The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide: Ukulele Parts 101

How can you appreciate a whole if you don’t know what comprises it? 

See, part of learning how to play any other instrument is learning the pieces that it consists of. And no, simply memorizing the terms is not enough, you have to know their functions.

Familiarizing yourself with the parts of a ukulele enables you to take your ukulele experience to a whole different level. It helps you take care of your ukulele in the best way possible, keeping your beloved instrument in optimal shape. 

Interested to learn about the main parts of a ukulele? Read on!

 

 

Parts of a ukulele and its functions

The ukulele has three main parts: the head, neck, and body.

Head

• Tuning peg:

The tuning peg, also known as tuners, is what holds the strings in place. The number of pegs depends on the number of strings that the ukulele has. Although traditionally, a ukulele has four strings, few have come up with ukuleles with 6 or 8 strings, usually doubling the strings for richer sound. The tuning peg is also what helps you adjust and tune your ukulele (the tighter, the higher its tune; the looser, the lower its tune).

• Nut:

The nut has small notches that hold the strings in the right place at the neck.

 

Neck

• Fretboard:

The fretboard is located right on top of the entire neck of your ukulele. It is where you can find all the frets of your ukulele. You press your strings against the fretboard in order to make a note or chord when playing the ukulele.

• Fret marker:

Most ukuleles have inlaid fret markers to help guide you as you play. If you’re a beginner, fret markers are especially important to help you find your way around the fretboard. For your Wagas ukulele, you can find all the fret markers at the fifth, seventh, tenth, twelfth, and fifteenth fret. 

• Frets:

Contrary to popular belief, the actual frets are those protruding metal bars that run up and down the fretboard. They are what mark the different pitches of notes. 

• Fret space:

The fret space is the specific part of the fretboard where you press your strings against in order to produce a note or chord. 

• Strings:

The strings are what you strum/pluck in order to create vibrations which are then transported to your ukulele’s soundhole to make a sound. All Wagas ukuleles consist of Aquila strings, making your ukulele easy to play, all while giving you that rich and warm tone as well.

Body

• Soundhole:

Beneath where you strum/pluck your strings is the opening of your ukulele, also known as the soundhole. It is what projects the sound that reverberates inside the body of your ukulele. To produce a louder sound, you must strum/pluck directly above the soundhole, as moving away from it reduces the sound of your ukulele. Some ukuleles have a design around the soundhole, called a rosette.

• Bridge:

The bridge is located just below the soundhole. It is where you can knot the end of your strings in order to secure them. 

• Saddle:

The saddle is a thin bar, mounted right on top of the bridge. It is raised to keep the strings from being too close to the fretboard. Just like the nut, the saddle helps hold your strings in place.

Now that you know the parts of the ukulele and their functions, consider yourself a master of anatomy! Kidding aside, we hope that through this article, you are now more guided with how you can give your ukulele that extra love— troubleshoot any issues easily when necessary. Good luck!