There are four basic ukuleles--soprano, concert, tenor and baritone. Each can be found in a wide range of quality and cost, from high quality, well playing instruments to what amounts to nothing more than a child's toy. Every style imaginable is available, and some are available that you can't even imagine.
You can choose from four different types, all of which are considered basic ukuleles-soprano, concert, tenor and baritone. Each type correlates to a different size, and all are available in a wide range of style and quality, anywhere from what amounts to little more than a toy to a high quality, well playing instrument.
Before your purchase, it is important to consider the use you plan to make of your ukulele, and how "serious" you are about that use. We're talking serious fun here, which depends on the quality and playability of the instrument itself. Suffice it to say, regardless of all other considerations, the primary focus should be on how seriously it will be played. Let that seriousness be your measure of both quality and price.
Is your purchase a gift for someone else? How serious will that person be about his or her playing? The same question should apply to the age of the person who will be playing the ukulele and that person's level of playing proficiency-how serious? Or is this for someone who is just learning to play-is he or she serious about it? You get my drift.
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.
Although good for the young beginner, the soprano's smaller size may make you think it is only for children or people with small hands and fingers. Don't be fooled. Great soprano players come in all sizes, and many large players swear by it. Its popularity among seasoned players makes for a wider variety from which to choose, and as a rule you will see the soprano ukulele will priced lower.
Concert Halfway between the soprano and the tenor is the concert ukulele. This can be a great compromise if you want to strum and finger pick, and for those not comfortable with the tenor size uke. Concerts offer more resonance for a fuller tone but maintain the unmistakable sound of a ukulele and not a guitar. It has the same tuning as the soprano, gCEA, and the same traditional sound, but with serious practice you can learn to play whatever you want to play.
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.
Teno Larger still and with more of a guitar look and feel is the tenor. It's still not a guitar though, and it's not intended to be. Slightly larger than a concert, but far smaller than an acoustic guitar, it carries a deeper, fuller, more resonant quality in sound and tone than the concert. The range can be extended by tuning the fourth string an octave lower. Though you may not play like Jake Shimabukuro, the tenor can be used for more advanced solo playing, and since it has more finger room, it lends itself to more complex runs and faster play.
Baritone If you already know how to play a guitar, or if you are learning to play guitar, then learning to play a baritone uke will be easier for you. Tuned like the bottom 4 strings of a guitar, the baritone uke can complement your guitar practice and vice versa. You don't have the two top strings (base) so it's like a guitar with no top end. The baritone ukulele produces a crisp, fuller sound that resembles a small guitar.
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.
The internet is loaded with ideas that can show you how to produce your own creation from scratch, and many sites offer a basic ukulele building kit that you can start with, and then add other components as you desire. You may want to check out the tramp art music culture where good quality instruments are made from everyday components, using a multitude of boxes for surprising resonance, i.e. a cigar box with a wooden back or a simple box you can 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.
You can choose from four different types, all of which are considered basic ukuleles-soprano, concert, tenor and baritone. Each type correlates to a different size, and all are available in a wide range of style and quality, anywhere from what amounts to little more than a toy to a high quality, well playing instrument.
Before your purchase, it is important to consider the use you plan to make of your ukulele, and how "serious" you are about that use. We're talking serious fun here, which depends on the quality and playability of the instrument itself. Suffice it to say, regardless of all other considerations, the primary focus should be on how seriously it will be played. Let that seriousness be your measure of both quality and price.
Is your purchase a gift for someone else? How serious will that person be about his or her playing? The same question should apply to the age of the person who will be playing the ukulele and that person's level of playing proficiency-how serious? Or is this for someone who is just learning to play-is he or she serious about it? You get my drift.
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.
Although good for the young beginner, the soprano's smaller size may make you think it is only for children or people with small hands and fingers. Don't be fooled. Great soprano players come in all sizes, and many large players swear by it. Its popularity among seasoned players makes for a wider variety from which to choose, and as a rule you will see the soprano ukulele will priced lower.
Concert Halfway between the soprano and the tenor is the concert ukulele. This can be a great compromise if you want to strum and finger pick, and for those not comfortable with the tenor size uke. Concerts offer more resonance for a fuller tone but maintain the unmistakable sound of a ukulele and not a guitar. It has the same tuning as the soprano, gCEA, and the same traditional sound, but with serious practice you can learn to play whatever you want to play.
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.
Teno Larger still and with more of a guitar look and feel is the tenor. It's still not a guitar though, and it's not intended to be. Slightly larger than a concert, but far smaller than an acoustic guitar, it carries a deeper, fuller, more resonant quality in sound and tone than the concert. The range can be extended by tuning the fourth string an octave lower. Though you may not play like Jake Shimabukuro, the tenor can be used for more advanced solo playing, and since it has more finger room, it lends itself to more complex runs and faster play.
Baritone If you already know how to play a guitar, or if you are learning to play guitar, then learning to play a baritone uke will be easier for you. Tuned like the bottom 4 strings of a guitar, the baritone uke can complement your guitar practice and vice versa. You don't have the two top strings (base) so it's like a guitar with no top end. The baritone ukulele produces a crisp, fuller sound that resembles a small guitar.
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.
The internet is loaded with ideas that can show you how to produce your own creation from scratch, and many sites offer a basic ukulele building kit that you can start with, and then add other components as you desire. You may want to check out the tramp art music culture where good quality instruments are made from everyday components, using a multitude of boxes for surprising resonance, i.e. a cigar box with a wooden back or a simple box you can 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.
About the Author:
Learn more about ukuleleshere. Stop by papasboxes.com and see some photos about building your own ukulele.
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