If you can play ukulele, will you be able to learn guitar?
- Thread starter rayuke
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Ambient Doughnut
Well-known member
Well, it worked for Joni Mitchell and John Lennon!
Sure it's different but they are closely related. I still play both without any problems. (although far more uke these days)
Sure it's different but they are closely related. I still play both without any problems. (although far more uke these days)
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AetherBlue
Well-known member
Of course you can. With time and practice. You may need to toughen up your calluses though.
papplehead
Well-known member
I found the transition fairly easy. You just have to remember to transpose all your chord shapes and add the two bass strings. The muscles movements are all the same, its just a tad bit harder to bar on a guitar.
PoiDog
Well-known member
As one who tried to pick up the guitar after getting used to the uke, I can safely and emphatically say that the answer is yes, you will be able to make the transition. You will need to get used to the extra two strings and the size though. Especially that size. When I first picked up a guitar it felt like I was holding a baby whale. And since I tried a classical, the fretboard felt like it was as wide as the 405 through Santa Monica. Everything about it was huge.
That said, I found that the guitar just didn't call to me the way the 'ukulele does. So, after about a week of mucking about, I decided that I would just stick with the four-string. It just feels more me. Perhaps I'll try guitar again one day (though not a classical to start) and it will be more comfortable and inviting. But not now. Anyway, at least I'm not intimidated by it.
That said, I found that the guitar just didn't call to me the way the 'ukulele does. So, after about a week of mucking about, I decided that I would just stick with the four-string. It just feels more me. Perhaps I'll try guitar again one day (though not a classical to start) and it will be more comfortable and inviting. But not now. Anyway, at least I'm not intimidated by it.
-SRS-45-
Well-known member
If you play the ukulele you can even play trombone... as I found out! 
Once you learn one or more instruments it generally is a lot easier to learn others.
Once you learn one or more instruments it generally is a lot easier to learn others.
georgio
Well-known member
Speaking as a 35+ year guitar player & 1 year Uke player... YES you can learn the guitar!
It's gonna be different, don't try to advance too fast. I took to the Uke a lot easier than I thought I would. Someone just put all the chords and notes in different places.
It's gonna be different, don't try to advance too fast. I took to the Uke a lot easier than I thought I would. Someone just put all the chords and notes in different places.
Bratset
Well-known member
I started out with the uke, then guitar! Was quite easy to get a general grip of guitar then
PoiDog
Well-known member
Speaking as a 35+ year guitar player & 1 year Uke player... YES you can learn the guitar!
It's gonna be different, don't try to advance too fast. I took to the Uke a lot easier than I thought I would. Someone just put all the chords and notes in different places.
I know. Those damn 'ukulele guys always have to be different.
coolkayaker1
Well-known member
My son plays guitar avidly, and I noodled around with it. If I just use the four teensiest strings, I can play my Uke chords without modification (for the most part). Try it--just strum your G and C and D on the small guitar strings and you'll sound like a regular James Taylor. Just with a wicked falsetto way.
flagstaffcharlie
Active member
I agree. And then as you begin learning more instruments your G.A.S. pains multiply.
The guitar is probably a bit more challenging at the beginning, but remember that you don't have to play all six string all the time.
Huna
Well-known member
I switched to frame drum for a while (tambourine basically) but then went to strumstick. Strumstick is like a dulcimer which does not have a chromatic scale but is more like a dulcimer. Some folks hope to transition to guitar from strumstick. It would be easier to transition from ukulele to guitar than from strumstick.
When I was a kid, I started taking piano lessons. In school I played the saxophone. Once I hit college I started picking up the guitar. I'm still not great at it, but a background on piano really helped me, although I still read music notes better on the piano. The guitar is great by itself, but it makes you want to learn other stringed instruments. I just got a banjo for Christmas and am working hard at it. I'm working on getting myself a uke as well, and I know the experience playing other insturments will help. I find myself practicing the guitar more often since I got the banjo, just so I don't get the chords mixed up between the two.
grandpoobah
Well-known member
I think we're all agreed its not a hard transition. You could capo on the fifth fret of your guitar at first so you don't have to transpose while you're learning the new chords formations. I play a guitarlele which is basically a super wideneck guitar in the same key as a ukulele. I love it. I also find some of the more complex chords on uke are easier on guitar because of the extra strings. You have more to work with. And if you are not sure of what a guitar version of a chord is, you can just play the uke version on the bottom 4 stings.
the.ronin
Well-known member
Yup. I did. And agreed to most points here.
What threw me off is the typically reentrant tuning on the uke (although half my ukes are strung with low g too). You don’t see that on a guitar. Also, when playing the uke (my first instrument aside from piano when I was just a kid), I didn’t pay as much attention to the chords but rather just the shapes. Now I’m find myself paying careful attention to the chords so I can jump back and forth from uke to guitar on the same song.
What threw me off is the typically reentrant tuning on the uke (although half my ukes are strung with low g too). You don’t see that on a guitar. Also, when playing the uke (my first instrument aside from piano when I was just a kid), I didn’t pay as much attention to the chords but rather just the shapes. Now I’m find myself paying careful attention to the chords so I can jump back and forth from uke to guitar on the same song.
ichadwick
Well-known member
Yes. The additional two strings will present a bit of coordination challenge at first, but you'll get used to it. You might want to start with a nylon-stringed, shorter scale model, though. Steel strings can be tough until callouses grow. Try a guitarelele.
Or just buy a four-stringed cigar box guitar and pretend the lower two strings don't matter!
Or just buy a four-stringed cigar box guitar and pretend the lower two strings don't matter!
hoosierhiver
Well-known member
I'm clearly biased, but when I pick up a guitar it's like puting on a pair of pants that is way to big for me.
ichadwick
Well-known member
That's how I feel about standard guitars. But I like 4-string CBGs. Scale is a bit longer than I'd like, but they're fun. Like really long-necked baritone ukes.
I tried a friend's guitarulele recently. Didn't really like it - I've been away from guitar so long that I found the extra stings confusing. Even annoying. Why do I need to use those extra strings anyway?
Funny thing: I sold my six-string electric bass recently because I found I wasn't really using the extra strings that much. I guess I'm firmly in the four-string camp these days.
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