Having a hard time figuring out what size of ukulele to buy? Maybe you’re trying to figure out what size of ukulele you have? Whatever your questions are, we’re going to look at the different sizes of ukuleles and the advantages and disadvantages to each.
There are four main types of ukuleles: soprano, concert (or alto), tenor, and baritone.
Soprano Ukulele
Lanikai LU-11 Soprano Uke ($49.99)
Great for Beginners
Length: 21″
Tuning: GCEA, ADF#B
Number of frets: 12-15
The most common and standard type of ukulele is the soprano ukulele. It’s the smallest ukulele and is known for its thin, jangly sound so commonly associated with ukuleles. Because it’s so small, its perfect for traveling.
Sometimes people with larger fingers or hands have trouble playing the soprano ukulele because the frets are closer together. Because the strings have less tension on a soprano uke, you might find it easy to accidentally bend a string out of tune.
Despite these relatively minor downsides, the soprano ukulele is probably the best bang for the buck. In comparison to other types of ukuleles, it can usually be had for the cheapest price.
Take a listen to how a soprano uke sounds in the following video by doogey9.
Concert Ukulele
Ibanez UKC10 Concert Uke ($79.99)
Length: 23″
Tuning: GCEA (re-entrant), GCEA (linear)
Number of frets: 15-20
The concert ukulele, sometimes referred to as the alto, is just a little bit bigger than the soprano and some would consider it to have a fuller sound. It’s commonly tuned in standard like the soprano uke although some people will opt to tune their G down an octave (linear tuning).
Because a concert uke is longer than a soprano, there will be more tension on the strings. This can be beneficial if you find yourself bending strings out of tune as you press your fingers down on the strings against the frets.
The frets are a bit more spaced on a concert ukulele than the soprano, so folks with larger fingers might find it easier to play. There can be up to 20 frets on a concert ukulele which allows players to navigate to higher notes on the fretboard.
Take a listen to the following performance on a concert ukulele by Ribbeemusic.
Tenor Ukulele
Fender Nohea Koa Tenor Ukulele ($199.99)
Length: 26″
Tuning: GCEA (re-entrant), GCEA (linear), DGBE
Number of frets: 15+
The tenor ukulele is just a little bit bigger than the concert uke. The overall sound and tone is even fuller than it’s smaller brothers. For performers, the tenor ukulele is great because you get a rich full sound, and since you have more frets, you’re able to reach higher notes on the fretboard.
Tenor ukuleles are commonly tuned in standard re-entrant or linear tuning, but some will choose to tune it lower like a baritone ukulele to DGBE.
In this video, IveBenCrazy gives us a performance of “Sweet Caroline” on a tenor ukulele.
Baritone Ukulele
Oscar Schmidt OU53S Uke ($175.00)
Length: 30″+
Tuning: DGBE
Number of frets: 19+
The baritone ukulele is the biggest of the ukes. It’s tuned down lower to DGBE, which is equivalent to the tuning of the bottom four strings on a guitar. This is going to produce a deeper sound. While you can still strum it like any other ukulele, you’re going to really lose that bright crisp sound that you’d get with soprano. Baritone ukes are great for blues players and fingerpickers, or those who prefer that deeper and fuller sound.
In the following video, mugambismonkey gives us a performance of an original song he wrote on the ukulele called “Kiss Me.” You can really hear how much lower the baritone uke sounds in this video.
What Ukulele is Best for Me?
Generally, beginners will start out on a soprano uke because you can usually find a decently playable one for a low price, comparatively speaking.
However, the best thing you can do is to go to your nearest music store and try out different ukuleles. What ukulele sounds best to you? What ukulele feels best to you? For some, what ukulele looks best to you? These questions are more often not answered as you start playing different kinds of ukuleles.
Reader Response
What’s your favorite size of ukulele? I have a tenor uke and I love it. It gives me a nice full sound, but I still get the plunky sound when I strum it. I also like that there is a bit more tension on the strings and the frets are wider for my fingers.
Share your thoughts, questions, or comments below.
