Tenor vs Concert

"REAL" men and women should indeed play whatever the heck they want!

For me, it is a combination of nut width and the instrument's scale that determines what I am happiest/ most comfortable playing. IMO- any decently set up ukulele will be good to go to the second position, and you only "need" the room of a tenor as you go for much higher terrain. Since I mostly strum and finger-pick up to the second position, or a little higher, my two tenors usually sit underplayed. But, if you want that bigger sound, a tenor will do it. I am happy playing sopranos with ~14" scales and concerts. I travel a lot and have found traveling with a soprano or concert is also a little more convenient.

One thing not mentioned above, is that the price and the corresponding profit margin on tenors for makers and re-sellers is generally higher. Tenors do take some additional materials, and marginally higher transportation costs, but the labor cost to manufacture them is probably pretty much the same as the smaller sizes. Making instruments for most suppliers remains a business.
 
agreed

wanna try soprano, could you pls tell me the website address of the european forum you mentioned?
 
If you consider all ukuleles sold every year, tenors are probably not more popular than concerts and sopranos. If you look at only specialized vendors like HMS, they probably are the most popular size.

I think there are a number of reasons for that, all of them speculation on my part:

- We live in a "bigger is better" society. Doesn't matter if it's TVs, mobile phones (surprisingly), and cars, there is somehow that belief that if it's bigger, and especially more expensive, it's also better. Tenors are both bigger and typically more expensive (comparable quality given).

- Bigger ukuleles sound more like guitars, and we have been extensively exposed to that sort of sound since at least the fifties, and since habit and exposures often create preference, we experience the more guitar-like sound. I've noticed that some, perhaps many, tenor players eventually seem to drift to bigger sizes still, like baritones and eventually small guitars. Can't be generalized and it's just an observation that may well be impacted by my bias.

- Unlike in previous golden ages of the ukulele, high profile individuals (celebrities, media stars) play tenors, and if the pros use it, it got to be the "best" -- or so may be the perception. Most of today's big names play tenors, and they typically play them like small guitars.

- This forum is not representative of the entire ukulele community. If I had access to only $100 and wanted to just play music for myself, learning some simple tunes, this forum would not strike me as a good place to hang out at, because I'd feel out of place. Most of the people that stick around are hardcore fans of the instrument, many collectors among them, and generally a population that is crazy about the instrument that far exceeds the average, myself included. So we typically have five or ten or more instruments, and part of the journey is to explore all the sizes. We also spend increasingly more on our instruments (until some of us bounce back and realize that less is more). In short, this forum does give a bit of a skewed impression of what the "real ukulele world" may be like. The European forums also seem to favor sopranos (I found that interesting).

- And finally, and I feel most importantly, there is the element of vendors fostering and promoting tenors. There is a HMS video where Aaron essentially and literally says that sopranos are for beginners and children, concerts are often chosen by women, and men go for tenors -- then he makes a cooing and mhmm-ahhhh noise as he pets his tenor. This creates the perception that tenors are for real men, the real thing, the ultimate ukulele. Many other vendors echo the very same thing in the "which size should I choose?" sections on their shop pages, often saying things like "tenors are the choice of the serious player" or "tenors are the pick of the professionals". Whether that is deliberate, because tenors typically cost more and may well have a higher profit margin, or it's just their genuine view, or whether they repeat what they saw elsewhere, or a bit of all of these, it's all over the place.

And it makes you feel like you're missing out if you play a "lesser ukulele". You know, one that is for children and women.

:)

agreed

wanna try soprano, could you pls tell me the website address of the european forum you mentioned?
 
So glad i found this thread (i digged up another old thread). These are actually what i'm looking for when choosing between tenor and concert. Before I upgrade to a much better uke (which i planned in Thanksgiving / Xmas season), i decided to get an ok Tenor (Kala - TE) to try and see which size i'll prefer for my next level uke as I don't think I can go and stay in the music store long enough to determine ����
 
Since my post back in 2015, I now favour a tenor scaled, concert bodied (or smaller) uke.
Next to those, are my concert scale soprano bodied ukes.

As you improve your playing, you find what suits you best - but I would still recommend starting out with a concert scale.
(Unless you're coming from guitar, in which case, I''d say to look at tenor or baritone.)
 
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Since my post back in 2015, I now favour a tenor scaled, concert bodied or smaller uke.
Next to those, are my concert scale soprano bodied ukes.

As you improve your playing, you find what suits you best - but I would still recommend starting out with a concert scale.
(Unless you're coming from guitar, in which case, I''d say to look at tenor or baritone.)
I'm still at the beginner's exploring stage ^^~ so far I'm happy with the concert size... but still want to experiment ^^
 
I'm a guitar player. The way I hold my ukulele is the classical hold of it. I don't rest it on my lap. I have not tried the tenor ukulele (as I am a newbie to uke playing), but while concert size fits me well, I am not sure I could hold it in traditional ukulele hold, cause am not a very big guy.

For the soprano I used was a bit harder to fit my fingers in. Also the strumming point was maybe not in 12th fret but closer to nut, than what was comfortable. The concert seems ok for me also in that criteria.

Are you most tenor uke players using it resting on your lap, or holding it the trad way? To me the most fun of uke is I can stand up if needed, I like to play sitting though, and don't need any strap to support it!
I can understand you going in the classical guitar way of playing though :)

I have read the notes of melodies from book(s) of songs and that is where I get in troubles with my guitar background, It is natural to spread the fingers more and compared to classical guitar where the fret spacing is the largest of all guitars the difference is huge. But guitar and ukulele are different musical instruments.

