Concert Ukulele

History of the Concert Ukulele

The history of the concert ukulele dates back to its Portuguese origins. Its likely ancestors are small string instruments known as a machete or cavaquinho, thought to have developed in the Madeira region. These instruments made their way to the islands of Hawaii with migrants in the 1800s and soon there were new Hawaiian influenced designs produced. Migrants such as Jose do Espirito Santo, Augusto Dias and Manual Nunes are widely regarded as the first luthiers to create the recognisable ukulele design. By the 1890s, the first instruments being sold as “ukuleles” were becoming popular. Since the creation of the ukulele in Hawaii, many varieties have evolved including the banjolele, concert ukulele and baritone ukulele. The concert ukulele was a model first issued by the American manufacturer C.F. Martin & Company. After the success of their soprano ukuleles, Martin initially released a larger ukulele known as a taropatch with eight strings. The paired strings on this instrument were unpopular with players who wanted something easier to play and thus the 4-string concert ukulele was devised and produced. The concert ukulele is still strongly associated with Hawaiian traditional music but became very popular in the 20th century as more musicians in popular music wanted a ukulele with a larger fretboard for fingering.

Inventor: Unknown