With so many different types of ukuleles out there, the prospect of buying one can be unnerving. It's a tricky undertaking, especially if you're looking for a beginner or basic ukulele. If you've dug into typical sites that have ukuleles for sale at $30 or $40, you've probably seen that you won't get much more than a toy for that price and one that you can't play seriously, forget the idea of getting any real acoustic value.
When you consider price, remember that you won't get much more than a toy for $30 or $40, one that you can't really play seriously, and one with not much to offer in the way of acoustic value. Having so many different types from which to choose, coupled with the need for a quality, well playing instrument, makes for a thorny undertaking. This can be especially unnerving it you are looking for a beginner ukulele, but don't just want a toy.
Ask and answer this question about your intended purchase, and the result can be some serious fun, with a high quality, well playing instrument. What is the intended use you plan to make of your ukulele, and how "serious" are you about that use? The primary focus should be on how seriously it will be played. Let that seriousness be your measure of quality, acoustic value and price.
Whoever is the intended user, how serious will that person be? Think of that user's age and level of playing proficiency. Will this be a gift for someone just learning to play (a beginner ukulele makes a very unique Christmas gift)? Is that person serious about playing, even if just playing for fun? We're back to the idea of serious fun.
Whether for your own use or as a gift for someone else, (it can be a very unique Christmas gift) beginner or pro, young or old, the more and better you expect to play, the higher the quality you will need and, as a rule, the higher the quality the more you can expect to pay. There are of course exceptions, but you can expect to get what you pay for. Once you determine the quality and price (your budget), next is to decide which of the four instruments will supply your need.
Soprano The earliest ukuleles were nearly all soprano sized-to a purest, it's the classic size with the classic sound and is less like the guitar than the others. But, as many gifted ukulele players will attest, there is nothing quite like strumming away on a soprano, and it's the thing you are naturally drawn to do. Being the smallest and most common, it's a good place to start, particularly if you are a beginner.
Soprano is good for playing chords and beginner strumming and is easier to learn to play than the others. A lot of finger picking on the soprano is another story. It is harder to master more difficult routines on soprano and its resonance can sometimes seem thin.
Being smaller, sopranos will usually be priced lower and you will have more from which to choose as compared to the other three. A smaller instrument can also be good for smaller people, like kids. Don't be fooled though, many of the best ukulele players are large people with large fingers who favor sopranos.
Concert If the concert ukulele sounds bigger than the soprano, it is because it is bigger, if only by a small amount. It could be called alto, and has more middle range, with a slightly deeper, mellower sound than soprano. Being a little bigger, the concert can be easier to hold than the smaller soprano. It has more complex playing potential while preserving the unmistakably basic ukulele sound that can offer the best of both worlds.
Since it is a little bigger, the concert sounds bigger than the soprano, with more middle range and a somewhat deeper, mellower, more alto sound. It's bigger, but not by much, and some say a concert is easier to hold than the smaller soprano. The concert is an instrument that offers the best of both worlds, traditional ukulele sound with more complex playing potential.
Tenor The tenor ukulele is somewhat larger still and has more of a guitar feel, but is still miles from an actual guitar in look or feel. The fourth string can be tuned an octave lower, giving it even more range. It can be used for more advanced solo playing, and has more finger room that allows faster play and more complex runs-think Jake Shimabukuro. Slightly larger than a concert, it carries a deeper, fuller, more resonant quality sound and tone.
Baritone The baritone ukulele makes one think of a small guitar with a crisp, fuller sound. It is still a ukulele but whether you are just learning to play guitar, or you are a seasoned guitar player, you will find it relatively easy to play a baritone uke. It can complement your guitar practice and vice versa. Tuned like a guitar without the two top strings (base), it plays like a guitar with no top end.
Once you factor in cost plus your level of musical ability and interest in playing, that seriousness I referred to earlier, you are ready to go shopping for whichever ukulele best fits your need. There is, however, one additional consideration I want to mention, one that can make your selection even more meaningful. You can shop around for whatever suits your serious fancy, or you can consider making your own ukulele from scratch or building one from a kit.
If you like the challenge of building one from scratch, you can find reams of internet sites loaded with schematics and plans for building from scratch. Other sites, and there are many, contain basic ukulele building kits that include all the basic components to which you can add modifications constrained only by your creative imagination. Complete, good-quality, well playing instruments at reasonable prices, made from everyday components, are available in connection with the tramp art music culture. Many of these use cigar boxes for sound boards that have surprising resonance. These boxes usually have a wooden back, but you don't have to use their box; your kit fabrication can include a simple box that you make yourself.
Whether you build your own from scratch, use a conventional or cigar box building kit, or purchase a completed instrument, you're in for some serious fun. And remember the pithy and so often repeated observation made by many serious players-you can't play a sad song on a ukulele. Whether you decide to purchase a completed instrument, build from scratch or assemble from either a cigar box ukulele kit or a conventional ukulele kit, here's to you; good luck and good building.
