#17 Ukuleles

Turn on the radio in Hawaii and it's certain that you'll hear this instrument on the air waves. The question is what will you hear it playing? From country to contemporary, from local island-style to reggae and Hawaiian, there is nothing quite like hearing the strum of the ukulele.

No matter if you play like tutu, or jam like Jake Shimabukuro, or soothe the hearts and minds of your listeners like Genoa Keawe and Braddah IZ, ukuleles are the Hawaiians first instrument of choice. It's simple enough for a 4 year old to learn, but if you've ever seen a master at the ukulele, you come to realize that there is nothing this instrument cannot do.
With this simple instrument Hawaiians have been able keep in touch with their heritage, keep up with the changing times, link the gaps between so many different genres of music and break down the doors of impossibility. Most especially, Ukuleles teach Hawaiians what music is really about, and that's for having fun together.

Picture this. It's 10 o'clock on the back porch, you're hanging with a group of friends. There's a cool summer breeze and someone has an ukulele. You can stay Hawaiian all night long.

Need someplace to find some chords for a local jam: Check out tropicalstormhawaii.com