traditional uke is tuned with the fourth (G) string an octave higher. Back to top. Ukulele theory for noobs. Shop the Ukulele Source - Flea Market Music Online Store for Ukuleles, CDs, DVDs, Songbooks and More. Ukulele Underground - Free online video ukulele lessons, tabs, chords, and the largest ukulele forum on the internet!