The ukulele is a fretted instrument fitted with four nylon strings tuned to G C E A. (Note: this is the normal tuning for the ukulele) The instrument can be played with the bare fingers, this method of playing is known as finger style. Another way of playing the ukulele is by strumming it with a ukulele plectrum. But the most popular method of playing the ukulele is with the bare fingers using complex strumming techniques.

The Ukulele is a musical instrument, which many people associate with Hawaii, but it originally was a Portuguese musical instrument, called the braguinha, having been taken to Hawaii in the latter part of the 19th. century, it soon became part of the Hawaiian culture. It was the Hawaiians that gave this musical instrument the name Ukulele (UKU meaning 'Flea' and LELE meaning 'to dance') In the early part of the 20th.century the ukulele became very popular in America. It was about this time that the ukulele-banjo was invented, due in part to the popularity of the banjo, and the lack of volume obtained from the soprano ukulele. The ukulele-banjo or banjo-ukulele or even banjulele, as they are known, were made popular by the English comedian George Formby, who even today is the person who most people associate with the banjo-ukulele. By the second half of the 20th. century the popularity of the ukulele had declined. Today the popularity of the ukulele is kept alive by the efforts and enthusiasm of a few people worldwide that still listen to, and play the ukulele. (Information about ukulele societies etc. can be found on the links page.) 

( Listed in alphabetical order)

Andy Eastwood is one of the finest Ukulele Banjo players in the world today. For more information

Click here to go to the Andy Eastwood web page, or go to the Performers page on this website.

Elias Sibley is one of the finest young finger-style ukulele players in the world today. For more information Click here to go to the ukulele webpage on Elias Sibley's website, or go to the Performers page on this website.

One of the best Ukulele Banjo players in the world today is Mark Walsh. For more information Click here to go to the Mark Walsh web page, or go to the Performers page on this website.

For information about other outstanding Ukulele performers, Click here or go to the Ukulele Links page on this website.