The ukulele is known as a Hawaiian instrument, but it is quite pervasive throughout the Island groups of the Pacific. While not a ‘traditional’ instrument of the Cook Island Maori (whose music prior to western cultural influence was heavily rhythmic, with different toned pātē or drums intertwining in counterpoint), the uke is now highly prevalent, and Island made instruments are a common souvenir for tourists.

My eight string uke, a souvenir of Rarotonga

My wife bought me this lovely instrument from the market in Avarua. Ukuleles on the island came in two distinct styles. The first, a half coconut shell formed the sound box, with a thin ply fret board extending out from this. These were commonly painted with island scenes, and resembled the common four string ukes you would find in Hawaii. The more beautiful ones were single blocks of hardwood, with lovely carvings on the face, and an echo chamber hollowed out of the back.

Intricate carvings on the body.

The instrument I bought is tuned in the common ‘C’ tuning. That is, G-C-E-A. The four pairs of strings are all tuned in unison (as opposed to octaves as they would be on a 12 string guitar). This tuning means that chords are simply a fourth above the same fingering on the top four strings of a guitar. ie, finger the common guitar ‘D’, (x-x-0-2-3-2), and you will be playing a ‘G’. Finger a ‘G’ (x-x-0-0-0-3) and you will be playing a ‘C’. etc.

The distinctive strumming sound of this instrument comes from the fact that the A string is not tuned to a fourth above the E string – it is a fifth below it, or a tone above the G string. This means any down strum is going to hit a relatively low note last, which pulls the ear down with it unexpectedly.

With chords easily worked out transposing from the guitar, I needed to practice some ‘island’ strumming patterns. These are taking some – but for now I can make do with more traditional guitar strums. The thing I am finding hardest with the instrument is picking. With eight strings very close together and very low over the body, there is no room to get your fingers in there. I’ve browsed the web for hints and tips, and everyone I’ve seen has a four string uke with inches between the strings! So, does anyone out there have an eight string uke? Is it a strum only instrument? Are my clumsy fingers just too used to nice easy classical guitars? Any tips?