When you consider price, remember that you won't get much more than a toy for $30 or $40, one that you can't really play seriously, and one with not much to offer in the way of acoustic value. Having so many different types from which to choose, coupled with the need for a quality, well playing instrument, makes for a thorny undertaking. This can be especially unnerving it you are looking for a beginner ukulele, but don't just want a toy.
Ask and answer this question about your intended purchase, and the result can be some serious fun, with a high quality, well playing instrument. What is the intended use you plan to make of your ukulele, and how "serious" are you about that use? The primary focus should be on how seriously it will be played. Let that seriousness be your measure of quality, acoustic value and price.
Whoever is the intended user, how serious will that person be? Think of that user's age and level of playing proficiency. Will this be a gift for someone just learning to play (a beginner ukulele makes a very unique Christmas gift)? Is that person serious about playing, even if just playing for fun? We're back to the idea of serious fun.
Whether for your own use or as a gift for someone else, (it can be a very unique Christmas gift) beginner or pro, young or old, the more and better you expect to play, the higher the quality you will need and, as a rule, the higher the quality the more you can expect to pay. There are of course exceptions, but you can expect to get what you pay for. Once you determine the quality and price (your budget), next is to decide which of the four instruments will supply your need.
Soprano The earliest ukuleles were nearly all soprano sized-to a purest, it's the classic size with the classic sound and is less like the guitar than the others. But, as many gifted ukulele players will attest, there is nothing quite like strumming away on a soprano, and it's the thing you are naturally drawn to do. Being the smallest and most common, it's a good place to start, particularly if you are a beginner.
Soprano is good for playing chords and beginner strumming and is easier to learn to play than the others. A lot of finger picking on the soprano is another story. It is harder to master more difficult routines on soprano and its resonance can sometimes seem thin.
Being smaller, sopranos will usually be priced lower and you will have more from which to choose as compared to the other three. A smaller instrument can also be good for smaller people, like kids. Don't be fooled though, many of the best ukulele players are large people with large fingers who favor sopranos.
Concert If the concert ukulele sounds bigger than the soprano, it is because it is bigger, if only by a small amount. It could be called alto, and has more middle range, with a slightly deeper, mellower sound than soprano. Being a little bigger, the concert can be easier to hold than the smaller soprano. It has more complex playing potential while preserving the unmistakably basic ukulele sound that can offer the best of both worlds.
Since it is a little bigger, the concert sounds bigger than the soprano, with more middle range and a somewhat deeper, mellower, more alto sound. It's bigger, but not by much, and some say a concert is easier to hold than the smaller soprano. The concert is an instrument that offers the best of both worlds, traditional ukulele sound with more complex playing potential.
Tenor The tenor ukulele is somewhat larger still and has more of a guitar feel, but is still miles from an actual guitar in look or feel. The fourth string can be tuned an octave lower, giving it even more range. It can be used for more advanced solo playing, and has more finger room that allows faster play and more complex runs-think Jake Shimabukuro. Slightly larger than a concert, it carries a deeper, fuller, more resonant quality sound and tone.
Baritone The baritone ukulele makes one think of a small guitar with a crisp, fuller sound. It is still a ukulele but whether you are just learning to play guitar, or you are a seasoned guitar player, you will find it relatively easy to play a baritone uke. It can complement your guitar practice and vice versa. Tuned like a guitar without the two top strings (base), it plays like a guitar with no top end.
Once you factor in cost plus your level of musical ability and interest in playing, that seriousness I referred to earlier, you are ready to go shopping for whichever ukulele best fits your need. There is, however, one additional consideration I want to mention, one that can make your selection even more meaningful. You can shop around for whatever suits your serious fancy, or you can consider making your own ukulele from scratch or building one from a kit.
If you like the challenge of building one from scratch, you can find reams of internet sites loaded with schematics and plans for building from scratch. Other sites, and there are many, contain basic ukulele building kits that include all the basic components to which you can add modifications constrained only by your creative imagination. Complete, good-quality, well playing instruments at reasonable prices, made from everyday components, are available in connection with the tramp art music culture. Many of these use cigar boxes for sound boards that have surprising resonance. These boxes usually have a wooden back, but you don't have to use their box; your kit fabrication can include a simple box that you make yourself.
Whether you build your own from scratch, use a conventional or cigar box building kit, or purchase a completed instrument, you're in for some serious fun. And remember the pithy and so often repeated observation made by many serious players-you can't play a sad song on a ukulele. Whether you decide to purchase a completed instrument, build from scratch or assemble from either a cigar box ukulele kit or a conventional ukulele kit, here's to you; good luck and good building.
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