The Roots of Hawaiian Ukulele Music

Hawaiian ukulele music has only recently been given the respect it deserves. During the early part of the 20th Century, the ukulele became a trendy instrument that was associated with romanticized ideas of the Hawaiian Islands. While there may have been some genuine curiosity and respect for the musical heritage of these islands, the ukulele was principally popular at that time because its predisposition to open tunings, easy fingerings and easy chording made it a favorite of musicians who didn’t take learning it all that seriously. There are some truly great Hawaiian musicians, however, and there music was as serious and difficult as was anyone else’s.

Slack Key music is one of the most characteristic forms of Hawaiian ukulele music. The music is associated with the Pacific islands on the whole, but most Americans will be familiar with the types that come from Hawaii. The ukulele, in this type of music, fully sheds its easy-to-play label. This music generally requires the performer to play two parts, at least, on the instrument, rather as one would expect of a classical guitarist. It is one of the most exotic sounding types of music and has been an influence on some popular music.

A discussion about Hawaiian Ukulele music wouldn’t be complete without Don Ho, one of the island’s most famous performers. Ho made the ukulele famous by writing music that was popular enough to make it onto the charts. Instead of the more folksy types of music that most people associated with Hawaiian music, Ho added layers of complexity, a band comprised of very skilled performers and touches of other musical influences, such as jazz. This is the Hawaiian ukulele music with which the most people, by far, will be very familiar and remains one of the most popular today, long after it was recorded.

Playing actual Hawaiian ukulele music requires a real instrument. Ukuleles are easily imitated, but the actual instruments are complex affairs with expensive wood and precision standards of manufacture. A proper ukulele doesn’t have the tinny sound associated with the cheaper models. In fact, there are different voices of ukuleles available and many of them have very lush, deep sounds to them that make them very beautiful to listen to. When the right music is played on them, they truly do invoke the islands and the Pacific, but none of the frivolous tourist versions of either.