Brett
I started with my impulse bought concert size uke and I absolutely loved the sound it generates… I practice on my concert uke for one week then decided to get one size bigger. My fingers evidently need a little more space to manuver so I went back to my local Music-go-Round and picked up a tenor. Now practicing is alot less of a finger jam…. I love my new tenor uke but I kept my concert uke too. Didn’t have the heart to return it. My son now strums chords on the concert and now claims that it is his. Which is fine with me because it is awesome to jam with my son! We are both beginners but love it just the same.
Dan, that’s awesome! Yeah, me, my brother, dad, and grandpa all play ukulele so it’s fun to be able to rock out together. I bet your son is loving it. I have long fingers too so I find the tenor uke to be a great size for me. I do want to get a concert uke eventually so I can keep my tenor uke tuned to low G and then tune the concert to standard tuning. Need to save up some more though.
Great information on all sizes. I picked up my fathers Baritone Ukulele with a beginner book and was playing a song in an hour. I started taking lessons to learn more. Great sound. Lots of fun. They say it is tuned like a guitar if you later want to make that jump. You do not have to tune a Baritone nearly as often.
Good to hear a positive review for baritone ukes! They don’t get a whole lot of love sometimes. What type/brand of baritone ukulele did your father have?
Hi Brett,
great lot of info you give, my personal favorite has got to be the tenor ukulele, I have played all types over the years but find this size suits me well as I have quite large fingers. I also love the fuller richer tone that it produces.
Hey John, I really like my tenor too. I still want to get a concert ukulele, but I’m never motivated to drop the money on when I’m so satisfied with my tenor. I find the tenor is a really versatile uke. Right now, I have it in standard tuning, but I did have it in low G tuning, and I really liked that. Thanks for your comment!
hi brett, i have concert uke by oscar schmidt and i don’t know if i was just lucky but i really love sounds great and stays in tune forever but after listing to the baritone on your video ,wow what great sound so why is there so much negative views on it?
I play the 5 string banjo a little and want to buy a Ukulele. After reading the information on this page I think I am probably going to go for a tenor. I would like to have bought a baritone, but it strikes me that if I bought and learnt to play a baritone, I would not be able to download tablature for it as easily because it is the only uke that is tuned differently from the others. Is this a fair assumption?
Hey Mark, that’s a very fair assumption. A tenor ukulele is going to give you that deeper sound, similar to a baritone, but you won’t have the tuning issues as you look for ukulele songs on the internet. It’s not a bad way to go. I love my tenor!
One more question. What’s to stop me buying a Baritone Ukulele and then tuning it to the same tuning as a Soprano or Tenor Ukulele? That way I could use ‘normal’ Uku tablature with a Baritone?
You know, I suppose you could try that, but my feeling is that you might run into some troubles with putting a standard string set on baritone ukulele. I would be afraid of snapping a string, and I’d also be concerned that some string sets would not be long enough to work with the longer baritone neck. I suppose you could try it and see what happens.
I’ve never tried it, so I can’t speak from experience, but those would be some concerns of mine. I’d be interested in hearing from anybody who has tried this too.
Guadalupe Strings of Los Angeles make a set for the baritone
that tunes GCEA an octave below standard uke, takes away all
the transposing problems and has a wonderful deep and resonant
tone. Not a set for strumming on but great for fingerstyle.
Kevin, thanks for posting this!
My brother, a longtime guitar player, bought me a baritone for Christmas last year. It was a first for both of us, and he thought the larger size would be easier to play. He put a set of Aquila nylgut strings on and tuned it to the standard GCEA. I’ve had no problems with it tuned that way. I’m considering retuning it to DGBE as I now have a concert as well. Thoughts?
someone please help me. I just got a ukulele for christmas, i have no clue what kind of ukulele it is. i just listened to all of these and they all sound sooooo different from mine. I play guitar so i know how to properly tune the instrument and read tabs but it just doesnt sound right is it a peice of crap? someone tell me what i should do? if it is a peice of crap can someone tell me what i should get (what brand) and what kind i should get because i am totally clueless and really beginning to get frustrated trying to play songs that sound NOTHING like not even in pitch to what the song sounds like.
