If you're trying to figure out what all the different parts of the ukulele are called, you'll find it all in this mega guide to ukulele anatomy!
In this guide you will learn the names of all the important parts that make up your uke. In addition to that, we will also cover each and every part for you to knowExactlywhat are they all doing
Now that you play the ukulele, it's very helpful to understand how all of these parts come together to affect the sound and playability of your instrument. So try to read the full guide to improve your experience.
Let's go in right away!
Basic sections of the ukulele
Before we look at the different ukulele part names below, it's important to understand them first3 main sectionsinstruments
- First, we have themBodyof the Cavaquinho. This is the part of the instrument where you pluck the strings with your playing hand.
- Then theThe neckit's the part of the ukulele you hold in your worried hand.
- Finally, thatKopf(or headstock) is the area where you will tune your uke.
You'll find these key areas on all types of ukuleles, with the exception of headless ukuleles. These special designs have no head.
Good and easy so far, right?
Now that you know the basic parts of the ukulele, let's move on and look at all the smaller parts that make it up.
Ukulele-For-You-Chart
Below is a handy and elegant ukulele parts diagram that clearly identifies most of the major parts that make up the instrument.
Once you've learned the different part names above, move on to the next section of the page where I explain what each part does (plus several other parts that aren't on this worksheet!).
Ukulele-For you
For those of you whoin realityIf you want to learn and learn what each part of the ukulele does, then the next part of the guide is for you!
Let's start with the parts that make up the head and then move on to the instrument.
As we mentioned above, theKopfthe ukulele is the section where you will tune the ukulele. This part is also commonly referred to asPeg box.
Tuner
You can find machine heads in the headstock of almost all ukuleles except for headless designs. These models have no headstock and usually have tuners on the body.
Machine heads are actually made up of many smaller individual parts, such as pegs and tuning pegs. Most people will simply refer to the entire engine as theTunerAlthough.
Most ukuleles have four strings, so you won't be surprised to find that most ukuleles have four tuners. There are two main tuner designs,4 in a row(4 straight), or2+2(i.e. 2 on the left and 2 on the right). If you look at the diagram above, you can see that the Alvarez head has a 2+2 layout on the left, while the Fender head has a 4-in-line style on the right.
There are other less common designs, for example a 5 string ukulele may have a 2+3 or 5 in line configuration.
There are two important minor parts of the tuner that I highlighted above. Hetuning pegs(or tuning knob) is the part we turn to raise or lower the pitch of the string. HeTuning-Post(or rope bar) is the tall, cylindrical part around which we wrap the rope. Of course, there are other mechanisms that make up the entire tuner, but these two are the most important ones to know.
If you're new to the ukulele, why not check out my huge one?Guide for guitar tunersto discover the best method to perfectly tune your ukulele.
BEST ADVICE!When tuning your ukulele, always make sure you are in tuneunderfirst before tuning the pitch. This prevents overstretching and breaking of the string.
Mutter
Where the headstock meets the fretboard is where you'll find the nut, a thin strip of plastic or bone that holds each string in position. It also keeps the strings at the right height on the neck.
It is usually made from materials like Corian, Tusq, Bone, Plastic, Graphite or Brass to name a few.
If you look closely at the saddle, you'll notice a series of grooves where the strings attach. Each slot varies in width so each individual string fits snugly and doesn't overly vibrate or proud.
The nut (along with the bridge, which you can discover below) helps define thatscale lengthdes Instruments in aMutterShell (see what I did there?) The scale length is the length of the vibration of an open string.
You can find out more about this on mineGuitar Scale Length Guide!
If you were paying attention at the beginning of this guide, you know that the neck is the part of the uke that you hold with the hand that interests you. But you probably already knew that, right?
In one playing position, your thumb is on the back of your neck. The front of the fretboard is not visible as the fretboard is laid on.
Many people get confused and mistakenly refer to the arm as an arm. It is important to know that these are realthe separatedpart of the party week.
Although other materials are used for the arms, most are made from some type of wood. Four types of wood you commonly see on ukulele necks are mahogany, maple, koa, and rosewood. More sophisticated ukuleles may use more exotic woods such as ebony or wenge. Cheaper models may even have plastic necks. Try to avoid them!
High quality weapons are usually made from a single solid piece of wood. In other cases, they can be constructed with several thinner strips of different woods.
tuning fork
Glued to the top of the neck is the fretboard (also Thetuning fork), a thin strip of wood that contains the frets.
Several different types of wood are used here, which affect the tone of the ukulele so muchjthe feeling. The most commonly used woods are rosewood and ebony. look at meArm guide made of woodto learn more about this topic.
Upon closer inspection, you will likely notice that your ukulele's neck is not entirely flat, in fact it has a slight curve. This curve is called the pitch.Radioand has a profound impact on how the uke feels.
Simply put, the larger the Radius value, the flatter the scale will be under your fingers.
aggravation
As mentioned above, the neck contains the frets. These are short pieces of metal wire that are hammered into the wood at specific intervals. The distance between each fret decreases as you get closer to Uke's body.
When you press down on the strings with your fingers, they come into contact with the frets, effectively shortening the length of the string, causing a specific note to be played.
On average, a ukulele has between 12 and 20 frets, depending on its size.You can learn more about the different ukulele sizes available on myUkulele instructions for beginners.
