Ukeke
Encyclopedia
The 'ūkēkē is a musical bow
made of koa
wood, 16 to 24 inches long and about 1½ inches wide with two or three strings fastened through and around either end, tuned to an A major triad
. Prior to the introduction of steel strings, gut or sennit
(coconut fibre) were used.
The strings were strummed with one hand while the other hand kept the 'ūkēkē in position. The mouth would then act as a resonating chamber.
The ukeke is the only stringed instrument indigenous to Hawaii, with other Hawaiian string instruments like the ukulele
and slack-key guitar
having been introduced by European sailors and settlers.
Musical bow
The musical bow is a simple string musical instrument most archaic cultures as well as in many in the present day. It consisting of a string supported by a flexible stick 1.5 to 10 feet long, and strung end to end with a taut cord. Usually made out of wood...
made of koa
Koa
Acacia koa is a species of flowering tree in the pea family, Fabaceae. It is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands, where it is the second most common tree. The highest populations are on Hawaii, Maui and Oahu...
wood, 16 to 24 inches long and about 1½ inches wide with two or three strings fastened through and around either end, tuned to an A major triad
Major chord
In music theory, a major chord is a chord having a root, a major third, and a perfect fifth. When a chord has these three notes alone, it is called a major triad...
. Prior to the introduction of steel strings, gut or sennit
Sennit
Sennit is a type of cordage made by plaiting strands of dried fibre or grass. It can be used ornamentally in crafts, like a kind of macrame, or to make straw hats...
(coconut fibre) were used.
The strings were strummed with one hand while the other hand kept the 'ūkēkē in position. The mouth would then act as a resonating chamber.
The old experts made no sound with the vocal cords, but the mouth acted as a resonance chamber. The resulting sound suggested speech and trained persons could understand. It was sometimes used for love making.
The ukeke is the only stringed instrument indigenous to Hawaii, with other Hawaiian string instruments like the ukulele
Ukulele
The ukulele, ; from ; it is a subset of the guitar family of instruments, generally with four nylon or gut strings or four courses of strings....
and slack-key guitar
Slack-key guitar
Slack-key guitar is a fingerstyle genre of guitar music that originated in Hawaii. Its name refers to its characteristic open tunings: the English term is a translation of the Hawaiian kī hōalu, which means "loosen the [tuning] key"...
having been introduced by European sailors and settlers.
Modern usage
Hawaiian artists such as Palani Vaughn and Ranga Pae have incorporated the 'ūkēkē into their compositions.External links
- http://www.rangapae.com/Ukeke%20page.htm - A sound clip of the 'ukeke performed by Ranga Pae