Hi there, have you tried using the ukulele tuner tool?
http://www.ukuleletricks.com/ukulele-tuner/
Let me know if this helps.
I’m a beginner, looking around at ukuleles and my friends recommended me the Lanikai LU-21 series, and i love the sounds of them. The standard, or sopranos, are too small and I feel uncomfortable and awkward holding them. The Baritone, i feel is too big, so I settled for either the concert or tenor. What would you recommend for me, a 14 year old?
Honestly, I think you would enjoy either one! You might find the concert ukulele to be a good fit for you since it is a little smaller and a little cheaper. The tenor is going to be a bit larger, but it will give you a bit more flexibility if you ever want to explore alternate tunings.
Hi everyone – Happy New Year !!
I’ve just been given a Baritone as a Christmas present (I am a beginner on the soprano). I wondered whether anyone could direct me to online chords for a Baritone. Neither my wife (who bought me the Baritone) nor I realised that there would be a difference in the chord shapes. What advice would you give me – continue with the Soprano until I am more proficient before trying the Baritone or try to persevere with both ……
Hey Kevin, what I would recommend is looking up guitar chords but just paying attention to the bottom four strings finger position. Does that make sense? The baritone ukulele is tuned to the bottom four strings of a guitar, so the bottom four strings of the shapes for guitar chords will work great!
Um, that will be TOP fours strings of a guitar – D G B E – rather than the bottom.
Hi Chilos, thanks for the comment. I understand what you are saying. In terms of pitch, DGBE are the “highest” or “top” strings of the guitar. In terms of actual physical position, I like to see them as the bottom four strings of the guitar.
I’m tiny…comes with being a Filipina, so I’m perfectly content with my soprano. I bought it while I was vacationing in Hawaii and I’ve always wanted to learn to play. It’s still a little difficult for me to play because my fingers aren’t large enough to, comfortably, bar the frets when needed. Besides that, I, absolutely, looooove playing the uke!
Hey Stephanie, thanks for the comment! Barring the strings takes some time to build up the hand and wrist strength. It’ll come with time and practice. Keep up the good work!
I’m a complete beginner to th uke, bought a Kala Concert Ukulele (KA-CEM), it’s only a fairly cheap laminate job but it sounds good enough for me to continue practising! I’ve just bought a used mahogany tenor Ukulele on Ebay it looks lovely, solid wood, with beautiful inlaid marquetry detail and solid maple neck, can’t wait to see it! I have pretty large hands and the narrower neck on the concert uke is a bit of a squeeze.
Your new ukulele sounds beautiful! I find my tenor to be the perfect size for me. I like to play it the most.
still can’t decide.. soprano or tenor? im a newbie in ukulele and also in the field of stringed instruments.. have a medium sized hands/fingers..
I find the tenor the most versatile and comfortable to play out of all the sizes. I think you would enjoy a tenor.
can you recommend a brand sir?
Add me to the list of happy uke players looking for advice. I have a concert uke and want to buy a second instrument. I love the deeper sound of the baritone and because playing the guitar has always been a bit intimidating to me, I love the idea that a baritone uke could give me a guitar-like sound. But is the tuning something that will be hard to overcome? I wondered if a tenor would give me the deeper sound that I’m looking for, but the clip on this site doesn’t sound much different than my concert. If I restring (as someone else suggested) will the baritone still have that nice deep sound I’m looking for?
Hey Meridith, for your tenor ukulele, you might choose to do a low G tuning. This means the top G string is tuned down an octave. This can give you a deeper sound, which I think sounds really great. The baritone ukulele will provide some challenges because a lot of the ukulele chord resources are for standard tuned ukuleles. Since the baritone ukulele is tuned like the bottom four strings of a guitar, it works well to look at the guitar chords and just pay attention to the bottom four strings.
