The ukulele became Hawaii’s best-known folk instrument after Portuguese immigrants arrived in the 19th century.
Portuguese immigrants from Madeira and the Azores brought small stringed instruments, including the machete, braguinha, and rajão, to Hawaii. Hawaiian makers adapted these designs, and the resulting instrument became known as the ukulele. The name is commonly translated as “jumping flea,” although the exact linguistic explanation is debated.
The ukulele normally has four strings and is played by strumming or fingerpicking. Common sizes include soprano, concert, tenor, and baritone; the baritone is larger and usually tuned like the highest four strings of a guitar.
The ukulele is often confused with the four-string mandolin, but mandolins generally have paired strings, giving them eight strings in total. The charango is another small instrument, but it developed in the Andes rather than Hawaii.