Higher quality ukuleles may have tough (and expensive!) stainless steel frets. However, most are a mixture of several different metals, including copper, nickel and zinc. These are often referred to as nickel frets.
The fret comes in a variety of sizes (such as narrow, medium, or jumbo) and this affects how your ukulele feels when played.
Inlays (also called fret markers)
To indicate where each fret is, you'll notice a series of dots, blocks, or other markings on the fretboard. These are calledScale, although they are also commonly known asplaceholderÖThe bottom marking.
On most ukuleles you will find the inlays on specific frets:5, 7, 10, Of12. This is not definitive as some of these may be missing or additional markings may be added on other frets depending on the brand.
Often the inlay at the 12th fret has a different design than the rest (e.g. 2 dots) to indicate octave position.
Some ukuleles may not have built-in elements! But fear not, there are also fret markers on the side of the fretboard to help you find your position. They are almost always very small black or white dots.
The most common fretboard inlay materials are plastic, mother of pearl, wood and abalone.
Heel
The area that connects the neck to the body of your ukulele is called theHeel(or theneck joint). In most cases it is glued in place to provide excellent strength and support.
Made up of many different parts, the body of the ukulele is the section of the instrument where you pluck or pluck the strings.
Upper body, back and sides
The top, back and sides are the three sections of wood that form the shape of your ukulele's body. No prices to guess what's what!
With cheap instruments it is likely that all of these parts are made of laminated wood, which is a mixture of several different types of wood. Laminated pieces of wood are stronger and cheaper, but generally don't sound as good as solid woods.
On more expensive models, you will start to find instruments where the top (also called the top) is solid wood.
Very high quality ukuleles have a completely solid construction, which means that the top, back and sides are made of solid wood.
Solid wood ukuleles are more desirable as they tend to resonate better, resulting in a warmer, more enjoyable tone. Also, they age well and tend to sound better the longer you have them.
Common woods for the ukulele body are koa, mahogany, rosewood, and spruce.
Ponte
The bridge is a strip of wood glued to the soundboard where the strings meet the body of the ukulele. Because a ukulele uses nylon strings, which don't exert much tension, the strings are usually attached to the bridge with a special knot.
This part also helps transmit the vibration of the strings to the ukulele's sound box.
The most popular woods to build a bridge with are rosewood and ebony, as they are very hard and dense woods that are also quite light.
Selim
The saddle is a thin strip of white material that sits in the bridge. It is usually made of plastic or bone.
Helps transmit string vibrations through the bridge and into the body of the ukulele.
It also helps determine how high or low the strings are at the top of the fretboard.
Chord Height (akaaction) can be raised by inserting plastic washers under the saddle, or the material can be removed (usually by grinding) to lower the strings.
Besides the saddle, the saddle is the other point that determines where the length of the vibrating string ends. This is very important because if the string length is wrong, intonation will be lost and the ukulele will sound out of tune.
Schallloch
The large circular opening at the top (drum) of the ukulele is called the Thehealthy mouth. If the ukulele didn't have a sound hole, the sound vibrations would be trapped inside the instrument, not so good!
Therefore, the purpose of this design feature is to open up the body of the ukulele to allow the internal sonic vibrations to be released.
And if you like playing with a pickaxe, there's nothing he likes better than swallowing it for all eternity...
Rosenton
Notice the elegant circle of material that wraps around the rim of the mouth? This is calledRosette.
Nowadays they are just a decorative element and a remnant of the past! In the past, they were actually used to keep the wood around the mouth from cracking, but that's not a problem with modern construction techniques.
binding
On some ukuleles, these thin decorative strips of fabric are found where the body, back, and sides meet. The binding is primarily an aesthetic feature, but also provides some impact protection for the edges of the body.
You can also find ties on the neck and/or head.
Electronic
Some ukulele models may come with electronics, allowing you to connect the instrument to an amplifier or recording device.
In the example diagram above, you can see that the electronic control panel is usually located on the side of the ukulele.
Typically, the panel includes an EQ (equalizer) section that allows you to shape the amplified tone of the ukulele.
Some models may also have a built-in tuner, eliminating the need for an additional purchase. If yours doesn't have a tuner, be sure to check mine.Guitar tuner guidefor some recommendations.
strap buttons
If you're planning on using a strap with your ukulele, you'll probably need some strap buttons! These are small pieces of metal that you slide the ends of the strap over to play standing up.
Many ukuleles don't come with strap knobs from the factory, so you may need to purchase them separately and install them yourself.
Don't worry, it's an easy task!
On electronics-equipped ukuleles, the lower fret knob can also function as aoutletthat is, where you insert a cable to connect the uke to an amplifier or recording device.
cut
With some cavaquinhos, part of the instrument body (orcut). This helps players gain better access to higher frets and adds a more modern aesthetic that some prefer.
Taylor guitars have a bigincisionif you want more information.
Conclusions
You have reached the end of the guide! Hopefully by now you are more familiar with the different parts of the ukulele.
Almost all of these parts play an important role in determining the sound and feel of your instrument.
Why not share this information with friends if you think they might be interested too?
you might like it too
- Beginner's Guide to Ukulele
- Ukulele chords for beginners
- Guitar parts explained with diagrams
- When is National Ukulele Day?