And most time I just play ukulele as a happy sing along one.
 
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Some companies make a hybrid size. App. halfway between tenor and concert. Kamaka makes one but its a Kamaka and is pretty expensive. Kamaka lists it for $2195. David Iriguchi also makes one. It's nowhere near the cost of the Kamaka. I've seen some ads for the Romero Tiny Tenor. I'm not sure if it's a hybrid.
 
The Tiny Tenor has a standard tenor scale on a triangular shaped body of about concert size, or slightly bigger.

Ohana makes a tenor scaled concert bodied solid mahogany uke (CK35L) at a reasonable price.
 
I always like to see what I was saying back in April of last year and compare it to what I'm saying now. I still agree with Mivo's post on the first page, and I'm still playing the two Concert ukulele s that I had back then. But whenever I get the chance to put my hands on a variety of ukuleles, I always find myself strumming a tenor in the process and not even realizing that it is not a concert until I look inside it and see that it says so on the label
 
I started out on a Tenor and had trouble with the stretch and bought a Concert. I found the fret span to be much easier to play and I was able to progress much faster. After playing the concert for a while the tenor got easier and when I went to a Baritone, I had no trouble, or little trouble adapting. I'm 6'2' and have medium sized hands but the concert is comfortable and soprano's are too tight for me.

Tenor is my favorite size now but I still love my concert's chiming tone.
 
Personally, I think all uke players should own at least one soprano, even if they only play it once in a blue moon.

I'm happy for anyone to tell me the same about concert/tenor/baritone/sopranino (delete as appropriate) but I'd need some convincing to own a banjolele again!
 
I could tell that that post was made in jest, but there are some zealots who believe it to be the holy grail of ukedom. ;)

The ukeulele is just a musical instrument & comes in different sizes like most other instruments. :)
 
My first ukulele was a Kala tenor which is very nice.
But I find that the width or the nut/ distance between string is most important to me.
Currently I love playing my concert Fluke at home and a wide necked soprano for the car or travel.
Try all the sizes as you can and play what you like.
 
Wow post started in April 2016 and still going, I guess good for the beginners to figure out.

Size isn't about popularity, but what you feel comfortable with.

Big fingers, then a Tenor is more comfortable, Tenor has bigger sound, more projection...
 
I may be about the least experienced one around here. I have only had my Uke about 2 months. I will tell you I went back and forth between tenor and concert as my first one, and in the end thought I might learn better on the tenor.

In retrospect I kind of wonder now if I should of gotten a concert first and then later added a tenor to the collection. This is the most unscientific or experienced based comment there could be. Just the tenor feels just a bit larger than I had "pictured" playing the ukulele would feel.

For ME the soprano was too small as the first one for a beginner. Although if for no other reason except to say I have one, I could see me buying one sooner or later. maybe a cheaper one.

my personal thoughts now for newbies:
1) Start with a concert. best of both worlds.
2) IF you love it, then add a tenor if you are so inclined.
3) Add a soprano if you become obsessed

this is all only AFTER trying the different sizes in a store if that is an option. that is the bigger key. which one feels right to you

comments from a rookie... so don't consider it gospel by any means. Jut maybe my thoughts now
 
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I may be about the least experienced one around here. I have only had my Uke about 2 months. I will tell you I went back and forth between tenor and concert as my first one, and in the end thought I might learn better on the tenor.

In retrospect I kind of wonder now if I should of gotten a concert first and then later added a tenor to the collection. This is the most unscientific or experienced based comment there could be. Just the tenor feels just a bit larger than I had "pictured" playing the ukulele would feel.

For ME the soprano was too small as the first one for a beginner. Although if for no other reason except to say I have one, I could see me buying one sooner or later. maybe a cheaper one.

my personal thoughts now for newbies:
1) Start with a concert. best of both worlds.
2) IF you love it, then add a tenor if you are so inclined.
3) Add a soprano if you become obsessed

this is all only AFTER trying the different sizes in a store if that is an option. that is the bigger key. which one feels right to you

comments from a rookie... so don't consider it gospel by any means. Jut maybe my thoughts now

Haha i'm at your #2 now. I'm a newbie as well and we had similar experience, but I did get the Concert for my first Ukulele, and been loving it ^^. I'm still fumbling around with chord change and strumming, but everyday , 30 minutes before bed is my own time with ukulele, and it helps me to relax much better than ever...
 
Lost in this conversation is the hybrid. Although not many are made, I like the sound of the concert and the scale of the tenor, sometimes called a long neck tenor, sometimes called a super concert. Best of both worlds for some.

It's importance is validated by Kamaka, Kanile'a, KoAloha and others such as Ono, Cocobolo and Pepe Romero's Tiny Tenor that have reduced the size of the body and yet still uses the longer neck. (Ono and Cocobolo use a 16 inch scale on some of it's models, and the Tiny Tenor has a smaller body with a tenor scale.)

Have you seen instruments going basically the other way, i.e. soprano neck on a concert body? I like the deeper sound on the bigger bodies, but have tiny hands for playing. Bb is a stretch for me on a concert. I love the tenor I started with, but I've never been able to really play it because it's such a stretch between frets.
 
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