HI guys!! I’m having a bit of a dilemma. I have decided to buy a uke for my boyfriend for his birthday but i want to keep it a surprise and therefore, cannot ask him which size he would prefer. He has big hands and plays guitar so I would assume getting him a tenor would be best but for some reason I keep leaning towards a concert. Any advise?
If he has big hands, it’s possible a tenor will suit him better, but you can’t go wrong with a concert either. I really like my tenor ukulele, so I would recommend that on a gut level.
This is really a great resource for anyone interested in buying a uke for themselves or someone else. I’ve made my 11 year old take fiddle and more recently (at his request) guitar for a few years. He thinks I should also learn to play an instrument and I’ve always been a fan of ukuleles. I really just want to get the least expensive set (with a bag) because I travel a lot. Seems like a saprano. However, because you are such a huge fan of tenors Brett, I’m going back and forth. I really haven’t played any instrument since 7th grade French horn that was always in the shop. Help me Brett! You’re the uke guru here. Thanks!
If you’re doing a lot of traveling, a soprano is definitely more portable because it’s slightly smaller. Sopranos are also cheaper too. However, if you think you’d like to have a bit more room for your fingers and a bit of a bigger sound, you might consider a tenor. If you can, I’d try to get to a local music store to compare the two.
Hey guys!
I play uke with some friends. We were wondering how you play the Baritone alongside the Soprano? Say if a Soprano is playing C, should the Baritone also? Sorry if this is a stupid question… we’re very green!
Hey Cherie, you can definitely play a baritone alongside a soprano. If you are playing in the key of C, the baritone also needs to play in the key of C. Because the baritone ukulele is tuned lower than a soprano by default, the chord shapes will look differently on a baritone ukulele than on a soprano ukulele. To figure out the baritone ukulele chords, it’s best to look at guitar chords and look at the bottom four strings, since the baritone ukulele is tuned like the bottom four strings of a guitar.
If you wanted to play a baritone with a soprano and play the same chord shapes, the baritone ukulele would need to put a capo on the 5th fret to transpose their tuning to be that of a soprano ukulele.
I am looking to buy a ukulele for my Dad’s 60th birthday. I think the Tenor may fit the bill people seems to be suggested the size would be right for an adult man and the sounds is good. He currently plays blues nad old school rock on both acoustic and electric guitar. Does it sound that a tenor would be suitable for a beginner who would be interested in taking his tab music to ukulele? I have found a pear shaped tenor ukulele called Blue Moon it is definitely striking to look at but i assume the shape will change the sound. Would you recommend sticking with the traditional shape? and I wondered if you could tell me why have they put Baritone strings on it? Thanks for the help this is whole new world to me
Based on what you’re describing, I think a tenor would be great! I would almost consider a baritone since your Dad plays guitar. The tuning on a baritone ukulele is tuned like the bottom four strings of a guitar (DGBE). This means some of his guitar chord shapes that he already knows will translate well to the baritone ukulele. HOWEVER… I’m a guitar player too and I always enjoy playing a tenor ukulele in standard tuning (GCEA) rather than a baritone ukulele. A baritone ukulele is too much like a guitar to me, so as a guitar player, I enjoy the differences in a tenor ukulele.
I’m unfamiliar with the Blue Moon ukulele. Do you have a link? It sounds like they are putting baritone strings on it to tune it lower to the DGBE baritone tuning.
Hey, I’ve just ordered
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/folk-traditional-instruments/mitchell-mu70-12-fret-concert-ukulele?CJAID=10381297&CJPID=2465722
A Mitchell MU70 , which it says has 12 frets, but is a concert?
A little Confused, is it actually a soprano? Excited, nevertheless!
Hey Nina, I’m counting 17 frets on your new uke, which would make it a concert. My guess is whoever wrote the description for that ukulele made a little mistake.
Hi, i would like to know the what kind of ukulele is normally given in starter packs? I was thinking of getting either the saprano or the starter pack as a beginner. I wanted to get the tenor but its a bit to pricey so i thought i would start of with the saprano. I would also like to know what kind of ukulele would fit a 14 year old. is the Rogue brand alright, as it is actually already a bit pricey for me.
