{"id":85,"date":"2015-12-16T20:46:14","date_gmt":"2015-12-16T20:46:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/malvernu3a.org.uk\/ukulele\/?page_id=85"},"modified":"2026-02-06T15:55:43","modified_gmt":"2026-02-06T15:55:43","slug":"buying-your-first-ukulele","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/malvernu3a.org.uk\/ukulele\/buying-your-first-ukulele\/","title":{"rendered":"Buying your first ukulele"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ukuleles come in several sizes. The most popular are:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Soprano<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Concert<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Tenor<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n

These are all tuned to the same four notes (G C E A) but are different sizes, with the Soprano being the smallest and the Tenor the largest.<\/p>\n

Many people start with a Soprano.\u00a0 However, ex-guitarists often go for something bigger.\u00a0 People with large hands often find the Soprano too small to easily play.\u00a0 Think about how wide the neck is at the nut \u2013 the top near the tuning pegs \u2013 a bit wider than the norm can make playing easier.\u00a0 The bigger the uke, the higher it can play (because it has more frets).<\/p>\n

Nearly all ukes at popular prices are made in China or Vietnam.\u00a0 There is nothing wrong with them!<\/p>\n

The very cheapest ukes tend to be priced at \u00a315\u2013\u00a320 and are often brightly coloured.\u00a0 These are aimed at children and are to be avoided!\u00a0 They have a tinny sound, strings that are hard to play and tend to have poor intonation.<\/p>\n

It is suggested that you spend at least \u00a375 on a uke, though best value for a starter uke is probably around the \u00a390-130 mark.\u00a0 However, you can spend much, much more than this if you want to!<\/p>\n

There is an argument for trying before you buy.\u00a0 However, if you have never played one then you may not know what to look for.<\/p>\n

If you want to try, then ‘Music City’ in Worcester have a limited selection, but ‘Hobgoblin Music’ in Birmingham have a wider range.\u00a0 You could also try the Hereford Music Shop (www.herefordmusicshop.co.uk) who sell a range of ‘starter’ ukes.\u00a0 Some good \u2018starter\u2019 ukuleles are made by Kala, Lanakai (L21 series), Uma, Kai, Baton Rouge, Snail and Clearwater (among others).<\/p>\n

If you decide to shop online, then some of our members recommend Southern Ukulele Store (http:\/\/www.southernukulelestore.co.uk\/) or World of Ukes (https:\/\/worldofukes.co.uk\/) – generally they sell \u2018middle\u2019 to \u2018upper-end\u2019 ukuleles, though look for their special offers.\u00a0 Both are run by ukulele players who will happily give advice and suggestions if you call them and both will, (if you ask), allow you to return an instrument if you do not like it.\u00a0 They will also make sure that the ukulele is set up properly \u2013 a service you will not get from Amazon!<\/p>\n

You may also find that you can get hold of (carefully) used ukuleles either from shops or other players.<\/p>\n

If you do buy a cheap ukulele (e.g. at a charity shop) consider buying it some decent strings.\u00a0 You will find that most music shops sell Aquila strings, but many players now prefer fluorocarbon strings such as those from Worth, aNueNue or ‘Living Water Strings’ (on-line).<\/p>\n

Please note that if you have long fingernails, then you may need to shorten them on the hand that forms the chords (usually the left).<\/p>\n

As well as buying a ukulele we would recommend you also buy:<\/p>\n

a bag to keep it in (preferably one with a pocket)<\/strong><\/p>\n

a clip-on tuner for tuning<\/strong><\/p>\n

a music stand for your music.<\/strong><\/p>\n

When you have bought your ukulele have a look on You Tube for videos explaining how to tune it and play it.\u00a0 You may also find \u2018Got A Ukulele\u2019 (https:\/\/www.gotaukulele.com\/) a useful website for ukulele reviews and tuition videos (though this site is no longer updated) and ‘UkeBuddy’ (https:\/\/ukebuddy.com) for chords and scales etc.<\/p>\n

Come along to our Strum and Sing sessions where beginners are always welcome!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Ukuleles come in several sizes. The most popular are: \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Soprano \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Concert \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Tenor. These are all tuned to the same four notes (G C E A) but are different sizes, with the Soprano being the smallest and the Tenor the largest. Many people start with a Soprano.\u00a0 However, ex-guitarists often … Continue reading Buying your first ukulele<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-85","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/malvernu3a.org.uk\/ukulele\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/85","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/malvernu3a.org.uk\/ukulele\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/malvernu3a.org.uk\/ukulele\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malvernu3a.org.uk\/ukulele\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malvernu3a.org.uk\/ukulele\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=85"}],"version-history":[{"count":32,"href":"https:\/\/malvernu3a.org.uk\/ukulele\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/85\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2868,"href":"https:\/\/malvernu3a.org.uk\/ukulele\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/85\/revisions\/2868"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/malvernu3a.org.uk\/ukulele\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=85"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}