Ukulele Underground Forum (2024)

FAQs

How to choose your ukulele? ›

Your playing technique, hand size, and the sound you wish to produce should all be taken into account when selecting the proper size ukulele for you. A nice option for beginners or those with tiny hands is the soprano ukulele. The concert ukulele is a good option if you prefer a somewhat deeper tone.

It's hard to make a ukulele sound good when the notes are off pitch. That's why intonation is so important. The term “intonation” refers to a string's ability to stay in tune as you press down on the fretboard to play different notes. The intonation is determined by the saddle, nut, fret placement, and string gauge.

Sound Hole: Located on the body of the ukulele just underneath the strings, the sound hole projects the sound that reverberates inside the body of the ukulele.

You'll get a lot better overall quality, but the biggest difference will be the sound quality. Just like I talked about earlier, the wood tends to be higher quality. It's a premium cut, even if it's the same species. That makes the ukuleles warmer and richer in tone.

Solid wood instruments can mature with age and “open up” and improve over time and the more they are played. These factors can raise the price of your ukulele, but could have the fit, sound, and aesthetic you're looking for!

Being a bit larger in size, the concert ukulele has a fuller sound and warmer tone with more mid-range than the soprano. Concerts also project better than the sopranos, making the overall volume a bit louder.

If your ukulele is losing tune then in the VAST majority of cases it is down to something needing to settle (strings) or something needing adjustment (pegs). It is very rarely anything to do with the quality of the instrument itself.

Generally, you want to strum over the sound hole or halfway in between the bridge and the fretboard. 5. Don't strum too loudly! When working on strumming, the beginning guitarist should consciously focus on keeping things smooth with the strumming hand.

The ukulele hammer-on is a technique that adds a lot more dynamics into your playing. It can blend notes together easy and seamlessly when done correctly. Performing a ukulele hammer-on involves plucking one note, then playing the next note without plucking again. It increases your speed when playing songs.

How long does it take to get decent at ukulele? ›

The answer is, to learn the basics, which includes switching between C – F – Am – G, and playing a simple strumming pattern in the right hand, it will take between 1- 4 months. If you've played another instrument before the ukulele, (especially the guitar), then it will be much faster.

Here's a quick breakdown of price points to get excellent first or second ukuleles: First ukulele on a budget: $120-190. First ukulele with a higher budget: $190-300.

Buying Options

The Kala KA-C Satin Mahogany Concert Ukulele and the Kala KA-S Satin Mahogany Soprano Ukulele are ideal starter ukes for many reasons. They're easy to play and built well, with no buzzing strings or rough-edged frets (at least on the samples we tried). They both have a full, reasonably loud sound.

Soprano ukuleles are typically the most popular choice because of their cost and size, and many beginners start with the soprano to learn the fretboard and basic chord positions.

In short, if you want that classic 'plinky' sound, if you're of a smaller frame or you need a beginner ukulele for a child, start with a soprano. If you're an adult with larger hands, maybe try the tenor or concert as they are still small in scale and utilise the ukulele tuning, but are a little larger than a soprano.

We recommend concert ukuleles as the best ukulele size for beginners, because they are a bit more comfortable to play for most people. However, soprano ukuleles are a great choice for children and those with smaller hands.