Hey ShaneLi, you might consider getting a tenor ukulele and skipping the starter pack. Sometimes the starter packs are a good deal, but you might be hard pressed to find one with a tenor uke at a low price. If you decide you can’t afford a tenor uke, a soprano is very good. I learned on a soprano and a soprano will always give you that classic ukulele sound.
I would recommend any of these ukes here:
http://www.ukuleletricks.com/5-best-ukuleles-to-buy-for-beginners/
Hey guys! Ive been a guitar player since i was about 6. Im 15 now, and also have a soprano ukulele. My mom got it for me amd my brother on one of her many trips to hawaii, (ive also been recently, its amazing!). At first, i didnt get into it as much, but in the past year or two ive been playing it much more. A couple weeks ago the neck snapped off, and i was really sad, but some wood glue fixed it righ up! My little brother (11) and i are currently working on builing our own ukuleles from scratch. Hes making a soprano, and me a concert. I can play a soprano just fine, and my hands are really big. It just takes practice to get your hands used to the chord structures. Im planning on makin my concert a semihollow body electric ukulele, and think this will be amazing! Im planning to use steel strings, because i wanted to be able to make it sound like a guitar a well, so i chose an electric guitar pickup an we will see how that works. The neck i was building was coming along nicely, but there was a bit of an accident and it got cut in a place it shouldnt have. Im having to start over, and we cut down a cedar tree from our yard about a year ago and were using part of the trunk as the neck. Im exited to get this all finished, but if it doesnt work out as good as im hoping, ill probobly just invest in either a tenor or a concert.
Hey Jesse, you and your brother’s projects sound awesome! Please keep me updated. I just started getting really into electronics lately (building electric guitar pedals), so I’d love to take a look at these when you’re finished.
I have never tried the ukulele before and I really want to. I tried the guitar but the strains were just to hard for me to press down. I have no idea which size I should get or what brand or where to get one.
Hey Bob, check out this post for some recommendations:
http://www.ukuleletricks.com/5-best-ukuleles-to-buy-for-beginners/
Do u think it would be okay to get a 39.99 dollar soprano at target or do u think it’s better to get a expensive one at guitar center
I would be very skeptical of buying a ukulele at Target, Wal Mart, or any of those other stores. If you’re buying a musical instrument, go to a music store. That’s just me though.
Hey I was really stressed about which one I should get and I was leaning toward tenor but when I went to guitar center I ended up liking the concert better. U really should go out to a store and try cause that’s really the only way u can figure out which one you like the most.
im 14 and i’ve played quite a few music instruments and music usually comes naturally to me. recently i wanted to play the guitar but it’s too much stretching and different to any brass instruments that ive ever picked up – i think i can learn to read guitar/ukelele music but a ukelele sounds linke a good investment… i dont want a horrible sounding one so i dont know whether to go for a cheap soprano (might be bad quality), concert or tenor – i have quite small hands for my age and i was wandering if you could maybe help me decide which one to buy, i sing aswell and i want a ukele that goes with voice and has a nice sound/high quality – any help would be greatly appreciated
Hey Clan, great choice on the ukulele! You have a lot of options for ukuleles. The best advice is get one and play it! Under the “Reviews” tab at the top of the site, you can check out some ukulele recommendations to give you an idea. When it comes to buying an instrument, it’s most important to set your budget at first. How much you can spend will dictate what kind of ukulele you can get. The sky is really the limit so a budget will help you find the ukulele that works for you.
Hey there, I love your website incredibly- it makes everything so much easier and answers a lot of questions I’ve had. I’m sure you hear that all the time, though. Anyways, I’m just starting out playing and have been fooling around on my grandmother’s little Soprano, but I would love to invest in a nice Concert uke. Any recommendations that aren’t outrageously priced? Cheers!
