Ukulele Research Paper

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When you think of the ukulele, you might think of Hawaii, music, or rainbows. But have you ever thought how volcanoes affected the history of the ukulele? Yes, Hawaii, music, and maybe rainbows had an impact on the history of the ukulele, but there are several events that led to the complexity of the ukulele. According to the thresholds of Big History, all objects, living or nonliving, go through specific events that affected the future of that object. The ukulele is an object that went through the thresholds of Big History due to the history of the ukulele, the history of Hawaiian culture, and the history of the Hawaiian islands.
Although the ukulele might look like a smaller version of a guitar, they are actually quite different. First …show more content…
However, when it was invented in Portugal, the original name was machete. The term machete comes from the Spanish word “macho” meaning having a strong and firm body. It was not until Portuguese settlers brought their profound machete to the Hawaiian islands in the early 1800’s that the name “ukulele” was born. There are many legends about how the ukulele was named the way it was, but the name means “jumping flea” which refers to how fingers fly across the fingerboard. When the settlers arrived on Hawaii, their main purpose was to find a place to settle. Once the native Hawaiians saw the settlers playing this instrument, they were intrigued. The king of Hawaii at the time, King Kalakaua was especially fond of the instrument. Within ten years of its first appearance in Hawaii, the ukulele was part of the Hawaiian culture. Since its arrival in Hawaii, the ukulele has been introduced to several other countries. The ukulele was first introduced to the United States during in San Francisco during the Pacific-Panama expedition in 1915. Similar to its beginning in Hawaii, the United States immediately adored the little instrument. Guitar makers all over the country were especially intrigued by the instrument, and began constructing their own versions. One innovator, Manuel Nunes, changed the strings from steel to gut which helped improve the sound. He also thought of a new way to tune the ukulele and changed the wood type to koa tree wood to allow a lighter sound. As innovators increase the complexity of their ideas, the ukulele will continue to increase in not only complexity, but in quality. Today, the ukulele is still very popular with artists around the world, and still known for the impact on Hawaiian
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