1. Introduction to the Ukulele
Created to accompany the teaching notes and scheme of work by Olly Davey, Devon Music Service. For more assistance, contact DMS.
Olly Davey, Devon Music Service, 2006

2. Olly Davey, Devon Music Service, 2006
Paul Clews
Olly Davey, Devon Music Service, 2006

3. How the ukulele got to Hawaii
August 23, 1879
The “Ravenscraig” arrives in Honolulu
419 Portuguese immigrants from Madeira
4 months, 15,000 miles
When the Ravenscrag arrived in Honolulu on the afternoon of August 23, 1879, it was carrying 419 Portuguese immigrants from the island of Madeira to work in the sugar cane fields. It had been a long and hard journey of over 4 months and some 15,000 miles. In celebration of their arrival, Joao Fernandes borrowed his friend's braguinha, jumped off the ship, and started playing folks songs from his native land on the wharf. The Hawaiians who came down to the dock were very impressed at the speed of this musicians' fingers as they danced across the fingerboard and they called the instrument "ukulele", which translates into English as "jumping flea". You see, that was the image conjured up by those flying fingers.
Olly Davey, Devon Music Service, 2006

4. Halfway round the world
We come in search of a safe new home
Island to island, ocean to ocean,
Over the seas we roam.
Chord F throughout
Olly Davey, Devon Music Service, 2006

5. Olly Davey, Devon Music Service, 2006
Braguinha to Ukulele
Joao Fernandes played Madeiran folksongs on a “braginhua”
Hawaiians impressed by speed of his fingers; like “jumping fleas”
“ukulele” in Hawaiian
The Hawaiian people took to the ukulele very fast and within 10 years it had become Hawaii's most popular instrument. Much of this can be attributed to Joao Fernandes, the original fellow who jumped off the boat playing his home town folk songs. The story goes that he spent most of his time walking around Honolulu playing his ukulele, spending so much time at this, in fact, that his wife complained! The Hawaiians, who had by now become familiar with the sounds of guitars and other stringed instruments, liked what they heard. They became not only listeners, but students as well. Additionally, the ukulele was easy to learn to play and very portable.
Joao Fernandes
Olly Davey, Devon Music Service, 2006

6. Olly Davey, Devon Music Service, 2006
Braguinha
The original Portuguese instrument – note the similarity to the ukulele.
Olly Davey, Devon Music Service, 2006

7. The Growth of the Ukulele
Popular in Hawaii – even the King played it
1915 Exhibition in US – Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco
17m visitors
Hawaiian Pavilion sets off Hawaiian “craze” in US
Also thanks to Fernandes, King David Kalakaua heard the wonderful music from this small instrument and learned to play it. Fernandes recalled how he and his friends would go to the king's bungalow where there were "plenny kanakas (Hawaiians), much music, much hula, much kaukau (food), and much drink. All time plenny drink and King Kalakaua, he pay for all." The king designed and played his own instruments, learning from Augusto Dias, at whose shop he was a frequent visitor. He was one of Dias' most ardent patrons and even gave him permission to use the royal seal on every ukulele he made. Besides Kalakaua, other noble ali'i who played the ukulele were Queen Emma, Queen Lili'uokalani, Prince Leleiohoku, and Princess Likelike. With such royal involvement, it was inevitable that the ukulele would be accepted by the people, so much so that it long ago lost whatever royal aura it may have had and has indeed become the "people's instrument". By the late 19th Century, every Hawaiian music lover was strumming his own ukulele - from taro farmers to fishermen as well as Kings and Queens.
Since the popularity of the ukulele depended on them being around for everybody, manufacturing ukuleles was an important element in its success story. On the original immigrant boat, Ravenscrag , there were several Portuguese who were capable of making musical instruments; Augusto Dias, Jose do Espirito Santo, and Manuel Nunes. In 1884, Dias opened a small shop on King Street for manufacturing and repairing musical instruments, especially guitars and ukuleles. Four years later, both Santos and Nunes had opened shops. Of these, the most successful seems to have been Nunes, as he and his son Leonardo were making ukuleles into the 1930s.
In 1915 the ukulele began its popularity on the U.S. mainland. That was the year of the Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco, where Hawaii hosted a pavilion. The exposition celebrated the completion of the Panama Canal and lasted for 7 months. With exhibits from countries all over the world it attracted more then 17 million people, an amazing number considering the population in those days. The Territory of Hawaii viewed it as an important opportunity to promote its products, land, people and tourism, and the legislature appropriated over $100,000 for a Hawaiian Pavilion. The main attraction turned out to be the Hawaiian show featuring hulas and songs which ran many times a day. The music created a sensation, with such great musicians as Jonah Kumalae, the ukulele maker, and the Royal Hawaiian Quartette. Legend has it that the song "On the Beach At Waikiki" was the first big hit. This was the first time that Hawaiian music had been promoted on the U.S. mainland and it soon swept the country.
The Royal Hawaiian Quartette
Olly Davey, Devon Music Service, 2006

8. Olly Davey, Devon Music Service, 2006
Ukulele chords C F G
Don’t try to learn these all at once! G7 Am Dm
Olly Davey, Devon Music Service, 2006

9. Olly Davey, Devon Music Service, 2006
Five Little Monkeys
Chord C throughout:
Five little monkeys bouncing on the bed
One fell off and bumped his head
Mama called the doctor and the doctor said:
“No more monkey business bouncing on the bed!”
Click here for a backing track
Olly Davey, Devon Music Service, 2006

10. Olly Davey, Devon Music Service, 2006
Song of the Clocks
Big clocks tick quite slowly,
Tick tock, tick tock;
Small clocks tick more quickly
Ticka-tocka, ticka-tocka,
Watches go much faster
ticka-tocka, tick!
(Chord C throughout)
Olly Davey, Devon Music Service, 2006