Hey Summer, when it comes to purchasing a uke, it’s all about how much you can spend, because the sky can be the limit. I’d recommend saving up around $200-$300 for a nicer concert ukulele, especially if you’ve been playing your grandmother’s soprano ukulele. I’d look at brands like Kala, Mainland Ukuleles, Cordoba, Luna, and any others around this price range.
Hi Brett,
I’ve been reading your site for a while, but first time writer! I live on the island of Borneo and a few of us have taken up the Ukulele recently. I want to upgrade from my Mahalo soprano and wanted your opinion on either a Tenor or a Concert. Both are on sale on ebay in the UK, so I can’t test them but was hoping that you or one of your readers could help. They are both Kala brand – the concert is the KA-CMHS-JB, which is a Joe Brown Signature Solid Mahogany and the Tenor is the KA-TE, which is an electro acoustic. Any suggestions? Any help will be appreciated. Keep up the excellent website!
Hey Trev, thanks for the comment! It’s great to hear from you. I’ve actually used the Kala KA-TE for a live show once and I really liked it. It has a good tone and the added electronics are nice. I also prefer the bigger sized tenor. If you have a soprano right now, it might be nice to mix things up a little with a tenor. However, you can’t go wrong with either. In an ideal world, you’d have one of every kind of ukulele! Ha
Hi Brett,
Thank you for creating Ukulele Tricks.
I hope I’d be able to buy the right Uke for me. I don’t know if there are good Ukulele here in my place. I don’t have enough money either. But still, I’m glad that I found your site. It motivates me more to save money to be able to buy Uke. I want one, as soon as possible, especially now that I know you are always here to help
Hi eLKira, you’re very welcome! You are right; if you ever have any questions, don’t hesitate to post a comment!
Hey Brett, My husband got me a Rogue Soprano Ukulele for Christmas about 4 years ago… I couldn’t find hardly anything to teach me about a uke, so it went in the closet until about 3 weeks ago… I discovered uke tuners online and that got me started… once I got it tuned, I love it now, and it stays in tune… I’ve read you should tune your ukulele before every song, but I’m not having a tuning problem at all now… the Ukulele is a fun instrument… I’m a total beginner, but I’m just playing around w/ it… if I’m sitting I’m strumming…I only know the most basic cords CGAF, but I’m amazed how many songs I can play just w/ these basic cords… I found your free ebook and now I’m thinking about your strumming course…
I do have problems in holding my ukulele… I’ve not found any women ukulele players giving tips on holding the ukulele… Do you have any suggestions for the best way to hold the ukulele for women… : )
Hey Shelia, I’m glad you dusted off your ukulele! Sounds like you’re having a great time. Unfortunately, I can’t offer too much advice for holding the ukulele for women, but I do know there is a good discussion on this in the Ukulele Strumming Tricks course. From what I gather, a lot of women (and men too) really like using a ukulele strap to stabilize and hold the ukulele. You might look into an option like that!
Hi:
I am a blind musician from the Bahamas. I’ve been playing guitar for about 11 years now and am thainking of taking up the ukulele. Unfortunately, good ukuleles are hard to come by here–the only avalable ones look and play like toys. What brands would you recommend and whhat sizes? I have about average hands but quite long fingers.
Nice to bump into your website! …. I just bought myself a tenor 2 days back out of impulse and was having lots of fun with it. Very good information on the different types of Ukes and lessons! Cheers
Thanks for checking out Ukulele Tricks, Patrick! Appreciate your comment. Don’t be a stranger!
Brett, A question about the baritone ukulele. Is it possible to tune a baritone to the standard (or conventional) tuning? I believe standard tuning is gCEA.
I heard that there are specific strings, I think the brand is Aquila , that allow one to do this.
I ask because I’m a bigger guy and feel the baritone size might fit me better. But I don’t want to lose all the great resources out there for ukes, 99% which seem to be for standard tuning. Thanks! Great website.
Hi Mike, I’ve never tuned a baritone ukulele like this so I can’t recommend it from experience or speak on the affects this would have on your ukulele. I’d recommend use a capo to barre the strings at the 5th fret. This would convert the tuning to GCEA (low G tuning) which would allow you to learn and follow along with the chord shapes presented on this website.
