ukulele [ ukelele].
A small four-string guitar derived in Hawaii in the 1870s from the Portuguese machête taken there by sailors. Being small, lightweight, relatively cheap, and easy to learn, it became very popular in the USA and Europe, especially in the first half of the 20th century, for the strummed accompaniment of singing. The ukulele may be tuned to any key to suit the voice of the singer, with the following basic intervals: descending 5th–ascending major 3rd–ascending 4th (e.g. ... ...
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