Ukulele strum-along

Also known as 'Ukulele

The 'ukulele is a small four-string guitar that took its Hawaiian form in the 1880s from small guitars brought by Portuguese settlers. Its re-entrant tuning gives a bright, chiming strum that suits singing along.

Play the preview About this tradition

Ukulele strum-along: photograph by Beach Photo Studio, Buffalo, NY — Photo: Beach Photo Studio, Buffalo, NY, Public domain, source on Wikimedia Commons

Ukulele strum-along: the game in attract mode

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How to play

The four strings are on the top row and four chord strums on the lower row.
Notes travel toward a line at the bottom; strike the lane just as a note arrives.
In the first song, strum the chord named in each bar with a down, a down-up and an up-down-up.
Then pick the strings one by one in the arpeggio, and finish with the short chop strum.

Rules at a glance

The strings are tuned G, C, E, A with the G above the C, a re-entrant tuning.
A stroke within a hair of the note is perfect, a near one is good, and a missed one scores nothing.
An extra stroke while a song is running costs a few points.
Each song plays twice; three stars need roughly nine notes in ten on time.
A chord lane is one sounded note at the chord's root; strum direction is not judged.

About the tradition

The 'ukulele grew from small guitars of Madeira that reached Hawaii in 1879. It became a staple of island music and is now played in schools, bands and living rooms around the world.

Origins

A living tradition passed from person to person; it is not tied to a single dated origin. It belongs to the cultural world of Pacific and Oceania.

Credits

Tradition: Hawaiian 'ukulele strumming; figures written for this game
Photo of a Hawaiian musician from the Pan-American Exposition archive (public domain)
Photo: Beach Photo Studio, Buffalo, NY, Public domain, source on Wikimedia Commons
Text: CC BY-SA 4.0, World Heritage Games.

Sources

commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hawaiian_musician_with_ukulele._Taken_

Get the app

Ukulele strum-along is one of 10 instruments and dances in the Music & Dance of the World app for iPhone, iPad and Android. Submitted to the App Store and Google Play; in review. Store links appear here the day it goes live. One app, many traditions, no account needed.

See all 10 instruments and dances in the app

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