My mother starting playing Soprano when she was younger and then bought a Baritone to travel with while she was in the Peace Corps. She used to sing songs to me and play her uke to help me fall asleep as a child. As I got older, I attempted to play the guitar but had trouble with the whole not playing all of the strings for every chord thing. Out of frustration, I put my guitar playing on the back burner and picked up my mom’s Baritone. It was easy to play chords since I’d learned most of the basics for the guitar. Since then, I’ve purchased a few Concert ukes (mainly because I couldn’t find tenors) and a Baritone of my own. I’m so happy to have found your website. Your videos are very helpful and it’s nice to have help from ukulele pros.
Hi Bret!
Thanks for all the helpful information. I’ve been wanting to start playing the ukulele not long after I started playing classical guitar, but I don’t know anyone near where I live who plays the ukulele so this website has helped me a lot
I have been practicing on a super cheap soprano ukulele that my sister got for her birthday as a joke present (it’s a white ukulele with pineapples painted on it) but it’s great to learn some chords and strumming patterns. So I’m going to have a look around the music shop near me and practice on some nicer ones.
Hey just a very quick question do you have a recommendation for a soprano ukulele? Thanks.
Hi Oliver, it depends how much you are looking to spend. Check out some of my recommendations here for some beginner ukes:
http://www.ukuleletricks.com/5-best-ukuleles-to-buy-for-beginners/
Hey just a quick question, i have a Lorenzo soprano ukulele but it really doesn’t sound right, i have a tuner so its not because it is out of tune is it simply because it is a bad ukulele or am i doing something wrong? Thanks.
Hi Brett: Just like everyone else, I love your website! My husband and I have one concert uke (Kala KA-C) and want to get a second uke so we can play together. We’re trying to figure out if it’s best to have two of the same type or two different types if we want to play songs together. So the bottom line question is…..should we get a second concert of slightly higher quality, or should we get a soprano? We’re both beginners.
Hi Brett, Im a young 79, looking to buy an Oscar schmit OU6W tenor ukulele, with its wider neck. I have big hands and as a beginner, could I do with its extra width. what do you think? A very helpfull website.Thankyou
I hadn’t realized that Oscar Schmidt was doing wider neck ukuleles. That sounds like a great idea!
I am musically challenged. After listening to Amanda palmers ukulele anthem, I have decided that maybe art isn’t hard. I have decided to start out with a 4 string instrument. I was thinking of the ruan or ukulele. Where do I start? I have sausage fingers so I’m guessing a tenor ukulele would be best. Where do you get sheet music from and do they make those digital tuners for the ukulele? I’d hate to get a uke and have no music to play on it.
Hey Simon, I’d recommend a tenor ukulele. Definitely pick up an electronic chromatic tuner as well to keep your ukulele in tune. For music, a lot of ukulele players look up ‘song chords’ on Google. I do have some fingerpicking pieces that have sheet music under the ukulele lessons section of Ukulele Tricks.
Hi! I’m looking to buy a ukulele online to learn how to play so i can use it in my comedy routines in the near future. (this means i eould probably be traveling with it frequently.) and I’m a pretty small person with small fingers, I was considering a soprano but I’m kind of sold on a concert but nothing is set in stone at the moment. I currently hve two ukulele options in mind ill post the links, any one in particular you think would be better for a beginner with small fingers? http://m.guitarcenter.com/Mahalo-U-200-SOPRANO-UKULELE-H02945-i1547078.gc http://m.guitarcenter.com/Lanikai-KO-C-Kine-O-Concert-Ukulele-H73346-i1881084.gc
Hi Brett,
What do you think of electronic ukes? I have a student rock band of 3-6th graders and am thinking of a baritone uke to transition to guitar or even in place of guitar. Do you have any recs for decent baritone electronic/acoustics?
Thanks,
Pasta
Hi Pasta, if you think you’ll be amplifying your instrument, then a ukulele with electronics isn’t a bad idea. I believe that Lanikai makes some baritone ukuleles with electronics installed. You might take a look at their offerings.
