The Hawaiian ukulele began as an adaptation of a Portuguese instrument called a machete.
(You read that right. In Spanish, "machete" is a tool & weapon; in Portuguese, it's an instrument.)
Immigrants brought with them this small four-stringed version of the guitar.
It quickly became virtually synonymous with Hawaiian music.

It is typically strummed with the fingers, although some of us prefer to use a pick.
This pick is larger than that of a guitar and made of thick felt.

In the early years of the twentieth century, ukulele playing was a fad in the United States.
Much pop sheet music of that time was published with ukulele chords included with vocal and piano.
Sometimes this included chord names (such as D7), but often it was unlabeled fret diagrams.
Also, the tuning would be shown, because there are numerous tunings other than the traditional standard.

 


Famous Hawaiian Ukulele Players

  • Lydia Lili'u Loloku Walania Wewehi Kamaka'eha
    showed a natural musical ability at a young age.
    In addition to singing, she learned to play piano, organ, zither and guitar.
    And, of course, ukulele.
    She composed over 150 songs.
    The most famous is entitled "Aloha 'Oe."
    She became the last monarch of the Kingdom of Hawaii.
    She took the royal name Liliuokalani.
    (So if you are looking for music by her, use that name!)
  • Donald Tai Loy Ho
    was a pop singer who was active from 1960 until the 21st century.
    He was known for his friendly boy-next-door personality.
    He liked to perform music written by Hawaiian songwriters.
    He is best known for his 1966 hit "Tiny Bubbles."
    You might know him by the name Don Ho.
  • Israel Ka'ano'i Kamakawiwo'ole
    didn't just add uke to his list of instruments, he specialized in it!
    He probably had a lot to do with renewed interest in the instrument in the 1990s.
    He incorporated elements of jazz and reggae into his music.
    If you saw him, you would understand why he recorded on the label "Big Boy Records."
    He is best known for combining "Over the Rainbow" and "What a Wonderful World" into a seamless song.
    You may call him simply Bruddah Iz.

~ FURTHER READING ~

Here's an actual conversation between a two-year-old and me.

2yo:   I wanna play my kuh-lay-lee.
Me:   Do you mean U-kulele?
2yo:   Yeah, MY kuh-lay-lee!