Wow! this is a great help to me! I’ve had a soprano uke for a year now, and I love it, but the sound isn’t very rich or full. I was already planning on getting a tenor, but i just wanted to see what people thought of concert ukes before i made my decision. This really helped, and it answered just about every question that i had (except price ranges). Normally i have to search through several pages to get my answers, but i got them all on one page! Thank you so much!
P.S. I’m still planning on getting a tenor
I’m looking to purchase a tenor uke that sounds clean, crisp, and deep, yet doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. Since the humidity in my area varies greatly from day to day, should I buy a plywood instrument so the wood distort as easily? Which brands and models would you recommend?
Hi Tak, definitely don’t be afraid to get a nicer ukulele (i.e. one that isn’t plywood) just because of humidity. As long as you are storing it indoors, you’ll be fine. If you wanted, you could get a case and store your ukulele in the case. Additionally, put a humidifier in the case to give your uke a balanced humid environment.
Typo “so the wood doesn’t distort as easily”
Thanks very much.
The 5th fret on the baritone BIG help. Also now use on my guitar, fantastic
Cheers Roy
If you capo the 5th fret on the Baritone how do you get your fingers around to play that 1st fret? So far I’m finding it easier to learn the new chord positions. Am I doing something wrong? (and of course never choosing to play in F like I do on my other ukes)
Hi Shirley, there’s nothing wrong with learning the new chord positions for a baritone ukulele. I only ever suggest to capo on the 5th fret if you wish to follow along with me using the exact same positions that I’m using.
My first ukes were a soprano and a baritone that I named Eddie and Fay. Unfortunately the baritone came broken, but I love my soprano and recently purchased a banjolele. I really really want a concert now. Ukes are so adicting!
Hi, I’m really interested in buying and learning ukelele. They only sell Soprano ukelele here but I dont really mind since I have tiny hands and short fingers(I’m petite).
I play acoustic 3/4 size guitar and adult size violin. The question is learning ukelele really similar to guitar? Is it quite easy to pick up? Any good online website or book you recommend?
By the way, they only sell Congress Soprano and Ibanez soprano here, are they good? I dont plan to order online since this is just my first ukelele.
Hi! What an interesting site; I’ve wanted a uke ever since I heard the Ukelele Orchestra of Great Britain in concert awhile back. I had the fortune of talking to a couple of the performers afterward, and mentioned I wanted to play and what would be best for me..currently, I play violin/fiddle and a little mandolin and a little guitar. One of them said the baritone (or was it bass) would be easiest since I have played string bass in the past (not in a long time, though, in my music major days of the early 1980s). Sound-wise, I like all of the ones shown here, maybe less the soprano one, as I prefer the deeper qualities. Based on the conversation here, I’m thinking I would probably like the tenor or baritone best. One other thing: when I took string bass in college, it was a challenge to find one that would fit my small hands. But guitar is no problem…just some things to inform your advice. Thanks again!
Brett,
I’m 14.
I would like to learn the ukulele
but is it hard to learn?
and do I have to get a teacher?
Thanks
Hi Jacey, like anything, to learn something well, it takes practice and dedication. I will say though that compared to other instruments the ukulele is very beginner friendly. As you are starting, I would recommend trying to find some friends at school who play the ukulele. Also, do some searching in your area for different ukulele clubs or groups. While this isn’t required to learn, it’s always fun to learn how to play with other people. As you are first beginning, I recommend using my free ukulele lesson book to get started: http://www.ukuleletricks.com/ukulele-lesson-book/
Thanks!
Hey, I’ve never played a ukulele before and I was wondering which size I should get. I’m 14 but I an pretty small for my age and my hands are a little smaller than usual as well. I am leaning toward the concert because I like the fuller sound, but I don’t know if my hands are big enough. Which size do you think I should go for?
Thanks
Hi Ellie, I think if you want to get a concert you’ll be just fine. Typically a soprano ukulele isn’t much smaller than a concert ukulele.